satori

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Danny, You can always copy your message and place it in the Open or About the Way forums. Leave a brief message on this thread like "moved to x forum" in its place. As for edit, it doesn't say "edit" but it's there. You have to look below your post to the right. You should see a little sheet of paper with a pencil icon. Click and edit away.

oops, too late. the stars have fallen.

hey ex, the stars are the average of a rating window at the bottom right of a thread. it says "rate it." from a drop down list, you choose the number of stars and express your opinion about the thread's value, kind of like a reviewer rating a movie. I don't think it's too helpful at this point, but we're not used to it yet. the threads on GS are much more personal in nature than other boards, so the rating may be less suitable here, but it may grow on us. probably better to express one's opinion in words than to just "grade" the thread, but it's one more option out there. would someone be having a birthday this weekend? I hope it's a very happy one. there's a certain little boy who will be telling you he's got the best mom on the planet.

[This message was edited by satori on June 22, 2002 at 5:20.]

Coolwaters, I'm sorry I didn't include that as an alternative. That is a possibility, although it would be most-likely voluntary, and inherently unpredictable from month to month. But it's not a bad idea at all, and he's footing the cost of everything for now. If there are a few GS'ers providing support behind-the-scenes, I don't know about it, and they deserve OUR thanks, more than Pawtucket's. The other thing about kicking in through paypal is there may be tax or legal issues to work out, since it suddenly becomes a new animal. The deal with banners is pretty straight forward. Since you've worked on websites, you may know a little about how they work. I'd like someone to discuss the pros and cons. Nobody's doing Paw any favors here, by the way. I'm just trying to be realistic about a situation I don't see being addressed. Grease Spot is not a fly-by-night site. It has a history and a community, such as it is, or such as we are. Doesn't make us a "cult," really. This is an opportunity to communicate. There is no free lunch. I'd like to find the most painless way for each of us to help bear some of the burden, while keeping the "spirit" of the site intact. (TWI'ers will love that line, won't you, weenies?) Anyway, this is a grass-roots, ad hoc, watchamacallit, and there may be many other preferable options. Maybe TWI could make it part of their operating budget? Maybe not, but it would be the best spent ABS for decades. What are your thoughts, Grease Spot?

... that I can imagine for this malevolent, flesh-tearing hostility toward homosexuals, to the degree that even unfounded accusations are sufficient cause to purge TWI's own ranks of men, women, and even children with such cruel vehemence is... that... ...their formerly fearless former leader is a closet-dwelling, self-hating "homo." Said it before, I'll say it again. That boy has wickedly serious, serious sexual issues, and he's probably not the only one who might have been creeping around Ohio's corn fields feeling things he shouldn't. I hate to scare anybody, but maybe anybody who's had "contact" with him should get tested for AIDS. How much of that MOG-sex on demand was unprotected? Most if not all, I understand. This predator has been trying to prove his dubious "manhood" for a long, long time. What would be his motive? Who needs to prove something so badly he hurts people without any regard? Someone living a lie, maybe? Was he abused sexually as a child? Anybody who knew him from "back home" ever hint about it? Unresolved, issues like that will turn some people into the meanest species of freak. We may have here a case in point. Whatever the cause, and we may never know, there's no missing the telling symptoms and vicious, hateful behavior. ** What about it, "Luke?" Was it long, long ago in a (Ford) Galaxy far, far away? Did some inbred, Okie hillbilly ever make you squeal? Maybe it was done by a cult-leader in his traveling lust bus. Maybe that same cult leader ordered YOU to show your "meekness?" What gave you the rabies for "homos" anyway? (Don't tell us it's either "spiritual anger" or the love of God, either, you knuckle-dragging, mouth-breathing, foam-drooling freak-o.) You're no man of "God." If you'd been present when a legion of swine stampeded over a Galilean cliff, YOU would have led their charge. Soooooo-eeeeeeeee... SPLASH!!! Or maybe He might have healed you. You have to WANT to be healed though. Isn't that the way it goes? ** bowtwi - that was an awful thing you experienced. It's may be too long ago now, but I think you have excellent grounds for a lawsuit. Let's see, slander (against you AND your son) might work, especially considering your son's age at the time. It might be too much heartache to re-live. And whatever you do, don't do it for anyone but you and your son. You are not a "mascot," for the Way, or ex-Way's here at Grease Spot either. I would only hope you might find some closure, and compensation, if you chose to go forward with it. Regards... [This message was edited by satori on June 21, 2002 at 10:38.]

