I have been lurking and have to know, how many of you are regulars from the other board? Will you check in? How bout Bardou? Geez, Dog, its good to see you.... I feel like Dorothy who just arrived back in kansas... with a relaxed smile.

-- Consumer (shh@aol.com), March 10, 2000

Answers

While not a prolific poster on the old board, I have come here to flee the censors.

I could not be bothered to register, and I regretfully admit I have lurked-but I have lurked in the same way that I would rubberneck on the highway. I will try to avoid this-

I do miss some of the other people who have gone to the "other" place, but there is nothing happening over there-It seems that most of the posts are started by the SYSOPS. HAHAHAH.

-- FutureShock (gray@matter.think), March 10, 2000.

But KOS is still MIA. Someone should let him know that we're back.

-- (kb8um8@yahoo.com), March 10, 2000.

Hi Consumer

It's a little hard sometimes to tell who's who from the old/new board ie.changed names or lurkers.But I think you will find the freedom fighters hangin' out here along with the so called undesireables and those that like discourse without the ever-present eyes of the gestapo.

Don't lurk so much,speak frequently and welcome to the party.

-- capnfun (capnfun1@excite.com), March 10, 2000.

I love parties, and am looking forward to mudwrestling if the "KING" ever shows up... LOL.

-- consumer (shh@aol.com), March 10, 2000.

FutureShock

This board is for the tired,the weak and the hungry.....it seems more and more that many people are fleeing the NOTZ board. Welcome.

KB8

Somewhere along the way I recently read into a post that lead me to believe KOS was a persona.????

-- capnfun (capnfun1@excite.com), March 10, 2000.

"freedom fighters"---shades of the '60's!, capnfun.

That's exactly what this forum feels like. It's almost as good as signing a petition. chuckle.

Welcome back Consumer.

Pam

-- Pam (jpjgood@penn.com), March 10, 2000.

"Somewhere along the way I recently read into a post that lead me to believe KOS was a persona.????" -- Capnfun

That's entirely possible. Thought I'd ask, anyway. I know that a few people are "taking a break" from the web for awhile.

-- (kb8um8@yahoo.com), March 10, 2000.

I have never left, I just didn't have anything to "bark" about... I see the place hasn't changed much, other than a minor name and address change. The new TB2000 configuration is too "clunky". I participate in other forums with similar software, and they are much less "clunky" than the TB2000. I wander over there on occasion, but it all seems to "canned" for my taste.

loungin' on the couch... (BAD DOG!!!)

The Dog

-- The Dog (dogdesert@hotmail.com), March 10, 2000.

DOG,

GET OFF THAT SOFA.....{glances around to see if any animal lovers are watching and.....SMACKS THE DOG ON THE AS@@@!!!!} backs away from dog as he is now growling at me...lol

-- consumer (shh@aol.com), March 10, 2000.

Being here is enjoyable... and isn't it fun to tweak the "new" forum by our very existence?

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

(SNAP) GRRRRR!!!!

Where did this human come from????

Anyway... I just came back from the "new" forum... (YAWN!)

stalkin' the strange human....

The Dog

-- The Dog (dogdesert@hotmail.com), March 10, 2000.

I think of this forum as revolting...hehe...

Freedom fighters Inc. - OZ Chapter and front for the Bro Possum Fifth Column infiltration movement helping to undermine the antipodean sludge pond.

-- Pieter (zaadz@icisp.net.au), March 10, 2000.

I wonder if doomers@sucks, or Andy Ray knows this joint is open.

MRS DOG!!!

Your husband is goofing off again! Oh, look at that, he just piddled all over consumer. May I suggest you put a tighter leash on this mongrel??? If you're not careful, your puppy's gonna grow up and be just like him!!!

(A fine, moral, responsible, human being.)

:-)

~*~

-- laura (ladylogic@.....), March 10, 2000.

Welcome, consumer. Glad you and good ol' Desert Dog found your way back. Forum seems more like it was in late 1998, before the Troll Wars began.

-- DeeEmBee (macbeth1@pacbell.net), March 10, 2000.

As Ken Decker points out, most of the trolls now seem comfortable in their own forum, the sysops most conspicuous among them. Amazing how the bullies seem to vanish without the support of their cheerleading squad. This is now a fun and rewarding place to hang out.

-- Flint (flintc@mindspring.com), March 10, 2000.

I received an Email telling me about the new place, went, looked, dint like it. Happened to come upon this place, lurked for an hour or so, read Ken's thread about the Doomsayer Predispostion, fought hard internally not to post, lost, posted.

