posted
That guy in Florida in band was yet another member of the Flare community with the first name of "Chris." I can't remember his last name or his screen name, but I remember the school he went to (suprisingly enough) University High School.
As my lengthy disappearance, real life interfered in my presence on the boards. Being a college student and the hardest working staff member of the residence halls tends to suck up all free time. So I vanished to take care of business. It certainly wasn't due to any grudges with members of this community.
As for Darkstar, well, there is so much that I can say. It's fairly obvious that he is a deeply troubled young man. In a weird way of thinking, the behavior of members of this board (and I'm not making any judgements or accusations) is probably going to help him. Escaping from reality is nice and dandy; most of us here do it. But it seemed to me that he was spending more time escaping from real life than with dealing with real life. As painful as it is, real life is more important, and I don't think that he was spending much time sorting out and bettering his life. Our driving him away may force him to eventually take a hard look at his life and change it for the better.
When his real life stabilizes and he begins to relax, Darkstar may come back. He may be able to look at his short experience with Flare as a good thing and decide to come back as a productive and interesting member of the community.
------------------ Nic: She's not a practicing lesbian. We need PRACTICING lesbians! Me: I have a camcorder. Nic: But no lesbians. Me: Ahhh... no. Nic: DAMN IT MAN! WE NEED LESBIANS! LOTS AND LOTS OF LESBIANS!
posted
I wasn't apologising. I was bollocking off in whichever direction my ineffable fury took me.
This is an apology: SORRY.
Just so everyone knows what one looks like.
Christ, but I'm in foul humour.
------------------ At that point, McDonald fired his gun three times in the air to emphasize his point. The crowd, estimated at 350,000, loudly cheered the new candidate.
"Let me make this clear: I am the law! I am your ruler! And you will have fries with that, motherf*cker!"
While Darkstar's passing from these forums came as a bit of a suprise upon my return to these forums, it was hardly unanticipated by me. Several times the Dark one had threatened to leave, giving us several rants about his poor feelings being hurt. Nevertheless, despite the fact that several of us gave REAL reasons as why we had problems with his posts, and advice on self-improvement, the overall nature and directions of his behavior never altered, making such an occurrance, in my opinion, inevitable,
As for myself, I am unaware of having said anything that wasn't true, or that I should in the least bit feel sorry for.
Therefore, I will decline your gracious invitation to joing the breast-beating guiltfest.
Sincerely, First of Two
------------------ The government that seems the most unwise, oft goodness to the people best supplies. That which is meddling, touching everything, will work but ill, and disappointment bring. - The Tao Te Ching
posted
Aiight! I'ma cut it to you straight and clear, it was DEFINITELY your fault(all of y'all). Because you've managed to insult me(not easily done) on quite a few occasions, but I took it(and dished some back) under the understanding that it was a joke. It was not a very pleasant joke though, I can see how someone who has problems in his life would be offended by this, and I am greatly offended by the post of First of Two, because he/she could have showed some common decency instead of saying what he/she did.
Remember one thing, the users that come here are honouring this board by coming, they have a lot of boards to pick fro, so I fail to see why they should stay here against insults. When a newbie appears you make him/her feel welcome, most people fail to do that.
------------------ "Well if it's gonna be that kind of a party, I'm putting my dick in the mashed potatoes!"
posted
There is no one more loving than I, at least no one who is not currently employed by PBS. But I must say that no one "has" to post here, or anywhere for that matter. While I am not condoning the actions of anyone anywhere at any time, I must say that we are what we are, and people are free to accept or reject us as they please.
Sorry, infinity, I refuse to feel guilt for things I didn't do. I didn't cause Darkstar to type half his posts in all-caps, to abstain from the use of legibility, or to employ virtually every nauseating fanboy modus operandi in the book.
NOR did I make some of his more "humorous" sayings a part of my signature, post mock-fanboy replies to most of his posts, or belittle him publicly.
We are each and all responsible for our own actions. there is NO SUCH THING as 'collective guilt' outside of a hive mind... which this place most certainly is not.
Now, you want to pick out individual people whom you think might have contributed to this and take them to task, fine and good. MY post was a reply to the thought that we were somehow 'all' responsible. (I wonder if that includes the lurkers and other newbies who never posted? Wouldn't that be galacticly stupid?)
------------------ The government that seems the most unwise, oft goodness to the people best supplies. That which is meddling, touching everything, will work but ill, and disappointment bring. - The Tao Te Ching
posted
Well, I have to agree with Fist of Two (I know I'm chiming in a little late, here). I'm very sorry that the guy got his feelings hurt and feel bad that somewhere out there, the little guy's hunched over a computer looking for another board. But some of us were actually trying to give constructive criticism, and it evidently wasn't well received.
I'd love for him to come back, if only because I don't like the idea of anyone feeling like they've been screwed or rejected. But the purpse of these places is to have discussion and debate about what you post. If you can't do that, don't want to do that, or never post in your own thread...well... this happens.
My two cents. I guess there's very little to be done at this point.
------------------ "The sons of the Prophet were valiant and bold, And quite unacustomed to fear. But, of all, the most reckless, or so I am told, Was Abdul Abubul Amir." Aban's Illustration www.alanfore.com
posted
Well I had absolutely nothing to do with his disappearance, but I still feel sorry for the kid (I know, I know, he's 17 or older, but from reading his posts I can't help thinking of him as a kid, and I don't mean that in a derogatory way). Although I'm not pedantic when it comes to warp speeds etc, and I don't even post regularly in the "real" Star trek threads, I can understand how his manufactured facts and figures would annoy those of you who are into that sort of thing. Although I feel sorry for Darkstar I have to agree with First and UM, they ( and the others) just acted like they normally do, and if Darkstar couldn't handle this then he was free to leave, and it's probably better, for his own sake, that he did.
------------------ "If you can't beat your computer at chess, try kickboxing."
[This message has been edited by Gurgeh (edited March 21, 2001).]
posted
I am not blaming anybody, I'm saying is that you have got to get a different attitude toward newbies, because the one you have right now makes a lot of them feel unwelcome. I know I've been there, I've been scolded by an admin at a previous board for saying something that could have offended a newbie, and I was bothered by a lot of people's reactions to my posts in the beggining, so I know what it's like for both sides. I guess people here are different but that doesn't mean you can't try to be nicer to new people.
------------------ "Well if it's gonna be that kind of a party, I'm putting my dick in the mashed potatoes!"
posted
As far as I have seen there is no "attitude" towards newbies. The guys and gals here treat newbies with respect which is more then I can say for other places I have been. While the jokes were probably in excese, they were still jokes. I know that jokes can hurt, but you need to get over them and move on, especially here.
I also agree with First, I have no reason to feel an personal guilty about his leaving as I had nothing to do with it. We as a forum might want to make sure that we don't do as much joking as we did this time the next time somebody shows up. However that is not to say that we should not give out constructive critisism.
------------------ God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the weaponry to make the difference.
posted
Somehow, I don't believe that 143 posts is really still 'newbie' territory. (although I also have a hard time believing I've posted upwards of 3000 times... sheesh!)
Granted, some of that was the ridiculous multi-forum posting of "I Quit," and some of that was lashing out at any negative response to any of his postings, and some of it was repeating distance calculations (minus the relevant data). But after somewhere around 50 posts, (assuming that they actually READ the groups and threads they post to,) normal people usually have a pretty good idea of what's going on, and what flys and what doesn't.
------------------ The government that seems the most unwise, oft goodness to the people best supplies. That which is meddling, touching everything, will work but ill, and disappointment bring. - The Tao Te Ching
[This message has been edited by First of Two (edited March 21, 2001).]
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