Is this it, then?

Subject: RE: Is this it, then?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 22 Jan 00 - 07:44 AM

Is GUEST the same GUEST as GUEST or not? Use a n alias if you wish, but please don't just sign in a GUEST, GUEST. And that goes for GUEST as well.

Subject: RE: Is this it, then?
From: jeffp
Date: 22 Jan 00 - 08:25 AM

I agree that ignoring abusive posts is probably the best way to deal with them. Personal messages are also probably the best way to show support, as they accomplish your purpose without adding fuel to the fire. This is the way I have tried to respond to these incidents, and the way I will continue to respond. I don't post to a lot of music threads because I don't always have anything to offer, but I read almost all of them and learn an awful lot by doing so. As to those who must try to disrupt things here, ignore them and they'll go poop in somebody else's sandbox. Just my 2 cents worth.

jeffp

Subject: RE: Is this it, then?
From: Jeri
Date: 22 Jan 00 - 09:26 AM

One of the reasons I initially loved this site was that if someone made a comment that could be taken as a friendly jibe or a nasty dig, people usually interpereted it as a jibe and responded in kind. We've let one individual change the entire climate of this place. Now if someone says something that could remotely be seen as snide, sarcastic or otherwise nasty, people seem to immediatly jump to the conclusion that it must be.

The motive of a troll is to start arguments and gain attention. If you respond to a troll by arguing, you're doing what they want. If you respond to a troll at all, you're doing what they want. There's also the "last word" syndrome, and the "$0.02/"£0.02" syndromes, and we're all guilty. (After all, I'm posting to this thread, am I not? Just gotta say something...can't let that go...I really should just drop it, but I can't...) Well, all those other people you and I wish would just "put a sock in it" feel the same way.)

Subject: Lyr Add: Newsgroup Personality
From: Jeri
Date: 22 Jan 00 - 09:30 AM

And now, for a musical interlude:
---------------------------------

NEWSGROUP PERSONALITY
Words: Tom Holt, author of fantasy novels such as Who's Afraid of Beowulf and Expecting Someone Taller.
To be sung to "Modern Major General" by Gilbert & Sullivan

I am the very model of a Newsgroup personality.
I intersperse obscenity with tedious banality.
Addresses I have plenty of, both genuine and ghosted, too,
On all the countless newsgroups that my drivel is cross-posted to.
Your bandwidth I will fritter with my whining and my snivelling,
And you're the one who pays the bill, downloading all my drivelling.
My enemies are numerous, and no-one would be blaming you
For cracking my head open after I've been rudely flaming you.

I hate to lose an argument (by now I should be used to it).
I wouldn't know a valid point if I was introduced to it.
My learning is extensive but consists of mindless trivia,
Designed to fan my ego, which is larger than Bolivia.
The comments that I vomit forth, disguised as jest and drollery,
Are really just an exercise in unremitting trollery.
I say I'm frank and forthright, but that's merely lies and vanity,
The gibberings of one who's at the limits of his sanity.

If only I could get a life, as many people tell me to;
If only Mom could find a circus freak-show she could sell me to;
If I go off to Zanzibar to paint the local scenery;
If I lose all my fingers in a mishap with machinery;
If I survive to twenty, which is somewhat problematical;
If what I post was more mature, or slightly more grammatical;
If I could learn to spell a bit, and maybe even punctuate;
Would I still be the loathsome and objectionable punk you hate?

But while I have this tiresome urge to prance around and show my face,
It simply isn't safe for normal people here in cyberspace.
To stick me in Old Sparky and turn on the electricity,
Would be a fitting punishment for my egocentricity.
I always have the last word; so, with uttermost finality,
That's all from me, the model of a Newsgroup personality.

