correction:
should be “of” instead of “or” in the first sentence…
Thanks
Ed,
Get the Big Stick…
Hack away,
with my blessing…
Wisdom is the boobie prize,they give you when you’ve been --unwise!
I’ll have you know, my interests are intensely focused on a region 6 inches or so lower!
My take on the matter, god knows why I’m bothering to post it: Everyone, on both sides of this pissing match needs to get a fucking grip. This is a place to enjoy ourselves. Its a place to not worry and stress about complicated issues. It also a place to enjoy the company of other intelligent and witty people. We have been seeing much of the downside to gathering a large number of intelligent folks. Intelligent people, for various reasons, are a pain in the fucking ass. They all have superiority complexes, a general spite for authority, and a total incapability to deal with others in a social setting.
Now, Ed has a tough job, and doesn’t seem to take the joy that many of us do, and it isn’t an escape for him, its a trial, everyday, a trial. That is a burden I empathize with. I don’t entirely support or understand Ed’s motives, thoughts and procedures for doing things. I don’t however take perverse joy in being a fucking sliver in the guys finger considering his administration of the board has little effect on my posting activities (considering the vast bulk of his posts are responding you fucking malcontents).
Now, Ed points out the running this board is a costly endeavor. Now many are going to argue how costly, but is it really important? We all see there is very little advertising, so its no doubt a deficit venture. I would agree that there should be more advertising, and that the uncommonly dedicated members of this board would certainly support it, but the SDMB conducts a survey to gauge its marketing leverage, and threads pop up flaming the admins for it. Its abundantly clear that a percentage of the population here (unfortunately a significant number of long time posters who have let that invective personality streak shine through) have little interest in anything besides causing stress and agitating things. While I can accept that vital message boards will need that type of personality, and it brings out the best in the true positive poster, it is reaching a point around here that illustrates the cliche “cutting off your nose to spite your face”.
My hopefully constructive advice:
Ed, keep up the hard work, and keep fighting the suits for us. We really want to see this message board here indefinately. It may serve you well to indeed grow a thicker skin in dealing with some of the (hopefully well intended) but mean spirited regular posters. I’m quite certain that this board as established itself in a way that could make a tidy profit, and I hope you are able to reap the benefits, divert some of the energy dealing with us, and start getting some people with deep pockets here.
To the other Admins and Moderators, you have shown a tendancy to post with a certain amount of vitriol, especially at certain posters. While I respect the authority you have, don’t be suprised when the fact that you hold an obvious grudge is met with especially nasty responses. And Ed, by proxy, gets garnished with those confrontational replies. Try and have a shorter memory, and ratchet up the impartiality. And most importantly, get back to moderation the forum, not feeding flame wars over what might become of the SDMB.
To all the other posters. Show some fucking respect! You don’t give any of the staff here the benefit of the doubt and treat them as the enemy. You insist on airing all your dirty laundry (most obviously self-begotten) in public. Get over yourselves, you’re not that god damn important. And don’t kid yourselves into thinking that anything you offer here is irreplacible, the only thing this community stands to lose is a bunch of headaches at the current pace. This board is here at no expense to you, the least you could do is be curteous, and constructive in your “constructive critisism”. How does Flaming Ed serve any purpose? You’re daring him to ban you? Gee, thats mature. Anyways. The authority here isn’t always right, or even polite, but you’d better start realizing that they don’t want things at the point they are any more than you do. So how about everyone understand where the other stands, and get over it, and try to stop going out of you way to step on the others toes.
Omni-
Certain this post is going to do nothing but make things worse…
You know, one of the reasons this is my favorite message board is the fact that the moderators and administrators bitch, moan, get pissed-off, overreact, laugh, cry, and scream with the rest of us. I’ve been to boards that seem to be run by robots, where messages and even whole threads are removed without explanation, and posters disappear on a regular basis without even a “Good-bye, all!”.
Eagles may soar free and proud, but weasels never get sucked into jet engines.
Oh, you’ve been to the Paint Shop Pro Interactive Zone? (www.pspiz.com) ?
