BS: How do I thank a Joe Clone?

Subject: How do I thank a Joe Clone?
From: Zebedee
Date: 12 Jan 01 - 06:25 PM

Some of my job involves building web sites and teaching others the basics. As such my, all too often, badly written links are a bit of an embarrassment to me.

The joeclones fix them, and I'd like to say thanks to them, but don't want to clutter up the individual threads.

So I'm not sure how to say thank you to all the joeclones for your invisible but invaluable work, apart from here.

So thank you very much.

Ed

Subject: RE: BS: How do I thank a Joe Clone?
From: Burke
Date: 12 Jan 01 - 06:27 PM

When you make a mistake, go to the help link at the top of the page. Ask JoeClone to fix it. When he does, he'll tell you & you can thank him there.

Subject: RE: BS: How do I thank a Joe Clone?
From: Zebedee
Date: 12 Jan 01 - 06:30 PM

She/He often fixes without looking at the help page.

Anyway thanks to them all.

Ed

Subject: RE: BS: How do I thank a Joe Clone?
From: Jeri
Date: 12 Jan 01 - 06:52 PM

Ed, you're welcome. It was very nice of you to think of saying thanks.

I, and I assume others, read threads and fix things we notice. We might miss something, and if it looks like we did, the Help Forum is a good place to let us know.

Just about everyone at Mudcat wants to help in some way - finding songs or information on music, giving advice, sharing experiences, etc. A few of us can fix things. We all play a part here. Thank YOU, Ed, for all the help you've given people with music.

--JC, the JoeClone

Subject: RE: BS: How do I thank a Joe Clone?
From: Zebedee
Date: 12 Jan 01 - 07:05 PM

I hope the original Joe doesn't feel left out here. Many thanks to him too, and also to all the other people who do stuff for the DT. Too many to mention, and I probably don't even know half of them.

Ed

Subject: RE: BS: How do I thank a Joe Clone?
From: Morticia
Date: 12 Jan 01 - 08:22 PM

Take some credit yourself, Ed......few people work harder at finding links/lyrics/general stuff than you do.....even if the 'guests' don't.......we appreciate it.

Subject: RE: BS: How do I thank a Joe Clone?
From: Zebedee
Date: 12 Jan 01 - 08:39 PM

Thanks for that Morticia, it's nice to be appreciated.

This is why I started this thread. Anything I find or do has my name with it.

The joeclones just do it, without anyone ever noticing.

Ed

Subject: RE: BS: How do I thank a Joe Clone?
From: wysiwyg
Date: 12 Jan 01 - 09:07 PM

We notice.

I like it that when they make a change ion a thread, they almost always say so, in type we can easily see. They don't seem to sneak around. I wouldn't like it if they shifted reality without tipping us off. I like transparency.

But I also think people have a right to be anonymous. A Joe Clone is acting on behalf of all of Mudcat--and the service they perform is, I think, separate from their posting life. It's a boundary issue thing. Like the lady at the store who helps me... she is there to help, not tell me her life story. And if she is someone I happen to know, we don't tell personal biz when we meet at her workplace.

So I think saying thanks in the help dept. is best. Many of the clones seem to like to keep their identities as clones private, so knowing who did a fix is not so important. I did get some much needed help one time and did a thanks in the help section. The person who had done it said "you're welcome" in a PM, with their Mudcat name. And what I liked about that was that I knew that the person involved had a particular expertise, so when I was wondering about something that came up one time later, something that could have affected the whole forum, I was able to discuss it with him quietly without making a publicly-read help thread about it. (Don't ask.)

Thanks, from me, to all the clones, especially when I have not been able to build a clickie for one reason or another and someone has done so promptly even before I asked in the help section.

~S~

Subject: RE: BS: How do I thank a Joe Clone?
From: Burke
Date: 12 Jan 01 - 09:19 PM

I just realized I forgot to say thanks the last couple of times I asked for a fix. So thanks again here.

I can make the ckicky's but have a tendency to leave a " out at a critical point. Apparently they display fine for Explorer, but it makes a mess on Netscape. I've learned to check my post as soon as it's up & ask for help immediatly. Yeah, someone will catch it eventually, but better to get it done right away.

Subject: RE: BS: How do I thank a Joe Clone?
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 12 Jan 01 - 09:29 PM

Umm. Praise, I think if is something like fixing a link or deleting a duplicate post, we tend to try not to comment. The problem comes when a following post says "Made a mess of that" or whatever. A comment in the thread like "Link Fixed - JoeClone" then becomes necessary for everthing to make sense. In the help forum, we have to pass comment or one of us could waste a lot of time trying to find an error that has already been fixed.

As Jeri has said, it is a good idea to inform us in the help forum as we do miss things and it may take some time before any of us discover it.

Ed, well, I'm quite fond of Lagavulin, Jeri has been known to drink Talisker... Seriously, Morticia has got it right and really, the forum is made into what it is by everybody (Max's excellent work acknowledged of course).

Jon

Subject: RE: BS: How do I thank a Joe Clone?
From: Zebedee
Date: 12 Jan 01 - 09:41 PM

Of course you're right Jon.

I just wanted to say thanks, and highlight what you lot do

I'd sent you all miniatures of your favourite malts if I knew where you lived...

