Inane Thread Takeovers and Drift

[jbg]

When you look on the summary of topics on any o fthe discussion categories, say "The Rest of the World" or Moral & Ethical Issues there are many interesting looking issues. The problem is that they stay interesting until a select group of posters descends on the thread and "go to work".

Example No. 1 (link)A thread about whether or not homosexuality is normal contains such gems as:

"I love children. And my buddy Jesus said if you want knowledge and intelligence and to enter into the kingdom "You have to be like one of these" He pointed to the children. I knew all I needed to know by the time I was 5 - and now I am returning to the age of wisdom ----don't forget to bring diapers"

and a response:

"Diapers are a quite modern invention."

.

Example #2 (link)

A thread about Palestinian attacks on Israel contains such gems as:

"Religion is state and state is religion - God is a seperate issue..as for death - once you go past religion and understand what a teacher like Christ was really about - you find out that you are an immortal - and death has no sting.

to which the response is:

"Religions are much older than states."

. This goes on for pages and pages, and those are but two examples of interesting topic wrecked by inanity.

If this Board wants to retain intelligent debate this should stop, out of consideration to all.

[Tawasakm]

I used to be a fairly regular poster here a few years ago and left because of frustration over what I thought was inane posting. In hindsight I think I over reacted and I should have a thicker skin. I know exactly what you are talking about and I know it can hijack threads. However there are plenty of intelligent thoughtful posters here and it is worth (in my opinion) wading through the dross to get to the good stuff. These days there is also an ignore function so it is possible for you to ignore (as a random example - benny and oleg) and focus on others. Even many of the people we think hold idiotic views can come up with some stuff in the end which can stop and make you think. Many - not all.

PS There are two people on my ignore list - and I didn't think I'd ever use the function.

[jbg]

I used to be a fairly regular poster here a few years ago and left because of frustration over what I thought was inane posting. In hindsight I think I over reacted and I should have a thicker skin.

You may have changed my mind. I was on the verge of leaving.

I know exactly what you are talking about and I know it can hijack threads. However there are plenty of intelligent thoughtful posters here and it is worth (in my opinion) wading through the dross to get to the good stuff.

Not all thoughtful posters are intelligent. My IQ is around 89, as measured by Francois Ducros.

These days there is also an ignore function so it is possible for you to ignore (as a random example - benny and oleg) and focus on others. Even many of the people we think hold idiotic views can come up with some stuff in the end which can stop and make you think. Many - not all.

I would never think to name those posters as inane. They are the height of something; I don't know what.

PS There are two people on my ignore list - and I didn't think I'd ever use the function.

A lot of people have me on their ignore list. I'm glad to see you back though I came after you left, I think.

By the way, you're in Australia. Do they teach English in the schools there or only Australian?

[Borg]

Just the way it is - unless one wants to be the intellectual superior.

I do not mind the fact that topics wander and change - it is no different than a conversation at the table.

Borg

[Oleg Bach]

Just the way it is - unless one wants to be the intellectual superior.

I do not mind the fact that topics wander and change - it is no different than a conversation at the table.

Borg

Lets talk cars...or maybe red heads --- or who knows - how to take over the world....some call it wandering - some call it drifting - some call it attention deficit disorder - some call it multi-tasking ---- and there are those that call it....getting to know each other.

[Oleg Bach]

Just the way it is - unless one wants to be the intellectual superior.

I do not mind the fact that topics wander and change - it is no different than a conversation at the table.

Borg

Lets talk cars...or maybe red heads --- or who knows - how to take over the world....some call it wandering - some call it drifting - some call it attention deficit disorder - some call it multi-tasking ---- and there are those that call it....getting to know each other. People want to show themselves through tivial conversation...I am sure when it comes to getting down to buisness - they can get down and focus.

[Tawasakm]

By the way, you're in Australia. Do they teach English in the schools there or only Australian?

Yeah they teach 'Australian' here just like they teach 'American' in the US and 'Canadian' in Canada... We all have our own dialects of english. Ours is closer to the UK and Canadian english. Where you would spell 'color' we would spell 'colour' etc.

But to answer your question: we only learn Australian

[Tawasakm]

Not all thoughtful posters are intelligent. My IQ is around 89, as measured by Francois Ducros.

