Vanilla 1.1.8 is a product of Lussumo. More Information: Documentation, Community Support.
By general consensus, we have reached the following conclusions:
1. Fewer Twi- and Inheri-Threads.
2. More Writing and Critique threads.
3. Less off-topic-ness.
5. Don’t just start threads, look and see if the topic has already been made.
Yes, I like “The Impish Ideal.” It’s my Gmail status.
Perhaps you should change the title?
I agree.
Yes. We really do need to be a little less silly, too. I can’t say much though, being responsible for the Perv thread….
NO! They can take my off-topicness, and they can take my snark, but they can never take my silliness!
I don’t mind being silly, snarky, or off topic. However there should be some more serious threads to accompany them, which have come up.
I said a little less silly. Like no more Awful Lines From Fanfiction and such. Of course, we could just add a new forum subheading- Silliness. Then we can shunt all the silly stuff over there without killing it.
That’s cool with me. Just don’t get RID of the silly! I needs my silly!
We really do need to be a little less silly, too.
“There will be no silliness here!”
I have, but never over the internet…
If we were to have writing workshops, however, what would the topics be?
I’d like one on character interactions.
I’d like one on writing emotionally.
THIS IS GOING TO BE HARD!!!!! The problem as I see it is that forums are a lot like conversations rather than lectures or pure hardcore intellectual discussion. And conversations, as we all know, are very random. You can be talking about India and then five minutes later, you’re going on about the state of hotel rooms in Kansas or wherever.
Exactly!
I think we’re doing better with no. 1 already. Number two…well you start discussions but a lot of the time (especially for the romance one), no one really knows what they’re talking about quite yet.
Will this mean no more sporks, though? Because I really enjoy the sporks. Otherwise, I agree.
On number 3, though… well, if we spin off a Deep Intellectual Discussion into another Deep Intellectual Discussion, I suppose we can split it off into another thread. Hmm, there needs to be a “thread split” option so we can preserve all the posts…
And on random off-topicness… a handful of posts (max, say, a half-dozen) at a time isn’t a problem, in my eyes. What is a problem is when we go off topic and never return to the original one.
Eh, as long as it Constructive Criticism I don’t mind.
Just no flaming.
Also, we should try to avoid excessive swearing except in specific threads (Perv Patch has some relevant crudeness). It isn’t currently much of a problem, but should be an unspoken policy.
Also, we’re supposed to be writers here. If we can’t come up with good, strong, descriptive ways to express ourselves without resorting to cussing, then we aren’t much of writers!
Heh, it was kind of fun coming up with alternative words for the Greasemonkey profanity filter I set up for our computer. (I downloaded a basic script, but added a few things to it.) It’s surprisingly difficult to find a single word that you can replace a swear word with to get the same point across, but if you think about it long enough, you’ll find something eventually.
Yes, I do.
Why is it… unstuck?
I read an article that swearing when you’re in pain actually reduces the pain you feel. Therefore, if for no other reason, keep swearing to a minimum to keep that benefit!
I read that, too. This is why women swear in childbirth, and it works better for women than men because men swear more.
Since I’m planning on four kids… sugar.
men swear more.
Citation needed.
Come on, don’t tell me it’s socially acceptably for girls to swear in public (or at least, girls are “allowed” to swear more than guys).
My sister swears all the time.
My parents have given up on trying to make her stop.
My parents freak out if I say the f word – and I mean saying the sound “eff” as in “I hate this effing book.” The actual f word throws them into hysterics.
You know what’s really hypocritical? I say ‘frick’ or something (a la Scrubs) and I get in trouble for it. My sister throws around the f*bomb and no one cares.
I get in trouble for “frick”, too. And I’m the highest-achieving person in my family besides my parents. So far.
So far.
Now I’m scared off being knocked off my pedestal.
My mother is obsessed with censorship. The c-word is so banned. It’s “crap.”
So are “shut up,” “retarded,” “gay,” (I don’t think the reasons are good though…), “stupid,” and a thousand others.
I think it’s socially acceptable for certain girls to say certain things, such as
You know how your parents always want you to be better than them? It’s kind of hard in practice.
sneaks up to SWQ’s pedestal with a sledgehammer
They tried to ban crap. They failed.
“shut up,” “retarded,” “gay,” (I don’t think the reasons are good though…), “stupid,”
Shut up is banned, but hard to enforce. I don’t say retarded or gay because I have friends that are both, but my sister says both, even though I tell her not to. Stupid… it’s too common.
Funnily enough, these days, I rarely use any of those words.
Yeah, I understand why I was called a “goody-two shoes” more than once.
I’m an established teacher’s pet and goody-two-shoes. My friends think I’m funny. Little do they know…
I’m an established teacher’s pet and goody-two-shoes.
Story of my life.
(I don’t see the point of banning words like ‘crap’. Crap means poop. Are you going to ban the word poop? Discouraging calling something ‘gay’ or ‘retarded’, though, I can understand. I can put up with swearing, but using those two words really just bothers me)
Discouraging calling something ‘gay’ or ‘retarded’, though, I can understand. I can put up with swearing, but using those two words really just bothers me
Same here.
I just realized that we got off topic on the thread that discourages off-topicness. Thing is, it’s a really good conversation, no?
I swear if the company I am in swears, otherwise, no. My dad hates me saying crap more than damn, no idea why. And I used to be a goody-two shoes too.
Discouraging calling something ‘gay’ or ‘retarded’, though, I can understand. I can put up with swearing, but using those two words really just bothers me
Same here.
