Can we all agree that it is ALL off topic? There is no topic -- Y2k has come and gone. Now this forum is the best damn current events clearinghouse on the 'net, and marking every third post as "OT" is getting annoying.

Can we just put up a headline and stop with the made-up acronyms?

Am I the only one getting annoyed by this?

-- semper paratus (still_here_with@my.pals), February 24, 2000

Answers

Second.

-- (@ .), February 24, 2000.

This may be OT but Y2K AINT OVER YET!! Turn off CNN and R-E-A-D the threads here in TB2000 would ya....jeeezzzzzz!

-- Huh? What did he say? (CloseMouth@OpenEyes.com), February 24, 2000.

Ditto. To me, this is an open forum with a pessimistic, skeptical slant. Nothing wrong with that. I hereby permit myself to post anything that is in taste on any subject without identifying it as OT.

-- (nemisis@awol.com), February 24, 2000.

I agree, semper. OT and the like just muddies things up. I realize it was originally used as a defense mechanism pre-rollover, but don't think it's needed anymore. While I stay around because this is an important news forum, most of what's being reported is not Y2K related and nobody's being jacked for it. We don't need the disclaimers anymore.

-- margie mason (mar3mike@aol.com), February 24, 2000.

especially the cutesie labels like "DT (Dee Topic)" LOL!

-- (foo@bar.con), February 24, 2000.

Semp:

I take it you are a "new" conservative. You want to impose your rules on others. Well, let me tell you, I have been here since before you could tap a keyboard, and it isn't going to work. This place is not controlled [this is not an attack on the Sysop's but a statement of fact]. It is actually amazing what the Sysop's have been able to do. This is the wild west. If you want to impose uniformity, you had better have a bigger gun than I've seen. By the way this message is classified as SOSPT. Straightening Out Semper Paratus Topic.

Best wishes,,,

-- Z1X4Y7 (Z1X4Y7@aol.com), February 24, 2000.

Step off, Z1X4Y7. I just asked a goddamned question. Impose my rules? Did you readmy post?

-- semper paratus (still_here_with@my.pals), February 24, 2000.

SP:

Yep, I read it. This is still the Wild West. You shouldn't be offended. There has never been any order here. Most of us like it that way. Out of chaos comes: Something. We will wait and see what it is.

Best wishes,,,,

Z

-- Z1X4Y7 (Z1X4Y7@aol.com), February 24, 2000.

Hmmmm....don't seem like no one cares..I can never remember to state 'OT'.

-- canthappen (n@ysayer.com), February 24, 2000.

canthappen:

Remember that OT can mean off topic; but it can also mean on topic. No wonder that English is so hard.

Best wishes,,,,,,

Z

-- Z1X4Y7 (Z1X4Y7@aol.com), February 24, 2000.

This post seems pretty "OT" to me, why hasn't it been labelled as such?

Outraged in advance,

Frank

-- Someone (ChimingIn@twocents.cam), February 24, 2000.

semper,

I suspect you are suggesting the voluntary abolishment of an obsolete rule, which unifies OT threads by labeling them OT, as opposed to creating a new rule. As a poster who contributes more OT stuff than y2k, I will adopt your suggestion.

-- Hokie (Hokie_@hotmail.com), February 24, 2000.

I say we appoint a commitee to look into this outrage. LOL

-- David Whitelaw (Dande53484@aol.com), February 24, 2000.

Z, I long ago realized that it could just as well stand for 'On'....but I quickly realized that here it meant 'Off'. Anyway, I agree with the original poster. I have only been here a few months, but from what I have seen from old postings and comments by regulars this board has already morphed a little. It is still the greatest whatever happens...I am an addict. That may be a bad thing. But, for now it is my Internet home.

-- canthappen (n@ysayer.com), February 24, 2000.

Also, I hope I have finally learned to behave myself.

-- canthappen (n@ysayer.com), February 24, 2000.

TAB... (Tedious at best)

-- JM (bored@with_it.now), February 24, 2000.

O, Semper, had to come downstream to say looks like you lit the creative fires here!

-- mike in houston (mmorris67@hotmail.com), February 24, 2000.

Hey Semper,

Here is my answer to your questions:

1. Q: "Can we all agree that it is ALL off topic?" A: No, we will never all agree on anything.

2. "There is no topic -- Y2k has come and gone..." Q: "Can we just put up a headline and stop with the made-up acronyms?" Comment: Y2K has NOT come and gone. The "Y" stands for YEAR--we are still in the year 2000. A: Again, no we will never all agree to stop the made up acronyms. Some people think they are amusing.

