BS: Obit: the TECH prefix

Subject: Obit: the TECH prefix
From: Ed.
Date: 04 Oct 02 - 02:14 PM

There was a time where the TECH prefix referred to computer problems.

There were lots of interesting threads.

Now that TECH has become an 'official' prefix we get TECH threads on all sorts of crap; 'TECH: I've lost my pencil' etc.

A shame.

Ed

Subject: RE: Obit: the TECH prefix
From: wysiwyg
Date: 04 Oct 02 - 02:26 PM

I think you can leave that to the Mudcat site volunteers to sort out, Ed. If they feel retitling is in order, it will be done.

~Susan

Subject: RE: Obit: the TECH prefix
From: Ed.
Date: 04 Oct 02 - 02:49 PM

And mudcat volunteers are always right?

I'll shut up and go and listen to some Arthur Lee records...

Subject: RE: Obit: the TECH prefix
From: Joe Offer
Date: 04 Oct 02 - 02:52 PM

Gees, Ed. Now you killed the OBIT prefix.
It IS a problem, though. People understand our prefixes in different ways, or they go to extremes and start an ADD thread to answer a REQ thread, and one each for tunes, chords, and lyrics.
Nobody ever understood the HELP prefix - I didn't, either.
But for TECH, do we mean computers, Mudcat problems, or music tech stuff?
We'll sort it out.
Not to worry. Actually, what we have now under that prefix is quite an interesting collection.
-Joe Offer-

---

Search for "TECH:" threads

Subject: RE: BS: Obit: the TECH prefix
From: Bee-dubya-ell
Date: 04 Oct 02 - 03:25 PM

It is unfortunate that the word "technology" has, for many people, come to mean exclusively computer technology. Maybe we need a separate prefix called "GEEK" just for computer problems (he says with tongue placed firmly in cheek) and one called "VOODOO" just for people who need a source for schematics to help them rewire their Stratocasters.   

Subject: RE: BS: Obit: the TECH prefix
From: Ed.
Date: 04 Oct 02 - 03:35 PM

I agree with you Bee-etc regarding the usage of 'technology' as a word that only describes digital technology.

However, for better or worse, 'TECH' had become the prefix for computer problems/questions.

Since the upgrade, it's been added as a default prefix and posts such as:

Tech: Kazoo repair
Tech: mandolin fingering problem
Tech: Pudder can't get in new Catbox?

suggest that it's being misused. That's all

Ed

Subject: RE: BS: Obit: the TECH prefix
From: MMario
Date: 04 Oct 02 - 03:36 PM

technically all three of those are technical questions - and the last is computer related.

Subject: RE: BS: Obit: the TECH prefix
From: Ed.
Date: 04 Oct 02 - 03:59 PM

Jesus, this is a hard place to make a suggestion!

Lets forget the definition of 'technology' and pretend (for a moment) that it might be useful to have a prefix for computer problems (lots of people have them)

We used to call it 'TECH', but apparently that's unacceptable. 'COMP' would suit me.

'FRED' would suit me if it avoided all the crap

Ed

Subject: RE: BS: Obit: the TECH prefix
From: GUEST,Ernest C.
Date: 04 Oct 02 - 04:21 PM

But Joe pointed out your misuse of the prefix OBIT.   What's the difference?

Subject: RE: BS: Obit: the TECH prefix
From: Joe Offer
Date: 04 Oct 02 - 04:37 PM

Well, Ed, you can suggest all you want. But fussy old Joe Offer insists that we use only readily-understandable abbreviations on the operational side of Mudcat. That's why BS is just that, instead of NM (non-music), or something like that. COMP can mean too many things.
TECH seems to garner mostly computer-related things, which is the general idea.

Fussy old Joe also insists that we resist the temptation to categorize the Cat with too much specificity, because then things tend to drown in a mire of categories.

The instrument-related tech things will be moved, sooner or later.
The tech and obit and whatnot threads that are really BS, will eventually get a BS tag.

I've been doing someting that will really irritate some people around here. I'm grouping songs that probably don't belong together, like the various Suppertime songs.

-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: BS: Obit: the TECH prefix
From: MMario
Date: 04 Oct 02 - 04:42 PM

My G*d Joe! Do you realize that could lead to people reading multiple threads relating to a topic of interest to them? How could you do this?

Subject: RE: BS: Obit: the TECH prefix
From: wysiwyg
Date: 04 Oct 02 - 04:56 PM

Jesus, this is a hard place to make a suggestion!

