GUESTS ONLY

Subject: GUESTS ONLY
From: GUEST,in room 325 of the Motel Six
Date: 09 May 01 - 08:50 PM

This is a thread for guests only.

Guests only may this thread to say what they will without fear of being put down as a guest.

Mudcat members. Please have respect for this thread. I know some of you, like mousethief and Spaw, need to post in every thread, but this is a thread for guests. If you're a member and want to post here, please have the decency to first delete your cookie.

Subject: RE: GUESTS ONLY
From: GUEST
Date: 09 May 01 - 09:16 PM

Who wants to bet on how long it takes Mousethief or Spaw to show up here?

Subject: RE: GUESTS ONLY
From: GUEST
Date: 09 May 01 - 09:24 PM

Since we're all GUESTS here, you'll never know. It's like being in a dark, windowless room and when someone speaks, you can call out all you like, "John, is that you?" and "Mabel, that sounds like your voice!" but there is no answer.

Are we having fun yet?

Subject: RE: GUESTS ONLY
From: GUEST
Date: 09 May 01 - 09:33 PM

Wow! an Assholes only thread.

Subject: RE: GUESTS ONLY
From: GUEST
Date: 09 May 01 - 09:47 PM

Is that you, John?

Subject: RE: GUESTS ONLY
From: GUEST
Date: 09 May 01 - 09:49 PM

No, my name isn't John. Guess again, GUEST.

Subject: RE: GUESTS ONLY
From: GUEST,inner guest clique
Date: 09 May 01 - 09:56 PM

the sad thing is is that this thread is no stupider than all the bs threads on mudcat.

Subject: RE: GUESTS ONLY
From: GUEST
Date: 09 May 01 - 09:57 PM

INANITY KILLS

Subject: RE: GUESTS ONLY
From: GUEST
Date: 09 May 01 - 09:59 PM

at least i'm a decent mudcat member.

Subject: RE: GUESTS ONLY
From: GUEST,Me, of course....who else?
Date: 09 May 01 - 10:13 PM

Hey! So am I. The question is, who am I? It seems to be entirely dark in here...

Subject: RE: GUESTS ONLY
From: GUEST,The Walrus
Date: 09 May 01 - 10:25 PM

Goo goo ga joob

Subject: RE: GUESTS ONLY
From: GUEST,Edgar A.
Date: 09 May 01 - 10:38 PM

Why are all my relatives posting here?

Subject: RE: GUESTS ONLY
From: GUEST
Date: 09 May 01 - 10:38 PM

Guest Me, of Course, press your finger tips hard against your eye balls- this should produce light.

Subject: RE: GUESTS ONLY
From: GUEST
Date: 09 May 01 - 10:52 PM

Knock knock. Who's there, Guest. Guest who. No it's Randy Bachman. I guest that's a Canadian Guest. Guess who.

Subject: RE: GUESTS ONLY
From: GUEST,Bob Marley
Date: 09 May 01 - 10:57 PM

I confess. It was me, mon. I shot the sheriff.

BUT I DID NOT SHOOT THE DEPUTY!

Subject: RE: GUESTS ONLY
From: Sorcha
Date: 10 May 01 - 12:02 AM

No. no. I am Sorcha and I will not post as any other. If I can't/won't post as Sorcha, I will not post at all. As far as I am concerned, you can take this idea and shove it. Thank you, and good night.

Subject: RE: GUESTS ONLY
From: Rt Revd Sir jOhn from Hull
Date: 10 May 01 - 12:21 AM

you,re all mad

Subject: RE: GUESTS ONLY
From: GUEST,Ebbie
Date: 10 May 01 - 01:26 AM

OK- that's me at 9:24, 9:47, 9:49, 9:57, 9:59 and 10:38. Where is the fun in being anonymous? Honest interaction takes identity.

Subject: RE: GUESTS ONLY
From: GUEST
Date: 10 May 01 - 04:33 AM

I bet no-one guest who I was.....

Subject: RE: GUESTS ONLY
From: Banjer
Date: 10 May 01 - 04:48 AM

I feel as Sorcha does, if I feel I want to say something I will do so using my own name and identity. I don't say anything of which I am ashamed, nor have need to be. I have enough courage of my conviction that I need not hide behind the cloak of anonimity.

Subject: RE: GUESTS ONLY
From: Scabby Douglas
Date: 10 May 01 - 05:16 AM

I frequently post as a guest. Usually with this name, adding "(without a cookie)", or something similar.

