While We Wait: Part 4

[Xen]

For all I know, he may have been invited already. Or perhapos he was mentioned as a possible recruit in one fo the discussion over there. In all honesty, as long as we keep Perfection out of there, I'll be happy

Some have given the evolution shpeal about the whole thing, bul ultimately, the forum was create to address the need to talk freely, and without restriction, and that was hampered by "switches B****es". It would have been, as you put it, extinction. Its not all women who are a rpoblem- many have merged intot he community wonderfully, though often, like so many, left later for whatever reason. But its mainly women who come into a circle of strangers looking for attention and bearing their porcelain hearts for all to see it what had always been before a free for all rock throwing contest that caused problems. There is an area of the forum for that, but that sort of mentality seemed to permeate everything. It ultimately met expression int he creation of a "man only" subforum. A pityful thing to have to have had happen, but then back when switch was a mod (thank god, he isnt anymore) no one could really give an objection to who he invited... and so his poor choices where let through, and hindered the health of the whole community.

Its still more or less content less except on the political side of things- if you like fantasy sports, theres alot of fantasysportsfags running round. Alot of the most overtly funny posters have taken leave over the last few months, sadly over various issues- boredom with the site being one of them (which IMO, was caused by switches invites, at one of its roots) but there are still gems to be found here and there. But its not looking for a new purpose, in many respects i think. I think the damage from the whole incident I mentioned had done its damage over there, and only alot of new blood- new comedic, satirically and irony laden talent will help solve things over there. Thats not to say the intellectual has no place- why would Ahtzib hang around if there wasnt?

 

[jalapeno_dude]

I'd like to point out that I managed to start a NES and update it once before either Daft, Symphony, Iggy, BJ, or NK managed to update.

 

[Birdjaguar]

Some have given the evolution shpeal about the whole thing, bul ultimately, the forum was create to address the need to talk freely, and without restriction, and that was hampered by "switches B****es". It would have been, as you put it, extinction. Its not all women who are a rpoblem- many have merged intot he community wonderfully, though often, like so many, left later for whatever reason. But its mainly women who come into a circle of strangers looking for attention and bearing their porcelain hearts for all to see it what had always been before a free for all rock throwing contest that caused problems. There is an area of the forum for that, but that sort of mentality seemed to permeate everything. It ultimately met expression int he creation of a "man only" subforum. A pityful thing to have to have had happen, but then back when switch was a mod (thank god, he isnt anymore) no one could really give an objection to who he invited... and so his poor choices where let through, and hindered the health of the whole community.

Its still more or less content less except on the political side of things- if you like fantasy sports, theres alot of fantasysportsfags running round. Alot of the most overtly funny posters have taken leave over the last few months, sadly over various issues- boredom with the site being one of them (which IMO, was caused by switches invites, at one of its roots) but there are still gems to be found here and there. But its not looking for a new purpose, in many respects i think. I think the damage from the whole incident I mentioned had done its damage over there, and only alot of new blood- new comedic, satirically and irony laden talent will help solve things over there. Thats not to say the intellectual has no place- why would Ahtzib hang around if there wasnt?

It is interesting that a "man only" sub forum would be needed. Sounds like a bunch of posters 'can't', 'don't want to' interact with women. Here the women who can't handle the testosterone either leave or read quietly and chuckle.

The few women who were there when I was, seemed to contribute nicely and roll with the free wheeling nature of the place. CFC has changed little over the years even as posters come and go. The quality of the mods speaks to that even though there are no restrictions upon who can join. There is a nice consistency to life here, that can be characterized as a bit boring and repetitive. But within that stability, there is lots of creativity if one knows where to look.

SE pretty much was/is the opposite: restricted membership and no rules. In an attempt to grow and introduce diversity the 'old club' has been wrecked. I think it is a bad 'business model' for longevity. Membership gatekeepers have too much power and once controversy arises from new members, there is no structure to control the situation. Cruelty and meaness can become pervasive driving people away. The goal should be to reach a critical mass of members so the site is self sustaining. I don't think that SE ever wanted that.

