Longtime Loungers...do you think the Lounge has changed a great deal?

[Diamondback]

fftopic: Can someone please ban Nashoba for being too gracious, level-headed, strong, witty, etc etc? She makes the rest of us look not as nice.

That's my job here--the "counterpoint" to her "point", eating the "Mr. Unpleasantness" rep so the rest of you don't have to. Geez, don't all thank me at once...lol

I will admit, trying to measure up to the Lounge's standards has refined me a lot--previously, I was known to curse blue streaks that would've had Old Blood & Guts jealous at times...

 

[dhermann1]

DB, your "unpleasantness" is so skin deep it's hilarious. Nashoba, your post made me get all misty. What a great gang of people. I already added my 2 cents worth to this thread, but I just wanted to add another .2 cents.
I also want to say, I agree with everybody!

 

[Diamondback]

DB, your "unpleasantness" is so skin deep it's hilarious.

That's 'cause I've got y'all and the MacArthur influence helping to smooth out the rough edges--sharpening them too maybe, but definitely a noticeable improvement (at least to internal diagnostics) since just February when I registered.

 

[FedoraGent]

It's a testament...

Folks,

This thread is a testament to the Lounge as what started out as a somewhat heated discussion has turned into a quiet, light hearted discussion. And no one has turned it into a spitting match as we're all keeping adult and civil. On another board that I'm not, this would have automagically turned into the pit of vipers. No, not the Lounge. And for that, I'm proud.

Oh, and Linc...if you're going to the range...I'd be up for it too.

FG.

 

[Nashoba]

*blush*
Twitch: Thank you I'm glad he's home I'm tired of doing his chores

PSG: lol, as if I could ever make you look bad! And thank you as well, I only wish he were going to be home longer than he will be. Ah well at least I have the lounge

DB you do it so well and as has been said, it's so skin deep that it makes me laugh no matter what kind of day I've had.

dhermann: glad I could be of service

And this is why I love this place. There is a sense of community here and I believe that there always will be regardless of how high our numbers go.

 

[Chanfan]

Folks,

This thread is a testament to the Lounge as what started out as a somewhat heated discussion has turned into a quiet, light hearted discussion. And no one has turned it into a spitting match as we're all keeping adult and civil. On another board that I'm not, this would have automagically turned into the pit of vipers. No, not the Lounge. And for that, I'm proud.

It is pretty impressive, that way, compared to other boards and/or lists I've seen. I can only think of one other email list (a Nautical Fiction list I'm on) that is similar, and it too has discussed some topics to death, and changed a bit.

As many have pointed out, even if new folk act the same as vets, just a change in numbers will affect things. This is sometimes referred to as "signal to noise ratio" - the more chatter, the more "noise" obscuring your signal. Note that this isn't even a comment on the subject of the chatter - it's just a matter of course that not every topic is of prime interest to every member. If that's 15 moderately (or less) interesting topics to your 3 interesting ones, that's not a hassle. 1500 to 300, that tends to obscure things, even if the ratio hasn't changed.

I think, just due to new topics, new mutual interest, spreading areas of interest, and such - that not only is the volume increased, but the ratio has naturally changed for many.

I know for my own part, I've gotten more busy in life, more distracted by other things, and haven't been able to act on some of the info here (that is, underfunded and/or not finding what I want). As a result, I've visited less often, and due to the numbers of posts, I find it harder to keep up.

Mind you, the combo of slimming down a bit (so perhaps I can find vintage that fits) and getting some more discretionary income might get me back to do some research!

 

[Lincsong]

Folks,

This thread is a testament to the Lounge as what started out as a somewhat heated discussion has turned into a quiet, light hearted discussion. And no one has turned it into a spitting match as we're all keeping adult and civil. On another board that I'm not, this would have automagically turned into the pit of vipers. No, not the Lounge. And for that, I'm proud.

Oh, and Linc...if you're going to the range...I'd be up for it too.

FG.

You're going to meet up with us in Las Vegas next month????

 

[Lincsong]

Throw in the bikini girls and you got yerself a deal.

That can be arranged "in a New York Minute" when in Las Vegas.

