Guidelines for Camden Chat users
by Scott Christ on Apr 22, 2009 12:52 AM EDT
in News & Rumors
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PrintI'm skipping a post-game right now to do something I hoped to never have to do, which is present the community with a set of guidelines. I hoped to never have to do this because we never really had many problems before, but when you grow and you get new users, it happens.
99% of you will have no problems with any of this and can keep on doing what you've always done. Frankly if you've been here a while, you can probably skip over this.
When you sign up for an account, you are given a quick run-through of things not to do. Apparently some people didn't read this, so let me say it again in bold font:
DO NOT post anything that is even *maybe* racist, sexist or homophobic. You will be banned. I will not owe you an explanation.
Don't ignore requests from moderators either. Here is a list of people that are fully considered as "staff" at Camden Chat:
- SC (me)
- zknower
- duck
- Stacey
- 2632
- Jonny Pops
If any of these people ask you to stop doing something, please listen. Frankly if anyone ever asks you to stop doing something, you should probably at least give it a good solid think, because you're bothering another user.
I understand you may disagree, so in a case like that please just drop the issue and you can email me. My email is easy to find on the site. Or if I'm the one asking you to drop the issue, probably just consider that your warning. I don't think we're big shots or anything, but you can't disrespect the moderators and expect that it's going to fly. You will be banned. In this instance I will explain my reasoning, though, and there's even a chance it won't stick if we can come to an understanding.
Try not to be a crass jerk just because it's "only a sports blog." If I wanted this site to be like a lot of other sports blogs, you wouldn't have warnings of what not to do when you sign up. Listen, you can profess your attraction to Amber Theoharis and that's fine, but be tasteful about it. "Cute," if you will. Don't be crude. It's not going to go over well.
Cursing isn't a problem with me. I understand heat of the moment game cursing. We keep it off the front page because people read at work or school or whatever. But if you ever think, "Maybe I shouldn't go quite that far," you probably shouldn't. Don't turn this into "Deadwood."
Look, bottom line is this: Have some decency and don't be stupid. The truth is we're pretty loose compared to many places, but this isn't going to be the wild west. I know sports blogs are supposed to be totally awesome places where sports fans can be sports fans, but you also don't get to act like a jerk.
I also don't want to hear anything about "censorship," so if you want to go that route right now, save it. We're going to police people that can't act like civilized adults. Period. This isn't your everyday life where if you feel like it, really you can go around being as obnoxious and offensive as you want to. No one can ban you from your living room. I can ban you from this site. And I really don't want to.
I know some of the longer-standing users here might think I'm getting too strict, but the fact is I've never had to delete 150 comments from a gamethread before tonight. The rules have always been the same. It's just that nobody was putting them to the test before. We are sort of elitist, yes. I prefer it this way, and it won't change.
Again, 99% of you can go on knowing this really has nothing to do with you, and we'll all just go back to debating the merits of Lou Montanez.
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I'd normally call something like this a bit too politically correct
But I visit a ton of SB Nation blogs, and on sites where mods are too liberal, the threads simply devolve into trashy and offensive wastes of time. Once the rules are relaxed, it truly is a downward spiral.
I’m not going to post links or anything, but they’re not too hard to find.
My best game plan is to sit on the bench and call out specific instructions like 'C'mon Boog,' 'Get ahold of one, Frank,' or 'Let's go, Brooks.' -Earl Weaver
this is my real point
I’m not going to turn off people that actually want to discuss the team to make room for garbage.
"If they cut my bald head open, they will find one big boxing glove. That's all I am. I live it." -- Marvin Hagler
by Scott Christ on Apr 22, 2009 1:08 AM EDT up reply actions
I think it's really all contextual.
There have actually been open discussions of female anatomy on this website, but the woman in question was a member and brought it up, and was positing that the anatomy was responsible for the awesomeness of markakis. So even though the words were the same as what happened tonight, the atmosphere–or context–was entirely different.