As far as I know, Pawtucket may be against this idea, but I also know that Grease Spot t-shirt sales might not be as brisk as they could be, and let's face it, he's got expenses, and he spends a lot of time. I've suggested this to him on rare occasions and he has not really responded. While he probably doesn't "need" the money, what's wrong with a little revenue to replace what he's put into this? I don't know how banner ads work exactly, but I think they pay by view, if not by "hits." I know that Grease Spot on Ezboard had 100,000 posts, and with roughly an average 10-to-1 ratio for "views" he had a million hits for the forums alone. Probably several times that. In Roberge-o-math (similar in concept to "dog years"), Grease Spot has probably had several hundred trillion hits. But back to reality... What would be your thought if there should be banner (NOT pop-up) ads here, in the knowledge the revenue they generated would go to Pawtucket? How would banner ads impact Greasespot?

test of HTML code underlining test of ubb code underlining Paw, underlining is possible if posters substitute the brackets for the [] brackets, in other words, use the HTML version, which seems to be interchangeable some of the time.

sudo, It's more likely to be found funny than not because certain principles of humor are employed. The contrast between the vulgar subject matter, and the documentary style, not to mention Vivaldi's sound-track makes the shock of the narration all the more "humorous." Had it been delivered by a familiar low-life to the tune of the latest Parental Advisory-labeled pop music, the narration would be predictable and boring. A cliche upon a cliche. Though I tend to avoid profanity most of the time, and consider it a crutch for the linguistically crippled, there are times when it is not only appropriate but the preferable choice. Sad to say, profanity is now the lingua franca of a generation or three. The truth of the narrative is self-evident. In other words, even for contemporary humor it was shallow and crass, but pretty f*ckin' funny, even so.

Goe figured out how to fix the problem. I don't remember which of the links worked but once you get into the Single & Free chat, you will be able to get back into Grease Spot's chat room. the thread

When people asked me if I had kids, I used to answer (with a wry smirk) "none that I know of." When I hold this little tot, it is an awakening to my jaded past's smirky self. Ginger, thanks for your kind words. Ex, thanks for the great stuff to read. On behalf of fathers who know they're fathers, and thank God for it (there are no atheists in foxholes, or in nurseries), thanks to one and all for the good wishes, and happy Fathers Day (belated, but I didn't get around to this thread til now) to my peers in paternity. Regards...

I appreciate your mediation and negotiation skills. I hope others do as well. We haven't heard back from everyone who participated on this thread but if Paw finds your suggested trial period agreeable, I also think it would work. If someone should delete a few key posts however, it would not be a sign of failure. It would all depend on why. As Hope reiterates, other posters have options too. Nothing will have changed since the former location did not have edit limits. A hundred-thousand posts on ezboard suggests a modicum of success. While there is always room for improvement, the status quo is not always a bad thing.

laleo, Sounds like a plan to me. If you are running Internet Explorer, go to Tools, Internet Options, Fonts, and select a "plain text" font you like. You won't find many choices. You should get a preview of them. The change may not take place until you have either shut and re-opened your browser, or re-booted. Not sure.