I did some basic psych units at uni some years back. One thing I learned is that the definition of intelligence is a little fluid - there is no complete universal definition. The purpose of the IQ test is to determine academic ability. And it does it well. However 'academic ability' covers only a small part of the broader concept of intelligence - and the IQ test is NOT meant to determine anything but academic ability. Having a below average IQ, contrary to popular opinion, does not mean below average intelligence. It is purely meant to determine academic ability. The ability to compose music is just one example of another aspect of intelligence. The ability to start with a windscreen washing business (just you and a bucket by the side of the road) and work your way up to be an entrepeneur and millionaire with no formal education is intelligence. There are massively intelligent people who have trouble learning to read and write who can utilise their intelligence to change the world around them. My IQ is above average but, believe me, I can have trouble putting my shoes on the right feet in the morning.

Intelligence is a very broad concept - never think you may lack it because one test of niche capabilities may be a little low. And when I speak of intelligence I am never speaking of IQ.

Edited June 21, 2009 by Tawasakm

[Bonam]

Yeah there are two posters in particular that pretty much just spam nonsense in every thread I've read recently... I'm surprised nothing has been done about it so far.

[jbg]

Just the way it is - unless one wants to be the intellectual superior.

I do not mind the fact that topics wander and change - it is no different than a conversation at the table.

Borg

Maybe it's not thread drift. It's more like someone interrupting a good dinner conversation wtih a fart or a bad joke.

Lets talk cars...or maybe red heads --- or who knows - how to take over the world....some call it wandering - some call it drifting - some call it attention deficit disorder - some call it multi-tasking ---- and there are those that call it....getting to know each other.

We needed that twice?

[Argus]

Yeah there are two posters in particular that pretty much just spam nonsense in every thread I've read recently... I'm surprised nothing has been done about it so far.

I've been around for some years now, and only recently did the level of inane nonsense rise to the point where I had to, for the first time, engage the ignore function. There are only three names on it to date, and in fact, kingiggy seems to have disappeared so I suppose I can take him off. The other two are probably the ones you would expect, for they tend to talk a lot to each other, and it's difficult to determine which of them is the strangest babbling loon.

[Borg]

Maybe it's not thread drift. It's more like someone interrupting a good dinner conversation wtih a fart or a bad joke.

Ah gee - I did not know you cared

Big hug

Borg

Edited June 22, 2009 by Borg

[jbg]

Ah gee - I did not know you cared

Big hug

Borg

I had to think about how to respond to your observation, since I wrote the opening post out of bile and spleen, and may have not chosen my words correctly. Also, I had to translate it into the Canadian language before posting.

[Remiel]

Call it what you want, inane or unengaging, age, wear or cynicism, but it seem to me that these boards are decidedly less engaging than when I joined however many years ago. Though perhaps it does not help that I have missed some of the most important news events during the eight months of the year I refuse to visit here. When I came back this year, I have felt like at times like, " Why am I bothering with this crap anymore? " , worse than I felt last Summer. That, and it just seems like there is less posting than there used to be, even during what should be peak hours. I wonder perhaps if it is not that there has not been an increase in the amount of inane posting but a decrease in the amount of good posting that makes it seem that way.

As a side note, I have so far succesfully resisted using the ignore function. I do my best to avoid it in every venue.

[Oleg Bach]

All the smart people left after I arrived - sorry about that - I used to be a very high brow place - but where has high brow got us anyway....I think I did a very good job ridding you of the real rubes.

[Sir Bandelot]

Is it that its not very exciting, or just that the immature whiners have toned it down a bit. A few years ago when I used to log in here under a different name, I found there to be a lot of insulting arrogant college types here, some of whom only wanted to practice their debating skills. Which they sadly thought was the automatic contradiction of anyone elses ideas, with some provocative statements thrown in to make themselves apprear "superior".

Wel boys and girls, maybe its time you learn to get over it. Because after a while you realize, no one else gives a damn anyway what you might think. But I also believe that the taunters only hurt themselves, anyone with some wisdom can recognise they have a problem with their self image, they need to strut like a peacock and make bravura noises. Growing up is realizing, this is only impressive to other barnyard animals. To the rest of us its just, boring...

zzzz

[Sir Bandelot]

These days there is also an ignore function so it is possible for you to ignore (as a random example - benny and oleg) and focus on others.

There are two people on my ignore list - and I didn't think I'd ever use the function.

I don;t now what your going on about. Olegs posts are ok... when he's sober.

But when he's been drinking, thats when they start to get real good

As for the other fellow, everyone practices their own rhetorical style, to find their voice. He must have recently been reading "The Analects"

[Wild Bill]

Yeah they teach 'Australian' here just like they teach 'American' in the US and 'Canadian' in Canada... We all have our own dialects of english. Ours is closer to the UK and Canadian english. Where you would spell 'color' we would spell 'colour' etc.