It’s one thing to ironically joke that your breasts made someone hit a home run. Everyone can tell you’re being ironic, and the conversation is, at least ostensibly, about baseball.
It’s quite another thing entirely to basically throw out a non-sequitur asking if someone’s breasts look good on TV today. That has nothing to do with baseball, nothing to do with irony, and really, nothing to do with Camden Chat. Comments like that are the norm on Yahoo and similar sites, but those are hardly places I want to spend a game.
And for anyone who’s new and can’t see the difference, well–that’s the thing about context. You have to hang around a bit to get some.
It's 4 in the morning. Too much to drink. All the girls look hot. So, the Nationals are Jennifer Lopez to me. —Julian Tavarez
by zknower on Apr 22, 2009 1:13 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Right
I think most people see what SC is getting at; just don’t be blatantly offensive.
My best game plan is to sit on the bench and call out specific instructions like 'C'mon Boog,' 'Get ahold of one, Frank,' or 'Let's go, Brooks.' -Earl Weaver
I thought my comments earlier in the season about
wishing to see Amber wear academic librarian glasses was okay. That should be okay right?
Yeah
Honestly, I don’t mean to speak on SC’s behalf, but unless your using derogatory terms and/or demeaning a certain demographic/person, then you should be good.
You have to be at least somewhat tongue-in-cheek to still follow the O’s anyway, and the point of this entire discussion was to discourage blatant offensive language.
My best game plan is to sit on the bench and call out specific instructions like 'C'mon Boog,' 'Get ahold of one, Frank,' or 'Let's go, Brooks.' -Earl Weaver
you're fine
"If they cut my bald head open, they will find one big boxing glove. That's all I am. I live it." -- Marvin Hagler
by Scott Christ on Apr 22, 2009 4:04 PM EDT up reply actions
Ah… Kristen’s Tits
Which led me to this, the good ol’ days.
Jioe Flaacco, Hon!!! "He’s like a live JUGS machine."
aw man
Millar for Manager. What a hoot.
"I think it’s shocking that the Baltimore Orioles are off to a 6-2 start this year, considering they are managed by TJ Hooker."
I wish I still had all of those graphics...
DAMN me and my OCD “housecleaning” ftp folder issues
Jioe Flaacco, Hon!!! "He’s like a live JUGS machine."
yikes
I was afraid your second link was going to be LarryBigbie’s sig line from 2004.
Now THAT was raunchy.
It's 4 in the morning. Too much to drink. All the girls look hot. So, the Nationals are Jennifer Lopez to me. —Julian Tavarez
I don't remember his sig line
But I remember him just posting stupid shit just for the sake of posting it.
"Hey Yankees... you can take your apology and your trophy and shove 'em straight up your ass!" --Tanner Boyle
by BirdFanInPhilly on Apr 22, 2009 10:39 AM EDT up reply actions
funny you bring him up
because i was just thinking of him regarding this whole debacle.
"I think it’s shocking that the Baltimore Orioles are off to a 6-2 start this year, considering they are managed by TJ Hooker."
things have really changed
"In a couple of weeks or a month, I'll be excited about this team," Dawkins said. "I've got to get used to saying that -- I'm a Bronco." Then he paused. "I'll tell you one thing -- I'll always be an Eagle."
he got banned, too
"If they cut my bald head open, they will find one big boxing glove. That's all I am. I live it." -- Marvin Hagler
by Scott Christ on Apr 22, 2009 2:01 PM EDT up reply actions
As they say in B-more!
“get’em outta here” "and dont come back hon!!!!!!!!!!!!!
by FEARtheTERP1 on Apr 22, 2009 2:03 PM EDT up reply actions
Jeez, I didn't go into the game thread tonight
Kinda glad I didn’t, I guess.
If it was a Montanez-related flamewar I might’ve got myself banned. heh.
I missed most of today’s game. I guess it got out of hand.
"Your wife told you to play in New York.
