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by maxwell edison

Closed to new repliesThis discussion is closed. It stays readable, but it takes no new replies.

SINCE mattj2121@msn.com is so obviously unhappy with TechRepublic AND the users, his (free or otherwise) membership should be cancelled.

---------- My message to TechRepublic ----------

Dear TechRepublic,

Re: Forum Abuse by mattj2121@msn.com

All you have to do is search your site for the instances of this person's messages, and you'll clearly see that he continually abuses the site and disrespects the other contributing members.

Here are two such examples (There are many more):

https://www.techrepublic.com/forumdiscuss/thread_detail.jhtml?thread_id=117661&message_id=709681

https://www.techrepublic.com/forumdiscuss/thread_detail.jhtml?thread_id=110909&message_id=709679

This is uncalled for, and should not be tolerated. Please consider this a request from a contributing member to banish him from the site.

Thank you,

Maxwell T. Edison

---------- End of Message ----------

If anyone else agrees, feel free to cut and paste my message - changing my name to yours - and click on the contact TR link at the bottom of this page. Let's get this jerk outta' here.

66 replies

by thechas

Maxwell,

Thanks for bringing this up.

I have had some luck contacting Veronica Combs, the Director of Community Content on these kinds of issues.

There is a similar 'member' (I use the term loosely) who keeps asking for bootleg copies of Warcraft in the Q&A forum.

When we 'politely' inform them that that is not what we do here, they respond with abusive comments.

Since TR does not monitor the forums, perhaps it is time to start a program to deal with immature site members.

Theones that use their e-mail address as user names could be easy to deal with.

Just open a new account at Yahoo, Netscape, or Hotmail, and start sending articles on maturity to the member.

Anyone have any other ideas?

Chas

by jackofalltech

I just read the postings of this lamer and I'm going to follow-up on this mail idea. However, I'm going to add a twist - I'll use automation to send a few hundred if not a thousand 'reminders' to grow up.

Ralph

by thechas

Maxwell, I just received an e-mail from Ms. Combs that both of our troubling members have been sent warning notices.

Hopefully, they will either leave the site, or mature.

Chas

by maxwell edison

Veronica sent me a reply to my complaint as well.

I've found that TechRepublic is very responsive to inquiries and comments sent to them. Perhaps they can't answer all of them, but I think they do prioritize and make an attempt to answer.

I'm glad they sent the offender(s) a warning. That one message directed at admin was really uncalled for, as he seems to be a nice guy, he's helpful, and interesting to converse with.

Thanks for taking the time to get involved.

by oldefar

I like the idea of members taking responsibility for addressing concerns with abusive postings.

I also liked Chas' thought on responding directly to an abusive poster via email. Setting up a seperate account is an excellent way of avoiding an ongoing and escalating "shouting match".

by guruofdos

There are some of us who thrive on a little 'digging' and have the maturity and sense of humour to know when our compadre's on here are having a little joke with each other. Some people however do use the forums to mouth off at anybody and everybody. I have seen sites where other members can register a comment (good or bad) against another 'member'. Enough bad comments causes the offender to be 'warned', then restricted, then forcibly objected!! Good comments add up to 'gold stars' or 'Brownie Points' or whatever....perhaps a few 'bonus' Techpoints for being a TR 'good egg' wouldn't go amiss?!!

The idea of setting up 'dummy' email accounts can work against us too...block a 'goober' and they may just 'reappear' in another guise!

by guruofdos

There are some of us who thrive on a little 'digging' and have the maturity and sense of humour to know when our compadre's on here are having a little joke with each other. Some people however do use the forums to mouth off at anybody and everybody. I have seen sites where other members can register a comment (good or bad) against another 'member'. Enough bad comments causes the offender to be 'warned', then restricted, then forcibly objected!! Good comments add up to 'gold stars' or 'Brownie Points' or whatever....perhaps a few 'bonus' Techpoints for being a TR 'good egg' wouldn't go amiss?!!

The idea of setting up 'dummy' email accounts can work against us too...block a 'goober' and they may just 'reappear' in another guise!

by guruofdos

There are some of us who thrive on a little 'digging' and have the maturity and sense of humour to know when our compadre's on here are having a little joke with each other. Some people however do use the forums to mouth off at anybody and everybody. I have seen sites where other members can register a comment (good or bad) against another 'member'. Enough bad comments causes the offender to be 'warned', then restricted, then forcibly objected!! Good comments add up to 'gold stars' or 'Brownie Points' or whatever....perhaps a few 'bonus' Techpoints for being a TR 'good egg' wouldn't go amiss?!!

