BS: Mudcat Solipsism

Subject: RE: BS: Mudcat Solipsism
From: Little Hawk
Date: 24 Jul 02 - 10:15 AM

Whence came this word "whinge" that everybody is using these days? As in "whining and whinging"...

How do you pronounce it? Is it a real word? If not, who started it?

Is it possible anymore to just whine...or must one "whine and whinge" simultaneously? Is this anything like "yelling and screaming"? Does anyone out there just yell anymore? Or just scream? Or just whine?

- LH

Subject: RE: BS: Mudcat Solipsism
From: Snuffy
Date: 24 Jul 02 - 07:53 PM

Yes - at the moment you're just whingeing, not whining.:-)

Subject: RE: BS: Mudcat Solipsism
From: Bill D
Date: 24 Jul 02 - 08:05 PM

oh, Little Hawk! if you did a Google..(OR Google Groups) search, you'd see that this question has been asked over & over in cyber-land!...I fould learned dissertations on it in Usenet!

Evidently, it is common in some places and almost unknown in others.

Subject: RE: BS: Mudcat Solipsism
From: Little Hawk
Date: 24 Jul 02 - 08:12 PM

Oh. Okay, I'll do a google search on it right now...

- LH

Subject: RE: BS: Mudcat Solipsism
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 24 Jul 02 - 08:47 PM

It's portmanteau word I assume, made up of whine and cringe, rhyming with the latter If you whine about things you might be willing to actually do something to change. If its just whinging, you won't.

The phrase "whinging Pom" suggests that it might be Australian by origin. Though quite possibly it's another of things that went to Australia and got adopted, and came back to Europe with an Australian accent.

Subject: RE: BS: Mudcat Solipsism
From: Big John
Date: 24 Jul 02 - 08:56 PM

I just cannot understand the mentality of ADC when he suggests closing down Mudcat. Yes, sure there are lots of other sites there and I have used several of them but I always come back to Mudcat when I am looking for real information. When I string a few words together in a verse or two I know that I can post it on Mudcat and that someone will read it. No more to say except thanks to ALL of you who maintain the Mudcat site - please keep up the good work . P.S Can someone explain the words "Trolls" and "Flamers" to me?

Subject: RE: BS: Mudcat Solipsism
From: Little Hawk
Date: 25 Jul 02 - 07:56 PM

Big John - Are you serious? Well, in case you are:

troll - computerese for a person who deliberately "trolls" for responses on a forum, chat line, etc., as a fisherman trolls for fish. That is, he puts out some bait...like an irritating thread title or a comment guaranteed to piss off certain people...etc...

When those people predictably respond, he is gratified, and tosses them some more bait, keeping the process rolling along. The more distress he causes, the happier he feels.

You can also troll for humorous purposes. I regard this as okay, and I often do it myself.

Generally speaking, to troll with deliberate malicious intent is what people are referring to when they complain about trolls.

A "flamer" is someone who verbally attacks someone else on the Net or by email...in what could be termed a malicious or intemperate fashion.

Some flamers are very persistent.

My own feeling is that trolls and flamers are best dealt with by:

1. ignoring them

2. or refusing to get mad

3. and being humorous instead

4. and if they say something bad about you, agree enthusiastically, and say several even worse things about yourself. This is particularly disarming to the average flamer...he is not seeking agreement!

For instance, my response to ADC might be...

"Why, we shouldn't just stop at closing down Mudcat! We should close down any and ALL Internet sites that bother you or which you find less than perfect. If you could make up a complete list of them and forward it, this would help immensely. Get right on it!"

- LH

Subject: RE: BS: Mudcat Solipsism
From: Amos
Date: 25 Jul 02 - 08:35 PM

Blatherskites, the lot of 'em -- an n-exponential set of vectors multiplying a gigantic, useless compound hologram of ballooning blather. What a monument to the tragedy of crushed souls these slab-sided bilge-rat codwallopers are!

A

Subject: RE: BS: Mudcat Solipsism
From: Big John
Date: 25 Jul 02 - 09:52 PM

Thanks Little Hawk, I was serious, I see those "titles" used quite frequently and I guess it was time to ask for an explanation. I would call those guys Mudfarts, they get their kicks from crapping on other peoples' good work.

Subject: RE: BS: Mudcat Solipsism
From: Little Hawk
Date: 25 Jul 02 - 11:07 PM

Big John - Yeah, well, I was thoroughly puzzled about those same titles at first myself...being a total newcomer to Internet talk when I first logged onto Mudcat a mere 2 or 3 years ago...

Amos - Lovely use of words! Let me add that they are guttersnipes, cutpurses, and cadwalladers* of the lowest ilk, not fit wipe one's boots upon.

*For the derivation of this word, look to Walt Kelly's "Pogo". Albert Alligator was known to use it now and then to describe individuals of poor character and low morals.

- LH