Farewell... (deserves a separate post)

[Prof.Wizard]

Now that everyone has spoken his mind it's time for my last intervention on this rotting hell.

The forums ARE our evolution. Personally, if we grow I hope it's not by
much. I like the community we have as it feels like a group of online friends to complement
my "real world" friends.
The admin overhead that was done when the site was created was done with the idea of being
able to handle things that might arise over the course of running a site that has forums.
Any site that has forums or accepts community input should have some sort of moderation.
Without moderation things can go unchecked for far too long and increase the site's
liability (think libel, slander, pr0n posts, etc.). It's a form of insurance.

Fushigi, you're one of the good guys here and, together with Buck and some others, I've
always appreciated your posts.
The admin/mod thingy is a joke for a forum with 300 members (amongst double and triple
identities of the same persons) which has some 30 regular posters who know each other for
two-three years now. One of the things that bugged me till the beginning was that this site
had started as a safeboard for the old SR-regulars and some of the guys here thought who
knows what and became admins/moderators with their own private forums and steering
directives never made known to the rest of us.

For the time being, Handruin as admin/mod/webmaster is more than enough.

PeeWee, your reaction is immature. I have no idea why you're so fixated on
having moderator powers here (you aren't complaining about not having it on SR). Mods are
chosen by the community. You were not selected. Cope. It's not a power game. It's an
election process, and it's a lot closer to fair than whatever method was used to choose mods
at that other storage site. If you really wanted to be a moderator, you might consider
trying to impress the membership with your even-handedness and maturity. My term expires in
September. At that time I will resign and a new moderator will be called. I haven't made an
issue of the number of moderators largely because three seems to be working very well, but
there WILL be three mods (should membership expand somewhat, the full five mods will be
needed).

My reaction is immature?! Look at your stupid post first of all. Once again you put
words into my mouth. I never envied your lousy job as moderator neither wanted to be one.
But you still play lame and try to pass to the others that this is my goal... are you an
idiot or something?!
I don't want admins and moderators at all! That's what I'm shouting for. A site of 300
members with 12 admins and 4 mods?! Jee, this is hilarious. At max we need one rotating
every month. No more.

12 people were here at the start of the site. Some are more active than
others in administrative issues.

Oh really? So do I have to blame Tannin who fucked up the e-mail he had to send me and I got
here two weeks later?! And why is it twelfe admins and not 11 or 13?
So the only real reason I'm not admin and you are (don't quote me later on this one, punk, I
write it only to prove the absurdity of your claim) is that I arrived 9 days later... give me
a break!

What is the big deal about people meeting in private to discuss this site?
Most site's management does it so why not us? Eugene and Davin don't discuss SR's business
in the Bar and Grille you know.

Mwahahaah! But WTF you think you are?! You wished you were as Eugene/Davin with a board of
16K members and a real production of article!
This is not your site just because you arrived earlier. Hell, you even contribute less than
most of us.

Spread the word. The Evil SF Gang of Tweleve will meet again on Friday the
Thirteenth at Midnight. We'll need another cross to burn and at least two young virgins to
sacrifice. And can someone bring a shovel this time? The last time Mark used a pitchfork to
load the dead babies in the back of my truck and it still smells from the mess he made.
Your friend in Satan's service,
Bill

Yeah right. The Majestic 12. Or should I say the 12 Monkeys?
Make fun of it but it looks like this. God if I knew it was decided all along to let
this place idle without need for further development I would have departed earlier.

Comon' Prof! You knew about the admin team and their decision making
abilities a long time ago. Why is this an issue now?
Fact is there is little activity in the admin section and much of what goes on is done to
help keep this place running and free from stupid things like spam. Discussions like those
should remain in a private area so that anyone who is against this site cannot gain the
knownledge to bring it down.
This drama is like a growing avalanche. It seems like you have this frustration and now that
it has built up to a certin point, you pop and it's the biggest deal in the world. These
issues have been with us for as long as the site has been alive. We are young and we are not
perfect, but we are here, and here is where home is for me. There will never be just one
forum for everyone because we are all so different.

