In a recent thread in the BBQ Pit, Mahaloth (257 posts since April 2000) asked What do you just love about newbies?
five hours later, after many withering comments, like
he claimed that his Original Post was
As someone who considers himself a newbie I was NOT impressed by this heavy-handed attempt to put me and my newbie chums down. So, I did some research on M’loth and his worldview as presented in his postings. May I present the fruits to you now?
And add that I wouldn’t dream of being this boring and anal, if I didn’t feel so irritated by that insensitive posting.
Over the last thirty days M’loth has started 22 threads, and posted to another 21. I concentrated on his OPs.
The majority (8) are technical questions about computer games and software. (I’m not giving links because the level of interest seems low already).
Like, **How can I get a really old game to recognise my Sound Blaster? **(3 replies)
How do I get two vizualization plug-ins to run simultaneously on WinAmp? (1 reply)
Which is better Win Amp or Windows Media Player? (7 replies)
And worryingly, **Huge Windows 98 problems !! Please come help. **(4 replies)
So largely, his contribution to fighting ignorance has been getting better value out of his software. I suppose that’s fair enough.
Although I’m uncertain of the wider value of the thread Help me remember the name of this first-person shooter game? (which incidentally dwtno, the only responder, was able to supply exactly 5 minutes later).
M’loth also has a fondness for using the boards to solve riddles heard on radio shows.
Such as **Which familiar nine-letter word with the initial letters removed…,
Name the stars of Fuzzy Wuzzy…,
What were Margaret Gorman’s measurements**
(trouble with posting links, so I removed them. You can find these if you want to).
Good heavens, there’s nothing wrong with any of this. Many of us enjoy the innocent trivial fun that I’m listing here, and it certainly has a role in the Boards, even if it is a minor role.
BUT there is some behaviour that is unwelcome on the boards. Perhaps a regular old-timer who smirks at the elementary mistakes of dratted newbies ought to present a better record in the area of * asking easy questions without researching first. *
Last Sunday he asked Do Brazil Nuts cause hair loss?(http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=65894] ).
The first of the three replies was from Duck Duck Goose and provided a link. Based on other postings from her, I suspect DDG used Google and that it took her about 27 seconds to have an answer.
In the middle of last month he asked What were Margaret Gorman’s Measurements? (http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=63752)
The second poster, cher3 used Google to identify the woman. Measurements followed promptly.
A the beginning of the month he enquired How long does it take to get a new passport?
How long does it take to get a new passport?
And Arjuna34 suggested
But most heinously, he recently enquired Why are there24 hours in a day? (http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=63594)
This query brought a response from Irishman within 2 hours that informed him that Cecil did, indeed, address this question, to be found in the classic Cecil column "Who decided the day should be divided into 24 hours?"
He didn’t check out the Cecil classics? I mean I wouldn’t mind, but he’s so condescending about me and my chums!
To put things into perspective, I thought his posting to the Cranky Letterman thread (MPSIMS) was damn interesting, his grammar question in Great Debates initiated a good discussion, despite its eccentricity of phrasing, and he often starts threads that engender some interest and life. He doesn’t often return to tend them and offer responses (well, not in the last thirty days anyway).
The exception being his thread in MPSIMS called Help Mahaloth get onto the Mole, when he returned after six hours to say(entire post follows)
.
Finally, in the OP that upset me, the fellow said at one point:
M’loth, I’m not trying to be cruel , but your post Help me come up with some good debate put-downs!!** attracted zero replies at all back in the middle of last month. Anyone can have a posting that gets ignored, can’t they?.
The final sentence of your original post in that thread is a fittingly awkward conclusion to this awkward post, written at first in a tense irritable mood, but now leaving me feeling as if I’ve crushed a butterfly on a wheel.
Sorry mate, but I think you did start it.
Regretfully
Redboss
