I see you sitting there, "viewing". Viewing responses unread since you hit the refresh button 5 minutes ago. Mindlessly slamming F5 over and over again, in the hopes that someone wrote something INTERESTING today, but TOO FUCKING LAZY to write something interesting yourself, or respond in a conversation-provoking way to any of the rants recently posted.
I see you conditioning yourself to hit the food pellet bar, even when no food pellets have been forthcoming in weeks. I see you then getting BUTTHURT when someone DOES post, mostly because this place has become so BORING that any fucking chance at drama is better than the MIND-NUMBING SLAMMING OF THE REFRESH BUTTON.
Oh, yes, The Spider lives here, too.
Well, I've got some news for you, Sunshine...The reason nobody is talking is because NOBODY IS TALKING. Imagine a great big room full of really smart people, all standing around for WEEKS waiting for someone to say something. That's what you have here.
The fucking place is dying. I think everyone sees that...The only question is, should we let it die? Should we all just go back to our offices or our cubes or our housework or whatever it is why came here to escape? Because at the rate things are going, YOU MAY AS WELL. Find another hobby, find another religion, maybe get around to counting the flowers on the wallpaper like you've been meaning to do.
Anything but staring at the fucking screen, mashing the F5 button, and getting more and more depressed because the ONE PLACE you used to be able to hang out with weirdos has become the internet equivalent of one of those corner "loser" bars, where aging barflies sit on their stools all alone in a room full of other barflies, drinking and staring into the mirror, and wishing SOMEONE would talk sports. And carefully ignoring anyone who does, because hell, they'll all be here tomorrow night, too, right? We can talk then.
Well, maybe you've noticed that the "who's online" list is getting pretty small these days, and maybe you've noticed that half of the people on it AREN'T really on it, they've been "viewing the index of principia.com" for 4 hours. Their computer is logged on, but they're not there. The fucking place is a waxworks, a museum visited only by those of us who haven't yet broken the conditioning that tells us that AMAZING THINGS used to happen here.
And maybe you've noticed that a whole bunch of our weird friends haven't been around in a really long time. Remmy, Semaj, Iason, etc...I could go on for a page or more. People USED to come and go, here, but now they just GO.
Why? Easy. While we rightfully say that "weird pulls in more weird", it's also true that "nothing pulls in more nothing". And yet here we sit, viewing. Sort of like people viewing the television. Or viewing the grass growing, paint drying, or listening to the sound of your breath wheezing in and out of the corpse you've become. Anything but start – or continue – a conversation. Fact: CoG is back up, and they have damn near as much actual traffic as we do. Laughing at TSC's lack of traffic, were you? Having a giggle at the morgue that TCC turned into? Ho ho! It's like watching Johnny Cash's corpse laughing at John Wayne's.
We've turned into a room full of spectators, with nothing to watch. A Neilson Family in front of a teevee that plays only reruns. And we have only ourselves to blame.
I'm not going to continue like this. It's just too fucking depressing, and whatever fun mood I was in at the beginning of the day has invariably soured by 9AM, because instead of too much traffic to follow after a meeting or between scheduling work assignments, I come back to find things exactly the way I left them. Frankly, I spend half of my time here wishing Poptard would raid us again, just so something would HAPPEN.
So, no, I'm going to bugger off and find something else to do, maybe check in at lunch each day, to see if anyone has written a rant or posted something funny in the politics section, and to see if any admin functions need to be done...At least as long as even THAT makes sense. I'll still be posting rants, I suppose, but only because I must RANT OR DIE. But as far as coming here for conversation, what's the fucking point? I'll just hire a temp to hit the F5 button for me, and I can sleep in my office.
You finally killed me.
Okay forever,
Dok
I admit, I instantly got defensive when I read this. But then I was like, well, yeah. Maybe he's right.
You know one thing that might be hurting us? The so-called "art of the quip". That one liner, kind of snarky, a bit clever, that's usually meant to be a finishing move. We love using it, we love honing the skill of skewering a conversation with a handful of letters.
But they're designed to stop converation. That's their purpose. They don't put a new idea out there, there's nothing to get a foothold on, and the attitude of the quipper is, "End.Of.Thread."
So, let's try to make a strong suggestion to stop doing that. You can still be snarky, but use your wit to add to the conversation, not end it.
You fuckers.
LMNO
-is still vowing to add content at least once a day.
I agree with LMNO, the quip is a killer. :(
I will be reacquiring my desk tomorrow morning, which will make reading and typing more comfortable.
As of right now my laptop is on a metal folding chair next to my mattress, which incidentally, no longer has a box spring or a frame.
Quote from: Jenkem and SPACE/TIME on September 14, 2011, 07:31:04 PM
I agree with LMNO, the quip is a killer. :(
Zang!
Just kidding.
As an experiment, I am going to attempt, when I don't really have a good point to make, to try to ask a question in all my responses. And not one of those "Ask me anything" questions -- I mean one based on the thread content. At the very least, it begs a response, and might open up an interesting door of conversation or thread-drift, don't you think?
Quote from: LMNO, PhD (life continues) on September 14, 2011, 07:35:04 PM
Quote from: Jenkem and SPACE/TIME on September 14, 2011, 07:31:04 PM
I agree with LMNO, the quip is a killer. :(
Zang!
Just kidding.
As an experiment, I am going to attempt, when I don't really have a good point to make, to try to ask a question in all my responses. And not one of those "Ask me anything" questions -- I mean one based on the thread content. At the very least, it begs a response, and might open up an interesting door of conversation or thread-drift, don't you think?
Sure. Is better than nothing happening all day. Also, insightful thread drift can be very thought-provoking.
I'm working with Cram on a project at another place right now.