Douglas, I appreciate your intervention but no I didn't know what was really
going on. I didn't know about the 12 admins wanting to be forever them and this site staying
idle like this. I once asked to place another man in the frontpage beyond CougTek and it was immediately declined... this is how the 12 admins and 4 mods are here working for us?!

I didn't really mean it to be ironic, I was making a point that a domain
name as random as profwizard.com would not bring in any more traffic than handruin.com or
storageforum.net for that matter.
Where and how does a site advertise itself without being considered spam, and also costing a
small fortune? Word of mouth tends to be the best form of solid advertising...only once the
name gets around

If this site had another name I could propose it to lots of persons in the many other forums
I take part. Even directly cite it to SR. But with the current name we're copy-cats. Moreover the current name is unglamorous and self-limitating for many potentially interested members who don't know us.

Oh, it looks like I'll have one great summer indeed.

Lucky you. No one to challenge your pathetic whining about everything...
-------
'nuff said. You mods now get to work on my post.
I'm off this place for good, I'll miss some of you... really.

A word of advice: try not to rot!


PS. And Mercutio... a big thumbs-up for saying politely to honold to get the hell out of here, as well. For the record, he was one of the few that could put some color to these otherwise monotonous all-agreeing threads.
PPS. Oh, and thanks for placing my sig/name on SF's t-shirt gift to Handruin a couple of months ago. You always made me feel I'm part of this place...
PPPS. Lastly, CougTek, STFU pre-emptively, whatever you say you're a laughable jackass as you've always been. And don't you think that I'm an idiot and I didn't find out you always deliberately posted my news entries with delay. Your a dwarf of man. I pity you.

 

[P5-133XL]

I'm not sure why you need to burn bridges behind you: It is rarely wise.

Regardless, good luck in your future endevors.

 

[zx]

Oh dear .

 

[The JoJo]

Hmmm, I wonder, was the issue so big that it necessitated this...?

It's a shame.

Good luck though.

 

[Clocker]

Wow. Well, I guess I'll see you around somewhere-sometime PW. It really seems to me you are making something of nothing but you have your reasons I guess.

Good luck with whatever you do. The times we have chatted were good but I know we occasionally got on eachother's nerves...

Clocker (Monkey #10)

 

[Fushigi]

Prof -

As others said, good luck in your future activities.

I do hope you will lurk occasionally when you've some free time and watch the site to see if/how it evolves.

- Fushigi (non-Monkey)

 

[flagreen]

He'll be back.

 

[fool]

He'll be back.

I wouldn't hold my breath.
While PW has some odd ideas about loudspeakers :wink:, ( doubtless coug will be along shortly to list all the other subjects on which PW has odd ideas),
I can't help feeling that, regardless of whether I agreed with him, ( or Honold for that matter) on any given subject, if PW didn't have some regard/hopes/respect for this site he wouldn't have got so exercised about this tempest in a teacup. Because of which I think it will be a long time before he posts here again.
Me? I think its a shame he(/they, if one extends the thread to honold) feel that way.

*that twelve monkeys thing, I’m assuming that tannin is one of them, right? In which case its eleven monkeys and an ape, for as anyone who’s read Pratchet knows*2, Orang Utangs are apes.

*2 What do you mean you haven't read any pratchet? After I gave the highest recommendation I could conceive of in that "book recommendations" thread? Honestly, I think I just might have to throw a hissy fit and sulk in the corner for an indeterminate period of time.

 

[jtr1962]

Isn't this beating a dead horse? You can not like how something is run but still take advantage of it and enjoy it. Heck, I can't stand how New York City is run for the most part but I still love it and enjoy it. What's the big deal if there are three mods anyway? You have to be really over the line to get modded in this place anyway, unlike in some other forums I've seen where if you piss one person off the whole thread gets deleted. If you want to leave that's your decision but I feel this place will be poorer without you, as it would if any other regular left. Whatever you do, best of luck in the future.

 

[Tannin]

Prof, I will miss you.

I don't agree with all of your rhetoric, but you do have a point: a very valid point.

Storage Forum was set up to be an open, public site which welcomes everyone and where the members get to decide on policy. That was the whole idea in the first place. (You were invited from the word go, by the way. I did not "fuck up" your email, you changed your address - so don't go blaming me.)