The idea of setting up 'dummy' email accounts can work against us too...block a 'goober' and they may just 'reappear' in another guise!

by guruofdos

There are some of us who thrive on a little 'digging' and have the maturity and sense of humour to know when our compadre's on here are having a little joke with each other. Some people however do use the forums to mouth off at anybody and everybody. I have seen sites where other members can register a comment (good or bad) against another 'member'. Enough bad comments causes the offender to be 'warned', then restricted, then forcibly objected!! Good comments add up to 'gold stars' or 'Brownie Points' or whatever....perhaps a few 'bonus' Techpoints for being a TR 'good egg' wouldn't go amiss?!!

The idea of setting up 'dummy' email accounts can work against us too...block a 'goober' and they may just 'reappear' in another guise!

by guruofdos

There are some of us who thrive on a little 'digging' and have the maturity and sense of humour to know when our compadre's on here are having a little joke with each other. Some people however do use the forums to mouth off at anybody and everybody. I have seen sites where other members can register a comment (good or bad) against another 'member'. Enough bad comments causes the offender to be 'warned', then restricted, then forcibly objected!! Good comments add up to 'gold stars' or 'Brownie Points' or whatever....perhaps a few 'bonus' Techpoints for being a TR 'good egg' wouldn't go amiss?!!

The idea of setting up 'dummy' email accounts can work against us too...block a 'goober' and they may just 'reappear' in another guise!

by thechas

Hi Guru,

The 'error' has been happening since Friday.

I sent an e-mail to Tech Republic advising them of the problem.

Looks like the error is on the posting confirmation page. So, your comments get posted, but not confirmed.

I post once,and hope it makes it.

Chas

by tomsal

I belong to several different forums that revolve around system builders/overclocking, gamers, or graphics cards and a few of them deal with forum abuse by first nipping it in the bud to begin...

you MUST give a valid ISP only email address -- ifyou register under a freebie address like yahoo or hotmail, for example...your account simply is deleted the moment you click "submit" -- until you provide an ISP based email account.

The email must be verified as well - a password is sent to theregistered address. The user must go back to the forum with that password (which is unique to them btw).

Not fool proof by any stretch of the imagination - but at least it tampers down some of the less "educated" computer users from abusing the forums by exploiting free email accounts.

by jackofalltech

Not a bad idea except that I NEVER give out my ISP email address. I use several of the 'freebies' in order to avoid spam. I weed out the garbage and forward only the stuff I want to my 'real' address.

Ralph

by tomsal

I belong to several different forums that revolve around system builders/overclocking, gamers, or graphics cards and a few of them deal with forum abuse by first nipping it in the bud to begin...

you MUST give a valid ISP only email address -- ifyou register under a freebie address like yahoo or hotmail, for example...your account simply is deleted the moment you click "submit" -- until you provide an ISP based email account.

The email must be verified as well - a password is sent to theregistered address. The user must go back to the forum with that password (which is unique to them btw).

Not fool proof by any stretch of the imagination - but at least it tampers down some of the less "educated" computer users from abusing the forums by exploiting free email accounts.

by tomsal

This is crazy, this site has been posting multiple times for MANY MANY people the last week or so, now it says there is a 500 error, but it'll post anyway.

I hope someone on the tech support staff of TR is noticing this stuff and fixing it. ;)

by veronica

Yes, thanks for the ping. We think the servers are timing out, but haven't quite confirmed that for sure.
We're trying to get the problem resolved, thanks for your patience.