It's harder than it sounds, to be honest. Kind of like holding up both ends of the conversation. But it's also one of the simpler ways to go about it, even if you run the risk of repetition.
But it also get you thinking about the topic a bit more deeply, and you have to spell out your thoughts, rather than IAWTC.
Can anyone think of any other relatively simple ways or tricks to expand the amount of conversation/content?
So far, I've got:
-Post at least one bit of content a day.
-Try to ask a question in each resposne.
Add to the list as you see fit, people.
Avoid responding with just :mittens:
Thank you for giving us an example of how to kill the whole thing. I hope all of you take this as an informative lesson.
Another way to keep things going is to piggyback. Take a previous post as a starting point, and start writing polemics, or an object-lesson, or jump head first into metaphor. That's kind of how a lot of the cooler group efforts got started.
PD has hit the wall again. It happens, there's a lull in the creative, the discussion grinds to a halt this is nothing new but maybe, lately it seems to be happening more often. Is it because all the regulars know each other so well? Is it because a whole fuckton of subjects have been covered now. All of us know pretty much where everyone else stands on a lot of issues. Maybe we're running out of things to argue about?
What keeps me coming back is the creative side. the Nessie thread wasn't a one off. Shit like that happens around here from time to time and it's a buzz, everyone gets caught up in it but then, after the storm comes the calm. And it's depressing. One minute you can shoot forked lightning from your fingertips and the next ...
Back to quips and one liners. Knowing all the while that you can be so much more. It's a kick in the teeth but I've lived with it all my life. The creative streaks, the artistic blocks. Even at it's most unproductive, this board helps because someone always sparks a fire and suddenly it's a creative dogpile and it brings me out of my funk a long time before I'd get there on my own. In the meantime I hit F5, waiting for the storm to sweep me up again. Hell, sometimes just knowing you fucking freaks are out there takes the edge off.
Sorry to end up providing an example. A little difficult to write something in depth from a phone. Something that would probably be good for me is to figure out how to more effectively post from work. I wont use the computers there while working so i'm fairly limited there. I dont have a cubicle just a table with a computer on it. What do you think lmno - try and avoid posting on my phone? I suppose i could try and work five to one and wait til i get home...
Quote from: P3nT4gR4m on September 14, 2011, 08:07:50 PM
PD has hit the wall again. It happens, there's a lull in the creative, the discussion grinds to a halt this is nothing new but maybe, lately it seems to be happening more often. Is it because all the regulars know each other so well? Is it because a whole fuckton of subjects have been covered now. All of us know pretty much where everyone else stands on a lot of issues. Maybe we're running out of things to argue about?
What keeps me coming back is the creative side. the Nessie thread wasn't a one off. Shit like that happens around here from time to time and it's a buzz, everyone gets caught up in it but then, after the storm comes the calm. And it's depressing. One minute you can shoot forked lightning from your fingertips and the next ...
Back to quips and one liners. Knowing all the while that you can be so much more. It's a kick in the teeth but I've lived with it all my life. The creative streaks, the artistic blocks. Even at it's most unproductive, this board helps because someone always sparks a fire and suddenly it's a creative dogpile and it brings me out of my funk a long time before I'd get there on my own. In the meantime I hit F5, waiting for the storm to sweep me up again. Hell, sometimes just knowing you fucking freaks are out there takes the edge off.
Amen Brother P3nt, my creative juices are dryer than a 200 year old vagina right now. Too many other things IRL happening. I suspect that once the weather turns cold things will pick up.
Quote from: Nph. Twid. on September 14, 2011, 08:10:46 PM
Sorry to end up providing an example. A little difficult to write something in depth from a phone. Something that would probably be good for me is to figure out how to more effectively post from work. I wont use the computers there while working so i'm fairly limited there. I dont have a cubicle just a table with a computer on it. What do you think lmno - try and avoid posting on my phone? I suppose i could try and work five to one and wait til i get home...
No, you don't have to write paragraphs of text to keep a thread going. You can be provocative, ask a question -- hell, if you can write a haiku that addresses the situation, that still works.
Or, depending on how smart your phone is, write text on your work comp, mail it to your phone, then copy the email and paste here. Ok, that takes some effort, but it's how I've been able to look at and post all the pics you fuckers post.
Quote from: LMNO, PhD (life continues) on September 14, 2011, 08:14:15 PM
Quote from: Nph. Twid. on September 14, 2011, 08:10:46 PM
Sorry to end up providing an example. A little difficult to write something in depth from a phone. Something that would probably be good for me is to figure out how to more effectively post from work. I wont use the computers there while working so i'm fairly limited there. I dont have a cubicle just a table with a computer on it. What do you think lmno - try and avoid posting on my phone? I suppose i could try and work five to one and wait til i get home...
No, you don't have to write paragraphs of text to keep a thread going. You can be provocative, ask a question -- hell, if you can write a haiku that addresses the situation, that still works.
Or, depending on how smart your phone is, write text on your work comp, mail it to your phone, then copy the email and paste here. Ok, that takes some effort, but it's how I've been able to look at and post all the pics you fuckers post.
Hell, I thought you were referring to me. :lulz:
Quote from: LMNO, PhD (life continues) on September 14, 2011, 07:52:06 PM
It's harder than it sounds, to be honest. Kind of like holding up both ends of the conversation. But it's also one of the simpler ways to go about it, even if you run the risk of repetition.
But it also get you thinking about the topic a bit more deeply, and you have to spell out your thoughts, rather than IAWTC.
Can anyone think of any other relatively simple ways or tricks to expand the amount of conversation/content?
So far, I've got:
-Post at least one bit of content a day.
-Try to ask a question in each resposne.
Add to the list as you see fit, people.
I suppose one way of posting more in-depth would be to expand ideas that you get as you read.