Subject: RE: Is this it, then?
From: Micca
Date: 22 Jan 00 - 09:38 AM

Jeri, Thank you ,thank you thank you, that sums it all up in a verse and a very funny one too Micca

Subject: RE: Is this it, then?
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 22 Jan 00 - 10:39 AM

Jeri, that is one of the funiest verses (to me) that I have read in ages... problem is it contains to much truth... loved it

Jon

Subject: RE: Is this it, then?
From: Mary in Kentucky
Date: 22 Jan 00 - 11:14 AM

BRAVO!!!!!!!!!1

Subject: RE: Is this it, then?
From: Mary in Kentucky
Date: 22 Jan 00 - 11:20 AM

PS: Jeri--do you have a parody for "I have a little book"... or whatever it's called...of ones who wouldn't be missed? I think it's tradition for every performance of The Mikado to write verses specific to that occasion.

Subject: RE: Is this it, then?
From: The Shambles
Date: 22 Jan 00 - 11:23 AM

My brain has slowly cranked around to an obvious thought that I should have put in my last post.

How would we deal with a new thread created on a subject that had been covered before?

We would gently refer the poster to those threads or provide links to them. We would recognise that not everyone would have seen the earlier threads or would have had a chance to contribute to the discussion.

We certainly would not state that 'we had said all there was to be said on this subject'!

Why do we not do the same with this subject or the same when flamers appear?

I do like Kevin's title suggestion of this thread (any other suggestions?) but I do take the point of the possible danger in creating it but the 'Boogeyman' is out there and is not going to go away if we just 'hide our eyes' and hope that it will.

Thanks for the good sense Jeri, and for the song.

Subject: RE: Is this it, then?
From: bbelle
Date: 22 Jan 00 - 11:56 AM

"quoth the raven, 'nevermore'."

Subject: RE: Is this it, then?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 22 Jan 00 - 01:35 PM

Lot of sensible things have been said in this thread. And a few silly things rightfully ignored.

Thanks for finding the song Newsgroup Personality Jeri - this whole episode has been getting too heavy, and it summed up some of the issues splendidly. Once it's on the DT, the next time I feel irresistably drawn to responding to something that doesn't merit a response, I think I might just stick a blue clicky thing to.

And, I agree with The Shambles that we shouldn't be embarrassed or frightened of going on about this kind of stuff, so long as we don't lay into each other in a way that damages people, or damages the Mudcat. Now that we have the improved Forum Super Search up at the top of bthe page it's a great deal easier to enable people to go delve back into the Archives and find out what people have said before, and build on that.Or avoid building on it, if that seems better.

I try to work on the philosophy that if its not worth killing over, it's not worth quarrelling over. You can really infuriate people that way sometimes... As Rabbi Lionel Blue puts it "Don't take it so heavy."

Subject: RE: Is this it, then?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 22 Jan 00 - 01:39 PM

And as The Shambles spotted, beingnthe prescient fella he is - I really like it better when I use my first name, Kevin. But I'm not risking tampering with the Cookie Monster, or God knows who I might turn into.

Subject: RE: Is this it, then?
From: GUEST,GUEST-GUEST
Date: 22 Jan 00 - 03:40 PM

Jeri.....an absolutly BRILLANT set of lyrics

Describes us to a "T"
Thanks

Subject: RE: Is this it, then?
From: M. Ted (inactive)
Date: 22 Jan 00 - 04:01 PM

Sorry to do this, but please, check the Sonny Bono Copyright Extension thread--it is an important music-realated issue--people here have been complaining about there not being a lot of music related discussion--well, here is an important music related issue that affects (in one way or another) all of us, and no one is even opening up the thread!!!!!

Angle brackets <> removed and link added to make the "Sonny Bono" thing visible.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Is this it, then?
From: catspaw49
Date: 22 Jan 00 - 04:08 PM

Ted is referring to the "Sony Bono Copyright" thread.

Spaw

Subject: RE: Is this it, then?
From: JVZ
Date: 22 Jan 00 - 04:18 PM

Gosh, I just like to come in and seek/share lyrics and such. I didn't know it was so complicated.

