Hard News: Let's lynch the liberals!
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Are many of our regulars also Usenet veterans?
Yup. I, for one, resemble that descriptor. Back in the dim and distant void that was the early nineties I was a regular contributor to one of those highbrowed discussion forums, alt.drunkenbastards iirc. That was so much fun. We had a painter from Sheffield, a policeman from Hackney and an assortment of wonderful weirdoes. So when Hard News went on line I was a shoe in, as it were.
Remind me Russell, how did this all start again? it was way before the "Since" date of November 2006. -
Are many of our regulars also Usenet veterans
Indeed, and listserv vets (Danielle, Danielle...I used to feel intimidated by your prose way back then, just so you know)
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That's what made Usenet untenable in the end for me.
I never go there now. But I'm involved with two forums full of refugees: this one, and the X-RSRU (ie: rec.sport.rugby.union) mailing list of 10 or so people such as Tracey Nelson, who bailed a while after the 1995 Rugby World Cup, which brought too many fools online. Although I mostly lurk there these days ;-)
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My approach to PAS began a little like my take on Wikipedia. That it was generally better to say something, anything, whatever little you know or think about something, than to say nothing. It all contributes to the big project.
But PAS has matured somewhat, as has Wiki. It's not so easy to write a large piece of Wikipedia anymore, and there are expectations that you don't just write gobshite. Unless it's clearly just chatty, get an idea out stuff, I'm generally deleting most of what I write these days. This post, for instance, is about a fifth of the actual words I wrote.
It does seem a bit odd to do that, but I've found that once I've written something, then I can look at it, and think about it. I tend to think about it then from how other people might see it and argue against it, or just judge it. After that I tend to respond to that. Quite often that's led to going off to find some research or evidence. Which has very often killed my original enthusiasm for even saying the first thing. But the time was not wasted, and what I do usually give at that point is better for it.
I'm not entirely sure this is a better way to do things. But it's how this forum is, so I'm getting with the program. In a funny way, I'm moving back towards lurking.
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And of course, there's the very substantial impact of women on the culture of PAS.
The women who blog here are, of course, all totally awesome -- but also, more women post in discussion here than on any general forum I can think of, and I've often used the way the women are feeling about a particular discussion as a bellwether.
I'm indebted to Danielle for her assurance in handling discussions and her pivotal role in the establishment of that important philosophical entity, the Public Address Women's XV. And I like how she can be firm without being, in her words, all judgeypants.
The Women's XV will also, of course, be the focus of some conflict itself. But I'd rather have it than not.
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Are many of our regulars also Usenet veterans?
I am, yes. Early 90s. I lost my taste for Usenet some time around 98 or 99, I think, after the signal to noise ratio decreased beyond my tolerance. PAS actually does remind me of the better times on, say, soc.culture.new-zealand, for sure.
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soc.culture.new zealand was the *first* internet forum I ever posted on - and did, regularly, until the hoon factor became overwhelming (and an innocent post actually brought about a libel suit from 2 wannabe developers - who are are now long-gone and not lamented- that cost Big O community and another innocent person quite a lot of money.) There was a *lot* of useful info carried on soc-cult (I've still got over a 1000 pages of downloaded printedout material) and it was a pity the nasties got in so soon and so vilely.
But - this has been an aspect of teh tubes since (almost) the beginning: you get the creative conversationalists & good info sharers, and you get the hoonish juveniles and really vicious nasties.
Ah well, that's humanz eh?
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Aoraki is the mountain. Waitaki is the river. Takitimu is the ancestral canoe/ship/vessel of origin. Kai Tahu are the people.
Thanks to Islander for that post. Was really informative to here a definition like that if you don't know a person yet.
Herr Abenslass or something this time round
Sad that I missed out on that. Was probably quite a nice argument again...:)
It's like an uninvited guest at a party, who throws up in the kitchen, hits on your wife (partner/ girlfriend/ teenage daughter/ son), breaks your favourite vase, then just when you think they've been ejected, you wake up to find them sleeping in the flower bed out front.
Shouldn't be that bad. It is still a virtual discussion on a web blog.
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Ah, but those virtual discussions on a web log can have some realworld/time nasty effects, Ben Shirmer.
I encountered these quite a few years ago, and have been leary ever since.
Anyway, good to learn you've appreciated the wee Maori pepeha ('saying', for want of a better translation.)
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Shouldn't be that bad. It is still a virtual discussion on a web blog.
Hello Ben, I'm Jackie. I'm not virtual, I am flesh and blood, therefore any discussion we have on this forum is also not virtual but real, and valid, and means as much as an offline face to face discussion. PAS is a community of people. Real, live, human beings. Not faceless robots. And thus.......do you see where I'm going with this? The reason most of us use our real names is that we recognise that this is a community made up of all different sorts of people. And we, by and large, don't say stuff to each other in our online discussions that we wouldn't say to each other in our offline discussions. Not real life discussions, because, you know, this is real life. Hard concept to grasp, I know.
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Farrar implements vote-driven comment suppression/highlighting says Standard.
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Hard concept to grasp, I know.
As a teacher, I like to think you have given a good lesson and as a newbie, let us give him/ her a chance,but because you are the teacher, of course you know best :)
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Hi Jackie, I don't have any problem to get this point. I really appreciate this concept.
From my viewpoint there is another layer of interaction as soon as random people enter the discussion. There I think the discussion is located in a more virtual dimension.
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That is very well put and how I feel too, Jackie.
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Was I too bossy, do you think?
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May I say that the *only* reason I dont use my 'real' name (Islander is a translation of my 'real' surname) is because there are people on teh inter-tubes who really dont like what I write, and do pursue me into excellent fora - like this one .
And pretty well every regular poster here knows my actual name-
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let us give him/ her a chance
Thank you for the hospitality.
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From my viewpoint there is another layer of interaction as soon as random people enter the discussion. There I think the discussion is located in a more virtual dimension.
I don't agree, Ben. I don't know you, but then, I don't know many of the people who post here. It makes you no less real to me, or what you say easier to dismiss.
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That is probably because I also act like I would, if we would have a talk like this in another surrounding. Not everyone does though.
Sometimes this concept is not healthy at all. When people just show up to insult people or make a mess, I wouldn't take it really serious.
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I was just explaining to another PASer( not my man) that I accept the possibility of split personality, or autistic, possibly just socially unajusted or younger, so can ride over what I dont agree with.Possibly seen as virtual? Just, really try to accept the definite differences, and when I don't agree, I try not to judge, cos it is only me. Gawd I cant imagine being judgemental and if I come across as that please make me aware.
cheers me and glen (morangie), dont we just love silly season. -
I laphroaig it
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I don't use the concept of virtual not to filter opinions that I disagree with, but for statements, which have no relevance to the discussion.
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I laphroaig it
Wanna cup of tea? 'Tis good.
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herr ablassend (or what ever your name is today). Have you learnt anything at all from this thread?
Anything?
You may think you're trolling – and I'm sure you're snickering proudly. But dude, you're just offensive. Offensive and disrespectful.
Go. Away.
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but for statements, which have no relevance to the discussion.
Right you (and others) probably ignore me then.:) C'est la vie!
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