Well, my wife told me you look like a dork." Boo Teixeira guys.
it wasn't so much out of hand
as it was one idiot continuously defending something stupid and off-topic. It’s one thing to step over the line once or twice because you misjudged the character of the community here; it’s quite another to try and defend a purposefully inflammatory comment as an attempt to enlighten the masses. If I wanted to debate the finer points of political correctness in America, I think I’d make sure I went to a forum where the members actually wanted to talk about it. It’s like wearing a t-shirt that says “fuck you asshole” in big, bold letters and wondering why everyone is glaring at you.
Is it not even possible to discuss what was said without endorsing it?
Was it that crude? I mean, I understand the difference between “Nice shirt, Amber” and "Wow, that makes me want to … " But was this somewhere in between that’s even defensibly borderline? I assume not because SC’s a reasonable enforcer, but some context (without actually being crude) would make this a little clearer.
I believe Phil is referring to the sig line of a certain White Sox fan that read “My President is White.” Which led to duck asking him what it meant, which led to him explaining that Obama is in fact half white too. Some took offense to the sig line, some didn’t.
I can’t remember who the breast comment came from, but it went a little something like this;
Amber was giving one of her updates and someone asked “How’s her rack look?” and some found it to be distasteful.
Jioe Flaacco, Hon!!! "He’s like a live JUGS machine."
I wasn't in the thread when it happened, but....
Phil IS referring to the sig line.
The banned comments were a separate issue. So here’s a brief explanation, but solely for the point of saying that no code could ever be written that would comprehensively summarize what can or can’t be allowed in a medium that is built around free speech.
For me, in this particular case, I’d guess it was hidden less because of the language (i.e., specific vocabulary) and more about the intent/irrelevance/crassness/timing.
There was an amber update from duck:
Amber update
AJ: Could be back as soon as tomorrow
Mora: Tried out hammy, willing and wants to do rehab assignment
Freel: Still under observation in Baltimore, history of concussions, on DL
And then a commenter who didn’t have the TV feed wrote something akin to (and I am intentionally paraphrasing here), “who cares what amber said, how do her TITS look?” It had really nothing to do with baseball or duck’s comment or anything, other than the fact that Amber had just done an update. It was just the kind of thing you’d expect from a 12-year old. And I’m not saying that to knock whomever wrote it—it’s just that there was kind of nothing redeeming about it.
I’ve seen people on here debate the merits of B-Rob’s wife (with pictures) and/or Anna Benson (with pictures), but a) those are baseball player’s wives, b) it was usually a separate diary, and c) there was usually some sense of decorum or artistry involved.
This was a case of a gamethread. Which is about the game. And it wasn’t written with any sense of irony or style or euphemism, or anything other than a knee-jerk I LIKE TITS perspective. And as another commenter pointed out, once you go down that road, then half your game threads are filled with people saying TITS! WOOHOO! whenever they feel like it. And as I stated elsewhere, there are many, many venues already where you can behave that way.
CC has always attracted me precisely because that garbage doesn’t happen here. The gamethreads are intelligent, funny, and about the team. That comment was none of those things.
And in closing, there’s not a clear bright line. Conduct and atmosphere around here will always be constantly evolving—they are living, breathing things (ok, not literally). You get a huge influx of new members, the culture shifts a little. Now it’s shifting back. I think that’s one of the reasons SC was reluctant to actually try to write a specific code, because then you get into stupid debates about, “well it’s not SPECIFICALLY prohibited in the CODE, blahblahblah”, and seriously, who the fuck has the time? OMG, there, I swore, am I going to get banned?
The best thing I think, is to heed what SC said—if a mod says something to you, listen. We’re a reasonable group of people, we talk amongst ourselves, and none of us is going to be indiscriminately clamping down on free speech.
It's 4 in the morning. Too much to drink. All the girls look hot. So, the Nationals are Jennifer Lopez to me. —Julian Tavarez
Swearing isn't against the unwritten rules
And neither is poking fun at people, just don’t use terms like “bitch,” “retarded,” or “gay.”