To begin with, we were concerned about preparing an administrative structure that could deal with lots of traffic. As things turned out, the site stayed small and personal (which I think is a good thing, actually - I like it just the way it is) and the admin structure we set up was top-heavy. But that's OK.

My original idea, which I communicated to all the people on the mailing list, and which was generally assented to, was that the admins (there turned out to be 12 of us) would, from time to time, step down, and that others (such as your good self) would take their place. We all discussed this, and we all agreed on it - or, at least, no-one, and I mean no-one voiced an objection, and everyone had the opportunity to do so.

A little later on - it was sometime in the middle of last year, if my memory is to be trusted - we got up to the point at which it was expected that the first two or three of the admins would step down to make room for new blood. All of a sudden, everyone wanted to be an admin for "just a little bit longer" - i.e., forever. (Actually, there were two or three who did volunteer to step down - the same two or three who did most of the work!)

I was disgusted. I resigned as Chairman, and as an admin. I remained (and still remain) a happy member of the SF community, however.

So the bottom line, Constantine, is that for all your shouting in this thread, and despite you having some of the details wrong, your funamental point is 100% correct.

You should, however, reconsider your decision to leave. You are a very much appreciated around here, and a valuable part of the community. Take a break, post somewhere else for a while, and slip on back whenever you feel like it. You will be very welcome.

Tony

 

[Tea]

Quite right, Fool. If you haven't read Prachet yet, it'z probably becauze you can't read. Did you know that my uncle has a major role in the Prachet books? He workz at the Unseen University, and sometimes plays piano in a nightclub. Every now and then I drop him a line to say "ook".

 

[fool]

would that be ook meaning " yes I will have a drink and its very kind of you to offer" or ook meaning " that b$%^&£*, $%£^%*%^, &%^£*%, Tannin has gone and changed all the paswords on every one of my systems again, and now I can't check in to see whats been said on SF"?
I only ask becasue my Utangese is lamentably poor

 

[fool]

On topic for a change, well sort of any way,

The site could do itself a favour by announcing any decisions made by the admin group. (or at least any decisions that affect the ongoing operation of the site)
That way new members will know where they stand, and if they were harbouring any suspicions about deals done in smoke filled rooms, would have their minds put at rest.

 

[Tea]

The nice sort of "ook".

No more smoke-filled rooms: I think the Admin's Palace iz smoke-free, now that Tannin and I aren't there anymore.

 

[Handruin]

On topic for a change, well sort of any way,

The site could do itself a favour by announcing any decisions made by the admin group. (or at least any decisions that affect the ongoing operation of the site)
That way new members will know where they stand, and if they were harbouring any suspicions about deals done in smoke filled rooms, would have their minds put at rest.

I believe on a whole, we have done so. Any time there is something major involving this site, I try to make mention of it in the feedback section. There are some items that had not been discussed openly in the past, but that was a long time ago. Those items may have pertained to such items as our Registration Agreement Terms, or policy for handling spammers.

Another thing to consider is that the admin section was kept private during the time SR was providing privileged information (NDA material) to us about their future. (Which somehow leaked and they blamed us) The private area was made in good faith that we would be able to lean more about the future of our once-beloved SR.

 

[fool]

fair enough

 

[Mercutio]

Tannin has recused himself from the group of monkeys.

If anyone would care to look back at PW's posting history, you'll see he's always been outspoken about not being part of this site's management (where? Try the moderator selection threads in "Feedback" - my connection is exceptionally slow today.)

Everyone wants this site to improve. Everyone. I think only Fushigi has stated a preference for the site remaining very small (correct me if I'm wrong, please), and he is ironically the person PW singled out in a positive fashion.

In a way, I'm sorry to see PW go. He was the first person I invited to the site (IIRC helldriver was second), since I specifically wanted to reach out to people with different opinions from my own. At the same time, I also now feel that Prof Wizard was given far more of my patience than he deserved.

PW was a member of this community, and if anything, he now stands in my memory as proof that one does not have to like one's neighbors.

 

[LunarMist]

WTF happened I don't know, but it is sad that PW is exiting. I've seen simiar drmas played out on other forums lately. Maybe it is the mix of passion and youth. Anyway, goodbye fish lover.

