Plan B Forum

I found a name of an old friend and great board member named Robin Barr, listed on the Members list as rbarr, with zero posts. I emailed her and congratulated on being a member. She didn’t think she was ever a member. I’m talking to her about registering then being approved. I’ll let you know how this progresses. She can answer any question you can ask about language authoritatively, and with wit.

Am I the only one uncomfortable with Methusaleh spilling all this info — and now stepping it up and revealing rbarr's real name — in plain English on this board?  Seems to me that this is just feeding the spammers, trolls, and 'bots.

I mean, if he wants to out himself with his real name, email address, and phone number, as he has done elsewhere on this board within the last couple of days, that's HIS concern; he can deal with the spammers and unsolicited emails on his own — but it might be interesting to think how others would feel if some of them were to have their real names and email exposed by this Johnny-come-lately?  I certainly know what MY thoughts on the matter would be.

-"BB"-

Oh, come on, Bill...we already knew her name was R. Barr. What's the problem?

And I think it would be GREAT if she became an active member here!

Bill, where did I divulge her email address? Do you work for Giuliani? The present motto on the front page includes “above all argue”. It should be expanded to say “with friends”. I enjoy arguing with friends, face to face. If I argue with a person who insults me using vulgar phrases, I punch a man out or throw my drink on a woman. That’s difficult to arrange on an internet site. There should be standards set on what is acceptable here, and what tools there are to enforce the standards. The only tool we have now is to declare them as Foes on the User Control Panel which blocks their input to my computer screen. This is effective but not scalable, it is either off or on. It doesn’t protect other users either, which a bloody nose will.

Econoline wrote: ↑

Thu Nov 19, 2020 5:48 am

Oh, come on, Bill...we already knew her name was R. Barr. What's the problem?

And I think it would be GREAT if she became an active member here!

Won't argue the second point with you — and I might have assumed that rbarr was a contraction of her first initial and her last name ... but no, I did NOT know that for a fact, any more than I know your real, full name, or BSG's, or MG's, or most anyone else here... any more than I suspect that anyone here (with the possible exception of Gob, as the administrator) knows MY entire real name or email address.

And I prefer to keep it that way.

-"BB"-

Methuselah wrote: ↑

Thu Nov 19, 2020 5:58 am

Bill, where did I divulge her email address?

You didn't, but you did divulge her full name. And you have given out your own full name, email addy, and 10-digit phone number.  Just because you didn't do it this time doesn't mean you might not do it in the future.

Methuselah wrote: ↑

Thu Nov 19, 2020 5:58 am

Do you work for Giuliani?

No, I don't — and what's that got to do with things?  Maybe I should ask if you are a doxer?

Methuselah wrote: ↑

Thu Nov 19, 2020 5:58 am

The present motto on the front page includes “above all argue”. It should be expanded to say “with friends”. I enjoy arguing with friends, face to face. If I argue with a person who insults me using vulgar phrases, I punch a man out or throw my drink on a woman. That’s difficult to arrange on an internet site.

Uhh..." sticks and stones", etc.  Not to mention that, should you throw attempt to 'punch a man out' or 'throw a drink on a woman', you need to realize that this could prompt an unpleasant reaction from those persons as well.  The takeaway — don't go around looking for a fight, and you will probably never get into one.

Methuselah wrote: ↑

Thu Nov 19, 2020 5:58 am

There should be standards set on what is acceptable here, and what tools there are to enforce the standards. The only tool we have now is to declare them as Foes on the User Control Panel which blocks their input to my computer screen. This is effective but not scalable, it is either off or on.

There ARE standards, which I shall refer to as the norms of civilized discourse.  You know, you COULD also just leave them 'unfoed', read their posts, and just not take it so goddamned seriously and personal.  Grow a thicker skin, and don't rise to the bait.

Methuselah wrote: ↑

Thu Nov 19, 2020 5:58 am

It doesn’t protect other users either, which a bloody nose will.