The most functional word in the English language is... dang. That's right, dang ! Consider this: You can be dang faced, dang out of luck, or have dang for brains. With a little effort, you can get your dang together, find a place for your dang or, decide to dang or get off the pot. You can smoke dang, buy dang, sell dang, lose dang, find dang, forget dang, and tell others to eat dang and die. Some people know their dang, while others can't tell the difference between dang and Shinola. There are lucky dangs, dumb dangs, crazy dangs and sweet dangs. There is bull dang, horse dang and chicken dang. You can throw dang, sling dang, catch dang, shoot the dang, or duck when dang hits the fan. You can give a dang or serve dang on a shingle. You can find yourself in deep dang or be happier than a pig in dang. Some days are colder than dang, some days are hotter than dang and some days are just plain dangty. Some music sounds like dang, things can look like dang, and there are times when you feel like dang. You can have too much dang, not enough dang, the right dang, the wrong dang or a lot of weird dang. You can carry dang, have a mountain of dang, or find yourself up dang creek without a paddle. Sometimes everything you touch turns to dang and other times you fall in a bucket of dang and come out smelling like a rose. When you stop to consider all the facts, it's the basic building block of life. And remember, once you know your dang, you don't need to know anything else. ** This is either from George Carlin or Dennis Miller, if I recollect correctly.

Does anyone think the Ten Commandments would have been as impressive if God had tacked them up on a bulletin board? Why not? It would have saved Him a lot of effort, to say nothing of the electric bill. Didn't God know about bulletin boards? I don't think it was that. As CoolWaters has pointed out, a bulletin board is as informal and temporary a medium as you can get. If everything here were meant to be "written in stone," we'd call Grease Spot a "tablet," not a bulletin board. Now there is the importance of continuity in a dialog, a conversation, a "forum." Even on a "bulletin board." And there is something to be said for allowing the participants to follow their own discretion. 99.9% of the time we've enjoyed the luxury of both without enforcing an edit policy.

laleo, The explanation for editing/deleting is not "I can, so there!" It is "If I need to, please forbear." If there is any arrogance here, it is on the part of a few who would dictate to the rest of us with a certain finality. It seems as if your assessment is based on the complaints of others. It's my perception that 80% of the noise is coming from 20% of those with opinions, leading to an exaggerated perception of the "problem." I agree, posters could be better off thinking about their potential vulnerability before wearing their hearts on their sleeve. But doesn't that translate into posters being too defensive or fearful to post. I think I'd rather people felt willing to take a few "risks," and give them an out if they need it, than require them to be careful and cagey.

Back to the point that deleting a post is irritating to others: Pawtucket, I'd like to submit a list of the things posters do which I've found somewhat irritating. In some cases, it will be what they say and do. In others, just being whoever they are does it. I feel certain once these distractions are out of the way I may finally discipline my mind by believing!

laleo, Just quoting an abbreviated version of your post to address a few points. 1. Some of those most vocal for limits are not exactly known for their "tolerance, generosity, and whatever other virtues they bring..." I'm not asking them for anything. I'm making the case to Grease Spot, not the vocal minority. Also, there are plenty of irritating things on a bulletin board, depending how they might be perceived by a variety of different people. Which ones should we make illegal? 2. Is that the best explanation you've read so far? With so many other points raised, I'm thinking you may have skipped over a few. The "buzz off" response is not offered to everyone - only those who are essentially saying the very same thing to those who would like the edit option. 3&4. You're saying a couple of posters delete everything they write. Do you have any statistics to back that up, other than your own impression? I have a much different impression. I don't edit much, and virtually never delete posts. When I do edit, I usually say why at the bottom. In other words I am considerate of others when I edit, and I expect the same of others. I just haven't seen that much of it. I think you are exaggerating - mightily. 5. It has not been disruptive, in my view. It is a few very vocal opponents of the edit option, the anti-editorialists, if you will, who have made a stink about it. The Waydale and Grease Spot precedent is that editing is permitted. Where there is opportunity for abuse, there will be abuse. Freedom provides such opportunity. Should we abandon freedom to prevent abuse? I don't think so. Neither should we make a rule to abandon a useful tool because it might be abused by a very few, in a relatively very few instances. Grease Spot recently commemmorated 100,000 posts. Of those 100K, how many were deleted with a negative impact on a thread? Twenty? Fifty? A hundred? I doubt that many. We're talking hundredths of one percent most probably. If editing is a benefit to those of us who use it responsibly, why should we give it up because the perceived abuse may irritate a very few. Thus far we've called it "abuse." In the case of the people we've been discussing, I don't consider it abuse when they are only trying to avoid being abused themselves. I'd rather "abuse" a rule than a person, wouldn't you, given the choice? -edited to correct spelling and punctuation because I'm way too hooked on phonics.- [This message was edited by satori on June 17, 2002 at 11:30.]

