Why is it that the people on this forum are so amazingly great when met in person yet often bring out the worst in each other online?

Also, the people on this forum are fucking stupid.

(Do you see what I'm doing here?)

so now what?

I think the only solution is all-out nuclear holocaust.

(I watched "T3" before bed last night and it's made me all apocolypty.)

mega xpost to "what now?"

I have never threatened to leave, even in my mind.

Fuck y'all.

(Yeah, I saw what you were doin there Dan)

So, yeah, as it's pretty clear, the people with a lot of free time on his/her hands (I plead guilty) tend to monopolize the boards and set the tone... as a free public forum, this is unavoidable.

yet, from some accounts, meetings with all the accused in question have been very positive.

It's just strange to me, now that I've met a lot of people on this forum, that my life would that much more empty had i not met them, yet every thread seems to be this frustrating struggle between personalities that don't know how to filter each other and themselves.

"would you like fries with that?"

(heavy accent) "yes, yes fries."

"here you are sir."

(heavy accent) "that is amazingly great thank you"

(xp)

-- amateur!st (amateur!s...) (webmail), June 28th, 2004 3:02 PM. (amateurist) (later) (link)

i hope i haven't offended you direly.

(for the record, the people I'm talking about have not posted on this thread yet)

*raises hand*

On the other hand I have met folks for whom there is a bigger difference between online and in person personas. (Or at least it's easier to miss the difference between really pissed off and smiling while they make the comment or whatever.) (I'm thinking specifically of hstencil, who sometimes reads like he's a lot more annoyed than I know him to ever get in person... I'm hesitant to single him out as an example, but folks have been asking, so I thought I'd give one. I do want to point out that I like both of his personas, on and offline, but they are a little further apart than other posters I know in person. At least in my observation.) For all I know, I'm one of the ones who seems more different online just because I don't use emoticons or anything like that to diffuse sarcasm or something else that could be interpreted incorrectly.

It would be relatively easy to implement a "show" button for killfiled posts, no? That way, if a killfiled post disrupts the flow of a conversation each user could have the ability to restore the post? Maybe that's more effort than is necessary, though. Wasn't it Jesus who said, "Turn the other cheek?"

and less revolting (nyeh nyeh bnw :-p)

I myself would at least like to really feel a great deal of affection toward every single one of you guys out there. I mean, I feel like the only people on this forum who have a problem with me have a problem with me at least partly because of my own doing, which is much more preferable than having someone have a problem with me for no apparent reason at all, and without said person actually taking the time to actually get to connect with me. This totally makes this forum a great deal better than almost every single other one out there; to me, regret is a much easier emotion to deal with than anger mixed with confusion and puzzlement.

Sure, sometimes I might feel a palpable sense of loneliness because it seems I'm the only person around here who does certain things (e.g. attend weekly Mass services) and part of the reason why I harp on about some of these things is because I'm hoping someone else will go, "I do the same exact thing!", but as each day progresses I realize that's just a part of modern day human existence. And the rest of this point I shall save for my little journal thingy.

I wish political blogs were more like some music blogs, where instead of "SEE? SEE? MY TEAM IS RIGHT! HERE ARE 50 LINKS TO PROVE IT!" we got a little more of the author trying to figure out things for themselves, a little more admission that they don't know what their position is.
This is a fantastic idea, bnw. Maybe I should try to work on creating another journal to explore why I think the way I think when it comes to certain sociopolitical beliefs of mine. Or something.

(a) if "in character" means "different from the way I act in person" then no, at least I don't think so.

(b) I used to. Less and less so lately.

b) These days, not at all, really.

I read ILX both from at work, where I have a fast, (mostly) reliable, FREE broadband connection, and at home, where I have a slow, clunky, connection which I pay BT rates BY THE MINUTE for. Yes, it's my own fault that I post from home, when really, I should be constrain myself to only posting from work.

Yes, it's my own fault that I surf with images turned on. At work, I have broadband, and can handle whatever gets thrown my way, because hey, it's free. 99% of the people on ILX post small images that are on-topic and actually informative, so it's actually worth paying for the extra 5 seconds to download them, or else they confine their huge images to picture-threads.

One person on ILX consistently posts huge, high-resolution images, often with no actual connection to the subject being discussed, repeatedly, dozens of images in a row, often attached to wacky scripts. I *try* to avoid clicking on these threads when I'm at home, like I try to avoid clicking on my own image-heavy threads when I'm at home, and like I avoid clicking on C*l*m threads, because I know they will only wind me up, and I just can't be bothered.

But the images freaking pop up all over the place. THIS COSTS ME MONEY. Sure, maybe it's only a few pence at a time, but you know, if I was in a social setting, and someone repeatedly kept reaching into my pocket and taking my money without my consent, I'd have them prosecuted for theft.

OK, it's my fault for posting from home. It's my fault for not investing the time and money in getting a faster connection in my home. It's my fault for leaving the images turned on so that I can enjoy the responsible image use of 99% of other posters. Yeah, it's my choice, and ultimately my phone bill that I have to accept responsibility for.

