Porcupine,
Chat is a fun place. Don’t let all the backstabbing “crap” scare you away 
I can’t begin to tell you all the bad things that go on in there… you have to find out for yourself!
Afterall, what fun would it be for us that already go there if we can’t initiate you properly 
I haven’t gotten involved in any of the political BS that can stem from ANY chat room, BBS, message base, or any other form of online community since I’ve been here.
I almost did, when I first went to #straightdope (late June, I believe) AND when I first started posting here (April). As I felt myself wondering with which “side” my loyalties should lay during a certain somewhat heated conflict, I took a step back. “Whoa,” thought I, “I haven’t known any of these people for more than a couple of weeks…even in Internet Time.”
If I think something about someone, I’ll generally tell 'em. There are a LOT and I mean LOT of people…on MBs, on BBSs, what have you…who are unwilling to just let people not like them. I’ve watched this for literally 16 years. As a result, I have a weird-ish personal philosophy. No one has to like me. I know a lot of people DON’T like me; some arbitrarily, some because I have this nasty tendancy to be a dolt (Hi, Welfy!). The thing is, I’m fine with that. With millions and millions of people on the internet, it’s a given that a few of them aren’t going to like me.
The problems seem to arise when people WON’T confront each OTHER about the problems they have, but either post it publicly or gripe about 'em behind their backs…and both of these (to me, at least) hearken back to high school. When I have a problem with someone, I TELL THEM (and shut up about my syntax, you grammar hounds). Some people in chat have discovered this. You may not like what I’m saying, but at least you know I MEAN IT.
For newer folk or those who haven’t yet ventured into the Big Bad Scary Undernet: Fuckalotta politics, it’s FUN. You get TMI’d at. You get sexed at. There’s flirting. There’s mundane crap. There’s Woody the Magical Non-Sequitor Boy, throwing out more than you ever wanted to know about North American Songbirds while everyone ELSE in the room is telling Silver Fire (slvrfire, hee hee) that she’s a hottie. And there’s…#SD-TRIVIA, wherein people beat each other up and I have a very good time kicking Max and Milo’s butts.
Fuck politics. It’s what you want it to be.
Not everyone said that I’m a hottie.
JavaMaven, thanks for blowing my cover. But chat queen? I don’t know about that. Jophiel, I have talked to Falcon and she does know that there is a very good chance that she may not have the title in 2001. And I’m flattered that you “can’t complain with the choice”.
I’ve only spent a short amount of time there and I mostly lurk, I NEVER post…and if you believe that I have a bridge to sell you ;). And Silver may or may not be the chat queen, but she is definitely the most flirted with.
Keith
We’re the elite clique?!? Those that hang out in #Straighdope chat?!?
Us!!! God, I somehow expected more…
For those who haven’t visited… it’s a chat room. People are people. Some will play games, others won’t. We play trivia, we chat about sex, laugh about music, go back to sex, flirt a little, set silly topics of conversation, laugh a lot and then talk about sex.
Not everyone’s honest, not everyone’s nice. Most are.
It’s like life so caveot emptor.
Are you kidding me?!
Silver Fire is playing dumb. A) Everyone knows she’s a hottie. B) Almost everyone…male AND female…flirts with her. C) SHE FLIRTS BACK.
So self-effacing and coy…the vile temptress. We’re going to have to put together a caravan to Minnesota, tie her down and remove all of her reasons for denying any of this.
And get pictures. No…VIDEO. And stream it.
I’m with Silver…there’s a chat room? WHO KNEW???
I won’t be in much this week (damn parents), but after that, I’m in there every night.
WHAT?! I have no idea what you’re talking about.
**
Vile temptress… I like that. If it wasn’t too long, I’d use it for my chat name.
**
Mmmm… bondage…
And sell it on ebay for $50,000! And sell the rights to pay per view! Sweet Jesus, we could be rich!! And then we could do it all over again, live, ON ICE! Who’s with me?
Hey, who said you’d get any of the profits? You’re out of your mind. Now, if you would just ADMIT what everyone else KNOWS is true, I might cut you in for a percentage point or two, to reward your honesty.
Falcon: You’ve got a lot of catching up to do if you want to hold on to your chat-addict status, AND your flirt status…Silver’s caught up and passed you. THE TITLE IS IN CONTENTION! This should be an exciting race, folks!
Oh, and Silver…I will personally put on the manacles. I’ll pad them well. Do you prefer fleece or faux-fur?
I love chat! The problem is that when I go in there (which is not as often as I’d like), I end up staying in there WAY past my bedtime. Then I have to wake up the next day and go to work and be crabby all day.
It’s very fun and you get a better feel for personalities than on the boards.
monster23
PS. Silver, you’re such a hottie! 
Mmmm faux fur…
Every time I have gone there, there’s nobody in the room. What’s the story?
Go now Sunshine!!!
or in the evenings
::seeing that her evil plan in starting a thread with a supposedly “innocent” question succeeded in getting people bitching at each other:: :rolleyes:
Well, I went to chat last night, hoping to escape election day stuff. Doh! That was dumb. Of course it was the main topic of conversation. With a slight headache already, I couldn’t handle MPSIMS on speed (great description, Joph). But I will return. Especially if flirting and double entendres abound.
As far as back-stabbing goes, if someone doesn’t have the balls to let me know they have a problem with me, I really don’t give a crap what they say behind my back. It makes me think less of them, not of me. This applies IRL as well.
So, what did you say about me after I left?
Okay, fine. I am a huge flirt. And you know what? I love it! It’s fun. Yeah, it is. And you wanna know something else? I am hot! (No, that’s not my personal opinion.) However, I was beaming for days after the first night I sent out my picture. DAYS! No, I don’t crave attention, but it’s nice sometimes. (And I still think that most of the people just said I’m a hottie because everyone else was and they wanted to spare my feelings. Knowing what a bunch of backstabbers you all are, I’m sure you had tons of fun laughing at me after I left. :rolleyes: )
**
Exciting? Probably not. But I’m used to staying up for really long periods of time, so it shouldn’t be much of a problem. (For the record, I’m in #straightdope right now, and Falcon’s not. )
Fleece, please.
I’m there! but the room is still empty…weird.
Sunshine: Are you sure you’re in #straightdope through Undernet? There are a lot of IRC areas, Undernet being only one of them…because there are a few people in and have been all morning (including poor sleep-depped Rasa). And this is the most posts I think I’ve ever made to one thread in less than two days. Damn my eyes.
Silver: Can it be faux-fleece? I’m allergic to wool.
And I said you’re a hottie, and I don’t tow the party line. So nyah.
Sunshine, there’s people there, you might be on the wrong server. To get on the right server, try typing…
/server us.undernet.org 6667
And then
/join #straightdope
When you’re logged into an undernet server.
Thanks, guys! I made it! I was using a random server, not the undernet. I’m there now–come say hi!