 

[FedoraGent]

YEAH!

You're going to meet up with us in Las Vegas next month????

Heck, if Jack is really going to be here, you bet your butt I'll be there. I live in Pasadena...it's just a few hours drive.

FG.

 

[Lincsong]

Heck, if Jack is really going to be here, you bet your butt I'll be there. I live in Pasadena...it's just a few hours drive.

FG.

So what does that make the rest of us????? Chopped liver?

 

[FedoraGent]

Nah..

So what does that make the rest of us????? Chopped liver?

No, it just means that you're not Senator Jack.

FG.

 

[Lincsong]

Did I miss the side of the barn here??????

 

[surely]

it looks that way....

 

[Mr. 'H']

Lincsong has a change of heart....

FROM THIS THREAD:

It's the same as when I came. There are the thin skinned who frown around all day, taking everything seriously and are one phone call away from having a lawsuit because they are "offended" by off color remarks, or some politically incorrect phrase and are just ready to unfurl the banners and lead the masses against the big bad oppressors.

.
.
.
.
Maybe you were just feeling extra sensetive the day you posted this comment then Linc....

FROM AN OLDER THREAD:

I find the term "wifebeater" to be highly offensive and see it as an ethnic put down to all the Italians, Mexicans, Puerto Ricans and Cubans who wear them exposed on hot days. If someone made a thread about "light in the loafers" I'm sure it would be immediately closed.

.
.
.
.
LOL - lol

Lincsong, I am only rising you buddy!

 

[Lincsong]

bahahhahahahahaha That wifebeater thread post was totally done in tongue and cheek. I was just stirring the pot.lol lol

 

[K.D. Lightner]

I've been around since 2004 and do not post as often as I once did. So, I am just discovering this thread and it's already into nine pages!

There have been so many changes on the FL, first in the number and variety of people posting. Also a lot more women!! When I came aboard, there were two of us who posted regularly and a few visitors dropped in from time to time. Now we have tons of gals and topics devoted solely to them.

There were lots of folks active then who I rarely see posting these days; some have gone their own way, a few were banned, some have become bartenders. I miss some of the folks who regularly posted back then. Rules had to be established and topics banned because some folks got so vitriolic over them. Some people trashed others and their lifestyles. I certainly don't miss that and I am glad that MK runs a tight ship. It makes for a pleasant Lounge.

I don't mind the repeat topics. There are so many new people and a steady influx of newbies, how could they know we had a 27-page thread on a specific topic back in 2005? Sometimes, when I post, I feel like it's deja vu all over again, as the baseball philospher once said. I believe there are some topics I've posted at least three times over. That's OK -- I'm a long-winded Gemini.

Here are some of the great positives of my being a member of the FL:

I've posted with lots of interesting people, with all levels of education, philosophies, backgrounds, experiences, cultures, and many, many people in creative fields. I love the variety of folks and it's always interesting.

Certainly I have learned a lot -- about hats, caps, fashions, styles, movies, books, places of interest, people.

I enjoy the threads that take polls, enjoy reading what people do, what has happened to them in their lives, what they read, what their favorite movies are, etc.

I know when I moved from San Diego to Des Moines, I felt like I took some of my friends and acquaintances with me -- it helped me to make the transition and I was not so lonely. If I felt lonely, I tapped into the Lounge.

Thanks, folks, for all the camaraderie, advice, knowledge, savy, know-how and friendliness.

karol

 

[Mr. 'H']

bahahhahahahahaha That wifebeater thread post was totally done in tongue and cheek. I was just stirring the pot.lol lol

:eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap

Lincsong, you are a legend! You totally got that thread up on its feet! :eusa_clap You would be fun to head out with for a beer!!!

lol

:eusa_clap

 

[Brad Bowers]

Interesting and thought-provoking thread. It's caused me to reflect back on my time here on the Lounge. I realized I've become a bit disenchanted over the past year or so, as well. I never was a prolific poster; I mean, look, I've been here four years and still haven't hit 1200 posts! Too busy drinking, I guess.lol But I noticed I've curtailed my reading, and certainly my posting. I remember checking out every section each day, but now I mostly stay the Hat section, and sometimes here in the Observation Bar. Does that mean that I think the Lounge has changed? Yes. Is it necessarily a bad thing? Nope, just the course of the evolution of this place. Am I giving up? No. There may not be the historical hat discussions that there used to be a few years ago, the kind I enjoy the most, but I still put in my two cents when I have something that I think people might be interested in. I miss some of the people that used to be here. I wonder how many of us there are left from that first year? But I welcome those that have joined since, and hope every new person feels they can contribute something to making this the great place that it is.