Another thing might be for people who can do it (I know that not everyone can, posting from their phone and all) to keep Notepad or Word open, and write down stuff that appears in your brain matter as it comes, rather than wait for coming to the end of a thread, and then keep going until then end, and then cut and paste what is still relevant or something that didn't get addressed to your satisfaction.
I find that a lot of times that's what kills any response I might have been able to give, is the fact that what I want to respond to is pages and pages ago.
Quote from: Hawk on September 14, 2011, 08:14:52 PM
Quote from: LMNO, PhD (life continues) on September 14, 2011, 08:14:15 PM
Quote from: Nph. Twid. on September 14, 2011, 08:10:46 PM
Sorry to end up providing an example. A little difficult to write something in depth from a phone. Something that would probably be good for me is to figure out how to more effectively post from work. I wont use the computers there while working so i'm fairly limited there. I dont have a cubicle just a table with a computer on it. What do you think lmno - try and avoid posting on my phone? I suppose i could try and work five to one and wait til i get home...
No, you don't have to write paragraphs of text to keep a thread going. You can be provocative, ask a question -- hell, if you can write a haiku that addresses the situation, that still works.
Or, depending on how smart your phone is, write text on your work comp, mail it to your phone, then copy the email and paste here. Ok, that takes some effort, but it's how I've been able to look at and post all the pics you fuckers post.
Hell, I thought you were referring to me. :lulz:
Maybe I was.... What're you gonna do about it, pardner?
Quote from: LMNO, PhD (life continues) on September 14, 2011, 08:19:57 PM
Quote from: Hawk on September 14, 2011, 08:14:52 PM
Quote from: LMNO, PhD (life continues) on September 14, 2011, 08:14:15 PM
Quote from: Nph. Twid. on September 14, 2011, 08:10:46 PM
Sorry to end up providing an example. A little difficult to write something in depth from a phone. Something that would probably be good for me is to figure out how to more effectively post from work. I wont use the computers there while working so i'm fairly limited there. I dont have a cubicle just a table with a computer on it. What do you think lmno - try and avoid posting on my phone? I suppose i could try and work five to one and wait til i get home...
No, you don't have to write paragraphs of text to keep a thread going. You can be provocative, ask a question -- hell, if you can write a haiku that addresses the situation, that still works.
Or, depending on how smart your phone is, write text on your work comp, mail it to your phone, then copy the email and paste here. Ok, that takes some effort, but it's how I've been able to look at and post all the pics you fuckers post.
Hell, I thought you were referring to me. :lulz:
Maybe I was.... What're you gonna do about it, pardner?
Shoot 2 big gay cowboys. So there.
Quote from: LMNO, PhD (life continues) on September 14, 2011, 08:19:57 PM
Quote from: Hawk on September 14, 2011, 08:14:52 PM
Quote from: LMNO, PhD (life continues) on September 14, 2011, 08:14:15 PM
Quote from: Nph. Twid. on September 14, 2011, 08:10:46 PM
Sorry to end up providing an example. A little difficult to write something in depth from a phone. Something that would probably be good for me is to figure out how to more effectively post from work. I wont use the computers there while working so i'm fairly limited there. I dont have a cubicle just a table with a computer on it. What do you think lmno - try and avoid posting on my phone? I suppose i could try and work five to one and wait til i get home...
No, you don't have to write paragraphs of text to keep a thread going. You can be provocative, ask a question -- hell, if you can write a haiku that addresses the situation, that still works.
Or, depending on how smart your phone is, write text on your work comp, mail it to your phone, then copy the email and paste here. Ok, that takes some effort, but it's how I've been able to look at and post all the pics you fuckers post.
Hell, I thought you were referring to me. :lulz:
Maybe I was.... What're you gonna do about it, pardner?
Land a 4 mile long spaceship on your fucking DOG, that's what. He's a bad person, an intergalactic train robber, and he has SURVIVED FOR MONTHS WITHOUT AN ASS. Can YOU do that? Fuck no. You'd just flip inside out, and there'd be LMNO bits all over the fucking concrete.
Pancho = Starship.
You = Inside out.
FLAWLESS FUCKING VICTORY
My phone is not very smart. However i di like freekys idea. Perhaps what i could also do is that and paste when i get homw. Theres a delay on it but sometimes it doesnt hurt revisiting an old point.
Quote from: Doktor Howl on September 14, 2011, 08:23:19 PM
Quote from: LMNO, PhD (life continues) on September 14, 2011, 08:19:57 PM
Quote from: Hawk on September 14, 2011, 08:14:52 PM
Quote from: LMNO, PhD (life continues) on September 14, 2011, 08:14:15 PM
Quote from: Nph. Twid. on September 14, 2011, 08:10:46 PM
Sorry to end up providing an example. A little difficult to write something in depth from a phone. Something that would probably be good for me is to figure out how to more effectively post from work. I wont use the computers there while working so i'm fairly limited there. I dont have a cubicle just a table with a computer on it. What do you think lmno - try and avoid posting on my phone? I suppose i could try and work five to one and wait til i get home...
No, you don't have to write paragraphs of text to keep a thread going. You can be provocative, ask a question -- hell, if you can write a haiku that addresses the situation, that still works.
Or, depending on how smart your phone is, write text on your work comp, mail it to your phone, then copy the email and paste here. Ok, that takes some effort, but it's how I've been able to look at and post all the pics you fuckers post.
Hell, I thought you were referring to me. :lulz:
Maybe I was.... What're you gonna do about it, pardner?
Land a 4 mile long spaceship on your fucking DOG, that's what. He's a bad person, an intergalactic train robber, and he has SURVIVED FOR MONTHS WITHOUT AN ASS. Can YOU do that? Fuck no. You'd just flip inside out, and there'd be LMNO bits all over the fucking concrete.
Pancho = Starship.