Veronica Combs
Executive Editor
TechRepublic

by mallardtooxx

It is sad to see someone on this site that thinks of it as Kazaa or Morpheus. But what about the thought of a little vigilante justice? I agree with all three of you, there should not be any open shouting matches. However, what about a little "watchdog" People who track down and humiliate these people. I am of the opinion these people would not stick around too long if their little feelings got hurt. I have seen a million of these idiots and they almost always end up being teens who want to interject their opinions, yet they have no control or life experience when they post. I think these people should be delt with in a fair but swift manner. I burn a lot of people here, but I never flame, why, because it is not what this forum is for. I think if people are gonna abuse this system then we, as the population of this forum, should show them what modicum of respect should be bestowed upon the other members......just my two cents

-duck

by maxwell edison

TheChas, admin, TheDuckMiester, LordInfidel, DOSGuru, Road-KillDog, TomSal, et al, we all like the friendly ribbing and kidding now and then, and I sure wouldn't want to discourage it. I get involved in that sort of thing as much as anyone. But thisguy's comments are based on immaturity and/or mean-spiritedness. Personally, I'll call him on it.

by guruofdos

Agreed... a little friendly leg-pulling and a few well chosen words in the spirit of humour and fun is a good thing and most of us (we know who we are) can participate and 'fan the breeze' without taking offence (usually!).

Let's face it. Blowingoff a little steam and getting the chance to argue a point is good for the soul, the mind and the blood pressure.

I have on many occasions seen postings from this Matt character (and several others of his/her ilk) and the tone, content and demeanour of their diatribe is childish to say the least.

Compare these ramblings to the fine offerings from the likes of LordInfidel, Maxwell Edison and The Chas (to name but a few) and one can easily separate the 'men' from the 'boys' (or the 'ladies' from the 'girls').

It is annoying to have to thin out the good from the bad (and the ugly) but I think the forums are genrally healthy, lively, informative and educational and I for one would be somewhat miffed if we lost the ability to air our opinions in the manner to which we have become accustomed.

Perhaps an 'ignore' button would be a good thing! A bit of script and a cookie would do the job. Techrepublic already 'remembers' us when we log in...so perhaps it could be 'tuned' to remember ignored 'members' and not display their posts on our screens when we view the threads?

Perhaps just a line saying "IGNORED MEMBER" or such like.

by mrafrohead

I really like that idea - the Ignore Member idea that is.

One thing though: (yes Devils' Advocate AGAIN)

What are we going to do when they actually have something of value and importance to post??? And none of us can read it because it's ignored;)

muwahahahaha

Mrafrohead

by maxwell edison

Even though we get that error, the message goes through and is posted. (I learned that after my own multiple posts.)

by mrafrohead

First cent:

In regards to Matt and his posts. I hate to say this, but: Freedom of speech. He has a right to say what he wants. Granted it may not be appropriate, but he still has a right. I wish that I could read some of his postings. I have tried to open the links above, but they are no longer any good. The only real helpful thing I can say is this: Ignore him and he'll go away. Remember, when picking on someone, if they stop responding to you, it takes away all of the fun. So if we just pretend that the posts this person is leaving don't even exist, then he will probably just go away. For the freedom of speech thing, I don't think that it would be fair to remove his account though.

Second penny:

For the guy looking for Warez. I have a very simple and to the point lesson for this little one. If someone would like to make up a little package for him including the game and an extra file that installs too... Include a complimentary utility that will kindly "alter"his MBR on HDD0. When he reboots his machine and all of the sudden there's no more accessible data, I think he'll get the point that you don't come to a professional forum asking for Pirated software. And it's not like it hurts the machine as you just restore the original MBR and it's fixed. But the lamer probably won't know that and will freek out and delete his data all by himself. I just don't understand why you'd come here asking for warez when there are thousands of sites on the net the are specifically for that. That's like walking into a police station and trying to hold up a cop for his wallet.

Newho - personally I don't think it's right to remove accounts for abuse. I think that if we just ignore them, they'll go away. If we start to remove one account, then what's next?

Mrafrohead

by mrafrohead

Here's one:

Maybe try suspending the account temporarily???
But then again, a new account could be made to circumvent that, so maybe this is a bad idear.

But well, it's still an idear;)

Mrafrohead

by thechas

Freedom of speech applies to opinions, not the specific words used.

Per the site guidelines, we are requested to respect the opinion and feelings of others.

I did get a chance to view the postings that Maxwell listed. They were a continuous stream of profanities.
No intelligible content.

I understand that ignoring these immature individuals MAY be the best way to make them go away.
On the other hand, if they get no response, they may escalate their behavior until they do get one.

The response I got from Ms. Combs, was measured and proper. Tech Republic sent both individuals notices that their behavior was inappropriate.

So, perhaps the best way to handle these 'gross' abusers would be to e-mail a link to the posting to theTR staff. That way, they can follow the appropriate path to enlighten the peer.

