Ah well, I suppose it had to happen sooner or later. The restrictions on the web content we are allowed to view at work have been getting increasingly Draconian lately, and now almost no site containing the fatal string “Message Board” is viewable (although Philosophy Forums still works, oddly enough).
So, friends, I will no longer be able to join you for my morning/afternoon cup of tea or at lunchtime, and since my 10 month old nipper at home takes up my time there it seems my posting capacity will be extremely restricted.
Thanks for 4 years of pleasant distraction. If anyone else would volunteer to climb on my favourite hobby horses in my absence (physicalism and cognitive science, anthropogenic climate change, the universe never not existing, the fossil record for creationists, negative utilitarianism and libertarian socialism, increasing the democracy and responsibilities of the UN etc.) I’d be very grateful.
As a small mercy to lessen the blow, at least they deprived me during the footy.
<picks up fallen torch and gallantly runs with it>
…
<trips, comically, accidentally catapulting flaming torch into grandstand, starting a blaze that kills everyone>
…
Going on last night’s performance I hope you’re a football fan and not just an England fan, otherwise there’s probably another disappointment coming your way.
Using a computer at work - except for reading technical manuals and ordering spares - is an alien concept for me but in your case perhaps the answer could be to take up Philosophy.
Apart from the possibility that you might be a Cardiff City fan I generally seem to be in sympathy with your views so I’ll miss your contributions
Anyway, fuck them, for preventing you from a small amount of surfing distraction and relaxation.
SentientMeat, I’ve always appreciated your contributions. Sadly, I won’t be able to pick up the slack for you, since my own hobby horses are physickalism and creative science, anthropomorphic climate change, the universe never not non-existing, records for fossilizing creationists, utilitarian negativism, libertine socialism, increasing the democracy and responsibilities of the ELO, etc.)
But I wonder – can’t some of our resident computer geniuses propose a purely technical solution to outwit your work filter?
I too offer my condolances (though I have an idea my productivity would get a tiny bump if they did the same where I work… )
We use Remote Desktop and VNC often at work. Depending on your OS, you might be able to connect to your home PC with one or the other, and run SMDB from there.
Depending on your vocation, it might be difficult to explain your use of it… you ‘forgot’ a file at home every day for the past month?
SentientMeat, I hardly knew ye. OK, I never knew ye. But hopefully, I can still wish you well and a safe trip in your journeys across the Universe. (Bring a towel. Wha…? I read it in a book, like.)
Please return as much as possible. In fact, the negative effects of limited paternal attention are vastly overrated. Who needs you more, your infant child or us?
My predicament won’t merit a whole thread like yours, so I thought I’d tack myself onto this one. Earlier this week, the network nazis got me, too. I’ll still be reading from home but my days of enlightened lunch hours (and maybe afternoon breaks too) are gone.
Bah.
Let me add my voice to those saying…come back as often as your time allows SM! You are one of the few posters on the board that, though I disagree with, I deeply respect. Your political thread series was a HUGE success IMHO…and I got a lot out of it.
I just tried that and that is so cool! A pity that my office has finally relaxed it’s internet usage policy to allow personal use as long as the business isn’t affected.
Kids at that age are lousy at detecting sentience anyway; can’t you be substituted by an equal mass of non-sentient meat (say, a side of beef) and be freed up to continue posting?
lol! I’ve tried to quit twice now and in fact didn’t renew immediately during the last re-up cycle. But then there was this thread that I just HAD to reply in and…
)