It was here that I learned that Flint was banned from the new board, and as far as I'm concerned anyplace that is afraid of Flint's opinion is not a place for me. The fact that a reasonable, albeit anthill kicking, voice like Flint's would be silenced told me all I needed to know.

Oh, and don't let it go to your head Flint, it's not like I love you or anything.

-- Uncle Deedah (unkeed@yahoo.com), March 10, 2000.

Unc:

Flint's not the only one. Hoffmeister, Jonathan Latimer, and Patricia are also banned. There could be many others who haven't even bothered to check.

-- Anita (notgiving@anymore.thingee), March 10, 2000.

"canned" = blah

banned = bah

-- Mumsie (shezdremn@aol.com), March 10, 2000.

I read them both, but prefer the other one. I visit this one because there are some good news articles here and it only takes a few minutes to scan through them and read any that look interesting. Occasionally I read a few posts such as this one, but this is the first time I have posted here. It bothers me that all of the disruptive fanatics are here, but I won't draw any further conclusions until I see how things work out. I think many people here are temporarily restraining themselves to make a point, but I surely might be wrong.

-- Observer (observer@xxx.xxx), March 10, 2000.

Observer:

"I think many people here are temporarily restraining themselves to make a point, but I surely might be wrong."

MANY? MANY? 'tis true that Unc D. has only once asked someone to pull his finger, but you suggest that MANY are restraining themselves?

Speaking for myself, I've shared more thoughts on this forum than I ever did on any other. I guess it had that "homey" atmosphere that led me to believe that no one would lunge down my throat.

-- Anita (notgiving@anymore.thingee), March 10, 2000.

"It bothers me that all the disruptive fanatics are here." Disruptive fanatics??? HERE???!!" Then if we are all disruptive fanatics, what the hell is left on EZ Board? Fanatics I reckon!! Seems to me it's always the fanatics that approved of banning and canning.

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

Do you think his majesty and the Squirrel King could be working together and temporarily "suspending" their campaign?

Gee, I miss those guys.

-- another government hack (keepwatching_2000@yahoo.com), March 10, 2000.

I can't argue that the two forums are taking on very distinct personalities, so I can certainly understand how one might have a clear preference.

My take is that the censorites prefer lots of links to bad news, over each of which a few of them cluck dutifully. And the currently most active and popular thread seems to be a call for a religious forum, though I haven't read it. But it fits.

Here, people appear to prefer actual discussion of more abstract topics with actual people, and Carl Jenkins' posts don't seem to attract much attention. I think there's more humor here as well, although this might be an artifact of us laughing with one another, rather than AT someone else.

All in all, the division seems natural, the distinctions real, and the choice (for those permitted it) valuable.

-- Flint (flintc@mindspring.com), March 10, 2000.

C'mon Nita, really, pull my finger.

-- Uncle Deedah (unkeed@yahoo.com), March 10, 2000.

There is one other thing I should have mentioned. This board has been fairly civil so far because the people Flint and others (see above) are insulting are not here. That is why no big flame wars have erupted. The people who are reading both boards tend to be more neutral and perhaps that is best for both boards. I am not completely neutral, but I don't intend to participate in any flame wars and will revert to my lurking mode on this forum. I post using a different name on the other forum.

-- Observer (observer@xxx.xxx), March 10, 2000.

Uncle -- do you mud wrestle?

-- helen (sstaten@fullnet.net), March 10, 2000.

Observer:

The people I ("and others, see above") are insulting are certainly welcome to come by and explain why what we are saying is incorrect if they can, or failing that just call us names.

But why hide behind multiple aliases? I may not (in retrospect) be proud of everything I say, but I always believe in being *responsible* for it, one way or the other. I've posted every word under my own name and address (and that's a LOT of words). How do you recommend I *should* feel when someone on the censored forum, writing under a fake name and a hidden address no less, accuses me of "stealth" and "hiding", and does so on a forum where s/he knows I'm prohibited from responding? People here seem less willing to accept double standards.

-- Flint (flintc@mindspring.com), March 10, 2000.

Well, Flint, I for one like the links to news stories, and I find Carl Jenkins posts extremely valuable. I hope he continues to post here. His efforts will provide a record for research later, one that should not be discounted at this point in the game. His selection offers an extra dimension to the resource.