And now I retire back to my corner table with another bottle of Scotch.



Brad

 

[Jovan]

I feel I'm ignored here sometimes... but I guess I shouldn't take it personally. Actually, this place has helped me grow better at participating on forums. I was thinking of throwing in the towel earlier this year (and I even made a thread about it :eusa_doh the same as I did another forum. Then I realised that I hadn't even given everyone or myself a damn chance to get to the heart of the issue. That being that everything you say in real life doesn't always translate perfectly into text and that you can't always say exactly what's on your mind just because it's the internet.

I actually find myself sympathising with Senator Jack despite our differences in the past, looking back at a thread I posted about a company that made mod suits being a prime example. Would I want someone saying the same things I am to them? About how they don't like "bumfreezer" jackets and the style details without even commenting on how well made they are, the fabrics, etc.? Not really, no. So I try to post more accordingly. When I make a suggestion, I try to make it a suggestion rather than a matter of fact. Sometimes it's still taken the wrong way -- c'est la vie. I try to clarify it as best I can.

I do also sympathise with M. Tatterscratch. I felt he was being needlessly ignored while everyone else kept going on about their wares. I sure wouldn't like that happening to me. I'm trying my best to fit in and he certainly was by posting his suits. While they weren't to most people's personal aesthetic here, the least they could have said is that they looked well made, or that he had great confidence to pull off such a Victorian look in this day and age. This is where I feel the senior members could use a little work. I like the Victorian style, and commented on them. It makes sense since a good deal of the clothes I like from the late '50s and early '60s were inspired by that period. So, chin up, Tatterscratch. You have a fan in me, not to mention a few classy dames here.

Overall, while my tenure has been a bit rocky and I occasionally take issue with the way things are run, I like it here. I wouldn't have over 3,000 posts by the end of this year if I didn't... I only started this February! Hope my little novel was as enjoyable as others here.

-Jovan

P.S.: Yes, this is my real name.

EDIT: I actually started in January. Duh. :eusa_doh:

 

[Twitch]

Hey Senator Jack I never noticed you complaining about some topic, were you? What? But I use the pistol thing as an example out of the air only because it is a classic one in my world. It could be stick shift vs. automatic mileage. I'll read a few folks deep into a topic. They're being courteous to one another but they are being imperitive as well and might say, "You wouldn't say that if you have seen the report on .45 caliber penetration in real life scenarios." Or "Come on, look at the Road & Track comaprison of Corolla standard and automatic's gas mileage and you can see what is more economical."

Geez, it could be 'what year did bell bottoms become mainstream' going back and forth? Point being somebody previously not included in the discusssion misinterpretes the air and thinks someone is being insulted. Or some comment made indirectly and vicariously insults them!

Now to the casual reader it might seem as though they're getting rude but they are not. They're simply emphatically punctuating their points of view. More and more when people do that it arouses others' sense of...something and they add comments like, "why you guys making a big deal on that topic?" or the complain to a bartender when there was no actual problem beyond the one that was manufactured in their mind by misinterpretation.

The bottom line I am attempting to illustrate is that passersby get the wrong impression of the discussion and think it's an arguement! And/or a comment not directed at tem in first place somehow hurts their feelings. That's what Lincsong meant about thin-skinned and I agreed with.

I visit a science-type website that has over 200 topics! There's something for everyone there pretty much just like FL. There are certainly enough topics on most sites that I don't feel bored or busybody enough to jump into ones I have to interest in simply to type some more.

Just try not to read things that aren't there folks.