You = Inside out.
FLAWLESS FUCKING VICTORY
Gonna empty the solid waste recepticle in his living room while I'm at it. ALIEN POOP!
Oh, why do I step?
:pwned:
Quote from: LMNO, PhD (life continues) on September 14, 2011, 08:33:36 PM
Oh, why do I step?
:pwned:
Your porpoise in life is to entertain us. Keep up the good work!
Hmmm. it seems like we've all been getting lazy lately. After all, it's not like we don't have time to post something, else we wouldn't be here day in and day out.
I wonder if the problem is that we've all gotten complacent? I mean, like Dok said, it's as if we're all sitting around waiting for someone to say something interesting.
I, for one, am going to force myself to do something evne if it is total crap. Least it's something.
Quote from: Doktor Phox on September 14, 2011, 08:37:43 PM
Hmmm. it seems like we've all been getting lazy lately. After all, it's not like we don't have time to post something, else we wouldn't be here day in and day out.
I wonder if the problem is that we've all gotten complacent? I mean, like Dok said, it's as if we're all sitting around waiting for someone to say something interesting.
I, for one, am going to force myself to do something evne if it is total crap. Least it's something.
RANT TIL YOUR GUTS BLEED.
Quote from: Doktor Phox on September 14, 2011, 08:37:43 PM
Hmmm. it seems like we've all been getting lazy lately. After all, it's not like we don't have time to post something, else we wouldn't be here day in and day out.
I wonder if the problem is that we've all gotten complacent? I mean, like Dok said, it's as if we're all sitting around waiting for someone to say something interesting.
I, for one, am going to force myself to do something evne if it is total crap. Least it's something.
Half the time I sit here with drool running down my chin staring blankly into space, completely immobile from my hair down.
Quote from: Hawk on September 14, 2011, 08:41:10 PM
Quote from: Doktor Phox on September 14, 2011, 08:37:43 PM
Hmmm. it seems like we've all been getting lazy lately. After all, it's not like we don't have time to post something, else we wouldn't be here day in and day out.
I wonder if the problem is that we've all gotten complacent? I mean, like Dok said, it's as if we're all sitting around waiting for someone to say something interesting.
I, for one, am going to force myself to do something evne if it is total crap. Least it's something.
Half the time I sit here with drool running down my chin staring blankly into space, completely immobile from my hair down.
At risk to my own sanity and that of others, I gotta ask: What the hell is your hair doing?
Quote from: Doktor Howl on September 14, 2011, 08:42:13 PM
Quote from: Hawk on September 14, 2011, 08:41:10 PM
Quote from: Doktor Phox on September 14, 2011, 08:37:43 PM
Hmmm. it seems like we've all been getting lazy lately. After all, it's not like we don't have time to post something, else we wouldn't be here day in and day out.
I wonder if the problem is that we've all gotten complacent? I mean, like Dok said, it's as if we're all sitting around waiting for someone to say something interesting.
I, for one, am going to force myself to do something evne if it is total crap. Least it's something.
Half the time I sit here with drool running down my chin staring blankly into space, completely immobile from my hair down.
At risk to my own sanity and that of others, I gotta ask: What the hell is your hair doing?
Tendrils sneak downward towards the keyboard when they leave my numb ass and type things to post here that eventually come back to haunt me. Sometimes it does the firestarter thing, but so far only tiny wisps of smoke are all they can generate.
I am not sure, but I think it accidentally one of the cats too.
I was wondering why it was up my ass, then I realized that it just likes the naturally curly look. Who am I to argue with that kind of logic? The success speaks for itself.
Hrm ok, a response. I still remember how to do this I think.
I have ideas, things I want to do but little enough time to try them. Lots of things from here as well.
I've ideas for parables using superhero's, our modern day Greek gods renamed and reinvented but still alive and kicking.
Then there's the Tech, since January I have done little other then read about the latest technology and how it will forcibly change our lives for better or worse. There's thoughts I have that pass into the void when I could be posting them here.
Sorry, Dok. I was writing.
I'm still slow at this shit.
http://www.principiadiscordia.com/forum/index.php?topic=30226.0
Quote from: LMNO, PhD (life continues) on September 14, 2011, 07:27:46 PM
I admit, I instantly got defensive when I read this. But then I was like, well, yeah. Maybe he's right.
You know one thing that might be hurting us? The so-called "art of the quip". That one liner, kind of snarky, a bit clever, that's usually meant to be a finishing move. We love using it, we love honing the skill of skewering a conversation with a handful of letters.
But they're designed to stop converation. That's their purpose. They don't put a new idea out there, there's nothing to get a foothold on, and the attitude of the quipper is, "End.Of.Thread."
So, let's try to make a strong suggestion to stop doing that. You can still be snarky, but use your wit to add to the conversation, not end it.
You fuckers.
LMNO
-is still vowing to add content at least once a day.
I agree with this 100000%
I can't promise daily content, but I'll make a concerted effort to stop hitting the back space button or delete......
I post when I feel I have something to contribute, but a lot of the things I post seem to get talked around, which makes me believe that I have contributed noise rather than signal.
Quote from: Precious Moments Zalgo on September 14, 2011, 10:36:56 PM
I post when I feel I have something to contribute, but a lot of the things I post seem to get talked around, which makes me believe that I have contributed noise rather than signal.
I feel the same way precisely.
I've been going through a pretty bad down swing
Got it really bad today.
I tend not to post if my emotions are out of wack
Quote from: Thurnez Isa on September 14, 2011, 11:30:38 PM
I've been going through a pretty bad down swing
Got it really bad today.
I tend not to post if my emotions are out of wack
I get more creative when I'm down.
It's been a bad couple of years.