I saw some postings in the Q&A forum a while back where the peer was essentially calling every person who posted a question an idiot.
Since the user name was an e-mail address, I took it upon myself to let the peer know that their behavior was out of line.

The point is, that this forum is used by a wide spectrum of people from around the globe.
As such, we owe it to all involved to keep postings to those you would allow your children or spouses to read.

There is no place for profanities in this forum.

Chas

by maxwell edison

Of course he has a right to say whatever he pleases. And I (and/or TechRepublic and/or anyone else) have a right to not like it. Furthermore, I have the right to attempt to do something about it.

And another thing regarding “freedom of speech”, you - as well as many others - simply misunderstand that phrase. Its origin, of course, is with the founders of America, as they included it in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. It’s context – which is continually being overlooked (especially here) – is to guarantee a citizen’s right (or the press) to speak out against the government; the government can’t take measures to squelch that speech.

Have you ever heard of slander, lies, defamation, falsehoods, misrepresentation, libel, or malicious? Sure, slander an elected representative all you want, and there’s really not a lot that can be done to stop you. But outside of government – even though you have the “right” – someone would certainly be within his or her “rights” to do something about it. And TechRepublic has every right to do whatever they want in an attempt to maintain the kind of site they desire. Protest outside the Capital, and your “speech” is protected. Protest inside a private place of business, and you could find yourself out on your derriere.

Try exercising your “freedom of speech” in the lobby of your workplace criticizing your employer. Sure, you have the right to say it, but the employer has a right to reciprocate by firing you and kicking you out of the building. “Free speech”, as you alluded to it, applies to the government, not private enterprise.

by mrafrohead

/me is looking for my shoes, as I just hit so freakin hard I got knocked out of them.

Maxwell, well... I hate to say this... again, but what you say makes sense. You've got a pretty darned strong point and I don't really think that I can arguethis one.

So sad to say, but I guess I have to agree.... I don't like it though, but it's right.

So, I guess that I'll leave this thread alone now, as I can't think of anything else to contribute to it. Whether it be right or wrong;)

Mrafrohead

by mallardtooxx

Thats why I say hey man nice shot! However I have one minor little tiny point here. (I am sorry it is all those hours of journalism clases) Slander is spoken Libel is written. For instance,if in the course of a conversation you tell the person behind you that the person you are talking to is a buttmunch when in all actuallity they are not, then you are slandering. That IS protected under free speech because it is a statement of fact as you see it. However were you to write it on a napkin and hand it to someone it then becomes Libel which is NOT protected if it is a matter of simple conjecture. Freedom of Speech is a powerful tool but it is also a horrible burden. In any case the burden of factual proof falls on the Speaker/Writer. If what is said or written cannot be backed up with factual evidence then by the letter of the law it cannot be said. That is what makes this country great because how can you disprove, or prove for that matter if someone truly munches butts or not? I knew that stuff would come in handy one day. Only in America can you have a law that protects you and prosecutes you at the same time... GOD BLESS AMERICA =)

-duck

by jkaras

As always Max your wisdom speaks volumes. As for this annoying gnat I didnt witness his obsene postings and trust everyone's judgement that what he posted wasnt in any way acceptable here. I at first felt angry at some postings that put me in my place or nit picked some of my arguements. I understood after a few days of reflecting that their wasnt any malice behind the objections to my postings, only a rather bruised ego. I got over it and actually looked forward to the ranting debate that we engage one another (highlight of my day at times...hehehe)It is OUR responsibility to report these misconducts to tech rep. where THEY WILL DEAL with these infractions that were clearly stated when subscribing about conduct. He will go away or he might circumvent banning a couple of different ways, but will give up the fight as we bust him regularly, it might be kinda fun at times, but yes too annoying.

by jkaras

As always Max your wisdom speaks volumes. As for this annoying gnat I didnt witness his obsene postings and trust everyone's judgement that what he posted wasnt in any way acceptable here. I at first felt angry at some postings that put me in my place or nit picked some of my arguements. I understood after a few days of reflecting that their wasnt any malice behind the objections to my postings, only a rather bruised ego. I got over it and actually looked forward to the ranting debate that we engage one another (highlight of my day at times...hehehe)It is OUR responsibility to report these misconducts to tech rep. where THEY WILL DEAL with these infractions that were clearly stated when subscribing about conduct. He will go away or he might circumvent banning a couple of different ways, but will give up the fight as we bust him regularly, it might be kinda fun at times, but yes too annoying.

by guruofdos

Freedom. Ah, freedom.

