The wall, eh? That takes talent, even for me. But I can assure you that if I did such a thing, hiding would be the LAST thing on my mind…
“Buffalo Bills? Oh, yeah. The guys that always snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.” --WallyM7
I’d have to agree that at certain times information about a poster is useful…but very rarely. If someone is giving me medical or computer advice i’d certainly like to know what their credentials in either one are. But since theres no real objective way to determine that they’re telling the truth(given the structure of the board that is, i mean i could ask them for their address and come see them or something-but that would be cheating…) then it seems that biographical information is pretty irrelevant. The most that it could do is reinforce stereotypes that people already have…
“An older individual on Medicare might care much more about having to pay out of his
own pocket for drugs than a much younger person.”
This for instance is pretty questionable. As a college student(nah, i’m not giving away too much info here, least i don’t think so) I’d have to say that the price of drugs is a pretty important issue with me, and if i could get some federal funding for them, well it’d be pretty damn cool…
er, looking back on this thread i realize that i may have misinterpreted a certain quote that i used…
but just for the record i’d like to note that i have extremely bad, er, cateracts. and that chemotherapy takes a lot out of me, and, er…
::runs away::
TVeblen: No one is demanding to know where you work or as I said above, not even the city you are from. I merely said that FOR ME, not obviously you , it is easier to get to know where someone is coming from if you know a little bit more about them. If mentioning that you are a female was offensive to you until you were longer or whatever your reason was …fine…I’m not going to lose any sleep over it.
Its much easier to rant and rave and put some of these people down when one is anonymous. I just brought this thread up for discussion. I don’t see where I insisted that anybody does anything. I’m not afraid to say how I feel about anything. If people are not going to see me professionally or any other way because they disagree with me, the Fuck Em.
What I find annoying is when the pompous asses hiding behind all their aliases or user name as it is called, say some “clever little joke” with a play on words avoiding completely answering the poor soul asking the question. Thats why Tom of Tomndebb and others like him is a pleasure to read because he doesn’t appear to have the need to act cute, pedantic, fatherly, or what have you. And you are right, I dont know much about him
I have a feeling that I just answered my own question.
If you haven’t caught me being pedantic, you haven’t read enough of my material.
Tom~
I stay anonymous to piss off the assholes. Namely, the jerks who try to bring personal information about me into the argument. If they don’t know anything about me, and if they can’t hate email me, then I can snipe at them with impunity.
In the areas in which I have expertise, due to my profession, I know enough of the sources where I don’t have to use myself as an authority. I know who and what to quote to back up my argument.
In the end, I let my words – and not my personality – do the talking for me.
Peace.
I’ll be 50 years old next month.
I’m a tradesman who is self employed.
My biggest regret is that I never went to University.
I married my highschool sweetheart when I was twenty. We have two grown children.
And if that’s not boring enough, I have a 125 gallon aquarium. Salt water tropicals.
Does anybody care? I doubt it. It’s boring.
When the pin is pulled, Mr.Grenade is no longer our friend.
I think your point is well taken Skel. I must say that in evaluating the seriousness of your posts, it helped me to learn, after reading your bio, that you’re a Cuban pimento inserter. Perhaps that explains your chile pepper reaction to Dr. Fidel?
Just a thought?
terggie
That’s the problem, dear heart. You set up a strawman argument–in the Pit, no less–shout your own answers into your arena and sanctimoniously insist that after all, no one actually supplied you with adequate answers.
Your question, your choice of venue.
You have been given civil answers aplenty. Your need for predefinition does not in any way preclude the rights of other posters for a legitimate and granted need for anonymity. If there’s a problem, it’s your problem. You’ll get over it, or you won’t. Again, your decision.
I am not only thoroughly pissed off by your presumption of rights to information. I’m also disgusted and offended by your sweeping generalization that a measure of retained privacy equals abuse. If individual posters cross lines of reason, sense and good manners, then you have every right to resent and address that offense.
But you have no damned right to apply that label to any poster who seeks a level of personal privacy. How dare you clump people into neat categories by your prejudice and pass judgment.
You have been given ample and civil answers. You persist in arguing a nonexistent right, or at least an obligation, to impose your views onto other people. You base this on your perceptions of individual acts you construe as misbehavior. You then blithely extend those individual acts onto people who fall into your neatly preconceived category.
