* * * NEW * * * Recumbent group.....

[Tom Sherman]

Jon Meinecke wrote:
> "Tom Sherman" <[email protected]> wrote in
>> Jon Meinecke wrote:
>> If people do not like the posts of The Troll of
>> Worthington, they should just ignore the posts
>> and threads and go on posting recumbent content.
>
> This is advice you apparently do not follow yourself.
> Or you must like those posts...
>
The temptation to point out the errors of The Troll is always there.

>> How little self-respect can a person have
>> if a Usenet troll chases them off?
>
> Projection.
>
Well, many people mentioned the unpleasantness.

>>> And you want these people back? %^)
>>>
>> No, but I have no objection to restating my opinion.
>
> I wish that some people who left had chosen differently.
> I wish that some people posting today would choose
> differently. I'm not holding my breath.
>
Well, nothing seems to change when I take leave for a couple of months
at a time, for what that is worth.

--
Tom Sherman - Holstein-Friesland Bovinia
The weather is here, wish you were beautiful

 

[Tom Sherman]

Edward Dolan wrote:
> "JimmyMac" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:2ae2e046-5d7f-4130-a726-ce737867e7c7@o77g2000hsf.googlegroups.com...
>> On Feb 25, 11:32 am, "Edward Dolan" <[email protected]> wrote:
>>> "JimmyMac" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>>>
>>> news:[email protected]...
>>> [...]
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>> Tom, Gotbent and Jon ... I have enjoyed your insight and would like to
>>>> add my own...
>>>> Like it or not, Internet forums commonly undergo an evolutionary
>>>> process
>>>> regardless of whether they are moderated forums or unmoderated. The
>>>> The natural life cycle of an Internet forum, with its various phases,
>>>> might be summed best as follows:
>>>> 1. Declaration of Enthusiasm ... Subscribers introduce themselves and
>>>> gush over how wonderful it is to have encountered kindred spirits.
>>>> 2. Birth of Evangelism ... Participants moan about how the forum
>>>> consists of far too few members and brainstorming ensues to initiate
>>>> recruitment strategies.
>>>> 3. Expansion of Community ... An ever increasing number of interested
>>>> parties subscribe and contribute to the forum. Lengthy threads
>>>> develop
>>>> (some more relevant than others).
>>>> 4. Emergence of Camaraderie ... Information and advice is exchanged
>>>> (some empirically founded ... some just anecdotal nonsense).
>>>> Friendships are forged. Members rib one another, but all in good
>>>> fun. New subscribers are welcomed and veterans are patient with
>>>> newbies. Both newcomers and old-timers alike are comfortable asking
>>>> questions, providing answers, and sharing experiences.
>>>> 5. Ascent of Disenchantment ... The volume of postings increases
>>>> dramatically. Not all threads are of interest to all participants.
>>>> Some participants pitch a ***** about signal-to-noise ratio, off-topic
>>>> threads, me too posts, forwarding of private emails, and other
>>>> violations of internet forum netiquette. Member #1 threatens to
>>>> unsubscribe if things don't change for the better. Member #2 aligns
>>>> himself with Member #1. Member #3 disagrees with both Members #1 and
>>>> #2. Member #4 suggests that Members #1, #2, and #3 should lighten
>>>> up. Flame wars erupt and adversaries emerge. Bandwidth is sacrificed
>>>> as an abundance of postings proliferate in an effort to resolve
>>>> differences and restore some semblance of order. During this
>>>> particular phase, many a delete key gets more than its share of
>>>> abuse and filtering and killfiles are implemented.
>>>> 6. Stagnancy of Growth ... The purists castigate members who ask and
>>>> old question or respond humorously to a serious post. Newcomers are
>>>> rebuffed and discouraged. Traffic volume subsides considerably and
>>>> is generally confined to minor topics. Many relevant issues are
>>>> communicated via private emails. Some members turn in their
>>>> membership
>>>> cards in a huff and the remaining members continue to participate in
>>>> phases #4 and/or #5 above.
>>>> 7. Salvation from destruction - Someone like me pound away at the
>>>> keyboard composing a post such as this one in an effort to stir the
>>>> juices of those members who find themselves entrenched in the quagmire
>>>> of phase #4 and/or #5 above ;-) Well, at least this posting should
>>>> prove to be a thought provoking departure from the norm and hopefully
>>>> sheds some light on the nature of the beast we have come to love and
>>>> hate ... the internet forum.
>>>> I should probably have added a stage 8 (Forum flight), when all hope
>>>> is abandoned and forum flight ensues.
>>> I have never seen the first 4 stages. I think they must have only applied
>>> in
>>> the early days of the computer, the Internet and Usenet. That is ancient
>>> history now.
>>>
>>> However, the latter stages are all alive and well on ARBR and that will
>>> continue to be the case until the group dies an ignominious death. Stage
>>> 8
>>> is the end result and is inevitable - human nature being what it is.
>> I'm pleased to have been able to introduce you to stages with which
>> you are unfamiliar ... stages where you would likely find yourself
>> completely out of place. It comes as no surprise that you are most
>> familiar with stages 5 onward because that is specifically where you
>> have made yourself a home.
>
> I cannot even imagine the first 4 stages....

I was here for 3 and 4. Yes, they did exist on ARBR.

