10 Points to Ponder. Or Kill TGRR.

[Nephew Twiddleton]

In regards to 2 and 3, I have been trying to do that less, and have taken to reading and not commenting when I have nothing meaningful to say (which is most of the damn time, it would seem). I haven't completely gotten out of it, because I appreciate a great deal of the content posted and often wish to let people know that I read it. There's a bit of a paradox, I think, though because on the one hand, we want to encourage meaningful discussion and so forth but at the same time, when people don't respond at all, I feel like some posters say "fuck it" and don't bother posting more content. Maybe I'm wrong about that, but I get that sense sometimes.

I am not quite of a mind to articulate my thoughts on the rest of the discussion at this time, but I will certainly be keeping these points in mind.

No, I see exactly what you're saying. I often feel the same way about Cain's threads, like, I want him to know I've read his thread, but I just don't have anything insightful to say.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

I have five minutes before I have to be out the door, but PERHAPS NO BIG SURPRISE I completely agree with Roger, including (and especially) the points that involve my own shortcomings. It has nothing to do with "don't post things that Nigel and Roger don't like"; it has everything to do with "if you post something you know will stir shit up, be prepared to defend it with reason and citations if necessary, and don't go all whiny and passive-aggressive if you can't."

And seriously with the unending blog shit and personal drama. I am FAR from innocent on this front, and I am even sick of my own shit. If you can't tell an interesting/funny story about it, maybe reconsider whether posting about your ass polyps is going to be interesting or elucidating to anyone but yourself, in which case, that's what your diary is for. Just my opinion.

I am more tentative about #10, but only if we all redevelop the intestinal fortitude to just ignore stupid trolls, which used to work just fine.

And FFS stop acting oppressed if someone you feel intimidated by for some reason disagrees with, challenges, or critiques your post, and if you go all monkey screechy about it don't whine when they decide that for their own personal purposes you're a fucktard and don't deserve the respect or time of reasonable discourse.

Lastly, n00bs. Sometimes people show up and don't post anything intended to impress anyone or push anyone's buttons. Sometimes they just sort of read a bit and then start making  thoughtful contributions to threads they read. Not unsurprisingly, those people tend not to get jumped on, and in fact for the most part nobody ever makes a big deal about them being a n00b. We seem to have picked up one such in just the past week, but nobody's noticed because he/she/it hasn't said anything button-pushy enough to receive pushback. These are the new people who tend to stick around, and the ones that go all "ALL WOMEN SHOULD BE PROSTITUTES" or "MAGICKS IS REAL" are seriously not really people most of us WANT the board to be populated by. Am I completely off-base? Even so, I do agree that we should exercise a little more restraint when it comes to the 50-post rule, unless they're being all-out offensive.

That said, when we go trolling and people follow us back here, it makes perfect sense to give them more wiggle room because we're the ones who got them riled in the first place.

I have more thoughts on all of this but I have to go. More tomorrow.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

One last thing: THANK FUCKING FUCK ECH killed Open Bar, because the board is more active tonight, across more subs, than I've seen it in months.

[Don Coyote]

5: Somewhat related, yeah, I've started feeling like WOMP, specifically, is getting tired. The WOMPertainment thread doesn't get a lot of traffic per post in it, either.

I rather like womping, but it can also be distracting sometimes. Plus, they often take a fuck long time to do. It is a big time sucker, but I really don't have a good solution for it. They're fun as hell to do though. I dunno.

If you have fun doing them, do them.  Just don't do them because it's "tradition" or any shit like that.  I typically go 6 months without WOMPING, then dump a dozen at once.  Likewise, I may not stop ranting, but I am no longer going to rant because I feel its expected of me, etc (funny how you get weird delusions of grandeur, ain't it?).

And Paes, I agree:  The mittens emote needs to die a horrible fucking death.

That is basically why I don't WOMP much.

[Luna]

I have read all this, and am pondering. 

