ultress:
No, you stupid smurf-squicker!
This is just not a message board. If it were, only my eyes would be reading. You all were on my heart last night, and as the tears fell, I realized that my eyes had long ago stopped reading, but now my heart was taking in the words…
I credit these places for bringing back social interaction. For years, prior to the explosion of the internet, folks would go to work then drive home and barricade themselves inside their suburban homes and watch TV. Now there are forums for people to interact, while still barricaded in their homes, where there are no preconceived notions based on appearances, all folks judge you on is your stupidity. Suddenly shyness goes away. Then the greatest things happen, people are start coming toghether and meeting each other in person. SO suddenly all types are becoming pen pals and hanging out with each other. People who you would have never put toghether based on their looks. Society might not die just yet, but unfortunatelly it lost a great contributor.
I’ve been a lurker, and I’ve enjoyed the hell outta some Wally.
“It’s only a message board” is not about everyone has to be all lovey-dovey. We all know that is impossible almost any time you get even two people together, even those who care very much about each other.
I mean, does anyone even know a married couple who doesn’t argue?
I remain of the mind that I will treat people as they deserve to be treated, which is pretty much how they treat me or those whom I care about.
I will, however, start simply ignoring people whom I don’t like very much for whatever reason - kind of continuing to not feed trolls, as it were - instead of calling them names unless I really have to defend myself or someone I care about.
This is not because of any epiphany on my part due to the circumstances - after all, Wally was not one to shy away from calling a spade a putz, and I do believe my relative inaction with the Booger Boy even before this all happened (while Wally came to my defense, I might add). This is just me deciding that some people ain’t worth it, and that sometimes the best response is to not dignify soemthign with one (thank you, Drainy!).
However, I do think that some of the more gratuitous slams of my past - say, the one directed at kellibelli so long ago - are a thing of the past.
But if you fuck with me or a friend, I am not one to turn the other cheek as easily as others might. It’s the Brooklyn in me, what can I say?
And if you are an idiot, asshole, troll or in some way distinguish yourself as not being a carbon-based life-form, I will call you on it.
However, if you simply disagree with me (happens all the time in great Debates), I don’t see the need for verbal sparring beyond the usual tolerance for that forum.
I also have no problem joking around with a friend (or friendly person) as that is part of my nature. I get as well as I give on this one, I believe.
Now then, if this somehow makes me a hypocrite, so be it. I do not feel that it does.
What I was talking about when I started this thread (and most people here got it) is the attitude of, “Why are you letting __________ bother you, this is just a message board.”
This is not about nice-nice all the time.
This is about people saying, “You are wrong to react in this manner because this is only a message board.”
Don’t tell me how to feel about anything, thank you very much.
In a way, this was all more difficult for me than my own mothers passing away. Why? Because at least with that, it was obvious. Mommy gone. End of discussion. Work says go, take all the time you need, be with your family. Friends understand. School (when applicable) understands.
I mean, it was mom!!
In this case, people don’t get it. As I looked at Wally’s picture and cried in my cubical yesterday, I knew that my co-workers didn’t think, “Wow, someone he cared about passed on,” they thought “What a flake! Someone he never met died and he’s acting like this?”
So, I am so sorry that people might have thought my initial post was saying that we all need to get along and we need to replace shit with poo-poo on our vocabulary list.
All I am saying is: This is real. And I will act the same way here as I do in real life. And I will react to things here in my real life. Why? Because it’s all real life! And it’s all my life.
And if that isn’t good enough for the person I never met or the person who works next to me, well, one of them can lick my left nut, the other the right.
Thank you for allowing me to clarify myself. I hope this clariification does not take away some of the people who agreed with my initial post.
Yer putz,
Satan :wally
I HAVE BEEN SMOKE-FREE FOR WALLY:
Two months, one week, six days, 20 hours, 44 minutes and 56 seconds.
2994 cigarettes not smoked, saving $374.32.
Life saved: 1 week, 3 days, 9 hours, 30 minutes.
Drain, thanks for the apology, but it wasn’t necessary. I also don’t hold grudges and look forward to sparring with you in the future. When you’ve got two opinionated broads frequenting the same place, you can’t expect anything but fireworks on occasion. But it makes things interesting. Nothing is more boring than everyone walking on egg shells in an attempt not to (gasp!) offend anyone.
And Satan, I am proud of you for ignoring Boogerrheal’s attempts to bait you. I know it goes against your grain, but is the adult thing to do.
Jodih, as always, you are infinitely wise.
All right, enough of the sacchriney stuff. It’s making me nauseated.
Lisa
Satan, you said exactly what I meant!!!
FUCK YEAH THIS IS MUCH MORE THAN A MESSAGE BOARD!!!
I love you all, you moronic llama squickers. Well, OK, there are SOME exceptions. But let’s not go there now.
Let is be known that the “Cold” part in my username does not reflect “distant”. Even though I may be far away from most of you.
Oh, and all your responses sucked hamster ass. If Wally was here, he’d get the putz rifle out and blast y’all all the way to next Tuesday. And back. Twice. Dammit.
