billvon 2,446 #1 December 10, 2003 Bill's list of Internet Truisms (or, what I've learned from posting on the net) : 1. Make sure that the ONLY reason you're posting to a newsgroup is for fun or to discuss something that interests you. If you're trying to change the world - write a book, invent cheap fusion or run for office. You won't change anything by posting to a website. 1a. There is both good and bad information on the net, but the bad information is a lot more prevalent than the good. Keep this in mind as you read. 2. If you want to write an informative article, great - do so and post it in a new thread. Better yet, send it to parachutist or skydiving; both of those have pretty wide circulations. But spending a long time on an informative post and putting it at the end of a 100 post thread can be counterproductive. Not many people will see it. 2a. If the thread has gone on for 300 posts, chances are good that no more than 3 people will read the 301st post. 2b. If you reply to a post and your reply is over one page long - few will read it. 3. In general you won't win any arguments on the net unless you have a very flexible definition of victory. 4. If a thread is making you really mad, stop reading it. Getting mad at a thread is one of the more fruitless wastes of energy. 5. Remember that one actual experience is always going to win over a thousand posts - so plan your time accordingly. 6. If you post something and it's really important to you, keep a copy. Websites go down and threads get trashed or deleted. 7. Be very careful what you post in a thread, even if it's a thread started by you and continued by close friends. Remember that the entire world can read anything you post, and google can find almost anything on the net. 8. If you reply to a post and attack another poster's spelling, it would behoove you to be sure that you spelled everything in _your_ post correctly. 9. On the Internet the only way someone can get a sense of your intelligence, logic, rationale etc is by what (and how) you write. Consequently people may take you more seriously if you write in complete sentences, use decent grammar and spell words correctly. 10. If you're about to fire off a post to really zing someone good - sit on it for half an hour, then see if you really want to send it. Think about whether or not you'd say it to the other person in real life. If not, perhaps you shouldn't say it to him on the net either. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AggieDave 6 #2 December 10, 2003 Quote3. In general you won't win any arguments on the net unless you have a very flexible definition of victory. 4. If a thread is making you really mad, stop reading it. Getting mad at a thread is one of the more fruitless wastes of energy. That reminds me of something I've seen on Fark quite a few times. The caption is "arguing on the internet is like running in the special olympics, if you win, you're still retarded." Very poor taste, IMHO, but it really does a good job of explaining arguing on the internet. (Although I tend to fall into the "discussion" type threads every once in a while).--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PhillyKev 0 #3 December 10, 2003 You forgot that Hitler rule, thing. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PurpleBadger 0 #4 December 10, 2003 lets point 3 and 4 out to Ron Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Remster 24 #5 December 10, 2003 QuoteThat reminds me of something I've seen on Fark quite a few times. Its been posted here oh..... a couple of time lol....Remster Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
flyangel2 2 #6 December 10, 2003 Quote2b. If you reply to a post and your reply is over one page long - few will read it. And that's about as far as I read May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds. - Edward Abbey Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Darius11 12 #7 December 10, 2003 Hey # 8,9 I don't know bill. English is my second language and i can't spell to save my life. If doing your best counts thats cool. But lets not be too picky with ESL kids. I'd rather be hated for who I am, than loved for who I am not." - Kurt Cobain Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kramer 0 #8 December 10, 2003 Bill, nice post. Do I have your permission to copy-paste that to another forum I frequent, provided I credit you with it? -Kramer The FAKE KRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMER!!!!!!!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 2,446 #9 December 10, 2003 >I don't know bill. >English is my second language and i can't spell to save my life. If >doing your best counts thats cool. Hey, you're already doing better than some of the more creative spellers here. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AggieDave 6 #10 December 10, 2003 QuoteHey, you're already doing better than some of the more creative spellers here. That's for sure. I get typing fast and don't check what I type, I get some really interesting spellings that way!--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freeflir29 0 #11 December 10, 2003 QuoteI get typing fast and don't check what I type, I get some really interesting spellings that way! I like to just keep downing beers until I slump over on the keyboard. Then I get up the next day and see what I posted. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TomAiello 25 #12 December 10, 2003 I agree with you about 90%. Except; Quote2. If you want to write an informative article, great - do so and post it in a new thread. Better yet, send it to parachutist or skydiving. Unfortunately, neither Parachutist nor Skydiving will publish my articles. Parachutist doesn't like my subject matter. Skydiving just keeps rejecting me. I guess I'll have to stick with posting.-- Tom Aiello [email protected] SnakeRiverBASE.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AggieDave 6 #13 December 10, 2003 I bet if you showered more Skydiving would like you.--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