Quote from: Luna on September 14, 2011, 11:32:06 PM
Quote from: Thurnez Isa on September 14, 2011, 11:30:38 PM
I've been going through a pretty bad down swing
Got it really bad today.
I tend not to post if my emotions are out of wack
I get more creative when I'm down.
It's been a bad couple of years.
I can barely get out of bed
except for fast food and donuts.
I tried to take a walk today... but couldn't
Missed a few classes today as well.
I tend to avoid almost everything.
When it passes I'll be back full force.
Quote from: Precious Moments Zalgo on September 14, 2011, 10:36:56 PM
I post when I feel I have something to contribute, but a lot of the things I post seem to get talked around, which makes me believe that I have contributed noise rather than signal.
Same here, but I know it's a terrible cop-out, really. Why be anywhere if you're not going to do anything? I read a lot of stuff and stash away a bit of information or a question, keep reading, and it's been covered pages later. Sometimes you lot can move fast. But that's my fault, I know it, and I'm up my own ass about it. I can't force myself to come up with something completely witty or mind-blowing but I can at least force myself to come up with something
relevant, which at least may show someone else a thought that they might not have had otherwise and lead them onto something.
Quote from: Thurnez Isa on September 14, 2011, 11:47:38 PM
Quote from: Luna on September 14, 2011, 11:32:06 PM
Quote from: Thurnez Isa on September 14, 2011, 11:30:38 PM
I've been going through a pretty bad down swing
Got it really bad today.
I tend not to post if my emotions are out of wack
I get more creative when I'm down.
It's been a bad couple of years.
I can barely get out of bed
except for fast food and donuts.
I tried to take a walk today... but couldn't
Missed a few classes today as well.
I tend to avoid almost everything.
When it passes I'll be back full force.
Hang in there. When I get like that, I try to force myself to do ANYTHING, just to keep moving. (Whacking my friends with swords helps.) Deal with what you can.
I eat
I just polished off a bacon mushroom burger, large fries, large pop and 2 big macs.
that and anti-psychotics if I start to get ideas... which make me feel nauseous and tired. Of course that is rare.
Not much to do in terms of being active. This usually lasts around 3 months or so. So about as long as I been gone.
Quote from: LMNO, PhD (life continues) on September 14, 2011, 07:35:04 PM
Quote from: Jenkem and SPACE/TIME on September 14, 2011, 07:31:04 PM
I agree with LMNO, the quip is a killer. :(
Zang!
Just kidding.
As an experiment, I am going to attempt, when I don't really have a good point to make, to try to ask a question in all my responses. And not one of those "Ask me anything" questions -- I mean one based on the thread content. At the very least, it begs a response, and might open up an interesting door of conversation or thread-drift, don't you think?
Hadn't had time to read this thread yet. But I'm going to try this as well. Much too often I think of a really funny thing to say but it doesn't really add to the conversation. When it's in a good thread that I enjoy, I even feel bad about it somewhat and then sometimes even not post it :) [only sometimes though].
From now on, I will only allow myself to post a funny if I can also say something meaningful. I'll try.
Additionally, Dok keeps talking about people F5-ing and waiting for others to post. Maybe it's different if you actually live in the same timezone as most posters. But I never really do that. There's more stuff being posted here than I can or want to read. Maybe I just read slow. Well I'm pretty sure I do. Anyway, by the time I'm done reading everything and there's nothing being posted I'm
glad I'm done with it. And also my head's way too tired then to post anything smart. I can only post a new thread (that's worth anything) if I already got the idea before I start reading PD for the day and just think "fuck it I don't care what everyone else has said in the past few hours, I need to post this bit", if I came from somewhere else, so to say.
So, frankly, this PD quiet period isn't really as terrible to me as it is to people that require it to get through their work day (which is a really strange notion coming from Dutch work ethics, but that's another story
1)
Except that, thanks to Dok's kick in the pance it actually got better. Didn't get busier (phew), but content quality went up (yay!), at least, I enjoyed the fuck out of most things posted to PD in the past week or so, good job everybody ;-)
1 we got a 36-40 hour workweek
because we don't spag around on forums all day, so that we can go home and spag around wherever.
Quote from: Triple Zero on September 16, 2011, 08:21:40 PM
1 we got a 36-40 hour workweek because we don't spag around on forums all day, so that we can go home and spag around wherever.
I work a 65+ hour week on a 40 hour salary, and I can't leave while the crew is still working.
This leaves me with an amazing amount of time on my hands, and I refuse to do busy work for which I am not actually being paid.
Quote from: Doktor Howl on September 16, 2011, 08:25:00 PM
Quote from: Triple Zero on September 16, 2011, 08:21:40 PM
1 we got a 36-40 hour workweek because we don't spag around on forums all day, so that we can go home and spag around wherever.
I work a 65+ hour week on a 40 hour salary, and I can't leave while the crew is still working.
This leaves me with an amazing amount of time on my hands, and I refuse to do busy work for which I am not actually being paid.
I'm sorry that probably sounded really smug or something. If that's how things work for you, I can totally get behind that. Also, not everybody in NL gets to do 40h a week, doctors don't and I suppose engineering positions like yours are indeed quite busy here as well, it's not like machinery magically works different here.
Still I never heard about people spagging around on forums all day as much until I met this bunch of Americans here :-)
Continue on the "activity ideas" : another thing: fix my damn keyboard. The 'a' key has been semi-fucked for quite a while now, I temporarily fixed it yesterday and I was amazed at my blazing typing speeds and that will get me very talkative oh yeah :) But then it broke again :(
Other other thing: THURNEZ HANG IN THERE BUDDY!! Also let us know how you're doing from time to time, that doesn't sound like fun, thing you're going through.