Subject: RE: Is this it, then?
From: Jo Taylor
Date: 22 Jan 00 - 08:12 PM

JVZ, I think you just said it all!
Jo

Subject: RE: Is this it, then?
From: GUEST
Date: 23 Jan 00 - 07:06 PM

1. Apologies for extending what is already an overlong thread. 2. I use Mudcat very little nowadays, due to some attacks on my threads which left me shocked and shaken. Up until then I had been very happy here. 3. Sad to see a thread about not attacking people in which one Mudcatter threatens another with a libel suit. 4. Why do I now have GUEST in front of my name? I have cookies switched off on my machine. A Mudcat that wants to put GUEST in front of people's names is sending out the wrong message. 5. I am not any of the GUESTs above, but don't wish to sign my name if you're going to behave as THAT kind of club. I am saddened. Good night all.

Subject: RE: Is this it, then?
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 23 Jan 00 - 07:53 PM

GUEST above, I think you are overrecting to being Guest. In the first instance, it has been stated more than once that this is only a temporay solution and none of us know what the final soulution will be.

The situation was not caused by Mudcat but by the actions of one Mudcatter who apparently thought that pretending to be someone else was a joke. Regardless of motives, I believe that impersonating somebody else is a serious matter and that action needed to be taken fairly quickly to put a stop to it, especially in view of the recent outbreaks of paranoia that we have witnessed.

The problem with the cookies is unfortunate and I don't know your situation but in some cases it is possible to set your browser up to only accept cookies from certain sites e.g. On Internet Explorer, I think you could make Mudcat a Trusted Site and set the security for Trusted sites to accept cookies.

Jon

Subject: RE: Is this it, then?
From: GUEST,And PROUD to be a GUEST
Date: 23 Jan 00 - 09:32 PM

Realize....that "guest" is a nomenclature or friendship

Sincerely, sorry that you are offended at being a "guest."

Pick-pockets, grifters, drifters, and mal-contents are not GUESTS

Only those of "quality" enter my home to spend the night

If you are a "GUEST" consider yourself honored

WE could have been "barred" but you are welcome,....because you are a "guest."

Please.....PLEASE sit down awhile, share the brew, enjoy the crew, and don't lift a finger....for "your are our guest"

Subject: RE: Is this it, then?
From: The Shambles
Date: 24 Jan 00 - 01:17 PM

As to whether we can all agree on a course of action. It's looking pretty good so far.

I also note that on Sunday, One million people in Spain's capital city, agreed that they would take to the streets to protest about a possible restart of a terrorist murder campaign.

Subject: RE: Is this it, then?
From: GUEST
Date: 24 Jan 00 - 04:20 PM

Forum Search on 'Guest' really nails thing down. There are only 549 since it was instituted 5 days ago.

Subject: RE: Is this it, then?
From: GUEST,Mbo
Date: 24 Jan 00 - 04:32 PM

Be our guest, be our guest, put our service to the test! Put your napkin on your lap, cherie, and we provide the rest! Soup du jour, hot hors d'oevre--why, we only live to serve! Please don't start complaining while the flatware's entertaining!

--Mbo

Subject: RE: Is this it, then?
From: M. Ted (inactive)
Date: 24 Jan 00 - 05:27 PM

Guest,

Since I. apparently am the one who was threatened with a lawsuit, due a misunderstanding which I clarified and appologized for, perhaps it will help you out if I explain that, for my part, I have gotten to be rather fond of Brendy, and(without trying to speak for him) and have had occassion to fire off posts like that occasionally, myself--so I have my own sense of where that sort of stuff can come from--

For one reason or another, the internet is a place where people can get fairly upset, from time to time--I think it is because, on one hand, it is very easy invest a lot of time and emotion in writing something (in this way really putting yourself on the line and exposing a vulnerability) and on the other hand it is also very easy to get carried away and either overstate something or esentially carve into stone a very fleeting sentiment--

I have been poking around on the internet to one extent or another for a quite a number of years, and Mudcat has much less of this volatility than I have seen anywhere else--(I have occasionally told people that it was worthwhile to start listening to folk music just so you could join)

Please don't get too upset by the occasional disorderly conduct, it just seems to go with the medium--

Aloha,

Ted