Well…okay. But remember: nothing is perfect. Best wishes.
I’ll be scouring the news for word of that invention you would’ve prototyped already if only you hadn’t read all of mademoiselle’s movie seat rantings.
Can those of us here still get first dibs on the HoverSocks 1.0?
I know my posts are a waste of time for me to write and for you to read.
It is the posts that I have read that are a value to me.
I do tend to stay out of GD and GQ.
Shame about all the invective towards a member who explains why he is going.
Good luck Alka Seltza and I hope you change your mind.
A few quick clarifications, and then I am off.
Firstly, a few people are imaging drama here, where there is none. It’s simply about priorities. I have work and personal commitments, and two books to write. The latter is a process I’m finding immensely enjoyable. The feedback I have received so far suggests that this is a worthwhile endeavour. And if they are to remain unpublished, well, that is a future I can contemplate without distress.
Secondly, no insult is implied by me leaving. Whether your own participation is worthwhile to yourself is a question only you can answer. Apologies if people feel slighted. As I said above, I intend to lurk the forums from time-to-time. There are quite a few posters who are worth listening to here, in diverse ways.
The OP is a bit of reflection on the board’s posting habits and my own: it’s meant to be constructive criticism, even if the language is quite harsh in a couple places. I have learned some lessons here. For example, if I participate in online discussions in the future, my responses need to be more measured - I should ignore the urge to rush into threads. My posting history sells short both my writing abilities and the quality of my ideas, which is why I have very few regrets at severing myself from it. Perhaps a mod should consider closing the thread soon? Discussion of posting habits has been practically non-existent, this thread serving little purpose.
Finally, a big thank you to the posters who have taken the time to correct my mistakes. Chronos probably wins on post count here, as I like to participate in astronomy threads, but don’t always get things right. I am neither a professional astronomer, or a physicist. I do usually make the effort to acknowledge corrections, and to indicate where a poster has succeeded in changing my mind about something. Your efforts have been appreciated.
I expected little else. Post a thread on the internet, and soon the vultures of nitpick shall flock their way hither. (I should know, at times I have been among their number, looking to find fault rather than searching for the poster’s intent.) Some people will betray that they haven’t comprehended the OP; or even read beyond the first line. Others will choose advertise their lack of online social skills, attempt to troll, or arrogantly attempt to speak for others - this is no concern of mine. Others will make unwarranted assumptions - sometimes it is only necessary to read a tiny fraction of a 31 page thread to declare it an epic failure, with confidence.
Best wishes everyone, and a thank you to those who have taken the trouble to wish me well. I am greatly looking forward to the next few months, and feeling more optimistic than I have done in a very long time.
Well, he’s back.
Oh, wait… that’s somebody else, isn’t it?
I’m all confused…
Called it.
If the OP actually did read all 31 pages of the theater-seat-give-up thread, it’s no wonder that the board is impeding production of his novel(s) and other paradigm-shifting accomplishments.
Changing one’s password in such instances is not enough. I suggest trashing all computers and other internet access devices (smash hard drives into atoms first), altering travel routes to avoid libraries and other places where the Dope can be accessed, and preferably buying a cabin high in the Cascades where no Wi-Fi will ever penetrate, to be really really safe.
:eek:They make entire cheesecake factories?
Goodbye Alka Seltzer 
Eh, I’d rather know somebody’s leaving on purpose, than five months down the road somebody says, “hey, whatever happened to Alka Seltzer? He hasn’t posted in months” and then we start wondering if another doper died and nobody knew.
Bye Alka Seltzer. Have fun with your newfound free time.
Indeed, they were quite explicit. “This board [meaning, of course, the group of people who post here] kind of sucks, but not completely.” And you’re surprised that people take that amiss?
If you need more time in your life, say so and say goodbye. If you have a problem with a thread or a poster, take it up then and there (or don’t – just ignore it). But flinging poo indiscriminately and then calling for thread closure when you get pushback flies unproductively in the face of this board’s culture and, for some of us anyway, sours your departure.
These words make no sense whatsoever when arranged in this order.
/hijack
Good to hear.
I’ve cut back to lurking when busy with “real analog stuff”. That saves a surprising amount of time-- if I’m not replying to topics, I’m not thinking about what I have to contribute, and I can “just listen”.
In fact, I’ve got a masterpiece to produce in the other room… see y’all! [performs a cartoon exit, stage left]
While I like that you indicated that you aren’t dead and are just leaving, it still is overly dramatic, and, yes, insulting. Not just what you said, but the fact that you are randomizing your password so as to guarantee you can’t come back. It’s that extra little bit that imbues your post with venom.
Just say that you’re leaving for a while, not sure if you’ll be back, and leave it at that. If you’re worried about accidentally coming back, as Tuba for a sabbatical. Don’t do what you do when you can’t get your account deleted from a bad website.
Both of these. Sorry to see you go and hope that you find happiness in whatever you do. Peace.