People who Didn't post to DON'T POST....

Subject: RE: People who Didn't post to DON'T POST....
From: CarolC
Date: 20 Sep 00 - 08:33 AM

Guest,

I think that some of the people who post anonymously have good things to say. I hope you can understand, however, that when there are a number of posts by unidentified guests that are toxic or emotionally violent in nature, people's nerves get pretty rough around the edges. That's when all anonymous guests are viewed with the same suspicion.

It's hard to know for sure where people are coming from when we don't know anything about them. Those who identify themselves in some way establish relationships and patterns of behavior that we can identify as being from them.

When you post anonymously, even if you say something worthwhile, you put yourself into the same category as the destructive ones by simple name recognition, and the lack of any other identifying characteristics.

Best wishes,

Carol

Subject: RE: People who Didn't post to DON'T POST....
From: GUEST
Date: 20 Sep 00 - 11:56 AM

CarolC...

Thank you for your comments. I have no problem with all anonymous guests being viewed with suspicion. And I see the rationale behind a person's reluctance to respond to a guest because another guest can step in and post a nasty message subsequent to a neutral one, causing confusion.

The sweeping generalization is hard to understand, however, especially in light of the fact that the only thing to be dealt with is the message. One message from an anonymous poster is inflammatory; therefore, regardless of the tone of the message, all messages from anonymous posters must be inflammatory and undeserving of a response. One guest behaves badly, therefore all guests are condemnable. This "you're either on the bus or off the bus" attitude must evidently be readily observable by others, as evidenced by Rich's post above, and is just as insubstantial as the lobby against the 'BS' threads.

If all anonymous posts must be so unfairly judged, then so be it. This guest will oppose the herd mentality and take its chances with those like yourself who're capable of separating the wheat from the chaff. And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music. -- Friedrich Nietzsche.

Best wishes to you also, CarolC.

Subject: RE: People who Didn't post to DON'T POST....
From: Bill D
Date: 20 Sep 00 - 12:44 PM

anonymous is one thing, undifferentiated is quite another...if you have some reason to not be identifed as 'you'...at least choose a handle to differentiate you from other 'guests'....I'm sorry, but saying " the only thing to be dealt with is the message" just doesn't cut it...it is sort of true that a message should stand on it's own, but being criticized, hassled, teased...or even agreed with, by nameless, faceless wraiths is NOT something that most people care to deal with...
....and I strongly suspect that BEING anonymous colors what a person says and ultimately affects their own attitude and personality. (we have already had one 'confession' to that effect...)

In this forum, as things now are set up, no one can demand you have an identity, but you may get more satisfaction if you DO have one...even if it is spurious.

To those who DO often resort to being 'guest'...do you ever wonder at all how some of us can LIVE with people knowing what we think? ...(visualize little face with raised eyebrows and quizzical expression here)

(somehow, I doubt I 'changed any minds'....but, I said my piece)

Subject: RE: People who Didn't post to DON'T POST....
From: Jim Krause
Date: 20 Sep 00 - 01:20 PM

I didn't post either, 'cause I always do what I'm told to, like beware of dog, keep off the grass, fresh wax, fresh paint. don't feed the ducks/geese/pigeons/monkeys, etc etc.

Subject: RE: People who Didn't post to DON'T POST....
From: BDtheQB
Date: 20 Sep 00 - 01:47 PM

I have been stealth reading this thread for some time and have wondered by no one has said..

Bill...no posts.. (or) I am not a poster but a Billbored with it all (or) I am a bored poster posting posthaste with hastypudding poster boy for not posting posthumourously. (or) Posting on the posterior of the don't post here post pones the posting of the post like structure on top of which is a mailbox and the mailbox is where you will find post cards and cards will again be posted from parts unknown as the vacationers send post cards to the mailbox on the post ..etc...

Subject: RE: People who Didn't post to DON'T POST....
From: Jim Krause
Date: 20 Sep 00 - 03:05 PM

Poast Toasties here where you can toast toadies with beer. And toads are just another frog, except when it involves the ffrog of the bow. But I bow to superior intellects than mine, and this is where I make my bows.

Subject: RE: People who Didn't post to DON'T POST....
From: Little Hawk
Date: 20 Sep 00 - 04:00 PM

Posting posthumously? Hmmm...there's an interesting notion. I wonder if we could get H.P. Lovecraft to log on?

Subject: RE: People who Didn't post to DON'T POST....
From: CarolC
Date: 20 Sep 00 - 06:34 PM

One more for Guest,

Guest, have you ever considered the possibility that you are denying the rest of us something that could be very precious to us? That would be the opportunity to get to know you as a human being rather that just words on a screen.

I now recognise you as a Guest that I have encountered before, and as someone who's posts I usually quite enjoy. I think I would like to have an oportunity to get to know you as a person, but it's hard to do that when you are hiding.

Carol

Subject: RE: People who Didn't post to DON'T POST....
From: Rich(bodhránai gan ciall)
Date: 21 Sep 00 - 12:23 AM

Alright Guest. I wanna be very careful not to seem to lash out because 24 hours ago my handle said that too, albeit with a handle attached. I've gotten a lot of good feedback even without "being on the bus". Only once or twice have I really been made to feel like my 2 cents was worth less than somebody else's because of that prefix. The bulk of people here treated me like I was "on the bus" regardless. I've had running jokes with people. I've gotten to know people here and I have friends here whose input has been invaluble to me. My post was a joke, and especially with all the genuine prejudice floating around some of these threads as of late, I really don't want to add to it with an imagined slight.

And by the way, thanks Carol.

Slán agat,
Rich

Subject: RE: People who Didn't post to DON'T POST....
From: GUEST
Date: 21 Sep 00 - 10:38 AM

that was posting POSTHUMOUROUSLY.. and done with great thought since Mr. Lovecraft was unable to post because he is. dead as a post..

Subject: RE: People who Didn't post to DON'T POST....
From: CarolC
Date: 21 Sep 00 - 08:51 PM

See? That's good stuff!