BS: Ignore BS at your peril!

Subject: Ignore BS at your peril!
From: Dani
Date: 18 Dec 00 - 10:44 AM

Well, I was just trying to get y'all's attention.

Please, if you're starting a BS thread, use the BS prefix. It's a wonderful tool that helps us all to find what we're looking for, and to get along in this crowded room!

Thanks,

Dani

Subject: RE: BS: Ignore BS at your peril!
From: GUEST
Date: 18 Dec 00 - 11:47 AM

I notice you didn't.

Subject: RE: BS: Ignore BS at your peril!
From: DougR
Date: 18 Dec 00 - 11:50 AM

Oops, Dani, Guest gotcha!

:>) DougR

Subject: RE: BS: Ignore BS at your peril!
From: DougR
Date: 18 Dec 00 - 11:51 AM

Oops, Guest got me! I see that you did use B.S. Sorry, Dani. Guest must need glasses!

DougR

Subject: RE: BS: Ignore BS at your peril!
From: mousethief
Date: 18 Dec 00 - 11:52 AM

Huh? Dani used "BS." Guest is all washed up, and DougR with it.

Subject: RE: BS: Ignore BS at your peril!
From: Bill D
Date: 18 Dec 00 - 12:17 PM

as my daddy usta say, "blind in one eye, and can't see outta the other one"

Penalties!! we need penalties!! Ignore BS and a pound will be mailed to you...or bad puns posted to your thread...(oh..never mind, that's already the norm)

Subject: RE: BS: Ignore BS at your peril!
From: Burke
Date: 18 Dec 00 - 12:22 PM

The thread header has the BS, but the subject on Dani's post does not. How is that possible? Did a Joeclone fix the thread?

Subject: THIS IS NOT ROCKET SCIENCE, BROTHERS!
From: mousethief
Date: 18 Dec 00 - 12:25 PM

See the box down at the bottom of the screen that says Subject: in front of it? You may edit in that box to your heart's delight.

Subject: RE: BS: Ignore BS at your peril!
From: GUEST,marshman
Date: 18 Dec 00 - 12:49 PM

For us unitiated and unwashed maybe you could explain what the rules for BS are. (does it mean what it usually means?)

Subject: RE: BS: Ignore BS at your peril!
From: DougR
Date: 18 Dec 00 - 12:56 PM

Thanks, Alex, but you didn't read my second posting!

DougR

Subject: RE: BS: Ignore BS at your peril!
From: mousethief
Date: 18 Dec 00 - 01:33 PM

Doug, we musta crossed in the mail, so to speak. When I wrote my post, your post had not yet shown up!

Subject: RE: BS: Ignore BS at your peril!
From: mousethief
Date: 18 Dec 00 - 01:34 PM

BS usually means "not about music or specific songs" -- in other words, about your personal life, your political or religious opinions, world events, etc. We should come up with some Latin phrase with the initials "BS" that stands for "not music" -- any latin scholars on board? Joe Offer?

Alex

Subject: RE: BS: Ignore BS at your peril!
From: MMario
Date: 18 Dec 00 - 01:39 PM

It stands for Better Sorting: as the primary reason to use it is to distinguish "not originally about music" threads

Subject: RE: BS: Ignore BS at your peril!
From: Gary T
Date: 18 Dec 00 - 01:49 PM

marshman, yes it does, in the general sense of shooting the breeze--not necessarily that it's worthless or untrue. It's hoped that the "BS" prefix will be used on the titles of threads that are not specifically about music. If you click on "Create a New Thread" at the top left, you can look at a suggested prefix box that also has some of the other selections, such as "Lyrics Request," "Chords Request," etc. Consistent use of these prefixes is very helpful to those who, for example, care only to read music-related threads, and not the many others about politics, food, traveling, or what-have-you. More good basic info about the Mudcat and getting the most out of it is in the permanently topmost thread titled "Mudcat FAQ - Newcomer's Guide."

Subject: RE: BS: Ignore BS at your peril!
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 18 Dec 00 - 06:41 PM

Interesting question Burke, Hear is my guess as to what happens, other threads seem to bear this out.

The thread prefix is added to the thread title to make the name of the thread. There are 2 ways that a post can be made to a thread: either as the first post in the thread where it appears that the subject prefix (if any) is not added or as a follow up post where it appears that the thread title, which has used the prefix is used.

Speaking as a JoeClone, the indiviual subject headings can be edited but it is unlikely that they would be as it the text of the message that usually causes problems and these are separate fields.

Although a JoeClone could alter a subject heading, the task is fixing broken threads - i.e HTML errors and/or marking lyrics as being harvested.

Jon

Subject: RE: BS: Ignore BS at your peril!
From: Mrs.Duck
Date: 18 Dec 00 - 06:50 PM

Oooh Jon! I love it when you talk technical.
BS

Subject: See, I changed it to this.
From: Gary T
Date: 18 Dec 00 - 07:06 PM

If you look at the subject line in this particular post, you'll see what mousethief was talking about, and I believe what Burke was asking about. You can do it to, before you hit submit.

Subject: I get it, but it's not what you said.
From: Burke
Date: 18 Dec 00 - 07:17 PM

I get it now, I've never started a new thread & Guest just pointed to a phenomenon I've never noticed.

When we start a thread there are 2 boxes, one for the prefix, the second for the actual subject. Then you get the composition box & the subject box does not have the BS, just the bare subject. A look at another BS thread confirms that the 1st post does not have the BS as the subject. Later posts do, unless changed.