That's a lot of blame I'm willing to take. But how much freaking imposition do I have to take in order for one cunt to get his jollies?

This will pretty much be moot at the end of this week, as I'm moving into a house with no landline and no internet connection. But I just wanted to get it off my chest and out of my system exactly WHY I'm irritated and "acting like a cockfarmer". I am "acting like a cockfarmer" because Jon Williams' jollies COST ME MONEY.

No need to offer helpful hints about even more ways I can bend over backwards to avoid being imposed upon. I think that minimising my ILX use will actually be good for me.

anyway...

I really just don't understand the abnegation of responsibility that some of the posters here seem to indulge in.

Maybe I'm overly concerned with this sort of thing, but if I consistently piss someone off, online or IRL, my first thought is "What am I doing to provoke this anger?" Really. That's my first thought. "What did I do?"

I examine my behaviour and my motivations, and if I find I am doing something that I would consider irritating, then that's *my* problem, and I apologise, explain, and try not to do it again. If I'm doing something that I don't consider irritating, or something that is so deeply engrained in my personality that it would be impossible to change it, then yes, that is *their* problem.

It's just amazing how certain folks on ILX (not just JW) can skip directly to the second half without ever even considering the first part.

There is a certain kind of character that seems to take pride in being consistently hated. If you take pride for being hated for sticking to your principles, or doing right in the face of wrong, I can understand that pride. But too many people forget the principles bit, and just concentrate on just being hated, because hey, even negative attention is better than no attention. To me, that is inconsiderate, selfish, not to mention extremely childish.

Anyway. That's my 2p. I'm off to bank my tax return. For all the irritation that ILX has often caused me, getting a big fat check I never knew I was entitled to, because of useful advice given on ILX almost... almost... makes up for it. That'll pay my phone bill for a few years.

I really just don't understand the abnegation of responsibility that some of the posters here seem to indulge in.

Ha ha! That's actually unintentionally very funny - hypocrisy in juxtaposition. Like I said, it will no longer matter in two days. Kill-file to automatically turn certain posters' pictures into links is how I would program it, but hey, I'm justifiably not a programmer here. ;-)

Kate, you are so right. The anonymity of the InterWeb seems to allow such behaviour, because if these people would act like this in real life, they would have no friends. Or perhaps they've already pissed off all their friends, so they have to piss off strangers online. Still, I can't see the point of that. If none of other people mean anything to them, why post on boards at all. And if other folks do mean something to them, why not act like a sensible person, and get respected as such? Surely being respected is better than being hated?

"Yes, it's my own fault that I surf with images turned on."
"Yes, it's my own fault that I surf with images turned on."
"Yes, it's my own fault that I surf with images turned on."
"Yes, it's my own fault that I surf with images turned on."
"Yes, it's my own fault that I surf with images turned on."

often attached to wacky scripts. ?????

HA HA xpost

This impressive dish will be a triumph at your Burns Night supper.

Contributed by Mike Lewis

The haggis is Scotland's most famous contribution to the culinary arts. Vegetarians who know what it contains would leave the country rather than risk eating it, but fortunately we have found an excellent vegan version which is not only healthier than the original, it tastes a lot better too.

Haggis is, of course, the centerpiece of the traditional Burns Night supper, held each year on January 25. It is served amid much pomp and ceremony - not to mention whisky. It is usually eaten with mashed potato and neeps (rutabaga), the two vegetables often being mashed together with a liberal dose of ground pepper.

This recipe can be prepared in advance, ready to bake before serving. The quantities are for four people, but don't worry if the servings look small - the dish is very filling.

* ½ cup (3 oz, 75 g) fine oatmeal (the pinhead variety works best)
* 2/3 cup (4 oz, 110g) of brown or green lentils
* 1 large onion, chopped
* 1 tbsp. vegetable oil
* 2 large carrots, finely grated
* 4 to 6 mushrooms, sliced
* 1 tsp. ground spices (your choice of cumin, turmeric, paprika or nutmeg, in any combination)
* 1 tbsp. soy sauce
* One 14-oz (400 g) can of kidney beans, drained and rinsed
* 2 cloves of garlic, finely minced
* Salt and pepper to taste
* Knob of dairy-free margarine

Oven: Pre-heat to 375F (190C)

Put the oatmeal in a bowl and cover with water. Let it stand for at least an hour. Drain thoroughly.

Place the lentils in a pan of water and boil rapidly for 20 - 30 minutes or until soft (the time will vary according to the type of lentils). When the lentils are ready, drain and rinse them in a sieve.

Sautée the onion in the oil until it is soft. Add the carrots and mushrooms, and cook for a little longer. Then add the spices, soy sauce, cooked lentils and about a quarter of the kidney beans.

Using a food processor or blender, purée the remainder of the beans to form a thick paste (add a little water if necessary to prevent it getting too stiff). Add this to the lentil and vegetable mixture.

Finally, add the drained oatmeal, salt and pepper, and the garlic. If the mixture looks too dry, add the margarine. Mix well.

Transfer to an oven-proof dish and bake for 30 to 40 minutes.

March 2003

also tokyo rosemary to thread

Sorry I missed you when you were in town DB.