3. Q: "Am I the only one getting annoyed by this?" A: No

-- No Polly (nopolly@hotmail.com), February 24, 2000.

This forum has become a free-for-all...but having descriptive labels allows one to peruse only those threads of deep, abiding, personal interest. (or actually, whatever strikes our individual and collective fancies...) Ergo, I am all for OT (Oil Topic), CT (Cutsie Topic) and whatever labels posters decide to add...

-- Mad Monk (madmonk@hawaiian.net), February 24, 2000.

Keep the acronyms. They are good for a minimum of three to five smiles each time I log on. Even if I don't read the thread, the effort made to humorize the subject matter often brings a small chuckle or a good hardy laugh. Guess that's why I like this place so much...it's therapeutic.

-- Lurkess (Lurkess@Lurking.XNet), February 24, 2000.

I, for one, wasn't saying Y2K was over. In fact, in a recent thread I was against the poster's suggestion to change the name. It is just; I rarely pay attention to what the topic starts with. And, I never use 'OT' or any other cutesie topic(apologies to Dee). I look at the body of the heading to determine if it might be of interest to me.

-- canthappen (n@ysayer.com), February 24, 2000.

Canthappen:

If I remember correctly, on one thread it meant otter topic ;o>.

Best wishes,,,,,,

Z

-- Z1X4Y7 (Z1X4Y7@aol.com), February 24, 2000.

GBT: (Get Bent Topic). Y2K is over? Geeeesh, I wish someone had told me.

-- tt (cuddluppy@aol.com), February 24, 2000.

Z, I guess I am too new to have seen the OTT...;-)

-- canthappen (n@ysayer.com), February 24, 2000.

Z, also otters are much more benign than squirrels, ground pigs and ferrets aren't they? What on earth did those noncompliant otters do anyway?

-- canthappen (n@ysayer.com), February 24, 2000.

Semper,

If you can read the posts on this board and say "Y2k has come and gone", then you are an idiot.

A lot of us had less faith in the competence of our colleagues under stress, more belief in the centrality of technology to our civilization, more belief in the importance of some of the b.s. systems we had been forced to create than justified, but it has crashed things all over the world, killed companies, created an oil crisis, destroyed economies, and is STILL GOING ON. At least 40% of the problems I have seen in code personally are still in the future.

This is the only place I know of where it isn't politically incorrect to admit to problems.

There's a place for you as a supporter of the clinton administration. You will swallow anything.

-- ng (cantprovideemail@none.com), February 24, 2000.

DT-how about that for Dumb Topic?

-- INever (Inevercheckmy@onebox.com), February 24, 2000.

"Keep the acronyms. They are good for a minimum of three to five smiles each time I log on. Even if I don't read the thread, the effort made to humorize the subject matter often brings a small chuckle or a good hardy laugh. Guess that's why I like this place so much...it's therapeutic."

-- Lurkess (Lurkess@Lurking.XNet), February 24, 2000.

Agree with Lurkess. Some of us do enjoy the acronyms, even when we don't read the posts. The acronyms quite accurately, and helpfully, describe the content of the thread, too. How about if we label threads that are Y2K-related as "OT"? Or, as Z points out, if it ain't broke, don't fix it?

-- (RUOK@yesiam.com), February 24, 2000.

GASOHT -- Get A Sense of Humor Topic

I like the acronyms, myself.

-- Daisy Jane (deeekstrand@access1.com), February 25, 2000.

As a sysop emeritus I wouldn't DREAM of dignifying this with a response OR an opinion...............

Or did I just do that?????

AH well, gotta laugh at myself when I laugh at someone else.

chuck

-- Chuck, a night driver (rienzoo@en.com), February 25, 2000.

Because of my theology background, whenever I see "OT" I think "Old Testament." I don't know what that has to do with this thread, except that nothing is off-topic anymore.

-- Markus Archus (m@rkus.archus), February 25, 2000.

Nah - Keep the freedom for the original thread (OT) poster to type (or mistype) any ole' topic (OT) any old the (OT) heck way he or she prefers

.... as long as it's definitely off-topic, on-topic, other topics, otter topics, old topics, obsolete topics, obscure topics, opposite topics, or old tropics - it's an okay topic with me.

-- Robert A. Cook, PE (Marietta, GA) (cook.r@csaatl.com), February 25, 2000.

Thank you, semper. They irritate the piss out of me, as well. I find them distracting.

-- less clutter (is@grand.idea), February 26, 2000.