Oh, don’t misunderstand. I also understand and I dislike the use of those two words in that way. For a short time, I considered using “straight” in an ironic manner, but I realised it wasn’t good at all (firstly, the homophobia that surrounds me would make this intimidating; secondly, they wouldn’t get it; etc.).
I swear if the company I am in swears, otherwise, no.
Same. But I’m also sparing even then.
firstly, the homophobia that surrounds me would make this intimidating
Oh. Sorry. That’s sad, though.
Oh. Sorry. That’s sad, though.
Some of the “thinking”—and I mean that in a loose sense, as in “Oh, I was told this by everyone and I heard this, so I’m sticking to it, ‘cause what is thinking for yourself and not being hypocritical” sort of sense—around here makes me wish Dr. Cox were here.
Or, that, uh, people were better thinkers in general.
It is one of my policies never to use religious slurs/“the name of the Lord in vain.”
It leads to times when I’m very, very angry, and an observer will hear, “Fricking fudgepops! Holy carpal tunnel syndrome, holy pineapples on barbeque, what the frick.” My voice is faster and louder at first, and then it peters into a flat “what the frick” which is not a question.
I use “Holy [whatever]” and “God”. I picked up “Lordy Lou” from Abarat by Clive Barker, so I use that a lot. If provoked, I may tell you “FU, B*tch!”... in Drow.
Sometimes I say dammit, but not god dammit, so that’s not bad, is it?
Especially if you know the actual meanings. I’m surprised that many people don’t know what a bastard actually is. Or a bitch, for that matter.
I learned what Bastard meant from ASoIaF, and Bitch from NWN. :P
Oh, the things you learn from the Internets.
I learned what a bastard was from some old book about Elizabeth I, I think… because there was a massive scandal even before the whole “divorcing Catherine of Aragon” thing where the son of one of the ladies who lived at court (the wife of some duke, I think) was rumored to be King Henry VIII’s “bastard son”. So I was like “...what is a bastard son, again?” and looked it up.
I didn’t know that they were swear words until after I knew their meanings.
Swenson, you’re talking about Henry Fitzroy, the son of Bessie Blount!
I love being a history major. Also, it’s either kinda funny or kinda cruel that instead of Henry Blount they named him Henry Bastard-son-of-the-king. That’s just mean.
Ahh, yes. That’s the one! And… seriously? That’s what “Fitzroy” means?! Haha, awesome!
Yes, that’s what it means. Whenever I got pissed off at Great Gatsby I’d say it was by F. U. Bastard Son of Gerald. (Ah, F Scott Fitzgerald….I did not like him.)
(Welcome to the club of Fitzgerald-haters, Willow!)
I read the synopsis off the back of my sister’s copy and it did not sound remotely interesting.
F. U. Bastard Son of Gerald.
Lol. I’m in the club that Swenson mentioned…
Sorry, Rikki, not meaning to further derail the thread.
Pardon my further derailing of the topic. It shall be in hidden text! Regular text shall be on topic.
Are there any writing threads we need and don’t have?
Mmmm…can’t think of any off the top of my head.
I’m thinking about submitting an article for the main site…would anyone like an article about actually finishing a rough draft? (I know, it’s yet to be done in my case, but I think I’ve accumulated enough experience to at least make a pathetic attempt to advise others. I’ve been helping wreak havoc here for a good while, so I thought I might give back a little.)
Do it. :D MOAR ARTCLS
YES, that would be a great article! I need help with that…
Ok.
I guess I can write it now, to offset my grief over my iPod/iTunes. (Well, it’s only mostly dead, as far as I can tell, but I don’t have a Miracle Max on hand…)
4. Look at both the good and bad parts of books.
4. Look at both the good and bad parts of books.
Yes, I think we should be doing this more. Nothing is completely bad (things can be funny).
5. Don’t just start threads, look and see if the topic has already been made.
And if you want to go off-topic at least keep it in hidden text, while still contributing to the original topic.
And if you want to go off-topic at least keep it in hidden text, while still contributing to the original topic.
Good idea.
And if you do that, try to have something relating to the thread in there, too, not just a big chunk of hidden text.
I agree.
I would like more threads about reading. I’m not sure what to post about in this topic…All my reading theads keep moving toward the bottom…
But there would be no one left!
So?
Lol, I just keep thinking of the visitors who are going to read this thread and be like, ‘wha…?’ at the sudden change in conversation. You’re both off-topic. implications
I hope not.
6. If your post is going to be useless, don’t post at all. Same with topics, think about if the topic would really work before starting it.
Can I answer them?
Puppet, was that directed at me…?
Not exactly. I’ve certainly made useless topics, and posted useless posts.
Who hasn’t?
7. Don’t revive old threads.
Sorry! But there were some good ones!
Puppet, I think that rule can have exceptions. Like the Book Thread, if someone wants to revive an old thread to tell people they were leaving and didn’t want to start a new one, etc…
I think he’s just being snarky. :D Some threads will always drop for a while, and then be posted in again because it’s a nice general one. :3
I kinda meant the silly threads, I think we have enough at the moment. :P
I tried not to resurrect any stupid threads, otherwise Puppet here would go nuts at me.
(Isn’t it strange that I’m kind of scared of Puppet? Then again, I have to worry about nepotism…)
Puppet is indeed a scary person. Everyone beware of him.
Why are there so many “General” topics as “Serious Discussion”?
Because I’m useless as a moderator. ;_;
[cuts self]
Somebody restrain Jeni.
Why are there so many “General” topics as “Serious Discussion”?
Because we have too much fun with other random stuff.
Why are there so many “General” topics as “Serious Discussion”?
Because we go off topic far too easily.
And it can be difficult to remain serious at times.