Quote from: Triple Zero on September 16, 2011, 08:31:31 PM
Oh one other thing: fix my damn keyboard. The 'a' key has been semi-fucked for quite a while now, I temporarily fixed it yesterday and I was amazed at my blazing typing speeds and that will get me very talkative oh yeah :) But then it broke again :(
Other other thing: THURNEZ HANG IN THERE BUDDY!! Also let us know how you're doing from time to time, that doesn't sound like fun, thing you're going through.
Quote from: Doktor Howl on September 16, 2011, 08:25:00 PM
Quote from: Triple Zero on September 16, 2011, 08:21:40 PM
1 we got a 36-40 hour workweek because we don't spag around on forums all day, so that we can go home and spag around wherever.
I work a 65+ hour week on a 40 hour salary, and I can't leave while the crew is still working.
This leaves me with an amazing amount of time on my hands, and I refuse to do busy work for which I am not actually being paid.
I'm sorry that probably sounded really smug or something. If that's how things work for you, I can totally get behind that. Also, not everybody in NL gets to do 40h a week, doctors don't and I suppose engineering positions like yours are indeed quite busy here as well, it's not like machinery magically works different here.
Still I never heard about people spagging around on forums all day as much until I met this bunch of Americans here :-)
Oh, it's not that you sounded smug.
It's just that hearing about Yourup's work week makes me want to go all chainsaw billy on this motherfucker. Right down the hall in the admin building. WOOO HOOO! HOW YA DOIN', MIKEY? *BRZZZZZAP* WHAT'S UP, PRINCESS LILLY? *MRAAAAAAAW* HAHAHAHA I'LL NEVER GET THIS SHIRT CLEAN NOW!
Quote from: Precious Moments Zalgo on September 14, 2011, 10:36:56 PM
I post when I feel I have something to contribute, but a lot of the things I post seem to get talked around, which makes me believe that I have contributed noise rather than signal.
The thing that's easy to forget is how easy it is for a post to get noticed and appreciated without anyone really wanting to reply to it. Of course it's better when people have something to say about it, but sometimes they just don't. But look around: most posts have at least like 70 views. There's probably several people that enjoyed your post, if you think it's good.
I tend to mostly reply to things when I have something to say, and usually I don't, so I don't usually reply. Doesn't mean I don't read.
I want to post more.
But in the few days I've been here I learned very quickly that I will be ridiculed for doing so.
This is a no win situation for some of us.
And you are the reason so many people are just sitting there refreshing.
Have your cake but you must eat it too.
Quote from: MC McAwesome on September 16, 2011, 08:53:01 PM
I want to post more.
But in the few days I've been here I learned very quickly that I will be ridiculed for doing so.
This is a no win situation for some of us.
And you are the reason so many people are just sitting there refreshing.
Have your cake but you must eat it too.
You snivel too much, kid.
Quote from: MC McAwesome on September 16, 2011, 08:53:01 PM
I want to post more.
But in the few days I've been here I learned very quickly that I will be ridiculed for doing so.
This is a no win situation for some of us.
And you are the reason so many people are just sitting there refreshing.
Have your cake but you must eat it too.
:notnice:
Quote from: el sjaako on September 16, 2011, 08:41:05 PM
Quote from: Precious Moments Zalgo on September 14, 2011, 10:36:56 PM
I post when I feel I have something to contribute, but a lot of the things I post seem to get talked around, which makes me believe that I have contributed noise rather than signal.
The thing that's easy to forget is how easy it is for a post to get noticed and appreciated without anyone really wanting to reply to it. Of course it's better when people have something to say about it, but sometimes they just don't. But look around: most posts have at least like 70 views. There's probably several people that enjoyed your post, if you think it's good.
I tend to mostly reply to things when I have something to say, and usually I don't, so I don't usually reply. Doesn't mean I don't read.
It's right I probably don't reply to them as much, but I do recall enjoying your posts, PMZ.
I forget who were you again before, Paesior or Remington? Paesior right? Then where did Remington go?
Quote from: Triple Zero on September 16, 2011, 08:57:28 PM
Quote from: el sjaako on September 16, 2011, 08:41:05 PM
Quote from: Precious Moments Zalgo on September 14, 2011, 10:36:56 PM
I post when I feel I have something to contribute, but a lot of the things I post seem to get talked around, which makes me believe that I have contributed noise rather than signal.
The thing that's easy to forget is how easy it is for a post to get noticed and appreciated without anyone really wanting to reply to it. Of course it's better when people have something to say about it, but sometimes they just don't. But look around: most posts have at least like 70 views. There's probably several people that enjoyed your post, if you think it's good.
I tend to mostly reply to things when I have something to say, and usually I don't, so I don't usually reply. Doesn't mean I don't read.
It's right I probably don't reply to them as much, but I do recall enjoying your posts, PMZ.
I forget who were you again before, Paesior or Remington? Paesior right? Then where did Remington go?
EATEN BY ESKIMOS!
:cry:
Quote from: el sjaako on September 16, 2011, 08:41:05 PM
Quote from: Precious Moments Zalgo on September 14, 2011, 10:36:56 PM
I post when I feel I have something to contribute, but a lot of the things I post seem to get talked around, which makes me believe that I have contributed noise rather than signal.
The thing that's easy to forget is how easy it is for a post to get noticed and appreciated without anyone really wanting to reply to it. Of course it's better when people have something to say about it, but sometimes they just don't. But look around: most posts have at least like 70 views. There's probably several people that enjoyed your post, if you think it's good.
Or those were Googlebots etc
Quote from: Triple Zero on September 16, 2011, 08:57:28 PM
Quote from: el sjaako on September 16, 2011, 08:41:05 PM
Quote from: Precious Moments Zalgo on September 14, 2011, 10:36:56 PM
I post when I feel I have something to contribute, but a lot of the things I post seem to get talked around, which makes me believe that I have contributed noise rather than signal.
