Dear Anastrophic,

You plainted, “What does all this have to do with words, Milo? Just asking...”

Well if you say, write, or sign something you are using words after all! But the title of this forum is the following:

Looking for (writers, speakers, ...)

I’m guessing that few of the participants in all these fora are mute, so they are certainly almost all speakers. Also in some sense participants can write (or at least type). And, since they must do so to participate, it would seem that the aim implied by the title can be easily fulfilled—just sign up virtually any one of us!

But it isn’t that simple is it? The Chief One is looking for calls for those who would and preferably can as well perform these functions in a professional way perhaps even (gasp!) for filthy lucre. But what if anything do most of the posts so far concern? I aver that most of them have absolutely nothing to do with its announced purpose, yours included dear Ana!

I see exactly one post that actually fits the avouched purpose of this forum, viz.

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS for Publication of "Jaisini G

An early example of writings he is looking for would be I believe, “The Emperor’s New Clothes.” I hope he is putting us on.

My post to our esteemed leader Anu Garg and the one from the purveyor of bawdy language are in fact only indirectly on point. We are a speaker and a writer respectively volunteering to be called upon. What the forum’s purpose was however was:

A place to post calls for writers, speaker requests, and the like.

In fact I find it extremely ironic that having been counseled as a newbie to eschew all political and religious topics, I should find long contributions on AIDs and Creationism (anti-Creationism actually). Really! You actually want to talk about something interesting! How dare you!

So why don’t you take all that political and religious material to the “Miscellany” forum or petition for fora on politics, religion, science, and health? But, if you really want to limit this collection of fora to a discussion of words, I have good news! ALL of these subjects use words occasionally to advance their ends! Who woulda thunk it?

Some of the contributions in the thread labeled “Well, Looking for a Writer...” indirectly indirectly address calls for good writers and speakers of the serious sort in the sense that they critique the competence of a writer. That in fact provoked the interesting, but according to some verboten, disquisitions on subjects political and religiously relevant (if not precisely religious).

So my conclusion is that the wannabe callees have overwhelmed the callers of worthy writers and speakers.

Given the jocular nature of the first caller and the general improbability of postings from callers, do you think that this has all been a gigantic IQ test by the Great Anubis, which all of you BTW flunked?!?

BraverLad

P.S. The moderator (who must stand continually amazed at his own moderation!) stated in the thread entitled “New forum” the following:

Often I receive requests from editors, event hosts, researchers, and others who are looking for writers, speakers, interview subjects, etc. They are welcome to post their messages here. No spam, please. If the post is genuine and relevant, it's more likely to be well-received by the members of this community.