 

[Birdjaguar]

I'd like to point out that I managed to start a NES and update it once before either Daft, Symphony, Iggy, BJ, or NK managed to update.

I expect that you will update again once or even twice before I finish my next update.

 

[Lord_Iggy]

Congratulations JD. I'm considering joining your NES, but I'd like to finish my update first, and there are some difficult things that got thrown at me for this one.

 

[jalapeno_dude]

I expect that you will update again once or even twice before I finish my next update.

You mean it won't be done this week?

BTW, are you going to join my NES?

@Iggy: I call your and raise you a !

 

[Birdjaguar]

You mean it won't be done this week?

BTW, are you going to join my NES?

I'm still mising lots of orders, but have begun reading orders and working on stats. I would love to join your game, but I am not too good a playing and modding. I am struggling to keep up with NKs and do it justice. I will keep up with yours and see if I have enough time.

 

[North King]

I'd like to point out that I managed to start a NES and update it once before either Daft, Symphony, Iggy, BJ, or NK managed to update.

I was going to point it out myself, but only after I finished the update.

I have indeed been bested, but I strongly suspect I will beat Iggy (and Bird) in the update race.

 

[Xen]

It is interesting that a "man only" sub forum would be needed. Sounds like a bunch of posters 'can't', 'don't want to' interact with women. Here the women who can't handle the testosterone either leave or read quietly and chuckle.

The few women who were there when I was, seemed to contribute nicely and roll with the free wheeling nature of the place. CFC has changed little over the years even as posters come and go. The quality of the mods speaks to that even though there are no restrictions upon who can join. There is a nice consistency to life here, that can be characterized as a bit boring and repetitive. But within that stability, there is lots of creativity if one knows where to look.

SE pretty much was/is the opposite: restricted membership and no rules. In an attempt to grow and introduce diversity the 'old club' has been wrecked. I think it is a bad 'business model' for longevity. Membership gatekeepers have too much power and once controversy arises from new members, there is no structure to control the situation. Cruelty and meaness can become pervasive driving people away. The goal should be to reach a critical mass of members so the site is self sustaining. I don't think that SE ever wanted that.

Well, it was needed because there was really no real justification for banning the women outright- after all, they had done nothing wrong persay; it was just their very nature which made things awkward. If I had to choose an example that I personally found most repugnant would be one particular woman who came there and with the her first post expounded on the horrible horribleness of her life, all the terrible atrocities that were happening to her, bearing her soul to complete strangers, and using us for that purpose.

In most cases, i would have felt sympathetic- in her case, I felt quite used. She was the most recent in line of several women who seemed to frequent that little part of the internet as a way of garnering attention for the terrible and unfair state of affairs in their life. Its not that i didnt sympathize with them... its just that given the club house nature of the place, the free for all no rules nature of the conversation... you'd have to be insane to walk into that as a complete stranger, and bear yourself to everyone, unless the thing you wanted was not mere sympathy, but undivided attention.

People are free to lament, and bemoan what ever they want to whomever they want; but my own opinion during that entire tumult was that there are far better places on the internet to do that in, rather then SE.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

That aside though, I'll never be able to really call CFC my "internet home" ever again. I left here over the moderators, and I still feel very uneasy about posting here at all just because they have (with a few specific ones in mind; not all of them) shown me nothing other then that they are essentially control freaks bent on having their own way, even in situations that dont warrant any 'police action'. In that regard, i can only call CFC a police state of the internet. I'd prefer the commune based anarchy of SE (which is mainly due not to no rules, but the fact that minors arnt allowed in the site, and in doing so, we can assume that everyone is a mature adult... and can handle 'mature themes' alot more then CFC. Or at least, what CFC would seem to indicate is its main class of member...)