 

[Howell]

On topic for a change, well sort of any way,

The site could do itself a favour by announcing any decisions made by the admin group. (or at least any decisions that affect the ongoing operation of the site)
That way new members will know where they stand, and if they were harbouring any suspicions about deals done in smoke filled rooms, would have their minds put at rest.

I said much the same in the other thread. Consider yourself warned.

 

[P5-133XL]

Gimie a break - I can count on one finger the number of hidden deals.

Consiracy theorists are barkin' up the wrong tree here. Or, maybe they're hiding them from ME! Oh No ...

SF was part of the JFK consiracy. Man never went to the moon - It was all propaganda by the SF marketting machine. Elvis Lives! Harbored by a SF patron.

Come clean, come clean, you leftest establishment commie pinko's. If you don't I'll make your life miserable by leaving, after producing some hate posts. Afterwards, you can make all the posts you want on how right I was and I'll never know.

Good grief Charlie brown

 

[Clocker]

My thoughts exactly. There is nothing going on in there that is worth talking about or announcing anyway.

 

[Mercutio]

I admit it. I am really a hunka' hunka' burnin' love.

Howell, if you want to be co-opted by the Monkeys, feel free to take my slot. Soon you too will be part of the vast conspiracy. You'll be fluoridating drinking water, inciting war between the US and the vile Spanish and bathing in the blood of virgins just like the rest.

 

[Howell]

I admit it. I am really a hunka' hunka' burnin' love.

Howell, if you want to be co-opted by the Monkeys, feel free to take my slot. Soon you too will be part of the vast conspiracy. You'll be fluoridating drinking water, inciting war between the US and the vile Spanish and bathing in the blood of virgins just like the rest.

Not sure I can handle all of that at once. Can I ease in gently, like The Giver does his bathwater. Can I wear a wire?

 

[P5-133XL]

I admit it. I am really a hunka' hunka' burnin' love.

Howell, if you want to be co-opted by the Monkeys, feel free to take my slot. Soon you too will be part of the vast conspiracy. You'll be fluoridating drinking water, inciting war between the US and the vile Spanish and bathing in the blood of virgins just like the rest.

I getta leave before you do (I hope) - He can take mine. as far as I'm concerned, Howell can take everyones spot and make PW happy (a conspiricy takes two people, with one it is merely a dictatorship).

 

[blakerwry]

p5, I haven't seen your bearded face around lately.

But I feel the same way about PW burning his bridges. It rarely is the right thing to do. The fact that most people here don't harbor resentment after his post is a sign that he was well liked and a respected member of the community.





:salut:

 

[Mercutio]

Oh man, the Giver's bath.

Well, it's given twice annually. It's really not so bad, as long as you remember the muzzle first. Don't worry, he's all talk. The Giver's never even SEEN a fava bean. Normally we draw straws. Let me tell you all, now you know the REAL reason Tannin quit.

You really want to start out with a 400-grit sandpaper and about a half a bottle of "Extra Strength Liquid Plumr". You'll know you've gone far enough when you strike the Sasquatchian layer of body hair.

Now, we think the lice are close to achieving sentience - that's really why we keep the poor bastard around - so do try to be careful when you're cutting out the matted parts. The Giver really likes a Lead-In conditioner. Peach scented seems to be his favorite. Of course, it's hard to tell, what with all the bleeding.

Oh. And don't go thinking he extra-special likes you. Priaprism is a serious medical condition, you know.

We usually have to bash him about the head a few times before we can work on the teeth. That's the worst, really. Most people don't have teeth that fizz like that. The liquid plumr comes in handy here, too. There's usually a couple of extractions involved. It's harder with the gloves but now that CougTek can only give one person at a time "the finger", we know it's better safe than sorry.

The whimpering? He's just trying to get some pity before the best parts.
We don't know why the "beating with live jumper cables" portion of the bathing process makes The Giver cleaner. But it sure seems to help.

Then we have to bring your attention to the 55-gallon drum of Preparation H. The Giver is normally fairly docile at this point but this is sensitve work.
He gets all testy if you don't warm it up first, though.

 

[Clocker]

:rotfl:

:rofl:

 

[blakerwry]

:rotfl:

:rofl:

no joke!

 

[Groltz]

The representative from Griffith is in rare form this evening.