Ed, what actually works in idea-implementing around here is that someone has and tries out the idea, and then when it's clear how the idea is functioning, it's either adopted or it's not. Many, many excellent ideas have simply not caught on, or have caught on in ways very different than had first been anticipated. It's just the nature of Mudcat to operate like that.

What has never seemed to work is, "Hey, let's all do THIS, or THAT, OK gang?"

That would only work if:
A. People had to be members to post, AND
B. The membership ranks were a fixed pool, AND
C. Every member read every post containing every proposal, AND
D. Every member agreed to abide by proposals as written.

Or if
E. Every post were scrutinized by the authorities, and ideas imposed by use of the edit function or by a moderator previewing every post before allowing it to be visible.

None of these describe Mudcat.

It doesn't mean the idea was a bad one, or that suggesting it was unwelcome. It's just that people here are pretty rigid about doing their own highly-individual thinking.

In the present instance, TECH seems to strike some folks as a useful way of indicating that they want to talk about the nuts and bolts of their gear-- the tech side of the gear as opposed to the music side of it. I suppose it's a good thing people didn't take it as an abbreviation for TECHNIQUE, or we'd have all kinda playing tips being solicited and swapped under that prefix.

OBIT is a real good example (see how you used it). A number of us tinkered around on what would work, when a batch of death notices began to become a regular thing in the threads. People who were around the forum at the time discussed it back and forth and gave reasons for using one prefix or another. Generally, though, what was important was that people seemed to like having the notices, and having them easily findable by the filter. OBIT was duly adopted, and is often used in the spirit in which it was created. Since then it's also become a way of protesting the outcome of the PEL in operation, and further, since that became normal, it's become a way of protesting anything people want to protest. Not so long ago it was used to herald the demise of an entire country. Ah, well that's the 'Cat. One can get one's knickers in a twist over these little bumps in the road, or one can instead choose to just smile as one would at a wayward, much-loved child, and think to oneself, "Gotta love it."

~Susan

Subject: RE: BS: Obit: the TECH prefix
From: Joe Offer
Date: 04 Oct 02 - 05:01 PM

OK, Ed - from now on, all suggestions must be submitted through Wizzy.
[grin]
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: BS: Obit: the TECH prefix
From: wysiwyg
Date: 04 Oct 02 - 05:04 PM

... who will refer them to SharonA or to Joe (whichever one of them grabs it first) on her way to the pool, where she is spending more energy each day than at the Mudcat.

~Susan

Subject: RE: BS: Obit: the TECH prefix
From: Ed.
Date: 04 Oct 02 - 05:08 PM

Thanks , Joe

Your wisdom helps to stop me getting really cross with certain users.

You are, as usual, right

Ed

Subject: RE: BS: Obit: the TECH prefix
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 04 Oct 02 - 06:16 PM

I thought TECH was for anything technical where someone out there might be able to help. Pre-amps, and microwaves, and toasters...

I don't quite understand why some threads about songs have all those pretty links at the top and others don't. But I'll work it out in time.

Putting BS on the BS threads that don't have it already makes sense, so the people who don't like them can avoid them and stop griping about them. Mind, they'll miss some good stuff, including musical stuff, thanks to the wonder of thread drift.

---

Hi, Kevin - the links are a "grouping" system that Pene Azul worked out. He and I have been grouping songs as we see them, to make it easier for people to find interrelated threads.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: BS: Obit: the TECH prefix
From: Sorcha
Date: 04 Oct 02 - 06:25 PM

You know, you don't even have to choose from the Offical Category List--you can just type in whatever the hell you want in the Title box.............

Subject: And how many people know you can do this..or care?
From: Mark Cohen
Date: 04 Oct 02 - 11:21 PM

Sorcha, why do you always have to be so darned reasonable?

Aloha,
Mark

Subject: RE: BS: Obit: the TECH prefix
From: Sorcha
Date: 04 Oct 02 - 11:46 PM

Sorry, Dr. Mark. (grin)

CREEP ALERT!!!

I wish somebody would come up with some "reasonable" explantion of my 17 yr. old daughter's health problems. Got the tonsil thing done, and Gen. Well Being is much better--now it is 3 abnormal PAPs in a row......Level One or some such. Doing a biopsy Wednesday..........

Subject: RE: BS: Obit: the TECH prefix
From: Mudlark
Date: 05 Oct 02 - 03:49 AM

Continued creep....Sorcha...hope it's nothing serious with your daughter and that the biopsy comes up clean.