Right now I am busy keeping up with the positions of other posters as they reconfigure this wonderful new place, so perhaps I have not been paying as much attention to the news stories. But I appreciate reading them, and will chase after them later.

My preference for "bad news" stories doesn't make me any less abstract. Doesn't make the EZBoarders any less attractive either.

-- Normally (Oxsys@aol.com), March 10, 2000.

Normally:

Fair enough. Some of us like what the news people bring us more than others. I personally tend to feel that my own hometown newspaper has enough bad news to go looking for it around the world. However, on the other forum "Ynott" posted a great article about a couple of tiny moons of Uranus holding the ring in place. I'd prefer more of that, and less of the daily diet of bad luck and bad judgment.

But there must be some point of diminishing returns. I'm sure I could post 20-30 threads a day of science articles I find. Hell, I could post about Kalman Filters (matrix inversion and linear transformations). But at some point, that becomes more clogging the arteries of discussion than anything else.

Do we really want to sit around agreeing that there's a lot of bad news and the world is awful? Doc Schenker covered that one.

-- Flint (flintc@mindspring.com), March 10, 2000.

Where ever so you post your words,

Be well aware that noise makes herds

Alert to sniff the cyberatmosphere.

And when your thoughts leave imprints deep,

Then lightly tread above; don't peep,

And surely friends thus fortified won't fear.

------------------------

OK, that's enough poppycock for now.

Metric poesy patrol, flame on!

-- dinosaur (dinosaur@williams-net.com), March 10, 2000.

Aw shucks. I wonder where I fit into that description, since I enjoy both boards.

conundra simply abound.

Chuck

-- Chuck, a night driver (rienzoo@en.com), March 11, 2000.

or perhaps that should be conundri.

-- Chuck, a night driver (rienzoo@en.com), March 11, 2000.

Hi Chuck!

You 'fits' just fine.

I'm getting tired of this board being characterized as deBunkies heaven. )gilda...will you please tell them what a conservative/religious fanatic I am?) :0)

Frankly, this board 'reads' to me as very similar to the way the original did when I first started lurking months ago. News, laughs, some insults, banter, some thoughtful debate, some rowdy and heated debate, and more laughs. Where else can you find the delightfully concise, unique and humorous retorts of Unk D?

There are a couple posters I don't particularly miss that seem to frequent the EZforum, but I wouldn't classify them as necessarily conservative. They just seemed totally oblivious of the concepts of civility or respect, and their limited imaginations leaned heavily on crude insults, profanities and obscenities (If you're wondering if it's you, it probably is). You know, I might prefer monitoring the potential doom and gloom more than Flint, but I tell ya, it sure goes down easier with the color, personality and humor of this forum.

Has anyone been thinking "Classic Coke"?

-- Mumsie (shezdremn@aol.com), March 11, 2000.

Ive been on the forum since 1998. Prior to my current handle I posted under another and often found myself at odds with the sysops and many of my posts were deleted. When the EZ board went up I did not even attempt to register there and was prepared to just move on. Then I saw what was happening here and was attracted to the community that was forming. This place has the potential to evolve into one of the premier discussion forums on the net, if it is not already.

-- Ra (tion@l.1), March 11, 2000.

I just got back from emergency room, darn dog bit me!!!!!! see above post if ya dont believe me....At any rate, thanks to all who have posted here it is good to see ALL of you and to be myself again, good bad and ugly...I just hope that those who are now lurking under different names open up as well... I do believe without the censorship it has made this area unique. I stated before, I enjoy an occasional flame/fight, but NEVER take it all to heart. Geez this is only the internet, its not like were face to face/ toe to toe. Just watch out for the cyber DOG...lol cuz he does bite hard...

-- consumer (shh@aol.com), March 11, 2000.

Rational,

"This place has the potential to evolve into one of the premier discussion forums on the net, if it is not already."

I thought this was a very captivating thought,especially knowing the board as well as I do.Then someting happened that reiterated your statement.

As you know I posted the "BOYCOTT THE CENSUS" piece very early am fri.night-sat.morning ,well tonight when I get home from work what is waiting in my mailbox but a copy of this thread that was passed to 2/3 people before it got to my friend,that doesn't have a clue I'm Capnfun. The msg in my box states it has been copied from a Greenspun msg board.

I like to fell out!!!

Small world or very actively watched BBS?

-- capnfun (capnfun1@excite.com), March 11, 2000.

Mumsie, I don't mean to insult you, but you'd better watch it; I think you're mellowing!

-- gilda (jess@listbot.com), March 11, 2000.