Hey, whaddya know. There are no limits. Maybe they've been turned on and off by the admin just in testing? There is this: you can edit for 10 minutes without an "edited" message stamp. This acts like a kind of "preview" feature. I just went back to my first posts under satori and I can edit them all.

I was discussing your point in the context of this thread. You seem to be saying: 1. Deleting or editing a post in response to a subsequent post is childish and immature behavior. 2. Deleting or editing a post in response to a subsequent post is futile because the original text is archived. To which I reply: 1. There may be very good reasons for editing or deleting a post. Not everybody who might do the same is behaving like a spoiled brat, just because you've 'fessed up to it. I pointed out that you're speaking only for yourself. 2. If the text of all Grease Spot posts is "out there" and "archived," there should be no further objection to anyone's editing or deleting of their posts, because the internet reality is that they've deleted or edited nothing at all. The original is out there forever. That's about it. ** On to the larger topic... The option of editing makes some people feel better. One cannot edit anyone else's posts, only their own. One cannot disguise the fact that their own posts, once edited, have been so. They cannot edit any part of their post which has been copied by another poster into their own post. The "freedom" to edit has a lot of limitations. We are each highly qualified to say however much should be "enough time" to make a final edit for ourselves. None of us are qualified to say what is "enough time" for others. How can we possibly know how much is "enough" for anyone else? As for the board rules, they are Pawtucket's prerogative. Currently there are edit limitations set. I'd like to see them removed. Whatever Paw decides will have an impact on the board, both positive and negitive. I believe maintaining the limitations will result in a negative net gain. edited to correct - there are no limits for editing currently. They may have been on temporarily, or I may just be on drugs. Sorry for any misunderstandings. [This message was edited by satori on June 17, 2002 at 9:16.]

Per his above post, Grizz edited an earlier post. It was a sad, sad tale of anger and shame and woe. Somebody abused his words, so he up'n deleted the dang post. The moral of the story? Grizz felt no better. No sir! In his big furry heart he knew he was behaving like a "spoiled brat." What's more, he knows, and he wants us all to know, that them words are public, and once'n they's out there, they's out there! Well holy ....fire, folks! If'n they's out there, then they's out there! Why sure! Now... why is this moo-ey im-por-tan-tay, as they say south of el bordit-o? Because it solves our beeeg problem-o. You all who want or need to recover deleted posts, so as to make your lives complete again, hell!, go get 'em! They's out there. Grizz says so. (A number of posters have said so, too.) It therefore really doesn't matter what happens to a post on a given thread. The info is there for all to have and enjoy. The notion of privacy is an illusion. Now, let's be clear that not everybody shares the motives of a "spoiled brat." I guess that was the poster's implication, but it just ain't true. Some folks have adult reasons for doin' stuff, even if other "spoiled brats" (you know who you are) don't like it. Maybe their hitherto private handle has become public, because somebody has a beeeeg fat yap, or some nosey, nosey person has poked her big, fat nose where it didn't belong, and once she snorted up the new info, her big, fat mouth then went into high gear. (This is all hypothetical, of course. We don't know anybody with either a big, fat nose for other people's business, or a big, fat mouth for blabbing it. But it could happen some day.) Suddenly, there is a lot of stuff out there, once shared in anonymity, now majorly biographical. Can everybody see why that could be a problem? I knew you could neighbors! That's all. Thank you for letting me share!

Would have been a gas if you'd joined.

A little old lady goes to the doctor and says, "Doctor I have this problem with gas, but it really doesn't bother me too much. My farts never smell and are always silent. As a matter of fact, I've farted at least 20 times since I've been here in your office. You didn't know I was farting because they don't smell and are silent." The doctor says, "I see, take these pills and come back to see me next week." The next week the lady comes back. "Doctor," she says, "I don't know what the hell you gave me, but now my farts...although still silent...stink terribly." The doctor says, "Good!!! Now that we've cleared up your sinuses, let's work on your hearing.