 

[The Giver]

The representative from Griffith is in rare form this evening.

The Giver likes Shakespeare's Mercutio better than ours because he actually drinks from the vial of poison at the end of the play. Our Mercutio just goes on... and on...

For the record... The Giver bathes in nothing but glory.

 

[blakerwry]

Can we cahnge Prof's name to Professor Gizzard? :diablo:


sorry.. I'm tired... :zzz:

 

[flagreen]

Can we cahnge Prof's name to Professor Gizzard? :diablo:


sorry.. I'm tired... :zzz:

Is that a Chicken Joke?

 

[Mercutio]

Actually, Mercutio is slain by Tybalt in act three, scene 1. Tybalt is killed by Romeo. Romeo poisons himself, thinking Juliet dead. Juliet wakes up, finds Romeo dead, and stabs herself, ending the Jerry Springer episode that was the Montague-Capulet feud.

Also, just to correct The Giver, bathing in nothing but glory is precisely the reason we had to break out the Oven Cleaner last time we managed to get you to hold still long enough.

 

[The Giver]

Yes of course. Duh... What was The Giver thinking? Oh well. It's good to show you're only human once in a while.

The Giver find Glory leaves no sticky film the way the oven cleaner does. Still.... the oven cleaner does work wonders on the warts. Decsions decisions...

 

[Fushigi]

Everyone wants this site to improve. Everyone. I think only Fushigi has stated a preference for the site remaining very small (correct me if I'm wrong, please), and he is ironically the person PW singled out in a positive fashion.

Small in the sense of keeping the feeling of community. If we double, tripled, octupled, whatevered our membership but still had the same feeling, that'd be fine. But, as with SR other net forums, cities, and societies, with growth comes degradation and decay.

- Why do large cities fight to get the clean city award? Shouldn't cleanliness be a given and not a desire?
- When talking quality of life, one never mentions LA or other large cities; it's always some small rural area.
- When a forum's membership exceeds a certain level, the S/N ratio makes the site less interesting.

I don't mind educating newbies or reading what others post when doing the same. I've been doing it for nearly 20 years, going back to teaching my high school teachers about PCs. But only in a setting where the collective knowledge can be shared without it drowing in the collective idiocy of those who aren't interested or only want to grab attention for themselves.

I've little tolerance for flame wars, opinion-as-fact, etc. I also don't want to see too many political or religious debates as it's not my cup of tea. A few here and there are fine, of course, but I mostly care to discuss topics I've a genuine interest in. This applies to my offline-life as well as my online-life.

I enjoy SF because I can get good info about PC technology, get help when I need it, occasionally help others, and casually discuss topics of interest. I freely admit to lurking more than posting; my post count is nowhere near what it could be. I mostly read and post only when I feel I've something to contribute. Because of SF's size, I read almost everything. I will read every single topic and almost every reply in that topic. Regardless of my interest in the subject. LED lights? They sound cool but I'm not doing anything about them until they're cheap and at the consumer level. Car technology? While I'm no shade tree mechanic, I've always enjoyed the auto industry and try to keep up with most major developments. Photography? I'm a point-n-shoot type of guy mostly. Just no time and not enough interest to learn about all the adjustments that are available. My interest may only be because of your interest. But that's fine because that's where we grow beyond individuals and into a community.

Like with my non-internet friends, we have things in common and we have differences. As long as the sense of community is maintained here, I can embrace the members for who they are as individuals (or multiple individuals in the cases of those with alter-egos) and who we are as a community.

- Fushigi

 

[Tea]

I didn't understand Mercutio's lazt pozt. Doez this mean that there iz still hope for me az a decent person?

 

[Santilli]

Did I miss something?

PW: Believe me, this is much to do about nothing. You are not missing anything, and we will miss you.

Moderator usually implies someone who moderates, trys to stop conflict, and gets the parties talking to each other.

Leaving in a puff is not a good indication that moderation is your bag.

Thank you for posting the pics of Al Capone. I for one, would be greatly saddened by your departure.

Are you sure the stress in your life isn't carrying over to here?

Believe me, I can relate to that problem...

s

 

[Stereodude]

I think I missed something...

 

[Mercutio]

Yup. PW's temper tantrum.