Those of us who live in 'free societies' and who wish to exercise our freedoms must also take responsibility for our words and actions. You cannot have one without the other, or the result is anarchy!

Here in the UK, we don't have a formal written Constitution, and we never have had one. We have always managed to rub along pretty well without one. The right to free speech, freedom of religion and the right to live ones life without fear or prejudice are accepted axioms - they don't need to be written down anywhere for them to be accepted without question.

If this Matt person happened to pass by my office one day, I have the freedom of choice to either ignore him or to punch his lights out! Now, as a responsible (I hope!) member of society, the former option is preferable even though the latter would probably give me a warm fuzzy feeling inside...until the 'donut munchers' turned up, that is!

Perhaps we should all, as 'responsible members' of the society that is TechRepublic, show this person the error of his ways. Perhaps a few (thousand) judiciously worded e-mails may convince (educate, elucidate, inform) him that he also has responsibilities as well as his freedoms and that failing to excercise the former may result in the removal of the latter...along with his testicles (if he has any).

:-)

by tomsal

I'm glad to see someone post the "real truth" about our freedoms in this country.

Everyone, or I should say (to be more accurate), many people have this notion that free speech is something that applies to all Americans in *all* situations. Wrong.

As Maxwell pointed out the actual meaning of free speech is only that the Government can not quell your right to speak your thoughts/opinions/etc.

And even that is limited to extends. The most relevant example I can think of right now is the one phone call for someone who is put in jail. That's the government making good on your right to "free speech". They don't have to let you make a call whenever you want - as long as you are offered / afforded the opportunity to make that initial call your freedom has been recognized in the eyes of the law.

Anyway the point is - in private organizations (ie non-government affiliated employers/companies) can make up their own rules of what they don't want you to say or do. Good example of thatis a non-disclosure agreement. I sign a NDA I can't talk to anyone I want about sensitive company information and say "oh its free speech".

Likewise, I wish people on the Internet as a whole would recognize that they are responsible for what theysay, free speech isn't protecting them. The trouble is, in reality, its a lot of work and you need a ton of evidence in most cases for any judge to take you seriously in such cases.

Other than that the fact that everyone in the WORLD can use the Internet - makes things a bit rough to manage as well. ;)

by maxwell edison

Three cheers for TheChas for not only providing the link to that question (and DKlippert for the TinyURL idea) but also for his great reply to the inappropriate question he mentioned. In fact, everyone replied in a most appropriate manner. Three Cheers to them all.

And to this question:

http://tinyurl.com/5bps

Three Cheers for everybody who DID NOT post an answer to a very simple question. It's obvious that people are taking a pass on answering it. I didn't "directly" ask people not toanswer, but everyone apparently got the idea.

by mrafrohead

The requested thread has been withdrawn.
The TechRepublic Technical Q&A design and functionality are licensed from Experts Exchange?, The Knowledge Sharing Company?, www.experts-exchange.com.

Blasted, foiled again by that dog and those meddling kidz...

by mrafrohead

Chas - thanks for the link.

Well, now, don't get me wrong, I believe in freedom of speech, but now I'm f***in pissed. I got to read it, the Tiny URL works still... That was WAY out of line for here, and somehow quite a bit worse than what I wasimagining.

SOOOO... If someone in Techrepublic would be kind enough to forward me his IP during posting I would be more than happy to handle the situation. I want to show him just how 1337 he really is. Posting in TechRepublic for Warez. Lamer.... As a matter of fact, I think that I'm going to have to have my friends read this one. We'll all get a good chuckle out of it. ;)

MattJ - come visit me on EFNET some day, I'd love to show you how things really work!

Mrafrohead

by mrafrohead

I agree. No obscenities should be posted here, but at the same time, I don't know if we should be sensoring that type of thing either. I totally see that I am the minority here, but this is my opinion, and we all know what can be said about opinions;)

I have another one of my great ideas. Send me their address, and I'll DCC myself to it. From there, i will tattoo backwards on his forhead. " I learned my good manners from TechRepublic Forums and I don't use obscenities any more!" That way every time he sees his reflection in his monitor he'll remember to keep it professional;)

Mrafrohead **please note the sarcasm** ;)

by admin

If there was a guideline, would it cover curses as well? Would it be improper to type: "Damn" for instance? I really don't wish to greatly offend people, yet if I follow that too far something is ultimately lost. By offending no-one else we find ourselves standing for nothing or believing the desired path of each person individually at the moment which detracts from community. I grew up with loggers. Not swearing at times was greatly offensive to many of them, particularly in your own family ifyou were rather poor and shoddy at it. Of course, on the other hand it was greatly offensive to the same people to swear in church on Sunday which lead me to believe that obscenity was determined situationally at least to some extent.