–
I have over 2000 posts, dammit! Show some respect.
http://fathom.org/opalcat/showmerespect.jpg
O p a l C a t
www.opalcat.com
While this is in many ways true, and not something I’m disputing at all, I honestly think that that would be a great sig line. And in fact, it’s now mine.
…For the glory of Ed Zotti.
I think Euty just left us a major hint. You folks who have a complaint with the way this website is being administered have two choices. 1) get out of here or 2) obey the rules, because if 3) you don’t, they’re going to close it down. You hear me? They’re going to close it down. And it they do that, I won’t be pissed at Ed. I’ll be pissed at those who wrecked this site.
Oh, fer cryin’ out loud. What is so hard to understand about any of this? With the recent flapdoodles and brouhahas the rules have gotten tightend up.
Live with it or leave. So far Ed, the Chicago Reader, the moderators and assorted posters have been scrutinized, dissected, lambasted and the whole stupid, damned thing argued into the ground.
What is so terribly hard to understand about “don’t be a jerk”? The constant sniping, criticism, etc. has amounted to harassment. I’ve been suprised that the royal kabosh wasn’t put on sooner.
I’m an employer in the public sector and let me tell you folks, the line gets drawn hard and swiftly when discussions about policy lapse into harassment. Even in public meetings the rule is keep it civil or take your show on the road.
Ed filled us in on what happened elsewhere and advised us of the situation at the CR. No, it wasn’t a threat but it WAS a clear warning–and one long overdue, IMO.
The flurry of board “politics” was as asinine as it was fruitless. We don’t run this board. The Chicago Reader, Ed, the admins and mods run the board. They have tolerated abuse, nitpicking and armchair quarterbacking with amazing patience.
It is a MESSAGE BOARD, folks. It has rules. Interpretation of those rules can be nitpicked into Y3K. I find it sad, sick and ironic that folks who esteem freedom of thought and expression are slowly driving a vital site into a morass of rules, case law and definitions.
Meanwhile, this site continues under scrutiny by the suits who have to pay the bills, and good posters are leaving (remember Imthecowgodmoo?) because the infighting is overwhelming the fun.
In Cowgod’s phrase, IIRC, “it’s gotten sucky lately”. Amen.
This no doubt pointless explosion isn’t aimed at any particular poster, group, etc. It’s purely pragmatic. This site is basically terrific, the best I’ve found by content and company. I’ve ENJOYED the freewheeling, erudite and “bubble off plumb” atmosphere.
So WHAT if decisions (and phrasing) don’t meet with unanimous agreement and acclaim? Ain’t gonna happen in this lifetime anyway, anywhere.
This isn’t sucking up: why bother? “Rewards” seem limited to a coffee mug, meetings where you pay your own travel and lodging, and steaming piles of crap. What I DO find worth fighting for is the continued health and vitality of this site–and that’s purely selfish.
Please…if you can’t in conscience accept the basic tenets of this board, then leave. The fit isn’t right. But this endless, dreary, sterile CARPING will just destroy something many people enjoy.
(BTW, the 5K registered vs 500 active posters is a hollow argument. Many, myself included, “read” this place for ages–and clicked on those banners–before delurking. It is a severed mistake to inflate individual loquaciousness and emotional investment into ownership or “right to rule”)
Stop the insanity.
Veb
Okay…::blushing::…in the next to last sentence I meant “severe” instead of “severed” mistake. Though it’s apt enough, if viewed in context of taking a Swiss Army knife to your nose because you don’t like your face.
I’ll leave now. Gotta admit, I was on a rare tear though.
Veb
About time you showed up, Veb.
As far as I’m concerned, you’ve put this puppy to bed.
Well done.
