I have been visiting this board since the early days. It has been an interesting experience. I have found all sorts of personalities here [based on the persona they wished to display on the board]. It ranges from pompous ass to lunatic fringe to shrinking wildflower. I have found only a few people that I truly didnt like. Most of those are now on another board.

How did the board effect my view of Y2k? I dont think that we need to discuss InfoMagic. For the rest, I only had your word that you were experts in the area, let alone systems experts. Some people like Hoff appeared to be knowledgeable, but then I would have no way to verify that.

Personally, I appreciate the effort that people on the board made. I used some of the information provided to ask questions of people that I knew and who were working in the area. I accepted the word of those people that I knew. This doesnt mean that I am questioning the abilities of all of the people on the board [in some cases I am], but it didnt take too long to discover who knew the subject and whose predictions were correct.

Unc, you are correct. Too many people take themselves too seriously at times, even you. Criticisms here mean nothing, since we dont really know who the critics are. Take everything in stride. This board is not going to change the world; we should have some fun and be permitted to investigate satirical images.

If I can get the damn scanner to work with the new computer, I will post a few sunsets over volcanoes.

By-the-by; MS Office just ran a grammar check on this note. The little cartoon figure let out a scream and fell to the ground with its feet in the air. :^)

What would I do without MS?

Best wishes,,,

Z

-- Z1X4Y7 (Z1X4Y7@aol.com), September 10, 2000

Answers

By the way, I am off. It is horrible to have a job that requires weeks in the Northern Cascades and San Juan's. I would be much happier at a terminal in an office in NYC. :^)

Gilda, you will have to work on that bitter stuff. You aren't even near bitter yet.

Best wishes and will think of you as I watch the sun set over the islands:

Z

-- Z1X4Y7 (Z1X4Y7@aol.com), September 10, 2000.

Z,

Correct me if I am wrong, aren't you the academic who asked the economic profs if they had heard about Y2K. Just a curious question.

-- Ken Decker (kcdecker@att.net), September 10, 2000.

Workin' on it, Z1X. Keep on talking about going to the Cascades and San Juan's, and watching the sunsets there, and that'll make me a little more bitter. :) You lucky devil. And here we are in the middle of the drought of the century.

-- gilda (jess@listbot.com), September 10, 2000.

Z, my experience as well.

I must say I have never witnessed such hostility though. My theory is that the hostile people are in need of a place to let loose because they are essentially caged,,, socially and physically. The poster has no accountability so it's harmless for the most part, but all that negative emotion cannot be healthy.

For myself I try to avoid it all because it is such an intense waste of time.

Who goes to their grave saying ,,

gee I wished I would've spent more time fighting....

-- Will (righthere@home.now), September 10, 2000.

I am pessimistic about the future of this place. CPR, CPR-posers, KOS etc seem to be increasing in strength and numbers. The intelligent, entertaining posters are decreasing. Bad money drives out the good. CPR, if your intent is to shut the forum down, I think you are succeeding. Congratuaions.

-- Lars (lars@idy.net), September 11, 2000.

Actually, KOS started some very interesting post-Y2K debates just recently. Perhaps your idea of "intelligent and entertaining posters" is not the same as everyone's.

Oh, and we've already been through the "LL is gonna shut the forum down," "Andy Ray is gonna shut the forum down," "CPR is gonna shut the forum down," theories. So far, they have proven incorrect. Just thought you'd like to know.

-- (hmm@hmm.hmm), September 11, 2000.

hmmm--

Each to his own. Of course I was only speaking for myself. If you find KOS' threads to be interesting, then they are. I don't. I am very tired of y2k rehashes. BTW, I put you in the "entertaining" category. Very witty.

Yes, mercifully we survived AR and LL. But it was close. CPR seems to have more staying power. I wouldn't bet against him. I do wonder at his motivation.

-- Lars (lars@indy.net), September 11, 2000.

My point was that CPR's "staying power" is irrelevant to "shutting this forum down." The forum shows no evidence of being "shut down." However, if some people find CPR's content or volume of posts so offensive that they choose to leave, I would venture a guess that they would have eventually left anyway. Most people here seem to understand their own ability to pick and choose the posts they wish to read. That's probably why most of us are here, rather than the cheEZ-Board, where the content is chosen for us.

On another note, it's rather ironic that Ken Decker feels pessimistic about the future of this forum due to lack of interesting post-Y2K analysis, while you feel the same way due to the the existence of the very same post-Y2K analysis. As you said, "Each to his own."

-- (hmm@hmm.hmm), September 11, 2000.

Lars, Lars, Lars,

You are merely paying the psychic price for keeping this board bumping along. You see, the pattern became apparent to me a long, long time ago.

Someone must, at any given time, truly believe that this board is dying or SHOULD be dying. The point of view doesn't matter, it's the thought that counts.

On behalf of the other posters & lurkers, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for taking your turn.

kb8 might have some ginger snaps left for ya -

-- flora (***@__._), September 11, 2000.

I see our Miss flora has a case of the sillies today. Here's hoping it be contagious.