I'm having fun playing with WOMPs, and will keep doing them as the spirit moves me.  (And when pics like the one Telarus dropped in my lap of the Disney drag princesses hit my screen.)  And, yeah, it's more fun when the person you WOMPs decides to hit back.  (Paes, you're awesome, and I ain't through with you, yet.)

[Richter]

Valid points.  The bit about constructive response is especially worthwhile.  This is a two way thing.  Being a cognizant reader of what other people are posting, and putting out constructive replies is going to work out good for everyone.  Especially being on reduced posting, trying to be content even if I'm jsut bouncing off of someone else's content is my only hope of keeping relevant.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

5: Somewhat related, yeah, I've started feeling like WOMP, specifically, is getting tired. The WOMPertainment thread doesn't get a lot of traffic per post in it, either.

I rather like womping, but it can also be distracting sometimes. Plus, they often take a fuck long time to do. It is a big time sucker, but I really don't have a good solution for it. They're fun as hell to do though. I dunno.

If you have fun doing them, do them.  Just don't do them because it's "tradition" or any shit like that.  I typically go 6 months without WOMPING, then dump a dozen at once.  Likewise, I may not stop ranting, but I am no longer going to rant because I feel its expected of me, etc (funny how you get weird delusions of grandeur, ain't it?).

And Paes, I agree:  The mittens emote needs to die a horrible fucking death.

That is basically why I don't WOMP much.

Your WOMPS are of epic, epic weirdness and I love them. Just saying.

I love WOMPing (and I usually crack myself up all over the place while I'm making one) but it is far easier and less time consuming for me to write, and less likely for me to lose my place in the middle when I'm interrupted.

[Nast]

I was forced to play "The Interactive Justin Bieber Dress Up Game" for 6 months because I accidently clicked a pop-up on the side of my email window. It left me a ragged shell of my former self.
               \



In happier news, I'll spend more time posting here, probably about food.

[Freeky]

I was forced to play "The Interactive Justin Bieber Dress Up Game" for 6 months because I accidently clicked a pop-up on the side of my email window. It left me a ragged shell of my former self.
               \



In happier news, I'll spend more time posting here, probably about food.

  That sounds terrible! 

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

I was forced to play "The Interactive Justin Bieber Dress Up Game" for 6 months because I accidently clicked a pop-up on the side of my email window. It left me a ragged shell of my former self.
               \



In happier news, I'll spend more time posting here, probably about food.

That should make Roger feel a lot better about the Russian virus he got on his computer.

[Demolition_Squid]

Okay, I largely agree... point by point:

1) I always feel uncomfortable discussing my own personal life and reading about other people's makes me feel like a voyeur.

2) That's fair, and I've probably been guilty of deciding that I have nothing meaningful to add. I will personally make more of an effort to engage (again).

3) (someone had to oh god don't hurt me)

4) Totally agree.

5) I like the writing and the rants and everything else, but I see what you mean. I'm not sure what the new direction could be, but I guess that's the point you are making. Will think on this some more.

6) I like you Roger. Heck, far as I can remember, you've never even ripped into me, and you once said I was 'alright'. 

7) See my signature.

Pretty much agree, but I'm terrible with names and tend to judge on a case by case basis anyway (especially as I view without signatures/avatars at work)

9) Can't comment on this as PD.com seems to work perfectly fine over in the UK. I suspect a conspiracy of redcoats claiming revenge for what you bastards did to all the tea. Revenge rides a slow horse.

10) This is where I'm not so sure. PD.com's banning policy is one of the things which really sets it apart from other forums. If we do need to change it up, I would like to suggest all the decisions be made openly, and I assume bannings already need the support of the majority of mods. I do agree that people who are just here to shit on everything is a major drag and seems to be becoming more of a problem.

