Damn, I'm trying to think of more copycats just to piss off the righteous...

[LeftyFingerPop]

but I can't.

Really people...they don't hurt anyone, do they?

[NightWatcher]

1. it's ok, I almost did one for SPELUNKERS

I really really REALLY want to post

MUFFDIVERS

[TZ]

2. How bout some nakked mole rat pictures!

I could do with some of those...:D

[LeftyFingerPop]

3. Ok, I'll start a thread...give me a few secs... n/t

[puerco-bellies]

13. Whoohoo I haven't cleaned out my photobucket account in ages!!

:woohoo:

[LeftyFingerPop]

16. ha!!

:thumbsup: Nice to see you... :hug:

[TZ]

22. Yay!

Nakked mole rats..Part of my philosophy its the critters that are different that make life interesting

[DarkTirade]

4. They're like pawns on a chessboard.

In small numbers they can be fun. But when they overwhelm an entire side of your board and gangbang your queen, they get kinda annoying.

[LeftyFingerPop]

5. Ok...

I understand your point.

I guess the way I look at it...if I came in for say 20 days in a row and found nothing but copycat threads...

I would find it somewhat fascinating to watch if only just to see when they stopped.

My DU philosophy is whatever, whenever...as long as it is not against the rules and as long as it doesn't poke fun at a serious issue.

[DarkTirade]

6. My philosophy has always been 'As long as you don't do it in the street and block the traffic...'

Hence why I find a ridiculous number of one-word copycats to be a little annoying. Because they just clutter up and get in the way. :)

[LeftyFingerPop]

7. yeah but...

ya gotta love it, no? Where else can you find 6 dozen copycat threads? :)

[Oeditpus Rex]

9. In a kindergarten class?

:shrug:

[LeftyFingerPop]

11. I don't expect anything real stimualting in the lounge...

there are other forums more suited. However, I would actually be disappointed if I came in here and it was not fucked up in some way.

[Oeditpus Rex]

20. Y'know, I like 'Hee Haw,' too

But I don't wanna watch it 843 times a day.

[LeftyFingerPop]

21. Just hide 'em Oedi. No? n/t

[Oeditpus Rex]

24. If only it were that simple

But there's more to it: People have stopped coming here because it's gotten so goddamned dumbed-down. "Lame copycat" has become something to strive for, a badge of honor, as has the likes of threads headed "Boobies!" or "Tits!" with photos of birds.

Call me "elitist," but I expect better than that from adults.

But the main thing is, I miss the people who've had enough and left, and that's something I can't put on "hide" or "ignore."

[lizziegrace]

25. Thank you Oedi

There are many I miss too. And my hide thread list goes on for pages. It's sad that in order to find something worth reading you have to hide a dozen or more threads. I'm getting tired that part too. don't have time or the inclination to wade through them.

[LeftyFingerPop]

26. The "dumbing down" is a natural happening and...

it is not due to one, ten, or 100 posters.

It is due to everything that is going on in the world on any particular day. The lounge, in my opinion, is a barometer of what is happening out there.

As for the people that left the lounge or DU because of this, perhaps they viewed they place as something it is not, or they placed too much importance on it. Whatever the case, it is certainly their decision. Everyone's tolerance level is different.

[Oeditpus Rex]

29. I disagree

Intelligent people don't react to world events by fouling their nests. That's very much a creation of popular culture — very Peter Griffin-like. And, while the irreverence of "Family Guy" breaks me the fuck up, I don't expect Real Life to mimic it.

[LeftyFingerPop]

30. We'll agree to disagee ok?

To me, this is a message board that I can't get too upset over.

That's just the way I view it.

Now if this were happening in real life with someone getting up in my face or something doing copycats...different story then.

But here, it's just to easy for me to not pay too much heed to it, and maybe even get a laugh from it.

[Oeditpus Rex]

31. Yeah, that's fine

Hell, sometimes I like the "low-brow" stuff. Once in awhile I even initiate it. :)

And, I freely admit that I often take things here too personally. Since my days as a wee digital person, I haven't been able to separate people from their electrons — I've never understood "It's just a message board" because every message is posted by thinking, feeling people. And, because I think that way, I typically assume others do as well, but that ain't the way it plays.

