I see our longest-standing member (August 2007-) is...

skully wrote:You're in a bit of a drear tonight, JD, no? For one, you came back. Why was that?

I never went away. Time off to do others things is what some of us call living.

So are you proposing we go all sweetness and light, and they'll start flocking in, in droves?

I don't think anything we can do (short of an expensive advertising campaign) will magically boost member numbers, so getting current members posting is the next best thing. And it has happened, so yes, I do see that as progress. We bottomed out at a lousy 4,400 posts in Oct last year and have been steadily climbing since.

What would you have us do? What is your magical solution?

That's not what I'm saying at all. I'm objecting to your position that getting everyone at each other's throats is basically what's best for the forum as, number one, the post count goes up, and, two, you personally find it amusing - therefore everyone else must. Or they're gay or something. Part of a pack of gaymos. The times they are a-gayin'. Gay to the max.

I've no idea if more people would join up and choose to stick around if they were confronted with a forum that wasn't chocked full of quite risible cyber big shots out for their pound of internet flesh.

But I do know that no-one is doing so at present. Frankly, why would they? Look at how certain forummers are treated. Why would you sign up for that?

skully wrote:Well, I did try to "agree-to-disagree". Perhaps I'll leave it at that.

This discussion is like our forummers. They can be lectured until their ears bleed, but they ain't gonna change.

So yet another "oh all this bitching and sh!tfighting is driving away potential members" drear-rant is just a smoke screen IMHO.

It's not a rant. Maybe it's driving folk away, maybe it isn't. But your suggestion that you're somehow doing great work on behalf of the forum by going on a poking rampage is ridiculously self-serving and entirely without merit.

Dello wrote:
That's not what I'm saying at all. I'm objecting to your position that getting everyone at each other's throats is basically what's best for the forum as, number one, the post count goes up, and, two, you personally find it amusing - therefore everyone else must. Or they're gay or something. Part of a pack of gaymos. The times they are a-gayin'. Gay to the max.

I've no idea if more people would join up and choose to stick around if they were confronted with a forum that wasn't chocked full of quite risible cyber big shots out for their pound of internet flesh.

But I do know that no-one is doing so at present. Frankly, why would they? Look at how certain forummers are treated. Why would you sign up for that?

I stated that "History has shown...". We seem to gravitate to such sessions, and when we look back (ABC, C4 and this place) they are the threads that are remembered - rightly or wrongly.

If it makes you feel better to apportion blame to me for the forum's "demise", go for your life. Makes no difference to me. Nor will your and Pete's ongoing lecture tour on "proper tea-drinking forum decorum". If I see fair game I will say so. If I'm poked I will respond. If I create trivia, I will post it. If I see a provocative article, I will link it.

Now you're reading words that aren't there. Where did I blame you "for the forum's demise"?

And what has Pete got to do with what I've posted? Or can you only think of people in terms of packs? Helps sell the sense of victimisation in your mind?

Dello wrote:

skully wrote:Well, I did try to "agree-to-disagree". Perhaps I'll leave it at that.

This discussion is like our forummers. They can be lectured until their ears bleed, but they ain't gonna change.

So yet another "oh all this bitching and sh!tfighting is driving away potential members" drear-rant is just a smoke screen IMHO.

It's not a rant. Maybe it's driving folk away, maybe it isn't. But your suggestion that you're somehow doing great work on behalf of the forum by going on a poking rampage is ridiculously self-serving and entirely without merit.

Poke rampage [snigger]. It's usually one poke, and the Badger pack rides in and has a field day.

The only thing I take credit for, JD, is posting enough for this place not to sink into the sloppy bog of forgotten forums. I don't advocate sh!tfests as the key ingredient for a successful four, merely that they are part and parcel. But for Pete and you to continually "tsk tsk" about it, is having absolutely no effect, other than to generate discussions like this.

Skully ... as far as I see it, the only alternative to gung-ho swaggering atop a dungheap is NOT some supposed Garden of Eden, with everyone wearing a cute plastic halo and going happy-clappy bottom-slappy.

That's an absolutely fake opposition - "my way is better than your way" - and I'm amazed you still try to create it.

The alternativeS are many, and whatever is not gung-ho swaggering atop a dungheap. For example, live and let live. You seem to think I am one of those who is trying to close down tolerance, but - how should I put it? - that seems a narrow view to me. I could express it more strongly.