[AFK]

4.  If you KNOW a subject will bring down a shitstorm and - knowing this - you post a thread about that subject, don't start fucking bitching when that shitstorm arrives.  And if you do, for fuck's sake don't be a passive-aggressive shitbag about it.  If you KNOW that a drug thread is going to spin out of control instantly, either don't post a thread that says "I'll just leave this here" as if you aren't going to engage, then engage, then get all fucking weepy about the results, flounce a dozen fucking times, and then forever after treat everyone on the board like they aren't real people, simply because your rectum burns.  Talking to you, RWHN, if it ain't obvious enough, but it goes for anyone else who starts a thread about a hot-button topic and then starts to settle at the stern when people do EXACTLY WHAT YOU EXPECTED THEM TO DO.  If you are willing to take the pounding and smile, by all means post the thread...But if not, don't be a big fucking nancy when the inevitable happens.  You fucking KNEW what was coming, so why the FUCK are you upset?

DON'T POST ANYTHING WE (TGRR and Nigel) DON'T LIKE!!!!!

This is part of the cancer that is killing the place. 

That isn't what I said, you fucked up little pussy.  Grow the fuck up.

You are such a passive-aggressive little shitstain, RWHN.  You have been for at least 2 years.

Spare me the internet tough guy, please, this isn't my first turkey trot.  I'm a bit more resilient than your average noob.  And don't talk to me about being a pussy.  Why don't you go whine some more about people not posting when you want them to.  Here's a clue.  People have fucking jobs, they have fucking lives.  People are getting promoted, getting new jobs.  Life is happening. 

That doesn't mean the discordia stops. It just means the postings here slow down.  So fucking what.  But, yes, why don't you threaten to take your toys and go home.  THAT will solve things!

[AFK]

I don't know how many times I've seen this cycle before.  The board sucks, so maybe if we screech a little bit about who is posting bad shit and what people SHOULD be posting about, it will magically get better.  I'm not saying there aren't some valid points, but at some point you are trying to herd cats.  Order the disorder. 

But just for the record, I sure as hell am NOT going to stop posting things I want to post and talk about just because it ruffles a couple of peoples' feathers.  This is a community and we all get different things from this community and give different things to this community.  You can't make, or guilt, people into posting what YOU want them to post.  That's not going to make anything better. 

[Pæs]

But just for the record, I sure as hell am NOT going to stop posting things I want to post and talk about just because it ruffles a couple of peoples' feathers.  This is a community and we all get different things from this community and give different things to this community.  You can't make, or guilt, people into posting what YOU want them to post.  That's not going to make anything better. 

This is kind of where I was coming from with my concern in the other thread and with burning Open Bar and the comment about dropping anything that looks like it.

I'm not going to miss Open Bar but the amount of traffic it got seems to suggest that it's something people are looking to use the site for.
Can't we find better ways to get what we want out of the board without forbidding boring stories?

[AFK]

Lastly, I would humbly suggest that there might be a bit of a cult of personality that has developed around this place that makes the dynamics challenging at times.  Whether anyone cares to admit to it or not, there is definitely a popular pecking order around these parts, and you can even see it demonstrated in this thread.  Now, perhaps the rest of the board is cool with this, I can only assume they are since it's happened.  ECH in another thread said something about changing this place to the TGRRandNIGEL.com board or something, and it was a one off joke, but there is a nugget of truth to that, I think.  

Sure, cast that criticism aside as "whining".  But it's the goddamned truth and I know I'm not the only one that has made that observation.  But, that's just the way the board has evolved, and I don't think that is something where you can just wave a magic wand and undo it, and I'm not necessarily suggesting it should be undone.  But it IS a characteristic of this board.  It just is.  

I've adapted, I can roll with it.  I personally don't give a fuck about Tucson, I don't give a fuck about Portland, I don't give a fuck about Mr. Language, or what happens at the power plant.  And I'm sure you guys could give a fuck about what happens in my office.  I originally came here for the Discordia, but that doesn't really seem to happen much anymore.  Now, I come for a little fun every now and again to break up the monotony of my day.  So I'll just make my own little Discordia.  

Anyway, take those musings for what you think they are worth.