I do this because the computer security regime at my work, regularly zaps cookies.

I have nothing to hide. I frequently reinstate my cookie, and post under my own Mudcat identity for a while, until the inevitable happens again.

I am bound to say that the amount of sheer vitriol that is poured out against those who choose (or have to) post as guests is bewildering. Lets's take a moment though to consider that almost no-one - very very few people - post under anything like their own real name anyway. There are exceptions - Rick Fielding - for example.

Many of us use soubriquets/nicknames that we thought were amusing at the time, or might be descriptive in some way. SO in some ways many of us are using our Mudcat names to hide behind, or at least to avid revealing more than we want to. That is all completely understandable and sensible.

However, I really dislike and resent the strong opinion that appears to prevail in some quarters that posting as a Guest is a perversion of some kind, and that someone posting as a Guest is "up to no good".

I'm aware of the fact that many people may see this post as provocative, and I do not intend it as such. Let's be clear, anyone who will delete a cookie just so they can post as a Guest and flame another 'Catter is just as capable of creating multiple Mudcat names, and switching between them so they can flame when they feel like it.

I'm sort of done. I know that my post won't change anything, but I've wanted to say some of this for a while.

I'm done moaning. I'll shut up now.

Cheers

SD

Subject: RE: GUESTS ONLY
From: GUEST,Dr. Nick in Springfield
Date: 10 May 01 - 06:33 AM

Members Sorcha, john in hull, Banjer, Scabby Doug,

In true Mudcat fashion, your senses of humor have been successfully removed.

Dr. Nick

Subject: RE: GUESTS ONLY
From: GUEST
Date: 10 May 01 - 08:46 AM

"Honest interaction takes identity."

Really, now. Every person has to have an "identity" before any "honest interaction" takes place? Have you never had an "honest interaction" with a nameless nobody on a plane, train, tram, trolley, bus, in the street, at the market...who you never saw again? Some of the most enlightening and revelatory conversations occur with complete strangers, because they are complete strangers. Psychologists have known this for a long time.

Subject: RE: GUESTS ONLY
From: Bill D
Date: 10 May 01 - 09:06 AM

some of you 'guests' simply refuse to see the point. That 'complete stranger' you met on the plane DID have an identity, if not a name. You could look them in the eye, and if two more strangers walked up and joined the conversation, you could reply to them as individuals. Even a blind person responds to different voices and keeps their interactions discrete.

But there is a very good reason for a legal principle of 'being confronted by your accuser'...if you were hauled into court and read pieces of paper supposedly from 5 different people accusing you of offenses, and the court refused to tell you who these accusers were, you would NOT like it.

Yeah, there are levels, and some of the 'guest' crap here is only silliness and joking, but for the serious stuff, or even semi-serious stuff, it simply is rude to hide behind a mask of **TOTAL** anonimity. Seems that some have less problems being rude than others.

The point has been made several times....if you can't be yourself for some good reason, be SOMEONE consistently for the duration of that discussion...dump your cookie and be Rumplestiltskin, but not just 'guest'

Subject: RE: GUESTS ONLY
From: GUEST,Cock Robin
Date: 10 May 01 - 09:40 AM

Why me?

Subject: RE: GUESTS ONLY
From: GUEST
Date: 10 May 01 - 10:07 AM

with a subject like this how can we expect erudition?
You want intellect then create/post threads with substance
this is for light relief and maybe those whose lights are still on but there's no-one at .........
Yours
a member being coy

Subject: RE: GUESTS ONLY
From: GUEST
Date: 10 May 01 - 10:07 AM

A date/time stamp gives each post an 'identity' (in the rare event the date/time stamp is the same...the content of the post will normally discriminate between the two).

Being accused of something by someone who goes by the (or any) moniker "Rumplestiltskin' doesn't make one feel any better.

There are millions of totally anonymous messages perpetrated on innocent victims every hour of every day. Hazarding a wild guess, only a small minority of those victims would choose 'rude' to describe a sign like "Eat at Joe's" or "The End Of The World Is Near."

Subject: RE: GUESTS ONLY
From: Bill D
Date: 10 May 01 - 10:14 AM

the comparison of a message posted to the Mudcat community to signs along the highway escapes me

Subject: RE: GUESTS ONLY
From: GUEST,Dr Filth
Date: 10 May 01 - 10:19 AM

It is Ideology . They want to tag you like an animal. Run, Guest, Run, The Catters are coming. They are the experts who decide right from wrong, by virtue of your facelessness you are an impurity. Break out the heart attack machine, the Catters are coming.

