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1. Posting several limericks in succession in Q&A about words does not strike me as falling within the spirit of that Forum. If we must have such poesy, it would seem to belong in Wordplay and fun.
2. Appointing oneself as spokesperson for the silent majority and then whinging about a conspiracy of silence makes the whole community look bad. If the intent was to bring AWADtalk crashing down in flames(!), we're nearly there (again). As everyone who has read Jackie's "experiment" thread in Information and announcements knows, there seems to be no basis for anyone to think there is a "cabal" attempting to control these forums.
3. Having said that, in the past users have been directed to websites that speak to the issue of dealing with trolls.
Here is wordsmith's standard response to complaints about such troublemakers: Sorry to know that someone is causing trouble. It's not easy to do something about this. The best way is to ignore.
That someone gets peeved when their posts generate no response, who should be blamed? Anu? Those outside web sites? Please, look to yourself.
3. During the recent election and holiday seasons we've seen some drift into politics and religion flavored posts. It has always been the majority view here that these don't belong in AWADtalk. If you feel the need for such interactions, you could try googling "politics and religion" +forums. There are tens of thousands of them.
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If we must have such poesy
Are all rhymes to be outlawed except in "Wordplay and Fun", tsuwm, even if they are relevant in the context in which presented, and even if they are not witty or funny, but rather wise or sad or profound or simply cheerful.
Shall we frown on a rhyming couplet from Hamlet or Macbeth or King Lear which illustrates a point simply because it doesn't appear in "Wordplay and Fun"?
And what of free verse? Is free verse to be consigned to the "poesy" bin?
And, just as there are those who, like yourself, think of "poesy" as something which must be accommodated only grudgingly [as you say, "If we must have poesy"], what is the quid pro quo for those who feel the same way about technical discussions of parts of speech and rules of grammar? To some, these discussions are at least as unrewarding as "poesy" is to you.
Will we create a new bin for "Grammar and Parts of Speech"?
Will we also create a bin for "Obsolete Words"?
Just asking.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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I respectfully suggest that we have bins for all of those things. What *I don't have is the patience to read through repetitive posts of a familiar form, which I have found in the past to be unrewarding. So I don't. Likewise for threads started by someone who in the past has merely used threads as a method to vent spleen. I skip those too. But that's just me.
But, therein lies a potential problem for the poster seeking feedback. HTH.
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I respectfully suggest that we have bins for all of those things
OK, what about "spang" which presently appears in "Q&A About Words". Should that be consigned to the new "Obsolete Words" bin?
And who's going to create all these new bins, and police them, and enforce them?
Are we going to have "poesy" police?
Needless to say, we are going to have a lot more people policing Plutarch's "poesy" than your "obsolete words". :)
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limericks certainly have a place here.. i know i have posted hundreds over the years. and NO not all of them were in word play and fun, (tho most were!) some were were in miscellany too)
what i didn't do was post a limerick or couplet, and then quote it, and post another limerrich or couplet (or sextet or what ever) QUOTING my limerick or what ever, commenting in effect how witty it was, followed by more limericks and couplets about how witty my comment are about my limerick. who needs or wants to read whole thread devoted to marginal at best 'bon mots', followed by post after post of self praise of the marginal bon mots.
god knows i am not the most self assured person, and i love praise and feedback as much as the next person. and do acknowledge my skills publicly (false modesty is not something i known for!).
but continuously, relentlessly, thread that become filled posts filled with plutarch commenting on the cleverness of plutarchs comments are a waste of time.
they have nothing to do with words, or work meaning (and how meaning have shifted), and continue to shift with time, or with word origins.
just as annoying are thread filled with comments made by plutarch and his many sock puppets, in praise of plutarch and his many sock puppets.
a normal person might be fooled (for a few posts) but what is the thread like 'confessions of hieress' but the public example of the exersize of an oversized ego.
the thread isn't remotely about words. and its not remotely a diaglog.
the cry of 'LOOK AT ME, LOOK AT ME' is tedious from children, (even your own children) after a while. i don't come here to be bombarded with such cries.
