Shortwave Sportfishing wrote:

"NOYB" wrote:

Does this thread of yours go into the "signal" or "noise" classification?

I win. :)

I never discuss with Nigerians...thus, I win.

--
Skipper

Shortwave Sportfishing wrote:

No, you're wrong...Vanilla Diet Coke is better.

Vanilla Diet Coke tastes like pond scum.

Diet Pepsi Rules!!! :)

Damn!!! But I'm still Right.

--
Skipper

wrote in message
oups.com...

Skipper wrote:
wrote:

Anybody else notice that OT threads are running at a multiple of about
4 times the on-topic threads?

You are one of the worst offenders.

--
Skipper

Have you started on on-topic thread since your return Psuedo?
(Other than reposting some Steinbeck excerpts...and personal attacks if
you want to consider those sort of on-topic?)

I started maybe two OT threads in the last week or so. You started how
many so far today?

Chuck, why don't you call Skipper by his name?

You really are a punk and a bully.

*JimH* wrote:
wrote in message
oups.com...
Anybody else notice that OT threads are running at a multiple of about
4 times the on-topic threads?

snip

Not saying I haven't contributed to the noise myself.


Yep.

Lead by example Chuck.

Until then, stop the whining.

Jim, what does this have to do with boats?

Chuck,
How do you know the most prolific posters are not boaters? Who in rec.boats
is not a boater? The only person I know who sold his boat was JimH, and
even when he didn't own a boat, he was still a boater. Since JimH has
purchased a new runabout, he not only is a boater, but he is a boat owner.
I know many CGAUX members who don't own boats, but they are definitely
boaters.

Harry is definitely one of the most prolific posters, but I for one believe
he owns a nice Parker. He may not use it much, but I really think he owns
one.

Just because he fabricated a story about a Zimmerman style Lobster Boat does
not mean he is not a boater.

wrote in message
oups.com...

*JimH* wrote:
wrote in message
oups.com...
Anybody else notice that OT threads are running at a multiple of about
4 times the on-topic threads?

snip

Not saying I haven't contributed to the noise myself.


Yep.

Lead by example Chuck.

Until then, stop the whining.

It's not my job to lead.
It's a comment, not a whine.
There is almost *no* boating content in the NG, at all.
At least you and I have boats and therefore have some opportunity to
discuss same. As you know, some of the most prolific posters here are
not boaters and are simply here to troll.

Bert Robbins wrote:
wrote in message
oups.com...

Skipper wrote:
wrote:

Anybody else notice that OT threads are running at a multiple of about
4 times the on-topic threads?

You are one of the worst offenders.

--
Skipper

Have you started on on-topic thread since your return Psuedo?
(Other than reposting some Steinbeck excerpts...and personal attacks if
you want to consider those sort of on-topic?)

I started maybe two OT threads in the last week or so. You started how
many so far today?

Chuck, why don't you call Skipper by his name?

You really are a punk and a bully.

Your petty and childish name calling does nothing for your credibility.

Chuck,
For years, whenever someone mentioned the signal to noise ratio in
rec.boats, you chided them to start on topic posts. You would always
comment that the OT posts concerning OT posts just added to the signal to
noise ratio. You also chided these people not to expect the regulars in
rec.boats to entertain them, that is was their responsibility to make on
topic posts.

Harry is positively the worst offender for starting OT threads. Harry's
only purpose in coming to rec.boats is to troll for OT political threads and
he prides himself in being very effective in his OT trolls. As long as he
is regular to rec.boats, I can promise you there will not be any change in
the tone of rec.boats.


wrote in message
oups.com...
Anybody else notice that OT threads are running at a multiple of about
4 times the on-topic threads?

That's without even beginning to consider the posts.

"Liberals are Faggots" or "Bush is Retarded" threads often get over 100
posts, while most boating related items are over and out with 3-6
responses. When posts are considered, we could easily be 150-200 to
one, (off-topic to on).

Don't know what to do, or if anything should or could be done. Not
saying I haven't contributed to the noise myself.

But in case nobody else has noticed, as a group I think we're the worst
we have ever been. And that's no small accomplishment, considering
history. :-(

Tom,
All I have to say is you are wrong, and I am right.


"Shortwave Sportfishing" wrote in message
...
On 27 Oct 2005 19:57:12 -0700, wrote:

Anybody else notice that OT threads are running at a multiple of about
4 times the on-topic threads?

It's ridiculous - and pretty damn stupid if you ask me.

By the way, I haven't looked at any of the other responses to this
post yet, but I'm willing to bet that at least one will ask you if
this is considered signal or noise.

Bet money on it. :)

It's the way this newsgroup runs.

That's without even beginning to consider the posts.

"Liberals are Faggots" or "Bush is Retarded" threads often get over 100
posts, while most boating related items are over and out with 3-6
responses. When posts are considered, we could easily be 150-200 to
one, (off-topic to on).

What's even more interesting is this. I've posted at least four
liberal aimed posts over the past couple of weeks, but I "disguised"
their headers just to see what would happen and whether they would
draw any comment. One was rather anti-Walmart/pro-union and not a
single comment.

What does that say?

Don't know what to do, or if anything should or could be done. Not
saying I haven't contributed to the noise myself.

As have most of us on occasion. I'm probably about to get myself into
trouble here, but at this point I really don't care.

But in case nobody else has noticed, as a group I think we're the worst
we have ever been. And that's no small accomplishment, considering
history. :-(

1 - As a relative newbie here, I'm startled by the complete and total
lack of humor. There are very few here who are willing to participate
in a little off-topic goofiness or some virtual hi-jinks and when it
does occur, it's over with in a flash.