Subject: RE: GUESTS ONLY
From: GUEST
Date: 10 May 01 - 10:32 AM

Bill, GUEST was pointing out that advertising is much more rude and faceless than what "people who don't have a cookie" are posting here.

But advertising creates a face over time...

Maybe so many registered members hate guests because of bad experiences with one?

Maybe the members who post as a guest in order to flame, are creating a face for all guests...

The whole purpose of mudcat having guests is so that strangers can be made welcome by the fact that they don't have to register first, before they know what mudcat is about.

I have always found that a plus when I wanted friends of mine to comment on an issue here. I tell them that you don't have to register in order to post... then they come here. If I don't tell them that, they're like, "ANOTHER message board? Why bother?"

A short note to all members who posted in this thread while logged in - you missed the point.

A different guest

Subject: RE: GUESTS ONLY
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 10 May 01 - 11:29 AM

Guest, Scabby Doug. Hi Scabby. I joined Mudcat three days after getting a computer. I may know little about computers now, but THEN I was a positive troglodyte. I simply didn't think of using an alias. Bit of a bummer too. My one chance to change my rather dullish wasp name into something more exotic and I blew it.

Digitboy

ThumbpickDick

Obsessophile

Norbert J Stringplunker

Aww fuck it!

Rick

Subject: RE: GUESTS ONLY
From: MMario
Date: 10 May 01 - 11:43 AM

" to all members who posted in this thread while logged in - you missed the point."

and

"without fear of being put down as a guest."

Most of the members and posters on this forum have no problem whatso-ever with guests. Speaking for myself - what I have problems with is the people who post trying to stir things up; or hurt; or denigrate while using the "cover" of guest. many people are "guests" here who are also regular posters. Many people pop by for a quick question - you don't expect them to sign up unless they hang around. And no one has to sign up, though there are benefits.

Subject: RE: GUESTS ONLY
From: GUEST,joe
Date: 10 May 01 - 08:01 PM

i'm getting this mental image of Chevy Chase, possessed, wild eyed, snorting coke or whatever it was, exclaiming, "AaaaahhhIIiii.. like it!"

i d'n know why.

Subject: RE: GUESTS ONLY
From: GUEST,Bored
Date: 10 May 01 - 10:28 PM

Oh, bloody hell.
This is absolutely ridiculous. Not this thread in particular; all of the guest/member/clique/what clique?/BS/No BS stuff is complete foolishness. We all obviously like this place enough to come back.

Subject: RE: GUESTS ONLY
From: GUEST
Date: 11 May 01 - 01:38 AM

But,

where am I?

Now?

When I need me.

Subject: RE: GUESTS ONLY
From: marty D
Date: 11 May 01 - 01:43 AM

Darn. I was a guest for a year, and there never was a special thread. Now it's too late! Didn't mean to crash the party, better get my assets out of this one.

marty

Subject: RE: GUESTS ONLY
From: GUEST,yum yum
Date: 11 May 01 - 04:59 AM

I think it's me, I CANT BE SURE, IT'S DARK IN HERE! i HAVE A CANDLE BUT NO MATCHES, WAIT! MAYBE IF I THROW IT IN THE AIR, IT WILL 'light' ON THE FLOOR. mad little thread this!! but nice.

Subject: RE: GUESTS ONLY
From: GUEST,guest A
Date: 11 May 01 - 07:03 AM

here's a response that makes no attempt to be humorous,( I am a good audience for same,but not a source of such) but to sincerely thank the mudcatters postings for its humor, lyrics, and resource of a topic dear to me; trad folk music (and often general silliness). I have usually felt alone in my passion for such music, living in the hinterlands as I do. I find it a place I can drop in to remind me that I not a dork, and that there are kindred souls out there around the globe. I keep promising myself I will join as soon as I quit my FT job and have time to share my thoughts and the lyrics gathered over years of collecting. In the meantime, thanks.

Subject: RE: GUESTS ONLY
From: GUEST,Scabby Doug (yes, it ate my cookie again..)
Date: 11 May 01 - 07:36 AM

Guest A's post is very welcome and worthwhile...

I drop by several times a day (while at work), just to see what's being said, and asked for... to see if I can learn something, or help someone else, or whatever.

I like the Mudcat.

I like Mudcatters.

It's a great place.

In a Web full of timewasting self-serving crap, it shines like a diamond in a mudpuddle.

There...

SD