Shorty's Back

Subject: RE: Shorty's Back
From: Kim C
Date: 11 Dec 00 - 05:53 PM

well, Max, you know, 'tis the season that tries men's souls. Personally I have been Miss Look At Me The Wrong Way and I'll Cry Incessantly for about a week now. And I too have a client that hasn't paid.... but I have a plan on how to repossess the goods he bought from me (heeheehee). Now, if we can just get my Army friend's orders to Colorado changed, we'll be in bidness. (a girl can dream, right?)

Subject: RE: Shorty's Back
From: Bernard
Date: 11 Dec 00 - 03:04 PM

Shorty's Front...

For the sake of completeness...

Subject: RE: Shorty's Back
From: Greyeyes
Date: 11 Dec 00 - 02:20 PM


You are my Mudcat, my only Mudcat,
You make me happy when skies are grey,
You'll never know, Max, how much we love you,
Oh please don't take my Mudcat away.

Subject: RE: Shorty's Back
From: MMario
Date: 11 Dec 00 - 09:37 AM

Not to mention Max, that you CAN use the forum to vent. Why not, WE do!

And if stuff on the forum is bugging you; bitch about it! Why not? geez, man; you , if anybody, certainly has a right to do so!

Subject: RE: Shorty's Back
From: katlaughing
Date: 11 Dec 00 - 09:20 AM

WOW, right on! Night Owl!! Good to hear you let loose, darlin'!! And, Max, ditto what she said!

Subject: RE: Shorty's Back
From: Night Owl
Date: 11 Dec 00 - 06:20 AM

reality check here..unfortunately...we DO bitch and don't pay enough $$ to keep this system (and you) going smoothly, Max. Makes sense to me that sometimes Mudcats feels like another unreasonable, unappreciative demanding "client". When the technological system, responsible for enabling this community, breaks down, you fix it....sounds like lots of HARD WORK to me. I think we all have those times...when we lose sight of what we do and why...when we're so frustrated at EVERYTHING..and not having enough money or time to see our dreams through, or life itself throws a wrench in the works...and we feel like we have nothing left in us to give. Because of your efforts, we are able to come here, not only for the pure joy of the music, the depth of knowledge, the patience shown in teaching the music, and the giggles shared here, but also..I think, we come here...to this community that you've created....cause we've learned in our lives, that in our veins runs this unique music that bonds us together and creates lasting friendships, settles us down....lets us breathe and see with more focus...and somehow refills our soul cup. Sooooo, there's this thing here, Max, especially for you, when you're exhausted from fixing yet another "Problem of the Day" and wonder why you even bother....when you're too tired to go out and play. At the top of this page...it says "Radio". It's magical to some of us AND really easy to use, as you know. You just click on it and it gives you a BUNCH of choices. I hope you'll choose Mudcat Radio Episode# 40 sometimes for a refill.

Subject: RE: Shorty's Back
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 11 Dec 00 - 06:07 AM

Yes, it was me "doing" you. I'm glad you liked it! I must admit that I was not aware of the brooch meaning - thanks.

While I'm here, thanks Snuffy for restoring it.

Am Urgin'/Malcolm Douglas Fir Tree/Dave Ostracised/Neon Bonniephyte/Humerus Buttock/MuTed/ and ready to just be me again.

Jon

Subject: RE: Shorty's Back
From: GUEST,Fibula Mattock
Date: 11 Dec 00 - 05:57 AM

So who did me? Was it you Join the Freemen? I was going to appear as Fibbing Mollusc, but I like Humerus Buttock much better. (BTW - I chose Fibula as part of my name as it's a type of brooch, much resembling a safety pin and all the height of fashion in the Iron Age. But bones work fine...)
I thought the thread was brilliant. Nice one!

Subject: RE: Shorty's Back
From: The Sugar Dog (inactive)
Date: 11 Dec 00 - 01:03 AM

But what other thread was deleted and not even noticed? Not picking on you Max-- just amused that one actually seemed to get past people.

Subject: RE: Shorty's Back
From: katlaughing
Date: 10 Dec 00 - 02:57 PM

Thanks for not pulling the plug, Max.

Subject: RE: Shorty's Back
From: Jeri
Date: 10 Dec 00 - 02:54 PM

Max, we love you in spite of your imperfections...no, maybe more because of them.

People are irritated by the problems, but none more than you. I honestly wish I could do something that didn't involve money, 'cause I ain't got it, but money is the only thing you don't seem to have enough of.

We can deal wid dem butt-hole clients, Maxie boy. Just give us da addresses and we'll go 'negotiate' wid 'em!