But I think your model is wrong in most aspects- there was a membership restriction, and there still is. But the main reason for its existence has always been so that minors cant get in there. And even then, all teh pron is still in ask-for-access-only areas, so there still another layer of protection over that for the real stuff...

almost anyone suggested as a member has been let in- the only exception to that is perfection, as alot of us dont like him, while a couple people love him over there... If there had had been a REAL screening process, chances are even the women switch invited wouldn't have been let in.

Its not total stagnation- one of the more recent members, a British guy involved in real-deal astronomy as a profession is hilarious.

Its not so much a case of meanness and cruelty i think- but its the fact that the 'stakes' are alot higher at SE then they are here. Here at CFC, there are some people that I'd enjoy hanging out with, perhaps get to know better, but SE, as a smaller, more tight nit community has bred a true sense of friendship with quite a few people there for me. I've even met a couple of them in real life, and I have to say, I'd do it again in a heart beat.

In that respect, SE isnt a 'commercial forum' like you might say CFC is. Its primarilly a place where people can talk freely, and as a result of that, has become a far more tight-knit community of people who can call each other genuine "friends". I know that i wouldn't have to ask twice to be able to sleep on Hitros couch, and drink some of his booze if I was ever in Germany- and like wise, if he was ever in Florida, I've got a couch waiting with his name on it. You dont forge connections like that on every forum you join.

Its that nature, i think, which si what makes things rocky- we're a group of friends there. if other people join your close knit group of friends, and start making people uncomfortable... one way or another, you work to get rid of them. If you meet cool people you think would mix well, then you bring them in, and see how it goes. I think thats a morw accurate model of SEs dynamic... as opposed to a forum like CFC.

 

[Birdjaguar]

Interesting Xen; you know the place much better than me, so you are probably right, but whatever the case, its too bad the turmoil has made it a less friendly place for those who call it home. I need to go to bed, but come back again and we can pick this up. I am here (NESing) far more than OT.

 

[Xen]

I dont plan on stepping into OT at all, unless it is to make of them. I really cant stand it in there, so I'm probably just gonna hide out here, and look to make as little of a splash as possible...

and yeah, sleep is good. But I work in a restaurant now, (and as long as I'm still a student, that will likelyl remain the case) and hours are weird. Even when not at work.

But please, dont get me started on work.

 

[flyingchicken]

I am boycotting combining "inverted indices" (with regards to what's being measured) with rankings.

Why? Tharrr be idiots in the Web! (read through the comments section*)

* ... which is interesting only partly because of that

 

[jalapeno_dude]

I'm the only one on #nes right now...

 

[Luckymoose]

I'm in #nes but it is giving me some dumb registration bullcrap and won't let me chat.

 

[kkmo]

I still don't know how to join #NES. I am using a Mac right now and its asking me for "Port" and "Network", not only "Server".

 

[Dachs]

I *was* on #NES for about five minutes, saw that jal was the only one there, said "hiya jal", didn't get a response, and left.

 

[jalapeno_dude]

See, that's the problem! We need to build up a critical mass. We should schedule a time to all log on...

 

[Thlayli]

Ah, the international airport.

Pros: Duty free sandwiches, random wandering ethnicities you'll probably never see again.

Cons: Feeling like you've got a concealed bomb when the TSA guy looks at you, bloody expensive Orangina cans.

 

[Dachs]

Ah, the international airport.

Pros: Duty free sandwiches, random wandering ethnicities you'll probably never see again.

Cons: Feeling like you've got a concealed bomb when the TSA guy looks at you, bloody expensive Orangina cans.

I don't know whether JFK > Dulles for annoying security, but I'm probably going to have to stick with the home team on this one. Mostly because, for God's sakes, it's Dulles, an airport which serves the capital of the United States. Even flying to O'Hare from Dulles can turn into a six-hour fiasco. Also, never fly in a large group of persons from the Indian subcontinent because at least 50% of them will be pulled aside for further checking.

 

[North King]

Reagan doesn't have terribly hassling security. Is Dulles all that different?