The thing that's easy to forget is how easy it is for a post to get noticed and appreciated without anyone really wanting to reply to it. Of course it's better when people have something to say about it, but sometimes they just don't. But look around: most posts have at least like 70 views. There's probably several people that enjoyed your post, if you think it's good.
I tend to mostly reply to things when I have something to say, and usually I don't, so I don't usually reply. Doesn't mean I don't read.
It's right I probably don't reply to them as much, but I do recall enjoying your posts, PMZ.
I forget who were you again before, Paesior or Remington? Paesior right? Then where did Remington go?
I started as Pastor-Mullah Zappathruster, and have always been P-something M-something Z-something.
My avatar was a heavyset Baptist pastor with a turban photoshopped on his head.
Quote from: MC McAwesome on September 16, 2011, 08:53:01 PM
I want to post more.
But in the few days I've been here I learned very quickly that I will be ridiculed for doing so.
This is a no win situation for some of us.
And you are the reason so many people are just sitting there refreshing.
Have your cake but you must eat it too.
So you're a pansy with no ability to reevaluate your ideas or deal with the honest repercussions of people who genuine disagree with you. You will be ridiculed for being a spinless idiot incapable of thinking for yourself. And little whiny bullshit like this will only make it worse. BTW, I'm not really posting this for you. This is not a direct response to you because that would be a waste of time. If your post is your honest opinion than there is no limit to the potential of your butthurt, and there's nothing that can be said to undo the knotted, painful twisting of your own regurgitation of thoughts you can barely parrot back.
This post is for you lurking who think maybe this place is too harsh to post in. I was one of those people and believe it or not YOU TOO can take your genitals out of your purse and post real live opinions and deal with the results.
This is Living Discordia, this is Discordia In Motion and it's will steamroll right over you as you lay mewling pathetically about how mean people are. If you look out your window you will see a world that only thinly protects you from the Really Real for Realness Mean Folk out there, and you will see it slowly etched away while pathetic little nothings whine about how some INTERNET people people with no tolerance for stupidity took the time to point out your idiocy, which is an opportunity Eris gives you to realize that maybe your shit ain't the hottest in the room.
DIAF and shut yer mouth. I haven't seen you post one thing of quality yet and until you do I will gladly label you Spineless Twit. Just like all the other retarded breakfast cereal drones. You're boring.
Alty,
Offers a substantive reply, ITT.
Quote from: Alty on September 17, 2011, 12:00:27 AM
Quote from: MC McAwesome on September 16, 2011, 08:53:01 PM
I want to post more.
But in the few days I've been here I learned very quickly that I will be ridiculed for doing so.
This is a no win situation for some of us.
And you are the reason so many people are just sitting there refreshing.
Have your cake but you must eat it too.
So you're a pansy with no ability to reevaluate your ideas or deal with the honest repercussions of people who genuine disagree with you. You will be ridiculed for being a spinless idiot incapable of thinking for yourself. And little whiny bullshit like this will only make it worse. BTW, I'm not really posting this for you. This is not a direct response to you because that would be a waste of time. If your post is your honest opinion than there is no limit to the potential of your butthurt, and there's nothing that can be said to undo the knotted, painful twisting of your own regurgitation of thoughts you can barely parrot back.
This post is for you lurking who think maybe this place is too harsh to post in. I was one of those people and believe it or not YOU TOO can take your genitals out of your purse and post real live opinions and deal with the results.
This is Living Discordia, this is Discordia In Motion and it's will steamroll right over you as you lay mewling pathetically about how mean people are. If you look out your window you will see a world that only thinly protects you from the Really Real for Realness Mean Folk out there, and you will see it slowly etched away while pathetic little nothings whine about how some INTERNET people people with no tolerance for stupidity took the time to point out your idiocy, which is an opportunity Eris gives you to realize that maybe your shit ain't the hottest in the room.
DIAF and shut yer mouth. I haven't seen you post one thing of quality yet and until you do I will gladly label you Spineless Twit. Just like all the other retarded breakfast cereal drones. You're boring.
Alty,
Offers a substantive reply, ITT.
Damn, Alty, makes my response of, "fuck off, Cornflake" seem lame.
Well said.
Alty, I am mentally kissing you right on the mouth.
Quote from: Nigel on September 17, 2011, 03:12:36 AM
Alty, I am mentally kissing you right on the mouth.
i am mentally performing sex acts on Alty for his post!
:noodledance:
Whoohooo getting' so much e-bootay.
Don't kill me, Payne.
Since Nigel and Pixie have the booty covered (or uncovered, as it may be), I'll just put a beer on the tab for Alty, to be collected when he comes out and returns EoC's visit. Come get it. :D
Quote from: Triple Zero on September 16, 2011, 08:57:28 PM
Quote from: el sjaako on September 16, 2011, 08:41:05 PM
Quote from: Precious Moments Zalgo on September 14, 2011, 10:36:56 PM
I post when I feel I have something to contribute, but a lot of the things I post seem to get talked around, which makes me believe that I have contributed noise rather than signal.
The thing that's easy to forget is how easy it is for a post to get noticed and appreciated without anyone really wanting to reply to it. Of course it's better when people have something to say about it, but sometimes they just don't. But look around: most posts have at least like 70 views. There's probably several people that enjoyed your post, if you think it's good.
I tend to mostly reply to things when I have something to say, and usually I don't, so I don't usually reply. Doesn't mean I don't read.
It's right I probably don't reply to them as much, but I do recall enjoying your posts, PMZ.
I forget who were you again before, Paesior or Remington? Paesior right? Then where did Remington go?
I'm Paesior.
:wave:
Okay then, this "turn people into robots to keep them apart better even if they change avatar or screenname" plot obviously isn't working and I'm going to have to think of something better.