Curses are words or expressions which call down some form of punishment (usually divine) upon the offending person or object. "To Hell with it" is an example. Would curses be ok or lumped with obscenities?

Obscenities usually relate to some form of body partor function, or some act considered extremely gross. "F- you" is actually a combination of a curse and an obscenity.

Then there is swearing (as a noun, an oath), it's used for the routine of taking office or taking the stand in a trial (something which offends traditional Quakers and they refuse to participate in, even if called into court). swearing is a strong affirmation invoking a higher power (usually God), but it could also be something along the lines of "by Heaven" or even the oathsused by the fictional pirate Long John Silver, "by the powers," or "by thunder." Of course I still like "by the Powers of Castle GreySkull!" but that's another story :>

Finally, what about net chat like WTF? or ROTFLMAO? Which both technically are obscene?

Just Curious here as to what different people think is appropriate :)

by maxwell edison

In 1964 U.S Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart, when asked to define what is "obscene", said, "I shall not today attempt further to define the kinds of material I understand to be embraced. But I know it when I see it."

It's not (necessarily) the word or words used that define them as inappropriate, but the context and/or the intent to inflict a mean-spirited jab (or worse) that I deem inappropriate - at least for this forum.

Can I define exactly what that is just to satisfy a "general" definition? No, I can't. But I, too, will know it when I see it.

(And in this case, it was the mean-spirited jab directed towards you, admin, that prompted my initial protest.)

by mrafrohead

I would think that the F bomb is unappropriate. Even if it's Cen**red out ;) it's still an iffy thing, and yes I know that I am guilty of this in this very thread. Sometimes my emotions get the best of me ;\

But using accents do tend to get your point across better than if you don't use them sometimes. We're typing here and you don't here tones in voices or the like, no expressions on faces, so a little extra creative typing is necessary.

Now for some of you that are better educated with a wider vocabulary than some of us (me) can use intellectual words to get your point across, but people like me, need to resort to the basics at times;)

But yes, I think that acronyms are fine as they don't explicitly say what you're saying, but you are getting the point across.

And Admin - personally, I prefer ROTFLMMFAO because I'm a potty mouth;)

hehehahahahehehahahah

Mrafrohead

BTW - I want to propose setting up a LIVE chatroom. is there anyone in here that may be interested in that type of thing? A lot of you in here, and you know who you are (i hope) are very interesting to talk to, and I think it would be more fun in a live enviroment at times instead of posting a comment and checking back in an hour;)

Mrafrohead **yet again**

by thechas

I tend to agree that a properly placed curse word can emphasize a point.

However, in this case, the 'peer' is using little other than obscenities.
Much like a spoiled brat that is told to play nice with others.

My problem with this 'peer' is based on two things:
Asking for illegal copies of software.
Responding in an abusive manner when he is told what is right, but not what he wants to hear.

Another aspect, is that the particular words being used are 'key words' for many internet monitoring programs.
Do we want the site blocked for some users just because an individual cannot communicate in a civil tone?

Chas

by maxwell edison

Mrafrohead - You ALWAYS have great things to contribute. How many times have we conversed, perhaps changing one mind or the other, or in the very least simply agreeing to disagree? And I hope you don't leave this thread alone. (It has the potential to be quite interesting, don't you think?) How many others have "drifted" off into unintended territories, resulting in the most unintended discussions?

by mrafrohead

Thank you Maxwell.

I was just thinking along the lines of there was nothing else I could think of that would positively contribute to the thread...;)

But yeah, sometimes these things do drift off into a nice direction;) hehaha

Mrafrohead

by hereinoz

Much gentler, but equally frustrating:

You take the time to browse the Technical Q&A, do a bit of research or dig through the memory for an answer, take the time to post the answer, with the promise of 300 points if you nail it, and then four weeks later, there is your post, and all the others "Not Rated".