--
Tom Sherman - Holstein-Friesland Bovinia
The weather is here, wish you were beautiful

 

[Jon]

"Tom Sherman" <[email protected]> wrote
> Jon Meinecke wrote:
>> "Tom Sherman" <[email protected]> wrote in
>>
>>> If people do not like the posts of The Troll of
>>> Worthington, they should just ignore the posts
>>> and threads and go on posting recumbent content.
>>
>> This is advice you apparently do not follow yourself.
>> Or you must like those posts...
>>
> The temptation to point out the errors of The Troll is always there.

And so many opportunities... %^P Guy once suggested
a FAQ of sorts as a way of containing the references. Like
"42" is a shorthand for a certain literary work.

>>> How little self-respect can a person have
>>> if a Usenet troll chases them off?
>>
>> Projection.
>>
> Well, many people mentioned the unpleasantness.

No doubt. However, perhaps the self-image of those
who left isn't bound to their chosen response to
"unpleasantness?"

"Chased" in the context reminds me of dogs' reaction to
cyclists.

I was riding through a small town nearby and passed
a group of people standing in their front yard. As I
ride by, three dogs begin to give chase and the people
begin to yell at the dogs to stop... I'm not riding quickly.
The dogs are no threat. They're behind me. They're ...
.... Chihuahuas. I'm riding my high bottom bracket
Volae... %^)

A rural road I ride there are commonly two or three
dogs who present more of a potential threat. They are
large and aggressive, snapping and barking, but the
main danger is that they will get under the wheel. The
dogs chase me for a quarter of a mile or more. But
this chasing and my leaving the area has no negative
effect on my self-respect. %^)

>> I wish that some people who left had chosen differently.
>> I wish that some people posting today would choose
>> differently. I'm not holding my breath.
>>
> Well, nothing seems to change when I take leave for a couple of months at
> a time, for what that is worth.

No, the pattern is well established... Stick around, though.
Start some new threads. Troll for a higher class of fish.
Ignore the unremarkable bait and poor angling technique.

Jon

 

[Tom Sherman]

Jon Meinecke wrote:
> "Tom Sherman" <[email protected]> wrote
>> Jon Meinecke wrote:
>>> "Tom Sherman" <[email protected]> wrote in
>>>
>>>> If people do not like the posts of The Troll of
>>>> Worthington, they should just ignore the posts
>>>> and threads and go on posting recumbent content.
>>> This is advice you apparently do not follow yourself.
>>> Or you must like those posts...
>>>
>> The temptation to point out the errors of The Troll is always there.
>
> And so many opportunities... %^P Guy once suggested
> a FAQ of sorts as a way of containing the references. Like
> "42" is a shorthand for a certain literary work.
>
DON'T PANIC! And remember to bring your towel.

>>>> How little self-respect can a person have
>>>> if a Usenet troll chases them off?
>>> Projection.
>>>
>> Well, many people mentioned the unpleasantness.
>
> No doubt. However, perhaps the self-image of those
> who left isn't bound to their chosen response to
> "unpleasantness?"
>
> "Chased" in the context reminds me of dogs' reaction to
> cyclists.
>
> I was riding through a small town nearby and passed
> a group of people standing in their front yard. As I
> ride by, three dogs begin to give chase and the people
> begin to yell at the dogs to stop... I'm not riding quickly.
> The dogs are no threat. They're behind me. They're ...
> ... Chihuahuas. I'm riding my high bottom bracket
> Volae... %^)
>
Snack time?

> A rural road I ride there are commonly two or three
> dogs who present more of a potential threat. They are
> large and aggressive, snapping and barking, but the
> main danger is that they will get under the wheel. The
> dogs chase me for a quarter of a mile or more. But
> this chasing and my leaving the area has no negative
> effect on my self-respect. %^)
>
I got tired of the same aggressive dog on a particular route. A good
blast of Halt® in the face of the dog during one ride cured the chasing
behavior.

>>> I wish that some people who left had chosen differently.
>>> I wish that some people posting today would choose
>>> differently. I'm not holding my breath.
>>>
>> Well, nothing seems to change when I take leave for a couple of months at
>> a time, for what that is worth.
>
> No, the pattern is well established... Stick around, though.
> Start some new threads. Troll for a higher class of fish.
> Ignore the unremarkable bait and poor angling technique.
>
If enough people stuck around, the rantings of the troll would not matter.

--
Tom Sherman - Holstein-Friesland Bovinia
The weather is here, wish you were beautiful

 

[Tom Sherman]

Edward Dolan wrote:
> "Jon" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>> "Tom Sherman" <[email protected]> wrote
> [...]
>>> Well, nothing seems to change when I take leave for a couple of months at
>>> a time, for what that is worth.
>> No, the pattern is well established... Stick around, though.
>> Start some new threads. Troll for a higher class of fish.
>> Ignore the unremarkable bait and poor angling technique.
>
> This would be good advice to anyone but Tom Sherman. He is no more capable
> of posting original recumbent content than I am. Like me, he is a primarily
> a responder. He has his ax to grind and I have mine. Jon has an ax to grind
> too, but mostly no one can ever figure out what he is talking about. He
> would benefit greatly from a course in creative writing.
>
Technical writing is much better if one wants to be understood.
Preparing deliverables for clients keeps one sharp on clarity and
unambiguous meaning.

--
Tom Sherman - Holstein-Friesland Bovinia
The weather is here, wish you were beautiful