From everything I’ve read from and about WallyM7, I think I know how he would react to all of this:
“All you all a bunch of putzes?? What’s with all this crying and apologizing? What I deserve is a good wake with drunken debauchery, bad singing, and ghodawful jokes! Why don’t you crybabies get your act together and give me a PROPER sending off!”
Y’know, Silo, at the beginning, aha was considered somewhat troll-like, also. Read his first few posts. Penis this, poopy that, snot over there. Quite amusing, really.
–Tim
One of the things I love about this message board is the sarcasm and flames. Speaking only for myself, Wally’s death opened my eyes to the fact that there are human beings behind screen names. That verbally attacking someone has the potential to really hurt.
I have grown a very thick skin from my years of counseling the mentally disabled and homeless, and sometimes I forget that the skin of others may not be as strong. I truly did not understand how or why some people got so upset over a message board. My responses were always directed at the words on my screen, not a person. If the thread topic was lighthearted, I posted something light, if it was heated, I blasted away with both barrels. To me, it was always just a game.
Wally’s death opened up my eyes to see that every post here, no matter what the screen name, has a real live soul sitting behind the keyboard. Someone who may really be hurt by my words. It’s not a game.
Looking back, I know now that I missed a couple of great opportunities to really get to know a few posters just because they were on the “flame” side of my game board. Posters whom I really enjoy and know that had we met IRL would be great friends. But again, this was only a board . . . .
My apology post was directed to those (and others) I never gave a chance. Those people I never let be “real”. Those I never accepted as anything more than screen name battle buddies. Wally made me see you as human. I am sorry it took his death to do it.
Satan - I agree 100 percent with your words. I will not change the person I am, I will only change the person I am here to be more like the person I am IRL. The person I am IRL is sarcastic, fiercely defensive when it comes to others attacking people I care about, argumentative, and a spanker of idiots. That person is also tolerant, forgiving, and kind, something that has been greatly lacking in my board participation.
Are all my posts going to be dripping honey from now on? Pol-fucking-leeeze. It’s hard digging puke from the keyboard. I will not hold back when the Paed-assholes and dickwads post their inane bullshit. I will defend myself if I decide it’s worth my effort. I’ll debate you to the bloody end over topics I Attack someone unfairly, I’ll blast ya.
What I won’t do is play the cruel bullshit games I have played in the past with Kelli and a few others. That was unfair, and for that I apologize.
::applause::
Yer putz,
Satan :wally
TIME ELAPSED SINCE I QUIT SMOKING:
Two months, two weeks, 15 hours, 0 minutes and 25 seconds.
3025 cigarettes not smoked, saving $378.13.
Life saved: 1 week, 3 days, 12 hours, 5 minutes.
Like the song says,“It takes all kinds of people to make the Jukebox play”. I guess I just played my last quarter…
What does that mean GBS?
As for Diane, it takes a big person to do that, and I look forward to us being friendly. BUT, if you stop flaming trolls, I am gonna be sorely disapointed! 
As I said in my e-mail Kelli, I think I have more in common with you than almost anyone else on the SDMB. I would really like for us to be friends.
As far as me holding back on the trolls and assholes? NEV’A!
If it opened some eyes, I’m thankful… but I think a lot of people here have not considered this to be “just a message board” from the beginning.
The internet is a fairly new way for people to connect and communicate… but it is no less valid than any other way that people have connected to each other and communicated thoughout history. I’ve always been irritated by those who felt that online frienships were not “real” friendships, as if somehow the fact that you’re communicating electronically meant that the people on both ends were not really real.
The loss of Wally is something that has touched most, if not all, of us here on the board… and it’s proof that we’re real people, with real feelings, and that we’re each living a real life, and we can really touch each other’s hearts.
Satan (almost called you Stan, glad I caught that typo), I agree with your OP, and I agree even more with your followup. I also agree with Mr. Cynical from the first page…
Let’s not forget it’s the people, and not the medium, that matters. If your family or friends don’t understand, don’t describe it as “someone you knew on a message board,” but as a close friend. It doesn’t matter where they live, or how you communicate with them, the place they hold in your heart is the place you made for them. No one else has the right to change that.
inkblot
Methinks the username Melin ought to be reinstated.
Let bygones be bygones and start fresh.
Satan:
But Bwian, we wuv oooooo…
Beautifully spoken, Pepper. I hope now that no one is in danger of forgetting that all of us who post here and on other message boards are REAL PEOPLE with real feelings. I have some people on other boards that I consider to be my friends no less than some people I know IRL. And I think I’m finding some on this board, too…at least I hope so.
Oh, Gawd, don’t flame me for that sentimental post, people, it’s the middle of the frickin’ night, I’m at work AGAIN and I’ve got a frickin’ migraine from hell. Add that to the fact that my introduction to this entire message board was when somebody cross-posted to ULRP about Wally a few days ago and maybe you’ll understand my state of mind. I’m not always so sappy…