My best game plan is to sit on the bench and call out specific instructions like 'C'mon Boog,' 'Get ahold of one, Frank,' or 'Let's go, Brooks.' -Earl Weaver
Let's just say
the mods will be a bit more pro-active in deleting comments when needed.
I should have nipped that in the bud during the game, instead of expecting the offending people to act like adults. Didn’t happen, and SC had to clean up after my mess.
Won’t happen again.
Matt Wieters took batting practice this morning. There were no survivors.
not to nitpick
and I know you “paraphrased intentionally” but TITS has a lot more negative conotation than does the actual word used, RACK. Just seems like you may be cherry picking your paraphrase a bit. In the end, all is the same and the comment didn’t have anything to do with the thread.
Jioe Flaacco, Hon!!! "He’s like a live JUGS machine."
nitpick away
i hardly think one has a more negative connotation than the other. in fact, “tits” has often been used in an entirely positive context around here, as in, “that’s the tits”. started by 2632, no less (i believe).
more to the point, as i said above, it wasn’t about the word itself.
It's 4 in the morning. Too much to drink. All the girls look hot. So, the Nationals are Jennifer Lopez to me. —Julian Tavarez
I know..
I’m just saying that the way you paraphrased made it “sound” a lot worse than I thought it really was. That is all.
Jioe Flaacco, Hon!!! "He’s like a live JUGS machine."
not my intent.
i just wanted to use completely different words and declare that i was doing so, since the comment was no longer around for me to look at. this is exactly what i was trying to avoid—"but that isn’t exactly what he said!"—but i understand where you’re coming from.
It's 4 in the morning. Too much to drink. All the girls look hot. So, the Nationals are Jennifer Lopez to me. —Julian Tavarez
I believe Phil is referring to the sig line of a certain White Sox fan that read "My President is White." Which led to duck asking him what it meant, which led to him explaining that Obama is in fact half white too. Some took offense to the sig line, some didn’t.
I was there for part of the conversation. I thought that poster dropped the conversation and then I then I had to leave. Was that conversation problematic? I thought it got nipped in the bud before devolving into a flame war.
"Your wife told you to play in New York.
Well, my wife told me you look like a dork." Boo Teixeira guys.
I could be misrepresenting the problem
but SC replied to that thread, saying that the guy was banned. My bad, yo.
we'll get to a post-game and get a poll up
The post-game is still coming.
"If they cut my bald head open, they will find one big boxing glove. That's all I am. I live it." -- Marvin Hagler
by Scott Christ on Apr 22, 2009 1:53 AM EDT up reply actions
good point
IN a 10-3 win, there oughta be. i’m guessing it’s Bergesen, for being a pitcher who actually PITCHES, but it could be kakes.
It's 4 in the morning. Too much to drink. All the girls look hot. So, the Nationals are Jennifer Lopez to me. —Julian Tavarez
I’d just like to note that the O’s have the worst run differential in the majors.
My best game plan is to sit on the bench and call out specific instructions like 'C'mon Boog,' 'Get ahold of one, Frank,' or 'Let's go, Brooks.' -Earl Weaver
10 to 3 should hlp that differential
Can we get Kakes to be player coach, and be in charge of hitting instruction? His at bat late in the game, where he got down 0-2 and then singled through the hole on the left side of the infield was worthy of George Brett.
by Fred Sanford on Apr 22, 2009 8:01 AM EDT up reply actions
We were -29, and by far last, before last night
And now we’re just -22, and only tied for last.
My best game plan is to sit on the bench and call out specific instructions like 'C'mon Boog,' 'Get ahold of one, Frank,' or 'Let's go, Brooks.' -Earl Weaver
Lou Montanez still swings at everything.
As long as I can keep saying that, I’m good.