To put it another way: does it not at least give you pause that a number of rather different individuals, who are not otherwise banded together in some canine huddle, have been pointing out very similar things in their own different ways?


PS: Am I calling Flaming Bails a dungheap? No, I am speaking metaphorically.

Dello wrote:Now you're reading words that aren't there. Where did I blame you "for the forum's demise"?

And what has Pete got to do with what I've posted? Or can you only think of people in terms of packs? Helps sell the sense of victimisation in your mind?

The premise of your argument is that sh!tfests are counterproductive and that I am at the forefront of promoting such sh!tfests. Forgive me if I took from that 2+2=4 but should have got 5, and misunderstood.

Pete has been on a similarly boring lecture tour over the past week, and I told him so last night.

PeterCS wrote:Skully ... as far as I see it, the only alternative to gung-ho swaggering atop a dungheap is NOT some supposed Garden of Eden, with everyone wearing a cute plastic halo and going happy-clappy bottom-slappy.

That's an absolutely fake opposition - "my way is better than your way" - and I'm amazed you still try to create it.

The alternativeS are many, and whatever is not gung-ho swaggering atop a dungheap. For example, live and let live. You seem to think I am one of those who is trying to close down tolerance, but - how should I put it? - that seems a narrow view to me. I could express it more strongly.

To put it another way: does it not at least give you pause that a number of rather different individuals, who are not otherwise banded together in some canine huddle, have been pointing out very similar things in their own different ways?


PS: Am I calling Flaming Bails a dungheap? No, I am speaking metaphorically.

Pete, this "my way is better than your way" is gold coming from you. Is that not exactly what you are doing? I have not advocated that sh!tfests ARE the be-all and end-all of a successful forum, merely that they happen and will always happen. And for you and JD to endlessly lecture that we should go out of our way to avoid them, is ludicrous. And I have tried to say so.

As I've said, if i see something that is stoopid, I will say so. Sure, I get it wrong from time to time, but inevitably me getting it wrong generates as much traffic as anything. If you think I log on and immediately try to seek out something to have a go at, you are mistaken. The usual trigger is simple. I am brought up in a post. This morning the first post I saw was "Is skulls Lags?"

As I stated last night, you appear to have two choices Pete, become a moderator and do what you see fit, or remain a poster and stop moderating.

And in true Laura fashion (Oh dear, that will probably offend) it's time for the poo defence, or in this chase "paint de fence". Backyard Saturday morning chores call.

Could be the time is right for a bit of a rethink, skull . . .

I've had a few drinks but

1 gawd, is this still going on?!! Maybe a 2 day ban for some perspective. Or the wheelchair avatar.

2 the reason forum fighys are good fun is that they are rare. If hey are contrived, regular and nonsensical they are not fun. I'd rather have 5 quality posts than endless posta of deliberate argument. Should be the exception rationed than the rule.

3. Hello tac. Hope you are we'll.

4. 1 forum point for each Laura, hearsay, stupid reference in my sleekly.

And I can't be arsed to edit the typos. Auto spells a bitch.

skully wrote:
I have not advocated that sh!tfests ARE the be-all and end-all of a successful forum, merely that they happen and will always happen. And for you and JD to endlessly lecture that we should go out of our way to avoid them, is ludicrous. And I have tried to say so.

Once again teaming me and Pete up as a single entity, pushing forward an imaginary position of your own invention.

Feel free to quote where I said you - or anyone - should go out of your way to avoid "shitfests".

At the risk of (further) labouring the point, I objected to your implication that generating a bad atmosphere is great for business, therefore anything goes as far as you're concerned, as you're just taking one for the team, for the good of mankind, getting the post count ticking and using this embarrassingly thin defence as justification for making a poor judgement call in going after someone you thought was an easy target, Lara, only to have it backfire spectacularly as people called you out for an unprovoked and totally unnecessary lunge - in turn leading to some pretty wild and random defensive thrashing about. Not unlike the famous Hearsay thread which centred around one guy who was too proud or embarrassed to climb down from his position of wrongness, and degenerated from there.

Of course things get heated from time to time. Flaming Bails prides itself on having some of the most thin-skinned, childish, needy thumb-suckers ever committed to cyberspace. It's to our great credit that we offer them a place to call home.

