Forum: Author Hangout

Discord is the name of the site/app. It started out as a chat server for gamers.

IIRC, it runs kinda like IRC did. But you can look up comments made before you logged in

Don 't know what IRC

Internet Relay Chat.

an old time telephone party line that you can join voluntarily

My recollection of a party line is that it was NOT voluntary. If you wanted a telephone, it was a party line. "Private" lines came later and were expensive.

It's the PC and internet that I never got involved in.

IRC predated the Web. And I first encountered it via dumb terminals rather than PCs.

Yes, but you can also respond to comments that were made before you logged in. It's mostly group chat, although certain comments will be flagged as of interest to you, particularly if someone responded to you or addressed you in their comment.

And sorry. I figured you were the right age range to remember IRC.

Hell no! After watching thread after thread here wander away from the original point, seeing few of my fellow 'writers' and rude, opinionated, pedantic asses, I think this is quite enough.

I think I resemble that remark~!

Hell no! After watching thread after thread here wander away from the original point, seeing few of my fellow 'writers' and rude, opinionated, pedantic asses, I think this is quite enough.

You really need to stop holding stuff in and tell us what you really feel. Just sayin...

snide remarks, oneupsmanship and name-calling.

After a while it stops being a for um and becomes an against um.

It seems like when a useful or interesting thread starts, there are about a dozen posts that are germaine to the topic, then it gets off into snide remarks, oneupsmanship and name-calling.

For the vast majority of them I would agree. There has been maybe four or five threads that really pissed me off, but I tend to get over such things fast.

As I've stated elsewhere, I was run down in my youth (as in truck ran over me) due to being a half breed. That has colored some of my responses, but I recognize intellectually my first response has that potential. I try to pause at such times, but I'm not always successful.

Beyond that, very little bothers me much. The name calling I could do without, especially being the subject of it on several occasions. However, when those people have resorted to name calling, it only makes their argument weaker; if they had one to begin with, so that too, gets left by the roadside for me at least.

On the whole, I think this forum is better than most. Though I have noted an element of "burn them at the stake for heresy" slipping in. When it goes full Fahrenheit 451/1984, I'll bail.

As for the thread drift, it's the norm. You may as well try to herd cats that broke into the catnip factory. Just skip around the patties until you find post on solid ground.

Edited for spelling

Sadly it's a fact that only one extremist loudmouth can disrupt a public meeting; one flaming bully can bring down a forum; and one small turd can ruin a punch bowl. Best defense (with the exception of the punch) is to ignore them and talk around them. In other more shell-shocked areas of the 'net, the word is "Don't feed the trolls!" It works.

The same goes for hate-flaming, lying politicians: if the press would ignore them we'd maybe have more civil discourse.

It's a mistake to let the few run roughshod over the many.

Sadly it's a fact that only one extremist loudmouth can disrupt a public meeting; one flaming bully can bring down a forum; and one small turd can ruin a punch bowl.

Luckily there are several options if such a thing happens on this forum. First is reporting abuse to our web master. He usually is very alert and fast responding. He has several options such as banning the abuser or simply closing the thread. There might be other options. Some threads do get heated, most likely a political or religious discussion, which our web master has kindly asked not to do on this forum.

I wasn't aware of that. I frequently poke fun at Creationists and Warmists :-(

Not sure about the religious discussions but definitely the political ones. And he doesn't mind as long as it's all in good fun :)

Not sure about the religious discussions but definitely the political ones. And he doesn't mind as long as it's all in good fun :)

In today's hyper-polarized political environment, I have serious doubts pertaining to the "in good fun" part. In my opinion, he's got the right idea by asking for no discussions for current politics.

How are we supposed to get rid of the swarm of blood sucking parasites if we can't talk about them?

We need to find a variant of DDT that works on them.

It's too bad that the old south defense of; "Your Honor, he just needed killin" doesn't hold water anymore.

It's too bad that the old south defense of; "Your Honor, he just needed killin" doesn't hold water anymore.

Ah, the "deserved homicide".

Yeah, that really should be properly codified into law.

In today's hyper-polarized political environment, I have serious doubts pertaining to the "in good fun" part. In my opinion, he's got the right idea by asking for no discussions for current politics.

Yes he does have the right idea but as the last year has proven he is lenient with this as long as those discussions remain civil. He also has closed threads because of it.

Name calling just shows the weakness of the argument. Some people allow themselves to get spun up out of control. At such times, name calling is all they have. I usually just ignore it, and in some cases, get a laugh out of it.

I do have a question though. When does a politician not deserve abuse?

in the 'service' of their country.

Yeah, politicians are a variant of service providers, I suppose. Although much more expensive, and it's not as enjoyable when they 'service' you.