Subject: RE: Shorty's Back
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 10 Dec 00 - 02:26 PM

Don't take it to heart Max - there has to be a boiling over point for everyone, and that title was asking for it. I opened it expecting whinges, and was agreeably surprised when it turned funny and got funnier.

"What I really wanted to do was shut down the whole site at the time, with a message saying it just wasn't worth it anymore." That's what I'm sure a lot of us are frightened might happen some time. And I wouldn't blame you, but I hope you'll hang on in there. And thanks for doing so.

Subject: RE: Shorty's Back
From: Snuffy
Date: 10 Dec 00 - 02:01 PM

If it's 'fessin' up time, I was SuperMario, Brew So, Maxwell House, Wild Rover, Snuffit Out, and *** #1 unPleasant***

Whoever started this deserves a Mudcat Medal. I haven't laughed so much for ages.

Wassail! V

Subject: RE: Shorty's Back
From: Bill D
Date: 10 Dec 00 - 01:49 PM

ahh!! now I remember, I was Alain of OZymandius, too!

*giggle*

Subject: RE: Shorty's Back
From: Max
Date: 10 Dec 00 - 01:46 PM

Oops. I made a mistake. I came into the office, frustrated that the servers where whacked yet again, rebooted them and saw that thread. I did get annoyed by the thread name, and just skimmed the thread. I guess I missed the point, and I deleted it and one other thread.

What I really wanted to do was shut down the whole site at the time, with a message saying it just wasn't worth it anymore. I thought I'd leave it down for a week and reevaluate the point. I'm having similar struggles with paying clients that are taking a lot of my time and frustrating the hell out of me. The Mudcat sounded like a client that bitches and doesn't pay last night. I snapped.

I do not make a habit of that, and this is no excuse, but I am getting very frustrated at a lot of things. Apparently we all do now and then, but the difference is that I have the power to censor. I must and will exercise more tolerance. I am sorry.

Subject: RE: Shorty's Back
From: Snuffy
Date: 10 Dec 00 - 01:40 PM

I managed to resurrect the first 50 postings on the unreliable thread and put them in this new thread Total BS: Self? Parody , with an unobjectionable title.

If we're right about the title being the reason for pulling the thread, then its clone may survive.

Wassail! V

Subject: RE: Shorty's Back
From: Bill D
Date: 10 Dec 00 - 01:03 PM

"O wad the gift the Guestie gie us, to show himself, as well as be us"

I was "gargoil"

Subject: RE: Shorty's Back
From: Snuffy
Date: 10 Dec 00 - 12:03 PM

She offered her honor
He honored her offer
And all night long
He was honor and offer

Wassail! V

Subject: RE: Shorty's Back
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 10 Dec 00 - 11:59 AM

Got one thing, we spell honour differently....

Jon

Subject: RE: Shorty's Back
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 10 Dec 00 - 11:58 AM

So come on Guest of Honour, who are you? I have confessed to my part in it.

Jon

Subject: RE: Shorty's Back
From: GUEST,Of Honor
Date: 10 Dec 00 - 11:51 AM

I was the person who started the thread and contributed the first dozen or so postings.

The initial post made the observation that Mudcat has been unreliable of late and asked why. There was no attack.

I then turned the thread into a good natured parody of Mudcat. Before long, a bunch of others jumped in and contributed postings that were in the same spirit. Some even picked up a couple of the characters that I created and carried on.

Everyone seemed to be having fun with the thread.

In my time at Mudcat I've seen vicious personal attacks go uncensored. This was nothing but good natured fun. That the powers that be at Mudcat have decided to censor the thread has left me very disappointed.

Subject: RE: Shorty's Back
From: The Sugar Dog (inactive)
Date: 10 Dec 00 - 11:49 AM

Perhaps a reassuring clue to the intent of the person who posted the thread (and presumably made most of the posts) is that she or he dropped the joke when the thread vanished. If it had been meant harmfully, no doubt the thread would have been restarted from that person's memory of the "jokes" he or she had made.... probably with some nasty escalation as well in reaction to having been thwarted.

Someone has a really good sense of humor, and it's too bad we don't know who did it. The PraiseTheLord one was especially hilarious-- it managed to capture Praise's habit of praying for the Mudcat, if you read it that way.

Subject: RE: Shorty's Back
From: Jeri
Date: 10 Dec 00 - 10:58 AM

Yeah, Jon. The logical answer I come up with is that someone came on their weekend off (supposedly) to re-boot Shorty, saw the thread title and maybe the first message and zapped it out of a stress-induced lack of tolerance.

One thing about that thread is it had the potential at several times to become nasty, and didn't.