Pity they took those abusive posts you listed off the site - I would have liked to read them. Loved the answer on free speech Maxwell, and thank you all for your assistance in the Technical Q&A forums

by generalist

One of the posts was a single word, a six character variation of the 'F' word.

The other post was a variation of the words 'dumbdonkey' repeated dozens of times.

Both demonstrated that the person, at least in the postings, was the south end ofa northbound mule.

by thechas

Maxwell, I thoroughly enjoy your sense of humor.

I hope to get a chance to meet you in person sometime.

Chas

by mrafrohead

That is the funniest freakin example I've heard in a long time. Someone munching butt... The cartoon image in my head right now... **getcha head outta the gutter, it's not a nasty cartoon**

Mrafrohead

by maxwell edison

True indeed, one can’t have freedom without accepting responsibility. All too often (in all walks of society), people want the freedom, but without the responsibility. And speaking of accepting responsibility, can you imagine (speaking from anAmerican perspective) if everyone always accepted responsibility for his or her own life, outcome, etc.? (Think about it; it’s rather mind-boggling.)

And I’m glad to hear that you Brits don’t need to have such things in writing,and that “The right to free speech, freedom of religion and the right to live ones life without fear or prejudice are accepted axioms”. I suppose you also realize that you have to thank a few malcontents who lived across the pond a couple hundred years ago for showing you the light and the way and the truth and the.....(Ok, I just got a little carried away.) By the way, do you guys ever feel compelled to celebrate the American 4th of July – Independence Day – as we do, so as to highlight a turning point in world history, and to mark an event that paved the way for all people of the world to finally accept – after thousands of years – the notion that a free people, a free nation, is the best and the most natural order of things? (Well, not all people accept this notion, but the ones that don’t are a dying breed.)

I loved your message, oh wise Guru of DOS. Thanks for chiming in.

by mallardtooxx

I bet Maxwell, that they do it for the fireworks. You know what I am talking about, rockets with names like The Screamin Queen, and Buzz Bomb Breaker. Who can resist Fireworks?

by guruofdos

I sort of do American Holidays...

Much of our business is with the US Army in Europe, and when they are on holiday, we can't do much so we reap that benefit. My wife is American and we try to get over to NY for thanksgiving and that is one US holiday that I do celebrate!

As for July 4th...it's my step-daughters birthday, so that takes priority over anything else. The Brits naturally won't celebrate losing a former colony but there are a few people here who treat it as a kind of celebration. They call it 'Thank God we got rid of those colonials' Day!

by maxwell edison

"They call it 'Thank God we got rid of those colonials' Day!"

Dang, they get to celebrate that one TWICE!

by admin

I appreciate all you citizens of the world here pitching and fixing a problem! I like the TR community and it seems to me that it functions very well considering how it could be abused fairly easily to the point of being impossible (or at least unpalatable) to use. Thanks to the people here, our community is well without a specific government, ideology or narrow view of life keeping it in check. It's great to see responsible citizenship in action!

I personally found the posts more amusing than offensive, but really think it's great on returning and seeing that those that saw the offense more clearly got it resolved.

On a personal note, one of the postings was directed quite at me, and thank you all personally for the defense. I do appreciate you all! :)

~Thank You :>

by admin

"(And in this case, it was the mean-spirited jab directed towards you, admin, that prompted my initial protest.)"

I do really appreciate it.

~Michael

by dbgirl

I like the idea of a live chat. I usually don't have much to say, but there are times when a quick response would be great. I do know there are several people out there that I enjoy reading their posts, and I check back several times a day just tosee what they are saying now. Besides, I think the live chat means some people that write and rewrite responses to posts just to cancel would speak up more (actually say what's on their mind). Granted, the lack of censoring ones own thoughts couldbackfire in some cases.

by mrafrohead

Not me, i think all should be able to access and it shouldn't be blocked for any.

But I will have to say after reading his post, my prereading comments were out of line.

The filth that this person is oozing is beyond what I thought you guys were talking about. I can say this. If this were RL and this person starting spouting what has been said here, I would just kindly feed him his teeth.

MattJ - the golden rule my friend. Learn it, love it, live it!!!

