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#9686 11/02/00 05:28 PM
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long philosophical discourses

Yes, definitely gets my vote. These are fascinating areas of discussion - but at the end of the day it's about differenciation, so enabling navigation. There has surely to remain a recognition that, work or play, this is a language forum?

And perhaps also we could consider posting the "Good, one, Bert" messages as Private - don't you just hate finding that as the endpiece of a thread that has taken two minutes to display itself?!?

However, I really want to underline this: I did not, and do not now, intend any of this as a personal criticism of any individual contributing to this wonderful forum. As I kind of implied, it is only because I too have gone thro' those experiences of trying to talk to all of you at once in the initial magic of discovery, and only because I care about the forum continuing to give some pleasures to all, that I have posted these ramblings.


#9687 11/02/00 09:46 PM
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I've restrained from commenting any on this for a while, but I don't really think frivolous conversation causes much harm in the time it takes to read everything on the board. Most of the conversational postings are but a line or two long and take no more than a couple of seconds to read before moving on to the next post. Though I don't want to shun the meat of the board's purpose, the most time consuming part is the very long, but interesting, essays on a subject. Last week I was away from the computer for about five days and on Saturday I found about 200 messages per category. The hardest thread to get through was 'Mogambo' because every single post was of considerable length and it took me quite a while to digest everything.

Don't take this negatively, but perhaps we could speak our minds more concisely. Part of the art of language is being able to express oneself in as few words as possible and I think, with so much being said, this is an art that we may need to accept. I don't want to hinder anyone's creativity, but I also don't want to lose some of our valued members.


#9688 11/02/00 09:49 PM
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yes, but it could be that mere numbers discourage some.


#9689 11/02/00 09:59 PM
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Well, I think I’m going to take a little break here folks. What made this board unique is that everyone had a voice and even with the variety of people involved we never got rude, or exclusionary. I don’t mind enthusiastic posters. Nor do I mind the one-liners – I appreciate the humour. I loved the conversational aspect of this board and I am troubled by the thought that this will be lost to rigid rules of conduct. I find it troubling to see posts used to scold others (see in Yart? Query?) because they are not following the rules or not writing as we please.

I understand the trouble with keeping up sometimes. I had a really shit day today, and catching up was a bit of a chore, but I wouldn’t have changed the posts in any way. They are a reflection of the people behind the code names. And if I am too tired, I can just skip a few. Putting a bridle on people will not make the board more interesting – just shorter.

(before all frivolity becomes taboo), Thanks tsuwm for that very apropos comment. It seems very pertinent to current situation. I like the serious stuff, but you know what, I also like the frivolity. Anyway, I’m off for a bit – my post was getting long anyway.


#9690 11/02/00 10:43 PM
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Ooops

Just caught up with this. I hardy ever read this section of the group, too focussed and not rambly enough for me. I love the twists and turns that threads take and I like the mixture of long and short. I know that I posted the stuff in rules about starting new threads but that was really for the benefit of others and does spoil the fun just a teeny teeny bit. I do appreciate Maverick's concern though there really are a lot of posts at the moment. (If I posted alot last week, Your Honour, I was just back from a trip and was catching up and I do have to blame some other board members for being too amusing!)

I find discussion of subjects like Yarting and Ayleurs deeply boring as I dislike acronyms anyway and think that they tend to exclude new people. I'm sure I'm deeply guilty of using other "in jokes", so please don't mail me the examples. I find that I skim read a lot of things that I'm not particularly interested in. None of us are ever going to be interested in everything. I'm sure that some of us gravitate to some areas rather than others. I read Wordplay and Fun least, so I'd be sorry to see the jokes cut from everywhere else. I also think that some of the "Well done" comments help to make us all feel that we're not just talking in isolation to a heap of metal (says she in splendid isolation speaking to a heap of metal).

Oh well, another long post and I did think I'd try not to do that - drat.


#9691 11/03/00 07:53 AM
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I think enthusiasm is the key to vitality here. Maybe some will stay away for a bit from the Q&A now this thread has started, but this Board cannot be like the man, his son, and the donkey - falling into the river in an attempt to please every opinion. We're still pretty polite, friendly and erudite. Can we really ask for more?


#9692 11/03/00 12:50 PM
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As my computer is at my workplace, and as I work part-time (see my comments elsewhere about the iniquities of the British Higher Educational system!) the pile-up of postings is a weekly occurence for me. It can be difficult to catch up, and I undoubtedly miss some things because of it.
But I would deeply regret any major curbing of the anarchy that rules this board, and rules it so benignly.
I take maverick's point about finding a suitable place for one's postings, but if the mood is on one to be irreverent, I think that it should be indulged, otherwise we lose a valuable leaven and are left with something analagous to the half-cooked flour-and-water concoctions that we used to immolate on the camp-fire when we were young.
There is a welcome trend to start new threads (what's wrong with Fred, anyway??) when the original theme is lost below the horizon, an dthis should, perhaps, be encouraged. But irrelevance and irreverence are part and parcel of the charm of all the threads, for me.
(Besides - even if I totally agreed with the substance of mav's proposed "rules"*, I know I would be the first to break them )


OK, mav, I know you don't mean them as rules - and I do agree with the sentiment that inspired them - I just think that any attempt in this direction is (a) doomed to failure and (b) would alter the flavour of the board too much if they didn't fail.


#9693 11/03/00 02:03 PM
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pretty polite, friendly and erudite. Can we really ask for more?

Not a lot, I agree. As I said, by the time of posting I had retracted somewhat, feeling the tone sounded far too prescriptive for such a lively bunch of fellow nutters!

But nevertheless, I still think we can all help make it a bit more manageable by observing some of the common-sense ideas that have been aired.

My only other point is that I was speaking as "one of the class clowns" - if anyone thinks my hope is to edit out tomfoolery they must be daft. Please let's not let every thread get bogged down in snide jokes about the thought-police and so on - it will get very tedious very quickly.


#9694 11/03/00 02:11 PM
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mav, would you introduce me to Tom Foolery, please?
I don't believe I've met him.


#9695 11/03/00 02:20 PM
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mav, your suggestions are sound and impeccable. I've been feeling ovewhelmed, myself.


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