While still feeling that deletion was NOT right, it's gone, and there's nothing anyone can do. The problems Mudcat experiences are due to the fact that Max works his ass off for this place, and puts more money into it than all of us combined, I believe, but he needs money he doesn't have to upgrade hardware and software, and to pay someone to work on it. It must be very frustrating to listen to people complain that your baby is sick and accuse you of negligence when you can't pay for the medicine.

Subject: RE: Shorty's Back
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 10 Dec 00 - 10:27 AM

Shambles the borders between a gentle tease or joke or and insult/attack are probably impossible to define but I do not believe this thread even came close to such borders and I for one joined in as I thought it was fun.

Jeri was certainly ammused at being Jeriatric, Amerign seemed happier when he got called Am Urgin', Ebbie liked being Ebbs_and_Flows and I think it was her who asked how to get to the membership page to drop her cookie, persumably to join in. CarolC did change her name to CarOilC to ask a question, etc. I think that most of us were just bored with nothing happening on MC and those that joined in were trying to have a little fun.

There was a lot of anger about people using other's names to impersonate others which was (correctly IMO) dealt with but there was no attempt at trying to steal anothers identity in this thread.

My own feeling is that it was censored because of the thread title which, on reflection, was tactless. I do not know who deleted the thread or why but I could easily imagine Max or an Elf, who are doinging thier best to keep this place alive, coming in to revive shorty, etc. and being extremely annoyed at a thread with no real content entitled "Mudcat is unreliable".

If that is the case, although I am not fond of thread censorship, I do apologise to Max and crew for helping to perpetuate a thread that could be seen as reflecting badly on Mudcat or Max and crew. I certainly do appreciate their efforts.

Jon

Subject: RE: Shorty's Back
From: Jeri
Date: 10 Dec 00 - 09:21 AM

Rick, FieldingofDreams, 'you' said something about the internet having been a better place before it went electric.

It was obviously an extrememly vicious personal attack.

Excuse me, I may have a twisted sense of humor (even if I'm not crazy about Andy Kaufman), but I was laughing out loud at some of the caricatures. I wish I'd had the faintest clue this one was gonna offend someone enough get deleted - I would have saved it.

Subject: RE: Shorty's Back
From: The Shambles
Date: 10 Dec 00 - 03:16 AM

I can see both sides of the issue.

I didn't contribute to the thread but did read it and smiled. I don't think that there was much for folk to be offended at.

However I think the issue is one of posters using other's names to flame and mock. In fairness, this did cause a lot of outrage and bad-feeling, when it was done in the past and when similar action has been taken (by the elves?), to deal with it, was generally appluded.

Dificult to please all of the folk, all of the time, though. But the intent and principle is sound, is it not?

Subject: RE: Shorty's Back
From: katlaughing
Date: 10 Dec 00 - 01:54 AM

Can't remember, I just skimmed. Lighthearted one-liners about the site ala each of our *voices*. Imitation is the sincerest form, eh? **BG**

Subject: RE: Shorty's Back
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 10 Dec 00 - 01:25 AM

Hot damn! Wha'd they say?

Rick

Subject: RE: Shorty's Back
From: katlaughing
Date: 10 Dec 00 - 01:14 AM

Rick FieldofDreams, it was not bad, at all, it was really quite fun. You made the list!!

Subject: RE: Shorty's Back
From: katlaughing
Date: 10 Dec 00 - 01:00 AM

"I lament," so he said
On a cold winter's night,
"I was not included
It's really a fright,

That my name it was safe
Missed out on the fun
So boring, predicatble
I fear I am done!"

Subject: RE: Shorty's Back
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 10 Dec 00 - 12:59 AM

Bugger, I miss everything! OK, who's the "moral authority" or was it a plot by Republican hanging dimplers? Whatever it was, was it REALLY that bad?

Rick

Subject: RE: Shorty's Back
From: Bill D
Date: 10 Dec 00 - 12:28 AM

"He was boring and predicatable
On a Mid-summer's day.
When the purists and curmudgeons
Were making their way
Right down to the ale house
Where the ballads are sung.
..But, what's this? A Celtic-Rock band!
Sure, they ought to be hung!"

Subject: RE: Shorty's Back
From: katlaughing
Date: 10 Dec 00 - 12:19 AM

Well, ole Bill dElight, maybe you're just not boring and predicatable enough like the rest of us!

Subject: RE: Shorty's Back
From: Bill D
Date: 10 Dec 00 - 12:15 AM

so...who DID re-boot shorty and/or delete the posts? Max? Joe? Pene? some elf with no sense of humor?

Enquiring minds want to know......