Plutarck you have bragged about your ability to drive away posters (no doubt you see this a more bandwidth for your exclusive use) AND at the same time ATTACKED others and complained they were driving away others (with no proof).
go away.
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Plutarck you have bragged about your ability to drive away postersDear Of Troy: If it were true that I have bragged about my ability to drive posters away, which I haven't, you and many others are proof positive that I would have no reason to brag. But I don't want to drive you away, Of Troy, or anyone else either. I just don't want you or anyone else to drive me away. So, I'll tell you what. Let's make a pact. I won't try to drive you or anyone else away. And in return you won't try to drive me away. I don't know how I can be more fair and reasonable than that. 2005 is coming. Why don't we all just try to get along? And in that spirit, may I recommend this article about "toasting" the New Year. Here’s to Hoisting
When toasting, don’t forget to ‘clink’Extract: TOASTING — WHETHER a perfunctory "Salute! or a more witty attempt at capturing the attention of a lively dinner crowd — is de rigueur during the holidays. The dictionary definition of toasting is "to drink to the health or honor of" someone or something, but these days it seems to lend itself to any expression of welcome and well-being. The word toasting, according to most sources, comes from the late-17th-century custom of putting a piece of spiced and toasted bread in a drink, perhaps to improve the flavor. (These days, the toast in our wine comes from very expensive oak barrels, but that's another story.) http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/pacificnw/2004/1226/taste.html
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Carpal Tunnel
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I really don't care where anything is posted. It doesn't matter to me as long as there's an interesting exchange of ideas. What I do not understand is the impulse that any person would have in posting a comment and then continuing to post a string of comments as though to oneself. It is finally very, very annoying to read a string of comments by one person. Why not keep a journal if one is so driven to talk to oneself rather than come to a forum for public discussion? This isn't the AWAD space for viewing of private journals, workbooks, authors' mental crawlspace, words-in-progress, etc. It is supposedly a discussion board, and when one person insists upon posting string after string of ditties and commentaries without allowing other posters to comment on a single comment, then the chance for discussion has been thwarted.
If I had posted what I believed to be a clever limerick, I would have waited to see whether anyone here noticed it or thought it worthy for comment or a grin. If no one commented upon it, I'd lick my little wound and think, "Oh, well. I wasn't as clever as I thought I had been," and perhaps would have put away limerick writing for a while. But to post and post and post my small achievements without giving anyone chance to praise or ignore would be blatantly selfish, self-serving, and even, if I may suggest, masochistic.
I would be willing to bet good money that there is not a person here who hasn't posted something he believed to be stimulating--and something that he believed would cause a pretty interesting discussion only to see that, drat, no one noticed it. Oh, well. A small loss. Big deal. But I do not think that most here, upon receiving no comment, would then begin to create a string of comments, essentialy to self, so that their achievement would receive recognition at least by an audience of one.
Plutarch, perhaps you sometimes miss the spirit of discussion. Perhaps you could try to experience the trial of posting and seeing whether anyone takes the bait. And, if the bait isn't taken, take a deep breath and find some other thread on which you might have a comment that is finally addressed. Perhaps you could try to learn the art of discussion which includes listening to what others have to say and adding commentary in the singular. I have learned a great deal here by listening to what others have to say. In fact, that is why I come here: to see how others think. I say this in all good will: if you choose to avoid your strings of comments altogether and advance your discussion skills, you will end up at year's end with a sense of having been a part of something rather than standing apart from it. You have made interesting comments from time to time--and it would be good to have that facility developed rather than the one you have chosen to develop that annihilates discussion. If you would take my advice, I promise that at year's end (2005's end) you will be happier here.
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Just ignore him
You say it with so much more authority than I do, Faldage.
But then you have the Carpal touch. :)
In any event, I thank you. And I wish you a most happy HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
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Say Plutarch, I've got a happy idea... LISTEN... TO.... WORDWIND !Then you can conviencingly say... Happy New Year! Get it! 
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