"Might as well just win this game." - Adam Jones, 4/17/2008
Adam Jones is the tits.
by KenDixonFanClub on Apr 22, 2009 8:00 AM EDT reply actions
I appreciate CC
For the very reasons listed above. Thanks SC, et. al. for your moderation of the site. I don’t know what was going on in the game thread, but I love this site and the comments because it is most always about baseball and it always seems to be well thought out discussions with solid points and counterpoints.
If I wanted just a recap of games and garbage comments I’d go elsewhere, but the fact that all of us really care about the O’s and find ways to intelligently think about and analyze the team makes this site awesome.
I say good work and thank you.
not all 150 were bad
but when you delete a comment, all the replies to that comment get deleted no matter what their content.
"I think it’s shocking that the Baltimore Orioles are off to a 6-2 start this year, considering they are managed by TJ Hooker."
I guess its a good thing I missed most of the gamethread last night
I won’t even ask what happened. I’ve made some dumb posts in the past couple of months, just getting caught up in the moment, or not thinking with the screws turned tight enough.
So i have learned my lesson, and thanks to SC and all the other admins for making this site what it is! Most importantly, Go O’s!
So my comment about Montanez
Driving 4 hours to get to Camden Yards just in time for the game, being placed in the starting lineup with no BP and driving in a couple with a double was deleted? Sign :-(
Any comment under a deleted comment
gets deleted, whether it deserves to or not.
Sorry, dude, you’re collateral damage in this case.
Matt Wieters took batting practice this morning. There were no survivors.
Duck...
certainly you don’t believe in collateral damage do you?
Jioe Flaacco, Hon!!! "He’s like a live JUGS machine."
Not sure where you're going....
so e-mail me at the address posted at the bottom.
Matt Wieters took batting practice this morning. There were no survivors.
I'd like to apologize for joecoolman24
You guys aren’t the first SBN site he’s drawn this type of response on. He’s gotten himself banned from Bleed Cubbie Blue for it and from DRays Bay for trolling a gamethread. We’ve tried to get him to change it, but to no avail. Sorry you guys had to deal with that in your gamethread.
"2 years ago when I looked into my baseball magazine I saw the name Lars Anderson. I just thoguht, another draft pick that might not do anything. Also I though here might be the next Albert Pujols." -dasox313
his actions here were the final straw for us too
"2 years ago when I looked into my baseball magazine I saw the name Lars Anderson. I just thoguht, another draft pick that might not do anything. Also I though here might be the next Albert Pujols." -dasox313
JoeCoolMan was deleted, and you just happened to reply to him. It’s no big thing in your case.
"If they cut my bald head open, they will find one big boxing glove. That's all I am. I live it." -- Marvin Hagler
by Scott Christ on Apr 22, 2009 12:33 PM EDT up reply actions
To just reinforce what has already been said
It really is about context and thinking before you hit “post”. I’m sure to the newer members it is easy to think anything goes because yes, we do swear and yes, we do get “off-color” sometimes and occasionally have a feisty debate. Many of us have been part of this little community for a few years now, several of us have met and even become “real life” friends. We know each other, and we know our limits.
Social situations on the internet should not be that different than social situations in real life. You wouldn’t walk into a bar, rip a fart, hit on a stranger’s wife and loudly tell a joke about the time a rabbi, a 3 toed midget and Kareem Abdul Jabbar went to an orgy…and then expect everyone to be your new best friend, would you? Same theory applies on the interwebz.
"Believe it or not, I read the paper." - Nick Markakis
Funny this should come up today, when I was debating last night whether to go online or not.
Not a big deal, just sat there wondering whether it was worth it, since I’d found myself getting increasingly turned off over the last week-10 days by input from various commenters. In fact, in one recent game thread I caught myself, for the first time, skipping anything that wasn’t written by, y’know, somebody I recognized from way back.
Which is kinda sad, when you think about it. But there was just So Much Crap. And apparently last night it just blew over the top of the silo. Glad I watched “Zodiac”, which had the virtues of a starting time the programmers stuck to and no dimbulb commenters at all.
"Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning." Churchill,1942-- a rebuilding year.
i liked it quite a bit...
but i’m a sucker for david fincher flicks.