Ed

Subject: RE: BS: How do I thank a Joe Clone?
From: katlaughing
Date: 12 Jan 01 - 10:12 PM

Thanks, Ed. It is kind of fun to watch things in the threads and be able to fix them without a big deal. Reminds me of the Brownie story my mom used to read to me, where the Brownies came at night and tidied the house, etc.

Jon's got it right, we do have to comment now and then to keep the continuity from getting muddled, but it takes everyone doing their bit, JoeClone or not, for the Mudcat to be what it is. Thanks to you for all of your efforts, too; and, to everyone else, esp. our original, one and only Joe Offer/Clone.

kat

- el joeclone -

Jeri's just being a smarty-pants with her matching *initials*! **BG**

Subject: RE: BS: How do I thank a Joe Clone?
From: Jeri
Date: 12 Jan 01 - 10:40 PM

Smarty-pants? Moi? :-) Ed, if I'm ever in your area, we can buy each other a drink. You do a lot of volunteer work around here. There are people who do far more than I, who aren't JoeClones.

Joe Offer pretty much set the standard the rest of us follow, and we owe him much for that and for what he continues to do.

As to what Jon said about fixing things and having to leave an explaination because there's an "oops" message after it that wouldn't make any sense otherwise - I think Ed's got that figured out. Just ask for it to be fixed. I don't see a need to leave a "would you fix that please" message up after the fix has been done, if that's all it says. I can't see how it's wrong to delete it, but if anyone objects, let me know. I try to put things the way I think the originator wanted them, and it's important to me get it right.

Subject: RE: BS: How do I thank a Joe Clone?
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 12 Jan 01 - 11:43 PM

Yes, must not forget Joe Offer. I don't know about other clones but in addition to what Jeri said, I do consult Joe if I am doubt over anything.

Jon

Subject: RE: BS: How do I thank a Joe Clone?
From: wysiwyg
Date: 13 Jan 01 - 12:22 AM

Well, I was referring more to the little notes the clones leave when they actually alter something, and to the fact that when they do that, it's typeset so we see it is not just thread material. I think it's my years of copy-editing and of prooofreading in a type shop-- in that field, as you typeset and proof, if you MUST alter someone's work in any way, which you avoid like the plague, you MUST leave a brightly colored, un-missable margin note so the author sees and tacitly OK's your catch as they proof the typeset job against original copy.

~S~

Subject: RE: BS: How do I thank a Joe Clone?
From: Sourdough
Date: 13 Jan 01 - 05:39 PM

You know, I had no idea that I could ask a Joseph Clone to fix up an error I had inadvertenly created, usally twelve copies of a half finished post.

I thought it was like kat\laughng's Brownies, someone came along and ixed things up if they happened to discover it and had the time.

Now I know to ask for help.

And since the Brownies are not tied up doing thread repair, are they still available for light housework?

Sourdough

Subject: RE: BS: How do I thank a Joe Clone?
From: Catrin
Date: 13 Jan 01 - 05:46 PM

Well Ed - I agree with you about needing to thank JoeClones - to show we don't take them for granted!

You do your bit too though Ed - It's worth a lot that! Thank you!

Cheers,

Catrin

Subject: RE: BS: How do I thank a Joe Clone?
From: Joe Offer
Date: 14 Jan 01 - 02:25 AM

I guess it was my suggestion that the JoeClones™ remain anonymous. Praise gave several of the reasons in her message above, but one of the major reasons is that I thought it might be kind of fun to keep a pixie-like air of mystery about the identity of the JoeClones™. It didn't take people long to figure out that Jon and Jeri are two of them, because they are the technical behemoths who hang out at the Help Forum and handle the Big Problems. Still, they do the day-to-day editing stuff under the JoeClone™ identity. There are several others - if you don't know who they are, I ain't gonna tell ya!
The JoeClones™ do an extraordinary service for Mudcat. Heck, if it weren't for my charming personality, boyish good looks, and Solomon-like wisdom, they could replace me...
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: BS: How do I thank a Joe Clone?
From: Jeri
Date: 14 Jan 01 - 11:44 AM

I thought the anonymity was mostly a good thing because we were seen as helpers without personalities - we help anyone regardless of whether or not we agree with them. I wouldn't want someone to not ask for help if I've just called them a poopy-head in another thread. Ask - it ain't a power, it's a responsibility.

I get the feeling I may come off as pompous and opinionated sometimes. (Most times?) It's true I have an opinion on just about everything. What's also true is I value hearing others' opinions, and I can laugh at myself. I've suffered from lack of confidence most of my adult life. Believe it or not, I was kicked out of a high school philosophy course for never speaking. I'm more willing than ever to shoot my mouth off - proof is in the length of this post ;-) - but I also remember how it feels to be afraid to do so. Even in the most heated arguments, I'd like to remember that the person I'm addressing, anonymous or not, is a human being and deserves compassion. This is how I feel about fixing things, too. As a volunteer, I work for you all.

I always thought I'd stop being anonymous if I needed to in order to help someone, or if people thought anonymity was an issue. I believe it became an issue, although not a major one, so I "came out." Others have chosen not to, but that's their decision and I support it.

I'm not a technical behemoth (but thanks, Joe) - I just like to try to figure things out.