2 - Most of the OT participants, with a couple of exceptions, don't
know what they are talking about. Even more to the point, if they do
indeed know what they are talking about, that is put aside in order to
call their virtual antagonists festering pustules or leprous lunatics.
Civil discourse is non-existent. Probing and discussing in order to
learn what areas of agreement exist isn't a technique.

This newsgroup reminds me of Frank Herbet's "Whipping Star" and "The
Dosadi Experiment" alien race, the Gowachin. The following is a
quote:

"In a Gowachin trial, everything is on trial: every participant,
including the judges; every law; even the foundational precept of
Gowachin law. Legal ideas from other systems are turned on their head:
someone pronounced "innocent" (guilty in other terms) by the court is
torn to pieces by angry spectators; judges may have bias ("if I can
decide for my side, I will"), though not prejudice ("I will decide for
my side, regardless"); defendant and plaintiff are chosen at trial by
the side bringing the complaint choosing one role or the other;
torture is permitted; all procedural rules may be violated, but only
by finding conflict within procedural rules."

Substitute trial and laws for newsgroup procedure and you have an
exact description.

3 - There is no, zero/zip/nada discipline in this newsgroup. None.
It doesn't exist. Add to that folks who are constantly on the verge
of a depressive cycle and you get what you got.

Can you do anything about it?

Nope. It's a free speech country, although I suspect that if the UN
got it's grimy clutches on the Internet, we wouldn't be having this
discussion in any shape, way or form.

What would affect the group is if everyone, including me I must
confess, refrained from republishing entire articles, or editing
articles to suit their own viewpoint (which I don't do), or, and this
would be the hardest, treat your virtual enemy as your friend instead.

In closing, I try very hard to get along with everybody. I did it in
my professional career and I try to do it in setting like this and
social settings at home. It's not that I don't have my own likes and
dislikes. There are businessmen and engineering department heads who
despise me and I them, but they still call me to help when they are
stuck because they know that I'll keep it professional and get it
done.

Out of the regular membership who contribute here, there are probably
two in total who I would have some trouble dealing with in real life,
but that doesn't mean I can't discuss issues in a calm and equitable
way. There are too many hard heads here who take a position and stick
with it through thick and thin without even giving it any rational
thought.

In conclusion - it's all about ****ing on each other's shoes here -
just the way it is.

And now I have a headache and need some caffeine.

Diet Pepsi style. :)

Shortwave Sportfishing wrote:
snip

1 - As a relative newbie here, I'm startled by the complete and total
lack of humor. There are very few here who are willing to participate
in a little off-topic goofiness or some virtual hi-jinks and when it
does occur, it's over with in a flash.

2 - Most of the OT participants, with a couple of exceptions, don't
know what they are talking about. Even more to the point, if they do
indeed know what they are talking about, that is put aside in order to
call their virtual antagonists festering pustules or leprous lunatics.
Civil discourse is non-existent. Probing and discussing in order to
learn what areas of agreement exist isn't a technique.

This newsgroup reminds me of Frank Herbet's "Whipping Star" and "The
Dosadi Experiment" alien race, the Gowachin. The following is a
quote:

"In a Gowachin trial, everything is on trial: every participant,
including the judges; every law; even the foundational precept of
Gowachin law. Legal ideas from other systems are turned on their head:
someone pronounced "innocent" (guilty in other terms) by the court is
torn to pieces by angry spectators; judges may have bias ("if I can
decide for my side, I will"), though not prejudice ("I will decide for
my side, regardless"); defendant and plaintiff are chosen at trial by
the side bringing the complaint choosing one role or the other;
torture is permitted; all procedural rules may be violated, but only
by finding conflict within procedural rules."

Substitute trial and laws for newsgroup procedure and you have an
exact description.

3 - There is no, zero/zip/nada discipline in this newsgroup. None.
It doesn't exist. Add to that folks who are constantly on the verge
of a depressive cycle and you get what you got.

Can you do anything about it?

Nope. It's a free speech country, although I suspect that if the UN
got it's grimy clutches on the Internet, we wouldn't be having this
discussion in any shape, way or form.

What would affect the group is if everyone, including me I must
confess, refrained from republishing entire articles, or editing
articles to suit their own viewpoint (which I don't do), or, and this
would be the hardest, treat your virtual enemy as your friend instead.

In closing, I try very hard to get along with everybody. I did it in
my professional career and I try to do it in setting like this and
social settings at home. It's not that I don't have my own likes and
dislikes. There are businessmen and engineering department heads who
despise me and I them, but they still call me to help when they are
stuck because they know that I'll keep it professional and get it
done.

Out of the regular membership who contribute here, there are probably
two in total who I would have some trouble dealing with in real life,
but that doesn't mean I can't discuss issues in a calm and equitable
way. There are too many hard heads here who take a position and stick
with it through thick and thin without even giving it any rational
thought.

In conclusion - it's all about ****ing on each other's shoes here -
just the way it is.

And now I have a headache and need some caffeine.

Diet Pepsi style. :)

I think you deserve 'the real thing' after that!
Treat yourself to a 'Coke'.

Chuck,

I have to agree. I've no idea what to do either. However, if we can only
stay out of these OT political and social discussions they could well go
away. Not to say some OT threads are not entertaining. There is a lot of
good OT humor on the board. I just wish the ugliness would go away. Some
of the language seen here is deplorable. Why are folks willing to type
language that they'd never use in public? Pretty gross, IMO.

Another gripe of mine is when a thread subject changes into something
completely OT and the writer fails to make changes to the subject line. A
little more snipping would also be nice.

Butch
wrote in message
oups.com...
Anybody else notice that OT threads are running at a multiple of about
4 times the on-topic threads?
Snip