But don't try and hide behind the stats - take responsibility for your own behaviour. You've been acting like a plum. That's your prerogative, of course. But let's not pretend that it has anything to do with the "momentum" of the forum, or the post-count or any of that bollocks.

there was the NFI meltdown involving someone whose name is not Ian

There was monkeygate; in probably 2 or 3 versions

there was hearsay, which was spectacular

there was the poo defence

there was a thread where we were all conclusively proven to be not the nicest forumers

black helicopters descended on a compound in Sarf London

there was orange and banana truckling

there was the Disney channel, and the sudden disappearance of half the forum's more attractive posts

Sarah's departure as Sarah was sudden and very noisy

there was a heinous accusation of photo-shopping which led to a Victorian damsel being distressed

there was a furious debate on the effects of altitude on phallic dimensions

there was Danny beating up mentally ill maidens



... at least they were entertaining. This latest 'furore' is banal to the point of being incomprehensible. Storm in a teacup? The tea is chamomile, or perhaps 1000 litres of a very thin soup; and the storm is a Mardi Gras f@rt.

Surely there are bigger points to labour (that's addressed to both sides, but mainly to skully, I think you've lost it a bit here, mate) and there are fights or debates that are more worthwhile?

Boring tits.

Approximately 50 posts in the last 12 hours. Well played Dello, Pete, Laura and lardy. I hope you are proud. Your mind-bending "solutions" are clearly "working".

skully wrote:
[sigh]
As is the English way, you lot have been bemoaning the inevitable death of this palce for over a year. I declared I wouldn't let it happen, and I believe we have J-curved and the place is gaining some momentum again, no?

Forgive me for the glib post and I don't want to 'Badger Pack' it, but this post reminded me of the below quote by Commissioner Gordon in the Dark Knight:


Because he's the hero Gotham deserves, but not the one it needs right now...and so we'll hunt him, because he can take it. Because he's not a hero. He's a silent guardian, a watchful protector...a dark knight."

Skully is the new batman?

Meh, say what you wish. At least it's traffic. But Dello, Pete, Dan [snigger - oh, the irony - you ARE the Badger Pack, man] and lardy will get all haughty because it's not "quality" traffic.

Deary me, how seriously do you snobby qunts wanna take this place?

What, lardy isn't in our pack? Bradders? Ponts? I reckon they must be, Lags.

He is now. Farkin Pommy Badger qunt, he is.

I liked the irony of vilks asking a genuine question about you being like Lagaan and you had a 'stoush' with him for it, putting words into his previous posts. How very Lagaan

Well, I may very well be guilty of going to the very last post that was made prior to me logging on this morning and going "WTF?". I saw "Is skully Lags?" and thought "what, what, WHAT?" Happy to admit it, and happy to apologise to vilks, and any other of the numerous moderators that now haunt the joint.

As you know, Dan, I am well guilty of sometimes (nay regularly) not carefully reading some posts before replying in a rapid but sometimes not-carefully-thought-out post. But it adds to the ambience of this fine place.

But the lecturous lecturing that went on from that point is, well.... FMD, are you guys serious?

What is this place now? S&L Central?? FFS, have a good look at yourselves.

Dello is all "Oh, we need to be more cuddly and welcoming."

Pete is all "Tsk, tsk, you're a nasty man, skulls"

vilks is all "Bwahahahahaha - yap".

Laura is all, well, Laura Laura Laura.

Even lardy, who berates and abuses Red on a regular basis, is all "skulls, you are out of line"

And Dan is all

At least Dan is just a little less self-righteous than the rest of your farkin' preachers. Jeeezus, are you kidding me? Do you want this Forum to win a Nobel Peace Prize or summat?

Deary me, what are we, the UN of Forums now? All peace and light and hope for the future. Farkin' get over yourselves.

I can't be wrong in any way, they've all got it in for me, I still haven't even read their posts properly to this point... Lord Lagaan, 2007

4 to go

Brass Monkey wrote:I can't be wrong in any way, they've all got it in for me, I still haven't even read their posts properly to this point... Lord Lagaan, 2007

Cheers, Dan. At least I am more than happy to admit where I've farked up.

Well, obviously I'm not saying you're totally like Lagaan. You're held in higher regard than that by a comfortable distance.