(no one made fun of ME, either...*sniff*)

Subject: RE: Shorty's Back
From: alison
Date: 09 Dec 00 - 11:26 PM

or "Big Muck" or "Catspew"..... *grin*

slainte

alison

Subject: RE: Shorty's Back
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 09 Dec 00 - 10:58 PM

Oh and of course someone suggested being Do-a-Dwitty or something like that.

Jon

Subject: RE: Shorty's Back
From: alison
Date: 09 Dec 00 - 10:52 PM

Damn... wish I'd seen it.....

I thought threads only got deleted if they were a direct attack on someone.... what happened to this one?

slainte

alison

Subject: RE: Shorty's Back
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 09 Dec 00 - 10:46 PM

Snuffy, I can only speak for my self but I felt quite dissapointed that I was not important enough to get parodied.

There have been nasty threads but I could only read that one as being gentle humour.

Jon

Subject: RE: Shorty's Back
From: CarolC
Date: 09 Dec 00 - 10:46 PM

Maybe it's not about people. Maybe it had the potential to hurt the Mudcat. If that's the case, I have no problem with it being removed.

Carol

Subject: RE: Shorty's Back
From: Jeri
Date: 09 Dec 00 - 10:38 PM

I think it was rather gentle fun-making, and I could see no attempt to actually attack anyone. I'm aware that some people have no sense of humor when it comes to themselves. It was nothing more than someone doing impressions of people. Silly? Yes. Hurtful? No way.

We have had far worse happen, and not get deleted. And who was it that wrote that magnificent parody of Catspaw's style? Wish I could find the thread.

Subject: RE: Shorty's Back
From: The Sugar Dog (inactive)
Date: 09 Dec 00 - 10:33 PM

"What's all this about disappearing heads? Don't you know that would kill people? This cannot be allowed in a society founded on the rule of law! We must fight the evil person who is doing this! Even if someone's head is somehow cut off, like in an accident, that does not mean the head should be allowed to disappear! Would you like it if it happened to your mother? No more disappearing heads! Preserve our heads! Fight for them with all you are! This is your duty in a free societ....

"What's that you say? Speak up.... I can hardly hear you... closer... Oh!!!! THREADS!! DISAPPEARING THREADS!!!

":*).... Never mind... ."

Subject: RE: Shorty's Back
From: Snuffy
Date: 09 Dec 00 - 10:33 PM

The thread (#28513) is still there, but all the postings have been removed, so it doesn't show up as live in the last 24hours

Subject: RE: Shorty's Back
From: Snuffy
Date: 09 Dec 00 - 10:26 PM

Do you think being parodied in the thread was an honour - or a gentle reminder about being boring and predictable?

And those who weren't mentioned obviously have a full and rounded personality that can't be summed up and thrown away in a couple of lines?

Wassail! V

Subject: RE: Shorty's Back
From: katlaughing
Date: 09 Dec 00 - 10:25 PM

Well it certainly made me live up to my name! It could be Jon Completely Feeless, or Jon NoDuesMan.:-)

Jeri, I share your disillusionment; I thought threads were sacrosanct, unless of a very vicious and personal nature OR unless the original poster asked for a deletion, and then, not always getting it.

So what's up, Max, Joe?

kat

Subject: RE: Shorty's Back
From: Jeri
Date: 09 Dec 00 - 10:20 PM

And I could have been Jon Fremen. (Of course, Jon, a Fremen is a sort of native guy in the book "Dune.") Or perhaps Jon Reasonablypricedman.

I'm still really upset about this, but you know, it's not really anger - just disillusionment and disappointment...a lot of both.

Subject: RE: Shorty's Back
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 09 Dec 00 - 10:08 PM

Looks like someone has deleted it and I was enjoying that thread too.

I am annoyed, I joined in late and tried to be Am Urgin', Malcolm Douglas Fir and Dave Ostracised - All people I have great respect for in MC BTW.

I had at least hoped to be Zebedee Do Dah, Humerus Buttock and Neon Bonniephyte before the thread ended.

Jon

Subject: RE: Shorty's Back
From: Jeri
Date: 09 Dec 00 - 10:07 PM

Somebody has a personal opinion about what is and isn't funny, a belief that they're more right than anyone else, and the power to disappear threads. Once ya start censoring things, it doesn't stop.

Right now, I'm just trying to figure out if I'm pissed off enough to become a permanent guest...

Subject: RE: Shorty's Back
From: GUEST
Date: 09 Dec 00 - 09:57 PM

Try pulling it up from your history page.

Subject: Shorty's Back
From: Snuffy
Date: 09 Dec 00 - 09:50 PM

But the "Mudcat is totally unreliable" thread has disappeared from all servers!

Did someone send the lawyers in?