But you don’t rest with sloppy thinking. You petulantly dismiss those who give civil, reasoned answers to your non-questions. You dismissed the fact that those answers have come from people innocent of the bashing, idiocy and dismal behavior you claim to decry. You shove posters into convenient slots of your devising, those who abuse privacy and those who maintain privacy but use it responsibly.
I know this is the Pit–after all, you chose it–but I’ll be triple-damned before I reduce myself to your level. You’ve marked yourself as a worse arrogant, illogical, sanctimonious bigot than any cursing.
You may call me,
Veb
Why? Because I’m a woman who’s been harassed several times online. Once to the point where I was afraid the person would come up and beat the shit out of me. Therefore, I don’t like advertising I’m a 24 year old woman. Once people get to know me, they can figure out if I’m a man or a woman…by opinions are valid either way. If my credentials come up in a debate, I share them. If not, it’s not really that relevant.
And one other thing…neuro, I know you didn’t mean anything by this, but I don’t “revel” in my ambiguity. I just didn’t want an obvious screenname. And honestly, I’m amused so many people think I’m a man. Just read the sig line. 
“You are sweet, kind, and considerate… Like a grown up boy scout with tits!” - Brian, aka SDMB’s one and only Satan.
What Veb said.
TVeblen: Your over-reaction, your anger tells me quite a bit about you. There is a very wise saying that fits you to a T: “Our suspicions of others are aroused by the knowledge of ourselves”. You blew the debate by your obvious anger. I have a right to my opinion and you have a right to yours. Now that I know a little bit more about Wally, for example, his comments are more meaningful to me. He thinks this info is boring; I don’t.
TV: I’m not going to put you down whether this is the pit or not. The SDMB is an interesting place to spend time and converse. To devote all the time that some of you spend about kicking people out and what assholes they are suggests that this MB has become much more than that to you.
But then again, maybe you’ve got PDD which would explain your comments today. It would be a very dull and uninteresting world for me if everyone agreed with me on a debatable subject.
Sandman’s calling. I’ll read your “hits” tomorrow. Goodnite.
I am therefor I be
It would be helpful to me, in evaluating and interpreting this thread and crafting a well-reasoned response, to know skelton4947’s:
- Sex
- Age
- Occupation
- City and State
In determining yer responses to these burning questions, keep in mind that I’m partial to tall, willowy, long-haired, mid-thirties brunettes with artistic backgrounds, middle of the road politics, and gentle temperments.
Try as I might to respect the opinions of folks who don’t fit this description, I invariable am unable to take them seriously.
Dr. Watson
“Chairman Emeritus; ‘Subversive Suggestions Department’; University of Zen Inanity.”
Please send any previously undiscovered non-sequiturs. Discretion Assured.
So are you being paid to evaluate posters?
Were you asked to do this?
Why would your best evaluation mean anything to me or anyone on this board?
Oh, I’m gonna keep using these #%@&* codes 'til I get 'em right.
You know, having given it a great deal of thought, I have to admit you are ALL correct. I am convinced. The less I know about some of you especially the above 2 posters, the better it is for me. You win!!! Thanks for being up front. I’ll continue to stuff olives with Minced Pimientos and shut up. My age is 33yr, male, and don’t get 90% of the questions in Jeopardy correct as one of your vainglorious members stated. God bless you all and God bless America.
I am therefor I be
I’m very serious now. My reply above was meant to be light-hearted.
I just got through reading all the posts in this thread and I do sincerely believe that you guys are correct. The more I thought about it, one can speak how they feel if they are anonymous. And as you mentioned, people can offer as much information as they desire.
I think what got me started was when I finished reading a thread where a number of members were chopping certain other members and it bothered me that the choppers were “wearing masks” so to speak. But after reading the above posts, I am convinced that you people are correct.( and I’m not being sarcastic.) Worse yet my wife read the responses and totally agrees with you all.
Now that I have recanted, I will close. Thanks for your input. :o
And people wonder why only Tom~ of tomndebb posts to this MB–I don’t even let Deb know it’s here.
MAKE UP YOUR MIND, WILL YA! Sheesh!
terggie
It sounds like he has.
Skelton,
I can read between the lines… TVeblen digs you. I think she is just playing hard to get.
A librarian in Illinois… Hmmm, their couldn’t be more than a thousand or so. I think I could track her down for you if you are so inclined. You know the old adage about librarians…when they let their hair down, look out. Let me know.
Firm believer in opposites attract.