Subject: RE: BS: Ignore BS at your peril!
From: Gary T
Date: 18 Dec 00 - 07:24 PM

Well, shoot, Burke, I never had noticed that either. After reading your last post here, I checked a few threads, and it seems that the first post subject line does indeed omit whatever prefix is used (not just the BS prefixes). Learn something every day!

Subject: RE: BS: Ignore BS at your peril!
From: John in Brisbane
Date: 18 Dec 00 - 07:27 PM

If there are times when you don't wish to view any of the BS: threads simply use this URL (which I have saved as a Favourie) http://www.mudcat.org/threadsnot.cfm?Title=BS:

Regards, John

Subject: RE: BS: Ignore BS at your peril!
From: Burke
Date: 18 Dec 00 - 07:37 PM

Gary, I also checked the prefixed threads after my message & saw the same.

Just wondering. All those who told Guest he/she was wrong & gave me helpful responses but did not answer my question: Did any of you look at what we were refering to before answering?

And why oh why, do I waste my time trying to figure out stupid things like this?

Subject: RE: BS: Ignore BS at your peril!
From: Joe Offer
Date: 18 Dec 00 - 07:41 PM

Ah, Burke figured it out. The message heading of the first post does not have the prefix - only the subsequent posts do. There is a reason for this - I just don't happen to know what it is.... The reason exists deep in the unfathomable Mind of Max.

As for the meaning of the term "BS," it stands for "Bullshit." HOWEVER, this is not the scatological reference that you are all thinking of. In postarchaic English, it is the noun form of the verb "shoot," as used in "shoot the bull." Now, what this has to do with bullet-ridden bulls, I don't know, but I wish you people would get your mind of the gutter and would stop thinking of this as a crude scatological reference.
Pity the poor bull.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: BS: Ignore BS at your peril!
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 18 Dec 00 - 11:12 PM

So do I like talking tech Mrs Duck and it seems like I was proved correct (at least in what I suggested happenened).

I would love to know why you followed your post with BS - Please explain I would love to get this one into the open.

Jon

Subject: RE: BS: Ignore BS at your peril!
From: Troll
Date: 18 Dec 00 - 11:28 PM

Mrs.Duck likes techies! Mrs.Duck likes techies! Nanner nanner boo boo!

troll LOL

Subject: RE: BS: Ignore BS at your peril!
From: Allan C.
Date: 18 Dec 00 - 11:48 PM

Thank you, Joe! I'm afraid that was precisely where my thinking stopped. And because I don't normally post anything that I think is not important, albeit sometimes not musical, I had refrained from using the BS prefix. Now that I "gots my mind right" about the definition, I'll try to remember to do the right thing.

Subject: RE: BS: Ignore BS at your peril!
From: GUEST
Date: 19 Dec 00 - 12:01 PM

Sorry, Dani, I was reading from your subject line, which did not have the "BS" designation. I stand corrected. (Thanks for your support, Doug!). BTW, it *is* kind of nice, for a change, to post namelessly. Freeing.

Subject: RE: BS: Ignore BS at your peril!
From: MMario
Date: 19 Dec 00 - 12:06 PM

Jon - obviously Mrs. Duck's "BS" stood for "BIG SNOG!!!!" as a closing to her note to you.

Subject: RE: BS: Ignore BS at your peril!
From: Burke
Date: 19 Dec 00 - 12:50 PM

Joe's remark on shooting the bull remined me of the other possible meaning of BS: bull session: an informal discursive group discussion (Webster) an informal conversation or discussion, esp. of a group of males. (OED)

Subject: RE: BS: Ignore BS at your peril!
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 19 Dec 00 - 03:16 PM

Well Joe, I'd love to know the reason. I had guessed that was an ommission in the create new thread form i.e. something along the lines of:

SubjectHeading = Prefix + SubjectHeading

The later posts are more interesting as "RE:" are added to them. This works fine in this forum where I would guess the logic used is:

SubjectHeading = "RE:" + ThreadName

but in the Personal Pages, we have a situation which would appear to be:

SubjectHeading = "RE:" + "HeadingOfMessageRepliedTo

After a few exchages in a conversation, this gives "RE: RE: RE: RE: Subject"....

Anyway, just minor details in a forum that I beleve is excellent in design.

MMario, is this technical enough to get another Big Snog from Mrs Duck? I love being snogged.

Jon

Subject: RE: BS: Ignore BS at your peril!
From: Bert
Date: 19 Dec 00 - 03:23 PM

Am I the only guy who is seriously considering posting some BS without the prefix just to see what Dani is going to do to me??? Could be VERY interrrrressssting;-)

Subject: RE: BS: Ignore BS at your peril!
From: Bill D
Date: 19 Dec 00 - 07:04 PM

Bert...I'll bet it could lead to a snogless Christmas!....

Subject: RE: BS: Ignore BS at your peril!
From: Steve Parkes
Date: 20 Dec 00 - 11:21 AM

Joe (and everyone else!), I always thought "BS" stood for the Latin "Bonum Scriptum", or as we say in English, a bon mot.

Steve

Subject: RE: BS: Ignore BS at your peril!
From: Joe Offer
Date: 21 Dec 00 - 02:44 AM

Steve: BS.
(but it was a valiant effort) [grin]
-Joe Offer-