But to answer your question: we only learn Australian

Actually, in Canada it's 'colour' as well, except in newspapers. They seem to be rather thrifty, trying to save the cost of the extra 'u'.

This has led to over a hundred years of 'Letters To the Editor', complaining about this practice as the defiling of the English language and proof of the subversive attempt to 'americanize' us.

Yet nothing has changed, on either side of the argument!

[Tawasakm]

Actually, in Canada it's 'colour' as well

I do actually realise this . I was responding to a poster who is titled as 'resident left wing yank'. Australian english is much like Canadian or UK english - which I believe I said.

Its pretty interesting that newspapers would fight against that. Thats something I've definitely never known. It would probably annoy the hell out of me if Aussie newspapers started doing that.

[Wild Bill]

I do actually realise this . I was responding to a poster who is titled as 'resident left wing yank'. Australian english is much like Canadian or UK english - which I believe I said.

Its pretty interesting that newspapers would fight against that. Thats something I've definitely never known. It would probably annoy the hell out of me if Aussie newspapers started doing that.

While I've got your ear...

I've always made it a point to try beer from various countries around the world. The usual problem is that what is marketed and exported to here is not necessarily what's most popular in the home country. The whole world thinks that Molsons Canadian is our most popular beer but in reality that's just not so.

Back in the 80's there was a big push with Foster's beer being available in Canada. Is this a good representative of 'down under' draught? Could you be kind enough to suggest some others?

I ask in the spirit of true scientific research, you understand!

[Sir Bandelot]

Nice.

Is this like a takeover, in a thread thats about inane takeovers?

[benny]

When you look on the summary of topics on any o fthe discussion categories, say "The Rest of the World" or Moral & Ethical Issues there are many interesting looking issues. The problem is that they stay interesting until a select group of posters descends on the thread and "go to work".

Example No. 1 (link)A thread about whether or not homosexuality is normal contains such gems as:

"I love children. And my buddy Jesus said if you want knowledge and intelligence and to enter into the kingdom "You have to be like one of these" He pointed to the children. I knew all I needed to know by the time I was 5 - and now I am returning to the age of wisdom ----don't forget to bring diapers"

and a response:

"Diapers are a quite modern invention."

.

Example #2 (link)

A thread about Palestinian attacks on Israel contains such gems as:

"Religion is state and state is religion - God is a seperate issue..as for death - once you go past religion and understand what a teacher like Christ was really about - you find out that you are an immortal - and death has no sting.

to which the response is:

"Religions are much older than states."

. This goes on for pages and pages, and those are but two examples of interesting topic wrecked by inanity.

If this Board wants to retain intelligent debate this should stop, out of consideration to all.

On accusations of takeovers and drifts:

- When I consider that a topic is important, I have a hard time accepting to see it dying.

- When I consider that a topic is drifting, I shorten my posts to show my impatience.

Edited June 24, 2009 by benny

[Oleg Bach]

Feel like you're keeping a crimmal file on me - better be careful what I say from now on...actually not a bad line --- the immortal bit may cause some to shudder - but the older you get the more immortal you MUST get or you are going to have serious problems on yeh old death bed........hey - just heard a report on CNN - some girl got 57 stars tattooed on her face - the moderator said " may as well get the whole face done - "it's a good look" real smart girls on CNN - I can imagine at least 10 people going out to get disfigured in the morning - there - that's a good example of thread drift.

[benny]

Feel like you're keeping a crimmal file on me - better be careful what I say from now on...actually not a bad line --- the immortal bit may cause some to shudder - but the older you get the more immortal you MUST get or you are going to have serious problems on yeh old death bed........hey - just heard a report on CNN - some girl got 57 stars tattooed on her face - the moderator said " may as well get the whole face done - "it's a good look" real smart girls on CNN - I can imagine at least 10 people going out to get disfigured in the morning - there - that's a good example of thread drift.

Debate!

[Tawasakm]

I've always made it a point to try beer from various countries around the world. The usual problem is that what is marketed and exported to here is not necessarily what's most popular in the home country. The whole world thinks that Molsons Canadian is our most popular beer but in reality that's just not so.

Back in the 80's there was a big push with Foster's beer being available in Canada. Is this a good representative of 'down under' draught? Could you be kind enough to suggest some others?

Fosters is not popular here! The power of advertising I guess. Alot of the beers that are popular here are imported from Europe so I guess you will have tried them. Popular home made beers would be Tooheys Extra Dry (get the platinum for something better), Cascade and Hahn premium and Victoria Bitter, are some examples of popular beers.