Mrafrohead

by mallardtooxx

Its a double edged sword. If you cannot have anything pertinent to say on your first few posts, then why should we listen to you. I love the Idea myself. But if people wanna be stupid and use this as someplace to act like my 4 year old (who by the way, would prolly think this matt guy a jerk even by his standards) then we should ignore them. I come here to read what you guys have to say, not what some teensomething warez poser wannabe is talking about. Crime in italy, soon they will be spray-painting graffiti all over the place =) I say and I quote "COME AND GET IT IN THE YARBULLS, IF YA GOT ANY YRBULLS THAT IS!" Uh oh, I better take some "medicine" It is amazing what a shot of windex can do for your nerves =)
-duck

by maxwell edison

The first time was started in 1776, and ended in 1783. We all know about that one.

The second time was started in 1812, it included a burning of the White House and Capital by British troops (Dolly Madison, as legend has it, saved a portrait of George Washiton just minutes before the British torched the place), and ended with the Treaty of Ghent in December 1814. (Do you know the song, "In 1814 we took a little trip, along with Colonel Jackson down the mighty Mississip....")

In January 1815, American forces, under General Jackson, decisively defeat the British forces trying to capture New Orleans. The battle, which takes place after the Treaty of Ghent has been signed, is the most decisive American victory of the war.

Thus, they "got rid of those malcontent colonists twice.

by mrafrohead

I remember now... Yeah, I remember reading about Dolly Madison long ago... Unfortunately, I didn't retain half of that stuff, because at that time, I never thought it would be pertinant... It's funny how you learn your lessons in life YEARS later...

The day I learned the true value of an education, was the day I was handed my High School Diploma. I all at once realized that I was heading out into the real world, and I didn't know a damned thing. I partied throught out all of my school career, sliding by the skin of my teeth.

Now I try to retain all that I can. The only things that really stick easily though are computer related things. I guess computer knowledge is immune to Bong Residue... Because everything else just disapates with time.

Newho - thank you again for the reminder!

Mrafrohead

by thechas

Maxwell, that song is by the late Johnny Horton.

He also recorded "Sink the Bismark".

Not to date myself, but I have an LP of Johnny Horton's Greatest Hits.

Chas

by admin

I hadn't thought of keyword site blocks. This could potentially be quite detrimental. :(

I also agree with my peers about this particular "peer".

by guruofdos

Thinking about it...us Brits 'owned' half the planet at one time...

We could celebrate the independence day of every 'former colony' and have a day off to celebrate. So let's add in Independence day for the likes of Rhodesia (Zimbabwe), India, Singapore (my great uncle was a former Governor during WW2, BTW!), Palestine and other colonies...throw in Canada Day and Australia Day...New Zealand's Independence day...to mention but a few.

Methinks with that little lot AND the English Bank Holidays I may never have another day at the office again. Cool concept, eh?!!

Trouble is then...what would I do to pass the time? Watch all our former colonies beat our asses at cricket I suppose?!!

by mrafrohead

I have to ask since you brought it up.

What was the idea of sending all of your hardened criminals to a tropical paradise at no charge??? I just don't understand that part;)

Personally, Australia has some of the best waves in the world and I'da have to break into a business JUST so I could get sent there ;)

Mrafrohead

by guruofdos

Mr Afro Head
c/o Tech Republic

Dear Sir :-)

Hmm....the messages keep maxing out, so I'll post my comments about Australia here! I expect one or two of our Antipodean cousins (Julian mate...I'm NOT having a go at 'Strines'!!!) might like to chip in!

Yes...Australia was a former penal colony, and our convicts were offered the choice of life imprisonment, hanging or 'transportation' to the colonies.

Give them their due or, as they say down under, a 'fair suck of the sav'...they workedvery hard to make Australia the nation it is today and they've done a fantastic job. And give the English their due...we could have sent them sonewhere really nasty - at least we gave them a reasonable chance!

Yes...bits of Oz are a tropical paradise, and just take a look at Sydney Opera House and 'The Coathanger' but other parts are pretty hellish (The Gabba? Not many Pommies like that place!). The Outback is drier than a Pommies towel, and having to check for redbacks every visit to the dunny is a right royal pain in the coit!

My only niggles about Australia are that's it's a bloody long way to go for a weekend and their cricketers keep winning everything (although Shane Warne is up on a drugs rap right now I heard...hee hee hee)!

Anyway, here's raising a Darwin Stubbie to all our colleagues 'down under' - I dips me lid to ya!

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