That doesn't actually protect anyone on a long-term basis; all it does is show that if they get upset, the potential puncher is ready and willing to escalate a discussion from a 'war of words' to actual physical violence.  And were I to run into someone like that in a social situation like at a dinner party, an impromptu get-together, or just hanging around the local establishment devoted to the sale of adult beverages, I would move to another part of the room or leave the building/function entirely rather than let someone get to me to that degree.
And, of course, add them to my ever-lengthening list of people to avoid if possible in the future.

-"BB"-

I'm with BB on this. There are no rules here, but conventions. I have revealed enough about myself that if someone really wants to and has time on his/her hands, they could find my real name and address and post it. They don't and won't and I'm happy with that.

And yes I'd love to see rbarr post here.

RBarr's post on one of those other forums certainly helped me professionally. I was a 'technical writer' by title, producing customer literature that was to be informative and comply with regulations, local, national, international. Those posts led me to standard grammar references that were completely outside my 'professional silo' and extremely helpful.

snailgate

Econoline wrote: ↑

Thu Nov 19, 2020 5:48 am

Oh, come on, Bill...we already knew her name was R. Barr. What's the problem?

Do we? Do we actually know that it is the same person? Because the person he believes "rbarr" to be has said that she never joined this board. And last time I checked, posting people's real names, first last, or both, was something that would have been redacted out of posts for anyone else. Does this clown get special privilleges to reveal the identities of others without their knowledge or consent?

Oh, damn! Scooter's found a way to hack past the block I put on him appearing on my screen using the Foe option. It could be that there is a time limit on the block, which is reasonable, if it is documented. I'll start a new thread on that topic.
Update: There isn't a time limit, I accidentally hit a note from the system that says he posted once again. I'll state another thread on how blocks work.

Or maybe your senility made you think you had blocked me when you actually hadn't.

After the endless prattling on about stupid shit I’m beginning to believe methuselah is actually livery.

A pointless poll with totally skewed options is all it will take to remove any doubt.

Bicycle, I have never actually thrown a drink on a woman. That was just a misguided way not to lock out that gender from my comment. I actually use that method from the well-known phrase about "your only way to win in a fight with a woman is to grab your hat and run".
In real life, men do have to respond to threats in face to face situations. This means once in a while coming to fisticuffs. Your reputation will then minimize the chances of needing to do it often. Also, it helps not to hang around with people who provoke fights. That's the reason I'm advocating the top line on the page to include "argue [with friends]". One of the problems with encounters only on computer screens means that some take that to mean it is a fight club. If you need that service, go join a real physical fight club. I suspect there are some intentional fight club sites on the web. Joining one of them is about as depraved as joining a porn site.

I have stayed out of this whole kerfuffle largely because I think adults in general can choose where they want to be and can figure out how to behave themselves in normal social interactions, whether we're talking about a BBS or IRL. Here, some people get along well with others, some don't, some have particular betes noir and some just like to be assholes periodically. We fight, we agree, we argue, sometimes we go too far, but everyone who chooses to be here has a place, and we are all pretty accepting of that. Only truly egregious and endangering behavior will get someone banned from this site; as XKA says, we don't have rules but we do have conventions. I like what BSG said in another thread:

BoSoxGal wrote: ↑

Wed Nov 18, 2020 2:58 pm

especially in these isolating times, an ongoing conversation among friends one can drop into at whim is a cherished thing. More friends are a cherished thing, even annoying ones. But everything in moderation, please!

Quite right, Sue
(and BSG)

Crackpot, what do intend "livery" mean in your post above? I looked it up on Google, and their definitions don't fit into the context of this discussion.

Just a guess, but maybe he meant "liberty" (the poster)...who can be annoying, but whose writing style and political opinions are quite a bit different from yours, 'thuse. Also, lib seems to have (mostly) figured out how to use the board, and how to put up with (most of) us.

Yes I meant liberty (fucking autocorrect)

Also unlike liberty, Methuselah can actually communicate in intelligible English.

Methuselah wrote: ↑

Thu Nov 19, 2020 2:43 pm

I'll start a new thread on that topic . . . I'll state another thread on how blocks work.