Jesus H fuckin Christ on rollerskates! This is too much. What has this thread been about? Oh, whine, oh, carp, oh complain! I’ve seen better behavior from a bunch of hyperactive three year olds on crack! In this, what is supposedly a forum for intellegent discourse, there has been precious little. “Treat me special, I go back to the AOL days!” Well, boo freaking hoo! If you are such a great and powerful computer message board asset, what the hell are you doing on AOL in the first place? If you didn’t have a computer mommy to hold your hand, would you even remember what a mouse is for? Put simply, in deference to all the whiners, here’s the situation:
Cecil, Ed and the CR have a valuable commodity. They hope that someday, they can make money with it. Until then, they host this MB to enhanse the value that they have. They feel (this is my guess) that by supporting a forum for intellegent discussions and intelectual discovery, they can nurture something pretty special in today’s lowest common denominator world, the ineviable -gry questions notwithstanding. Most of us here agree that it is pretty special, and cherish the gift of being alowed to stay. In order to do this in a civilized fashon, there are rules. Put simply, they are all extensions of “Don’t be a jerk”. This is certainly reasonable, civilization itself is a framework of rules that we live within. And what do people do? They whine, they carp, and they complain. Well, I got news for you, Einstein, there’s a place for those that don’t want to follow the rules IRL, it’s called jail. Here, it just means that you may be banned. ( Until you show us all how clever you are with your sock puppet names) Whine all you want, but do it at home. At least your spouse made a reasoned decision to put up with your narrow minded ass, the rest of us didn’t. Don’t like it? Point your mouse at that little “X” in the upper right hand corner of the screen. Then left click once. Try it now. You may be happier, not having to subject yourselves to a place that GASP expects you to behave. I know we sure will be. Y’know, I would invite y’all to go feltch a dead goat, but that would be abuse of a perfectly good dead goat and an insult to all those who engage in that practice for fun. So instead I would cordially invite you to experement with the aerodynamic properties of your body when it is launched from a tall building. On the way down you can fuck yourselves too.
Cecil said it. I believe it. That settles it.
…and by the same token don’t ever complain about the United States of America…or you have to leave…
Personal message to Ed: I’ve been participating in, and operating, public discussion boards since 1980. This is by far the best run board I’ve ever participated in, and I’m sure that a good chunk of the credit belongs to you. You have my admiration and sincere thanks for a job well done.
Just to let you know that your efforts have not gone unappreciated by at least one member of the Teeming Millions. Thanks.
I now return you to the regularly scheduled hissy fits.
Krispy, in case you didn’t notice, the board administation invites us to complain about the board here in the Pit. I don’t think it’s too much to ask that when the people do complain, they don’t do so in a jerk-like manner (i.e. be personally insulting to the mods or others).
You don’t have a thing to worry about. I’ll have the jury eating out of my hand. Meanwhile, try to escape.
Sig by Wally M7, master signature architect to the SDMB
Fine. I think that I’ve been adhering to that standard since at least October. Still, that given, some people still don’t really want to hear any complaints…just look at the plethura of anti-complaint sermons…
Ed:
Bigger stick Buddie?
Here, use mine, I’m begging you…
Wisdom is the boobie prize,they give you when you’ve been --unwise!
I don’t know about anyone else, but I was on it because I got it for free, since my husband worked for the company. I know of at least 5 other people who posted who worked for AOL, NOT including the moderators.
–
I have over 2000 posts, dammit! Show some respect.
http://fathom.org/opalcat/showmerespect.jpg
O p a l C a t
www.opalcat.com
NEW UBB board, all are welcome:
http://fathom.org/cgi-bin/Ultimate.cgi?action=intro
Because there are a few so-called adults who have the need to snivel. I’m just glad I don’t have to hear their nasally, whining voices in real life.
It doesn’t take a brain surgeon to find the door. If life is so bad for you here - LEAVE! Otherwise, you just look like a dumbass for staying.
“Owwww, dis hammer hurts me head ever time I hit me-self. Should I’s stop a doin it?”
HELLOOOOOOOOOOOOOO?!?!?! :rolleyes:
Pardon me while I burst into flames.
I swear to God, dave, that made me fall out of my chair. That’s beautiful. Can I steal that for a sig?
And nothing other to say than “What weirddave and Omni said.”
JMCJ
Give to Radiskull!
John, sure. WOW! A weirddave sig! Neat!
Cecil said it. I believe it. That settles it.