I changed my avatar to your robot and have my old screenname under my current one. You need to change people into the avatar you associate with them most strongly, I think.
Quote from: Doktor Howl on September 14, 2011, 07:11:33 PM
I see you sitting there, "viewing". Viewing responses unread since you hit the refresh button 5 minutes ago. Mindlessly slamming F5 over and over again, in the hopes that someone wrote something INTERESTING today, but TOO FUCKING LAZY to write something interesting yourself, or respond in a conversation-provoking way to any of the rants recently posted.
I see you conditioning yourself to hit the food pellet bar, even when no food pellets have been forthcoming in weeks. I see you then getting BUTTHURT when someone DOES post, mostly because this place has become so BORING that any fucking chance at drama is better than the MIND-NUMBING SLAMMING OF THE REFRESH BUTTON.
Oh, yes, The Spider lives here, too.
Well, I've got some news for you, Sunshine...The reason nobody is talking is because NOBODY IS TALKING. Imagine a great big room full of really smart people, all standing around for WEEKS waiting for someone to say something. That's what you have here.
The fucking place is dying. I think everyone sees that...The only question is, should we let it die? Should we all just go back to our offices or our cubes or our housework or whatever it is why came here to escape? Because at the rate things are going, YOU MAY AS WELL. Find another hobby, find another religion, maybe get around to counting the flowers on the wallpaper like you've been meaning to do.
Anything but staring at the fucking screen, mashing the F5 button, and getting more and more depressed because the ONE PLACE you used to be able to hang out with weirdos has become the internet equivalent of one of those corner "loser" bars, where aging barflies sit on their stools all alone in a room full of other barflies, drinking and staring into the mirror, and wishing SOMEONE would talk sports. And carefully ignoring anyone who does, because hell, they'll all be here tomorrow night, too, right? We can talk then.
Well, maybe you've noticed that the "who's online" list is getting pretty small these days, and maybe you've noticed that half of the people on it AREN'T really on it, they've been "viewing the index of principia.com" for 4 hours. Their computer is logged on, but they're not there. The fucking place is a waxworks, a museum visited only by those of us who haven't yet broken the conditioning that tells us that AMAZING THINGS used to happen here.
And maybe you've noticed that a whole bunch of our weird friends haven't been around in a really long time. Remmy, Semaj, Iason, etc...I could go on for a page or more. People USED to come and go, here, but now they just GO.
Why? Easy. While we rightfully say that "weird pulls in more weird", it's also true that "nothing pulls in more nothing". And yet here we sit, viewing. Sort of like people viewing the television. Or viewing the grass growing, paint drying, or listening to the sound of your breath wheezing in and out of the corpse you've become. Anything but start – or continue – a conversation. Fact: CoG is back up, and they have damn near as much actual traffic as we do. Laughing at TSC's lack of traffic, were you? Having a giggle at the morgue that TCC turned into? Ho ho! It's like watching Johnny Cash's corpse laughing at John Wayne's.
We've turned into a room full of spectators, with nothing to watch. A Neilson Family in front of a teevee that plays only reruns. And we have only ourselves to blame.
I'm not going to continue like this. It's just too fucking depressing, and whatever fun mood I was in at the beginning of the day has invariably soured by 9AM, because instead of too much traffic to follow after a meeting or between scheduling work assignments, I come back to find things exactly the way I left them. Frankly, I spend half of my time here wishing Poptard would raid us again, just so something would HAPPEN.
So, no, I'm going to bugger off and find something else to do, maybe check in at lunch each day, to see if anyone has written a rant or posted something funny in the politics section, and to see if any admin functions need to be done...At least as long as even THAT makes sense. I'll still be posting rants, I suppose, but only because I must RANT OR DIE. But as far as coming here for conversation, what's the fucking point? I'll just hire a temp to hit the F5 button for me, and I can sleep in my office.
You finally killed me.
Okay forever,
Dok
I'm not here to make excuses. Hell, I don't need to. It's general knowledge I have a bad addiction to internet that's poisoning my social progress, so I'm actively cutting down on the time I spend on the computer. Text interactions has ruined my ability to "win friends and influence people", because I never trained how to look them in the eye and keep looking. I'm not around here often enough these days to sit around pressing refresh. Once a day is good enough. And, I think, a couple times a day is good enough for /anyone/. Assuming those couple times are spent reading /then writing/ instead of mindlessly surfing. I don't read all the threads, I don't even read half the threads. I read the threads that look like they are content in apple talk, read all the OKM threads, and glance at the top threads of the other subforums to see if there are any good discussions going on. Then I write. I write this, I write the post I put in the fractal thread, I write a rant or a vignette, anything less than an hour of time. Then I'm done.
I'm not going to spend my life sitting around here for people to say things because it's unnecessary. I can't force people to talk by sitting here. I can, however, force /myself/ to talk by sitting here with a new post or reply window open and hope that more than incomprehendable stream of consciousness comes spewing out. And if, after reflection, it's too shit to share, I delete it. About half the posts I intend to make on here, I press the back button before finishing. Hell, I had a fiction idea about a week ago based on some of the In Those Days stuff, and it came out so contrived and fanfiction-ish that I didn't even finish the first chapter. But at least I entertained the excercise of writing, so that next time an idea comes along I'm a bit closer to actually writing something worth reading.
So don't punish yourself, Roger. You can't force people to write. Every act of creativity is putting something out here and hoping that people will respond to it, or more importantly, be inspired by it to make more. I think you have the right idea.
Quote from: Egregore Samsa on September 18, 2011, 09:47:25 AM
I changed my avatar to your robot and have my old screenname under my current one. You need to change people into the avatar you associate with them most strongly, I think.
It's not your fault! It's those other peoples with purple robots.