themitchyone 0 #14 December 10, 2003 Quote4. If a thread is making you really mad, stop reading it. Getting mad at a thread is one of the more fruitless wastes of energy. Bill, you are so right, but sometimes it's hard to do. I want to take on evidence (or lack thereof) and claims point by point! Quote Unfortunately, neither Parachutist nor Skydiving will publish my articles. Parachutist doesn't like my subject matter. Skydiving just keeps rejecting me. I guess I'll have to stick with posting. Tom, keep trying. Skydiving mags are never short of skydiving articles. You also might try submitting skydiving articles to other types of magazines. Good luck. -Michele"If the Bible has taught us nothing else, and it hasn't, it's that girls should stick to girl's sports such as hot oil wrestling and foxy boxing." - Homer Simpson Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 2,446 #15 December 10, 2003 > Parachutist doesn't like my subject matter. Well, there is that. But there's also skydiving, and now there are a lot of local skydiving magazines. One of the strangest experiences I had this year was reading an article I had written for DZ.com appear in a Dutch skydiving magazine. I could recognize about one word out of 20. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PLFKING 3 #16 December 10, 2003 QuoteI like to just keep downing beers until I slump over on the keyboard. THAT generated a bona-fide belly-laugh....thanks ! Don"When in doubt I whip it out, I got me a rock-and-roll band. It's a free-for-all." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freeflir29 0 #17 December 10, 2003 QuoteTHAT generated a bona-fide belly-laugh....thanks ! It took about 5 minutes to type it I was laughing so hard. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SkyDolphin 0 #18 December 11, 2003 It's awfully hard to delete a post once it's posted to most internet forums. I did a lot of back tracking on a post I made last year about a movie that was being released with skydiving in it. The movie company didn't want any publicity at that time. In my defense, I was asked to post it by the skydivers in the movie but it still caused me a lot of headaches. I also happened upon an article I had written for DZ.com in a magazine from Germany. I only recognized it by the photos and names in it. The by line was a dead give away. :-) Skydiving once published some pictures of mine but along with them they also published some that I didn't take but gave me credit for. I apologized to the real photographer and sent him a check for the amount that I received for the photos plus had Skydiving print a correction the next month. Gosh am I rambling or what? I'm just glad to be back after spending 8 months in a "No internet" job. Pretty tough when you are web developer. Rhonda Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FallRate 0 #19 December 11, 2003 QuoteI like to just keep downing beers until I slump over on the keyboard. Then I get up the next day and see what I posted. LOL!!! God Bless You Clay! There is a lack of good humor in the world!!! Keep typing. FallRate Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
captainpooby 0 #20 December 11, 2003 QuoteBill's list of Internet Truisms (or, what I've learned from posting on the net) : 1. Make sure that the ONLY reason you're posting to a newsgroup is for fun or to discuss something that interests you. If you're trying to change the world - write a book, invent cheap fusion or run for office. You won't change anything by posting to a website. 1a. There is both good and bad information on the net, but the bad information is a lot more prevalent than the good. Keep this in mind as you read. 2. If you want to write an informative article, great - do so and post it in a new thread. Better yet, send it to parachutist or skydiving; both of those have pretty wide circulations. But spending a long time on an informative post and putting it at the end of a 100 post thread can be counterproductive. Not many people will see it. 2a. If the thread has gone on for 300 posts, chances are good that no more than 3 people will read the 301st post. 2b. If you reply to a post and your reply is over one page long - few will read it. 3. In general you won't win any arguments on the net unless you have a very flexible definition of victory. 4. If a thread is making you really mad, stop reading it. Getting mad at a thread is one of the more fruitless wastes of energy. 5. Remember that one actual experience is always going to win over a thousand posts - so plan your time accordingly. 6. If you post something and it's really important to you, keep a copy. Websites go down and threads get trashed or deleted. 7. Be very careful what you post in a thread, even if it's a thread started by you and continued by close friends. Remember that the entire world can read anything you post, and google can find almost anything on the net. 8. If you reply to a post and attack another poster's spelling, it would behoove you to be sure that you spelled everything in _your_ post correctly. 9. On the Internet the only way someone can get a sense of your intelligence, logic, rationale etc is by what (and how) you write. Consequently people may take you more seriously if you write in complete sentences, use decent grammar and spell words correctly. 10. If you're about to fire off a post to really zing someone good - sit on it for half an hour, then see if you really want to send it. Think about whether or not you'd say it to the other person in real life. If not, perhaps you shouldn't say it to him on the net either. THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO REMEMBER IS: After you're done arguing on the internet, even if you win....you're both still idiots. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
konradptr 0 #21 December 11, 2003 Oh come on, thats not how it goes.....its... Arguing on the internet is like the Special Olympics.........even if you win.....your still retarted. Fin. ------------------------------------------ Getting banned isn't that bad...... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
captainpooby 0 #22 December 11, 2003 QuoteOh come on, thats not how it goes.....its... Arguing on the internet is like the Special Olympics.........even if you win.....your still retarted. Fin. No its not. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PhillyKev 0 #23 December 11, 2003 QuoteQuoteOh come on, thats not how it goes.....its... Arguing on the internet is like the Special Olympics.........even if you win.....your still retarted. Fin. No its not. Yes it is Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
captainpooby 0 #24 December 11, 2003 QuoteQuoteQuoteOh come on, thats not how it goes.....its... Arguing on the internet is like the Special Olympics.........even if you win.....your still retarted. Fin. No its not. Yes it is. Nyah Nyah. Yes it is Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kingbunky 3 #25 December 11, 2003 a good quote i heard (and searched for to get it right!) to go along with point 1a. it refers to usenet, but since it predates the web, i think it is apt for the web as well: "Usenet is like a herd of performing elephants with diarrhea -- massive, difficult to redirect, awe-inspiring, entertaining, and a source of mind- boggling amounts of excrement when you least expect it." "Hang on a sec, the young'uns are throwin' beer cans at a golf cart." MB4252 TDS699 killing threads since 2001 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
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