I never said, nor implied, anything of the sort.
And you spelled “sycophancy” wrong. You should know better.
Re: the OP. I’ll be here until I feel it’s no longer worthwhile. There’s some good stuff to be gleaned from this board. Winnowing the chaff is taking longer than it used to, though.
Good catch. The only thing worse than a kiss-ass is a kiss-ass who can’t spell.
Man, I’m gonna have to use my payoff from Ed to buy a new dictionary now…
bursts into laughter
For the record, the only person I’d ever really miss is Manhattan.
I love him, man!
Well, Ed Zotti was supposed to come by the other day and help me put a new roof on my house, but now he says he’s too busy with all this Melin stuff. Damn right I’m pissed!
“I guess one person can make a difference, although most of the time they probably shouldn’t.”
You lucked out, Joph. Little Ed helped me put up bookshelves and put in a new half-bath last year.
When he wasn’t banging his own damn thumbs with the hammer, he was knocking my fancy new tiles on the floor, drinking up the good beer (I bought Old Style for 'im, but would he touch it? No sir, went straight for the Labatt’s), and thumbing through my rare volumes of Victorian erotica with his grimy fingers.
Gotta go, I think I hear the toilet erupting again.
Uke
A poster’s attitude is either:
1)"SDMB: Love It or Leave It"
OR
2)"SDMB: Change It or Lose It."
I guess OpalCat is trying to change it lest we lose it.
Same here. I feel I have something to contribute and I can reach far more people here than I can IRL.
Feel free to correct me at any time. But don’t be surprised if I try to correct you.
Also, they answered your letter in the latest Mailbag! C’mon, confess! That was part of the reason, right? 
(I’m just havin’ a little fun. Bricker is a good poster, and I wish I’d asked his question.)
Feel free to correct me at any time. But don’t be surprised if I try to correct you.
jab, that was Alphagene, not Opalcat.
What keeps me here is actually very simple. I’ve enjoyed the SD columns and books for years. I thought then, and think now, that it’s a great antidote to much of the facile bullshit and pretentiousness that abounds. It addresses questions large, small and weird; it answers them with intellectual rigor and attitude to spare.
Frankly, this place is one of the most consistently interesting, reliable and entertaining sites I’ve found on the net. The message boards are a wonderful adjunct to that. I’ve learned a lot, communicated with a lot of fascinating folks I NEVER would have met otherwise and have been forced to consider a lot of beliefs and assumptions. (I can’t say “reconsider” because some of 'em I’d frankly just accepted blindly. Ouch. Growth hurts sometimes.)
I see absolutely no cogent reason to leave, or even consider it. I for one am grateful for the enrichment and enjoyment that’s been provided–free–for my use.
I haven’t commented on any of the other threads about the latest Melingate. My sole observations follow:
I am honestly amazed that with the fine distinctions made about Ed’s (etc.) RIGHT to make decisions, more people haven’t reversed the logic to ask precisely what right WE have to second-guess and interfere in the administration of SDMB?
There IS a distinction to made between enjoying this place, making friends, getting involved, feeling at “home” with the people here and extrapolating those personal feelings into RIGHTS over how the site is run.
I read all the back-history, current threads and varied offshoot opinions. It wasn’t edifying.
My final comment: I’ve never had a hard word with any of the parties involved; enjoy 'em all and respect 'em all. I refuse to judge or demonize anybody, not the least because I don’t HAVE THE GODDAMNED RIGHT to judge, not to mention the facts or the responsibilities.
But as a purely objective observation, this is the second destructive controversey centered on Melin in a relatively short period of time. Totally setting aside cause and effect, “he said/she said” autopsies, I have to conclude there’s a fundamental conflict. Obviously the “fit” isn’t there.
I categorically refuse to judge. I don’t have the facts and I don’t bear responsibility for the outcomes. And I refuse to let the personalities and brouhaha drive me away.
Veb
What keeps me here?
I read GQ a lot.
I like the flames in the Pit.
I’m a MPSIMS junkie.
This place is fun, although the enjoyment waxes and wanes.
You say “cheesy” like that’s a BAD thing.
I mentioned in my post above that it sort of rubbed me the wrong way that Mr. Zotti was making veiled threats about banning. I have since read his 3-22-00 2:06 post in the Melin’s Been Banned thread and feel a lot better about the new parameters. When he said that we don’t need to be paranoid, I admit, I was being a little paranoid. So, if anyone cares, and if anyone’s even still reading this thread, I’m not rubbed wrong anymore!
It seems like this whole thing is calming down now. Yay.
I stay because neither the people nor the issues are clear-cut right/wrong, black/white sorts of things. And while it keeps getting pointed out that this is ‘only a message board,’ I’ve never found another one half as good. Everywhere else I’ve been on the Web where people can converse, loudmouthed morons with too much time on their hands drown out all the intelligent conversation. Not here.
I don’t think Melin should have been banned, but I can see some logic for the other point of view. So why, exactly, should I leave? I don’t get it.
I stay because I enjoy following some of the threads, especially in GD, posting if I feel I have something to contribute, making the occasional smart-ass remark if I’m in the mood, and giving Otto a light toasting in the Pit if he needs it.
Oh, yeah, and I think Satan’s really cute. Nice catch, Drain Bead.
“Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no substitute for a good blaster at your side.” — Han Solo