"If they pitch to you, make them pay."
--Diamond Dave to the Phenom
by j.q. higgins on Apr 22, 2009 1:05 PM EDT up reply actions
I checked Ebert's review afterwards, and he gives it 4 stars. I can see why, both cinematically and, y'know, sort of experientially.
He calls it “the ‘All the President’s Men’ of serial killer movies.” Wow! For me it, as I said on the other thread (don’t you love it when we quote ourselves?), it was
“Outstanding. Riveting story, ensemble acting as good as you’ll find. And y’know, living in SF proper in the 70s (Richmond district, west end of Golden Gate Ave.), I remember a lot of people were less concerned about street crime as such (muggings, burglary and the like) than about getting our heads sort of randomly blown off by Zodiac, the Symbionese Liberation Army (featuring Patty Hearst), or some other bunch of heavily armed nutbars. This film did a good job of conveying how strange it all was…”
It didn’t do a lot of box office, which is unfortunate, but probably a sign of how unwilling the movie-going public is to put up with a police procedural which shows actual procedures and move in fits and starts, like the actual case.
And creeps you out much worse than a shoot ’em up policer by not resolving itself sufficiiently neatly.
"Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning." Churchill,1942-- a rebuilding year.
skipping anything that wasn’t written by, y’know, somebody I recognized from way back.
Camden Chat elitist!
My best game plan is to sit on the bench and call out specific instructions like 'C'mon Boog,' 'Get ahold of one, Frank,' or 'Let's go, Brooks.' -Earl Weaver
Guilty. I kinda miss Westie, btw. I don't think we have any h.s. people any more. And where's Yuri?
"Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning." Churchill,1942-- a rebuilding year.
He still pops up every now and then.
Matt Wieters took batting practice this morning. There were no survivors.
there are def a few HSers on here I think.
It's 4 in the morning. Too much to drink. All the girls look hot. So, the Nationals are Jennifer Lopez to me. —Julian Tavarez
Yuri's in law school @ Cornell. = no time for anything but reading. 'nuff said.
It's 4 in the morning. Too much to drink. All the girls look hot. So, the Nationals are Jennifer Lopez to me. —Julian Tavarez
Excellent. Three years from now: Massive class action suit against PA. Then we go for PC Bud.
"Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning." Churchill,1942-- a rebuilding year.
I was thinking this morning that I miss westie
It was in the context of this argument. I was going to say that aside from westie we were all in our twenties or older and thus we should be capable of being mature.
Then I realized I have no idea where all these new people are coming from, so who knows? Hell, I’ve only been here a couple years myself. I’m not some grizzled old salt of the site.
steve trachsel wily, i'm sure
It's 4 in the morning. Too much to drink. All the girls look hot. So, the Nationals are Jennifer Lopez to me. —Julian Tavarez
I was trying to think of another desaparecido
But most people really have stuck around.
My best game plan is to sit on the bench and call out specific instructions like 'C'mon Boog,' 'Get ahold of one, Frank,' or 'Let's go, Brooks.' -Earl Weaver
People can also ignore borderline stuff
That guy’s sig was designed to provoke. He wanted to be lectured. No need to be caught hook line and sinker.
by drj on Apr 22, 2009 1:22 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
So I guess I was the "one idiot continuously defending something stupid and off-topic" (Thanks PhilR8)
I do understand the notion that if you let little things slide than the whole conversation can get to a point where it shouldn’t go. But I also feel like this was a little similar to an umpire issuing a warning for an obviously unintentional high and tight pitch that then sparks a bean ball war and brawl. I read the initial comment as being pretty harmless – probably shouldn’t have been said, but didn’t seem to require a lecture or a deletion or a warning. Then I found the lectures to be obnoxious and so defended the comment/commenter.
