Please forgive my lack of understanding . . . I am new to these forums. Would someone be so kind as to translate for me? What does TEOTWAWKI mean? How about ROTFLMAO? Thank you so much. I have learned so much from reading all of your posts and plan to keep reading and preparing. I wish I could convince all my neighbors. Thanks again!

-- winna (winna@??.com), March 23, 1999

Answers

No need to ask for forgiveness. The End Of The World As We Know It and Rolling on the floor laughing my *** off. You'll find others..just get tired of typing I guess. BTW=by the way. IMHO=in my honest opinion. I shouldn't tell you and ruin all the fun of trying to figure out what they mean but I wouldn't want you to leave in frustration. I'm a "newbie" myself. If you haven't already found it, scroll to the end of the messages and you'll find an archive of threads. This will give you a good history of this site and that way nobody will bust your chops for asking a lot of questions that have been covered. This is a good site with a lot of good info. Welcome.

-- (rick@ina.com), March 23, 1999.

NO!! NEWBIES MUST CATCH UP OMN THEIR OWN!! THE BOAT LEAVES IN # MINUTES WITH YOU OR NOT!!! HELPING NEWBIES CAUSES ALL MANNER OF AILMENTS INCLUDING DRY ROT IN THE ROOF BEAMS, HAIRY PALMS, (or is that Harry P Psalms), AND MEMORY LOSS!!! [remove tongue from left cheek] What WAS I going to say? OH YEAH!!

WELCOME Don't mind us, we tend to assault the agates of everybody.

this answer probably has people ROTFLTAO (or MAO) and or ROTFLTIP or well the variations are almost endless.

ROTFLMAO translates as Rolling on The Floor Laughing My A*s Off. ROFLTIP Translates as Rolling on The Floor til I .... YOU figger that one!!

On a more somber note (I think I can I think I can)

TEOWAWKI translates as The End Of The World As We Know It. PLEASE- - - -Note BENE====> that is NOT the same thing as The End Of The World.

Chuck Who begs no one's indulgence, just their abject understanding that we HAVE to LAUGH while we do this or we're not gonna last the whole race.

PS TRULY - - - -WELCOME!! You will find that many of us do use our cheeks to store our tongues when we are not sticking them out at each other by removing and changing feet.

-- Chuck, a night driver (reinzoo@en.com), March 23, 1999.

while you're entetaining questions- I never have figured out what a "troll" is

-- anita (hillsidefarm@drbs.com), March 23, 1999.

anita:

Many moons ago, a "troll" was someone who posted only to disrupt discussion with no valuable input. On Y2K however (and particularly this forum) it means "anyone who disagrees with us or questions our TEOTWAWKI assumption". also if you bother to dispute assumptions that are pasted off as facts, you are a "troll".

I am considered a "troll" by most (if not all) here.

-- Mutha Nachu (---@springtimebutterflies.com), March 23, 1999.

Could someone please tell me who all the alias people are on this forum? How do I know that "Chuck the Night Driver," isn't ~~@~~, I'm really confused by all these strange names. Who are you Mutha Nachu, Arnie Rimmer, Taz, etc?

-- Penny (Penny@net.com), March 23, 1999.

anita:

at the forum that Mutha posts on, they use a different word -- "cretin". It means "anyone who disagrees with us or questions our BITR (bump in the road) assumption". Also if you bother to dispute assumptions that are pasted off as facts, you are a "cretin".

-- anon (anon@anon.com), March 23, 1999.

anon, the BIFFY MO difference being that, like the ignorant, adolescent tough boys they are, they jump the fence to fingerpaint messes over here, where as far as I know, Yourdonites live and let live.

To be fair, Mutha has some valid, ethical concerns that we should address more often.

-- Lisa (right@on.anon), March 23, 1999.

Link to Y2K acronyms and sniglets (words that don't appear in the dictionary but should):

http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id=000IHN

-- Brooks (brooksbie@hotmail.com), March 23, 1999.

Acronym link <:)=

-- Sysman (y2kboard@yahoo.com), March 23, 1999.

Thanks for the link, Sysman

-- winna (winna@??.com), March 23, 1999.

Sorry, you too, Brooks

-- winna (winna@??.com), March 23, 1999.

Everybody here was a newbie once.... right?

Of course right.

-- Tom Carey (tomcarey@mindspring.com), March 23, 1999.

To find out who we are, check out the multi who we are threads in the archives.

Or wait a min and Sysman will come up with the link from his library, I HOPE. HALP MR WIZARD!!!!

Chuck a night driver who isn't ashamed to be currently from Cleveland

-- Chuck, a night driver (reinzoo@en.com), March 23, 1999.

Chuck:

I'm waaaaay over in the northwestern corner of Ohio, and I wouldn't take a million dollars to be in Cleveland WTSHTF!

-- dinosaur (dinosaur@williams-net.com), March 25, 1999.

What About You?

-- not sysman (just@me.now), March 25, 1999.

I think the posters are getting a tad "punchy," winna.

Y2K fatigue, most likely.

Welcome.

TROLLS 101 ...

The definition of a troll, morphs weekly, depending on the "tone" of posting disruptions.

Sometimes, they take over someones name or handle and post dis- information designed to inflame or ridicule. Its happened to me, many, times. *Sigh*

Very tacky cyber-behavior, IMHO.

Often troll posters try to invite arguments by making superior statements or claiming insider knowledge where they clearly (and quite digitally) looking down their cyber-nose at the lowly GIs (Y2K Get Its) and calling them all kinds of weird and wonderful names. All too often, those disputes will devolve into the niner-niner-niner levels and flame wars. *Another Sigh*

Another favored troll tactic, is to launch a broadside attack a particular known poster. In those instances we often refer them to the 25 Rules of Disinformation ...

http:// www.trufax.org/research2/disinforules.html

The trolls also seem to come in waves. Weekends and school holidays are particularly heavy times.

Sometimes trolls are extremely foul-fingered and fortunately, if you e Ed Yourdon at ed@yourdon.com, hell remove the verbally offensive posts. He pretty much lets this forum self-control.

Lately, theres been a round of subtle trolls. Some never post any information links of value, or supporting documentation for their assertions. They just attempt to discredit the thoughts or comments of others, in various ways. There is always a sense, with them, of not being genuine. Sometimes, weve suspected, they are paid to cause problems. Its a government-like disinformation campaign, and is recognized as a distinct possibility, without our being able, or inclined, to prove it.

Lately, there has been an influx of the Y2K is no problem or a bump-in-the-road and you Yourdonefors are all anarchists, wackos, and survivalist panic mongers for even daring to discuss your Y2K concerns in an open forum. They like to spout labels and toss everyone here into the same melting pot. (Go figure).

What does this mean for a newbie?

Well, youll need to hone your discernment skills and abilities. Persistence and determination to learn your own truth and arrive at self-informed conclusions helps. Just remember ... no one KNOWS, for sure, what will happen.

For the most part, a new-to-Y2K person who is truly trying to understand the overwhelming complexity, is usually welcomed. Sometimes, regular posters mistake them for a subtle troll and hair- trigger flame before getting to know you. Usually, once they have a feel for the sincerity level of someone, theyll back off.

Its a slice of Americana in here, so wear hip boots.

And, remember, we were all newbies once. If someone is impolite, tell em so. In no uncertain terms.

BTW, a sense of humor helps.

Diane

Shift Happens ... Daily

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), March 25, 1999.