it's the 3x1-1 is the same answer as jarah's simple question of 1+1.

i totally don't know the answer to that.
(3x1)-1=2
3x(1-1)=0

p.s. - i would never post this under my screen name

wow, a thread i wrote 20 months ago seeing some new life.

right now, i don't mind having the famous guest option. i don't mind because we can flag stuff. and so i do. not when i don't like content (personal attacks, rants i disagree with) but when it's just spam (even if it's guised as an anti-fresno rant with an oakland a's link in it). i'm trying to do my best to just ignore the anonymous trolls, as annoying as they can be.

i encourage people to use the flag as offensive button for spam (and maybe only spam).

Spam/pot shots/drivel on here this weekend made me wonder if the benefit of anonymous posts was still outweighing the negatives. I've seen a number of nice posts by someone who, for whatever reason, didn't log in. And I've seen plenty of doozies, too. The spam at least is reasonably under control now, but there have been some personal attacks that I doubt would be made by someone who had been logged in. Is the signal to noise ratio getting worse? Or is it all just heat related?

Oh i totally know the answer to that.

Yes, auto preview is designed to help curb spam. Next step is asking anon users to fill in numbers or answer a simple question (like, 1+1=?) before the comment is posted.

jarah, you're so diligent. and quick at responding. i must say that i continue to be impressed with your creation here.

did you add the automatic preview to help stop it?

We're working on fixes to prevent comment spam. So far they've been relatively few and far between, but we'll do all we can to maintain the integrity of the site.

and ff is hit with another run of spam posts, the thing that really spurred me to start this thread. what say ye now? (what am i a pirate?)

I just try and ignore the blatently obnoxious posters. You know the ones that are saying anything to make you mad, even when you can tell they don't believe what they are writng themselves. The less repsonse to those posts, the quicker they go away. It is hard to not respond sometimes, but, it still is better in the long run.

I rarely used the 'famous guest,' mode, if at all.

Stuff like this mornings rolling porn postings (which hit I think at least 4 strings,) were annoying, but reported as soon as they were found.

MoxieBoing-Boing? Who knows. Maybe this person has zero netiquette, or is trying to increase tourism between China and Fresno... (They've got LOTS of bicycles over there... I see a good thing in this, but I'm weird.)

Considering the greatest hate mail I get on the stuff I write (usually) comes from unknowns and snipers?
I guess it would cut down on the monkeybusiness.
(Then again, so would not writing anything anymore.)

I look at it this way:
I'm the sort of person who will directly approach a person, (be it on line, on the phone, or in person,) and discuss the issue at hand with them. Even a difficult subject is not off limits,
-I just realize that I need to do so respectfully and not turn it into an attack, (unless I'm looking to attack, which is really rare.)

I've had people who I'm close to tell me 'that such a direct approach is not really common in these parts, and folks tend to be more reserved in their public statements and opinnions...'
(Being an East Coaster, and a NewYorker? I know that there is a difference in mannerisms.)

Even when talking to someone in person, you will find folks not being as (ahem,,, honest,) as they sometimes are with a confidant.

-In both cases? Someone being able to hide behind an anonymous post, even if it's 'sniping,' expresses a view, -and views should be heard.
Having to use an anonymous angle (be it for positive or negative postings, even to take shots at someone?
-is kind of like having a communication disability.

At least the people with this disability can express themselves. (Which is not healthy as it could be, but it's healthier than bottling up a lot of issues inside.)

Funny thing is,
-even a person hiding behind an anonymous, (or even a fabricated version of someone else's posts,) will eventually be recognized as to who they actually are in time.

-There's no way around it.
Most people are not clever enough, (nor can spend the time,) creating completely fictitious characters and experiences,
-and we all tend to write about what we've been through and where we go, who we know, etc. ---which leaves identifiers.

-Further?
Everybody has a writing style, which always gives away the author, (it ties in with word use, rhythm, meter, imagery, etc. etc.)
So you can figure out who's writing what -if you know how to do this.

Finally:
It's an honest read.
(Example:
Do I know who it was that told me that 'I needed to know what I was looking for' when I went into Tower Records months ago looking for a Movie Soundtrack and Beck song?
Not really.

What has been confirmed, however, is that a mentality such as this exists, (though I hope nobody at Tower was this arrogant and uncaring regarding customer service.)

Not to sound all 'kung fu: blind guy master,' here, but:
The drunkest person and the biggest liar is still telling you more truth than they ever will realize, -you just have to know how to listen.

There will always be people who are not afraid to be responsible to say what they mean, mean what they say, and not be afraid to be identified for such, (which is honest and responsible,)
-and then there will always be people who are the opposite.

-You can learn a lot (not just about the individual, but the spirit of the town, the group, and the trends of factions,) through this just as much.
(True charater is who we are, (or type,) in the dark.)

Welcome to who we are.