Like I said I understand that the site should be kept clean and am all for that (with the exception of me dropping excessive F-bombs every time Felix Pie flails away at the plate or every time Jamie Walker pitched last season) and I probably was a little obnoxious in my defense of the comment/commenter last night, so apologies to all. I don’t envision it happening again.
no no no
you were not. Sorry. As I said above, I was probably misrepresenting the problem. JoeCoolMan was the guy I was referring to.
of course, cool people never refer to themselves as cool.
"Your wife told you to play in New York.
Well, my wife told me you look like a dork." Boo Teixeira guys.
And you have to kind of wonder about awesome people, too. Especially squared. But hey, as Shakespeare said:
“I didn’t actually write ’What’s in a name?’ It must’ve been that f*cking Marlowe. What a tool. And no, I don’t know how it ended up in Romeo and Ethel, the Pirate’s Daughter.”
"Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning." Churchill,1942-- a rebuilding year.
speaking of AMA
I haven’t seen him around in a while, was he booted or have I just been unobservant?
by Gorilla Bird on Apr 23, 2009 11:10 AM EDT up reply actions
He wrote a friendly, upbeat generic note to CC'ers the day of the 1st Sawx game, which was nice to see.
"Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning." Churchill,1942-- a rebuilding year.
...although it does make it harder to write stuff like "Pedroyer is Tonya Harding without the class."
"Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning." Churchill,1942-- a rebuilding year.
He’s never done anything to get booted.
"If they cut my bald head open, they will find one big boxing glove. That's all I am. I live it." -- Marvin Hagler
by Scott Christ on Apr 24, 2009 10:20 PM EDT up reply actions
I blame Yahoo
Ever seen the comments they get on their “professional” blogs? Wow.
Game Over T-shirts: http://www.cafepress.com/beltwaysports
Oh, and another thing: I don't think I'm comfortable with the apparently accepted term for perusing a blog-text without writing anything.
How did we get so negative? I mean, nobody ever says, “OK, I think I’ll go off and lurk ‘War and Peace’ for a while.”
"Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning." Churchill,1942-- a rebuilding year.
ah, but...
what do you think they called the guy that looked over tolstoy’s shoulder as he wrote it? i think the implication is that a messageboard is more akin to a live conversation than something more passive and one way.
sincerely,
j.q. mcluhan
"If they pitch to you, make them pay."
--Diamond Dave to the Phenom
by j.q. higgins on Apr 23, 2009 1:53 PM EDT up reply actions
If there were a requirement or even a stated expectation that access to electronic texts entailed a like response, I'd say...
we should definitely call those who choose not to fulfill or oblige “lurkers.” But I don’t think there is. On the other hand, living where I do I could easily have missed that meeting. BTW, President Medvedev has been nearly overwhelmed by non-lurkers on the personal website he opened recently, hee-hee!
http://www.themoscowtimes.com/article/1010/42/376523.htm
As to the guy over Tolstoy’s shoulder? Fair enough— it was Dostoevsky, a total lurker from day one!
"Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning." Churchill,1942-- a rebuilding year.
hey now!
don’t be knockin’ on Dostoevsky!
by Gorilla Bird on Apr 24, 2009 10:38 AM EDT up reply actions
No knock-- he *was* a lurker. As it happens, my favorite writer, too.
Oddly enough, the two greatest writers in the history of the novel lived at the same time, wrote in the same language and lived in the same country…and never met. Certain of Tolstoy and Dostoevsky’s mutual friends tried to arrange a meeting at one point, and there’s even an account (which many dismiss as apocryphal) in which the claim is made that the two were in fact herded into the same building (in Moscow) at about the same time one evening— but rather than meet his counterpart, Dostoevsky left in confusion and embarrassment at the last minute. Just lurked off.
One of my favorite things about Tolstoy, in any case, is that after he “ran away from home” at 82 (largely to get away from family problems) and died shortly thereafter in an obscure railroad station (having caught cold on the way), it was discovered that he had taken two books with him to read on what became his final journey: a New Testament and The Brothers Karamazov.
Cool.
"Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning." Churchill,1942-- a rebuilding year.
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