-- Bingo1 (howe9@shentel.net), September 11, 2000.

LOL, flora. Excellent theory.

-- (hmm@hmm.hmm), September 11, 2000.

In regard to cpr (and faux-cprs) shutting down the forum... I find it easy to tune out both Charles and his silly mimics. The number of threads started by cpr lately makes it appear as if he is crowding out all other discussion. A closer look will reveal that few of these threads attract more than a couple of sarcastic replies, mostly from unknown handles.

I scarcely noticed that he was on a rampage until one of the thread subject lines pointed it out.

-- Brian McLaughlin (brianm@ims.com), September 11, 2000.

Z1X4Y7,

Enjoy it while you can. The clouds roll in another month or so. Then everything is just different shades of gray. That terminal in NY might look a bit more interesting then.

-- The Engineer (spcengineer@yahoo.com), September 11, 2000.

I did not literally mean "shut down". I meant that people would leave and/or new people would not take part in the forum if they continually see a bellicose, one-note person doing half of the front page posts. It's like farting in an elevator. CPR stinks up the joint.

Flora, I don't like ginger snaps. Can you get me some choco chips?

-- Lars (lars@indy.net), September 11, 2000.

Want a Walnetto?

-- flora (***@__._), September 11, 2000.

I have a patent on that line. Your lawyers will hear from my lawyers.

-- Arte Johnson (DOM@laugh.in), September 11, 2000.

I meant that people would leave and/or new people would not take part in the forum if they continually see a bellicose, one-note person doing half of the front page posts.

The answer to that is deceptively simple: Start more posts.

-- (hmm@hmm.hmm), September 11, 2000.

Arte,

Very interesting...

-- flora (***@__._), September 11, 2000.

Hmmm--

Should I start 10 posts/day that are copy N pastes of boring, archaic material? Should I clog the front page of the forum? Should I include belligerant, insulting language? What would that prove?

-- Lars (lars@indy.net), September 11, 2000.

Flora,

Don't mess with Arte or I'll smack you upside the head with my handbag.

-- (Ruth@laugh.in), September 11, 2000.

Should I start 10 posts/day that are copy N pastes of boring, archaic material? Should I clog the front page of the forum? Should I include belligerant, insulting language?

I don't recall specifying the types of posts you may want to start. Are you saying that these are the only types of posts you are capable of making?

-- (hmm@hmm.hmm), September 11, 2000.

Ruth hon,

Beware The Fickle Finger of Fate!

-- flora (***@__._), September 11, 2000.

No, but I have started a few threads. CPR starts threads of the sort that I described. That was my point. Are you CPR?

-- Lars (lars@indy.net), September 11, 2000.

Flora,

promises, promises.

-- (Ruth@laugh.in), September 11, 2000.

No, but I have started a few threads. CPR starts threads of the sort that I described. That was my point.

Just because CPR starts threads of the sort that you described does not mean that you have to as well.

-- (hmm@hmm.hmm), September 11, 2000.

BUT Schtupid

-- FutureShock (gray@matter.think), September 11, 2000.

hmmm--

Forget it. We are not communicating.

-- Lars (lars@indy.net), September 11, 2000.

That much is obvious.

-- (hmm@hmm.hmm), September 11, 2000.

No one can communicate with you, CPR.

-- Lars (lars@indy.net), September 11, 2000.

Perhaps your difficulty has something to do with addressing people who have yet to post to this thread. Just a thought.

-- (hmm@hmm.hmm), September 11, 2000.

Just a hunch; I have no problem with being wrong. Why the 'tude?

-- Lars (lars@indy.net), September 11, 2000.

Lars, I think the difference between your and hmm's view is with regard to the amount of noise that will drown out the signal. hmm feels that we're a long way from the "worthwhile" threads getting lost. Also, I think hmm is suggesting not that one try to compete quantitatively with the noise, but rather to render the noise irrelevant by posting thoughtful threads.

-- David L (bumpkin@dnet.net), September 11, 2000.

You didn't answer the man's question, "hmm". "Are you CPR?" Yes or no.

-- (Paracelsus@Pb.Au), September 11, 2000.

I was simply providing a possible solution to your dilemma that people would choose not to participate here because they ". . .continually see a bellicose, one-note person doing half of the front page posts. . ." Somehow, this suggestion indicates that I am CPR. And with a "tude" no less. Actually, isn't that redundant? LOL.

-- (hmm@hmm.hmm), September 11, 2000.

Thanks, David L, you said it much better than I could.

Paracelsus, the answer is "no." However, I expect that you will not believe this answer.

-- (hmm@hmm.hmm), September 11, 2000.

Yes, thanks David L.

"hmmm", I believe you are who you say you are and you are not who you say you are not. If you are fibbing, God'll getcha. It's hard to tell tone of voice in the printed word. I thought you sounded edgy. Sorry.

BTW, I have started several threads. But as you know, starting a thread with one's own words (as compared to CPR's copy N paste approach) and then responding to some of the answers is hard work and I am adverse to hard work.

-- Lars (lars@indy.net), September 11, 2000.