Sometimes I envy those who can make that disassociation. They'll probably live longer than I because their blood pressure doesn't spike when they're in a flame war. They see the words; I hear the people.

[LeftyFingerPop]

32. Let me clarify....

I guess I see it as just a message board for ME, but I also view it as MORE than a message board for OTHERS.

For example, you may have noticed that probably the only thing that really gets under my skin on this board are 1) Gang attacks and 2) Making light of an illness.

I picture others sitting at their computer getting upset over posts.

This is why I said earlier...I understand how you feel, and I guess I don't really have the right to say that it is WRONG to hate a certain type of post in here.

But in my view, there are other things (see above) that are worth getting excited over more than copycats.

Of course, you may see differently, and I respect that.

[Oeditpus Rex]

33. You're right — there are

This has all been quite the overreaction — but kind of a product of the Lounge dynamic. In the other forums, outrage is freely and regularly expressed (like, every 4.1 seconds). Here, such eruptions are about as frequent as those of Mt. St. Helens, and I tend to think they reflect a build-up of Other Shit — which kinda goes back to what you said about world events, but the main difference being that people come here to unwind and get silly, whereas many apparently go to the other forums to get righteously indignant.



Shit, am I digressing again? x(

[LeftyFingerPop]

34. In any case, it's always an adventure here...

and that is why I love it.

I've expressed every mood I ever felt in here.

And I have to say this again...I am ultra sensitive to others who may feel pain from what has been posted, and that has caused some people to form a negative opinion about me.

It's almost like...I don't care what happens to me in here, it can't hurt me really. But I feel bad for the people it does hurt.

I could go on forever....example...someone got fired today and went a little off the deep end, so they come in here and post copycats. Or, someone is so happy they can't stand it, so they come in here and post silly copycats.

I don't know....I'm digressing too! :)

[Oeditpus Rex]

35. That's part of what I don't understand

You get fired, you come here and post, "I got fired," and people will fall all over themselves trying to prop you up. We're really good that way. So, I don't understand getting fired and posting copycats or whatever.

But then, everybody's different. I almost never talk about my personal demons here — hell, I don't much talk about them, period. When I have a bad day, I typically react in DU by thinking to myself, "This thread sucks... this thread sucks... this thread really sucks..."

Copycats are probably healthier.

[asteroid2003QQ47]

38. Oedi#24,lizziegrace#25...

count me in please.
That "People have stopped coming here because it's gotten so goddamned dumbed-down" is impossible to ignore.

[BarenakedLady]

40. Good philosophy.

'As long as you don't do it in the street and block the traffic...'

:thumbsup:

I like that. I'm not calling for censorship or judging sense of humor, just asking for a little self-control, consideration and common sense.

[Richardo]

8. How hard can it be to think of one word then change the letters one at a time?

:shrug:

[LeftyFingerPop]

12. Not hard at all...

that is what makes it so absurd, and thus, funny to me.

[Richardo]

15. Well, you're on your way then

:thumbsup:

[TZ]

17. Actually it can be a challange

In scrabble. To me copycatting is a form of playing scrabble..You just don't score points. (except for comments of course)

[DarkTirade]

23. Hmm... I don't know...

Hew harm cat is me so chink on ode ward thee charge tho latters

Hmm. Can't think of another one for one.

Ah well, 'twas an interesting experiment nonetheless.

[IndianaJones]

10. ignore. nt

[Generic Brad]

14. Damn, I'm trying to think of a righteous way to piss off the copycats

But I can't do that either.

Good luck with your quest.

[Fire Walk With Me]

18. Damn, I'm trying to link to more mole rats just to piss off the sightless...

[LeftyFingerPop]

19. Bwhaaaaaaa......

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :hug: :hi:

[Dr. Strange]

27. Yes they do.

People vomit and die and suffer great indignities because of lame copycats. So if it's not funny, don't post it. Because you might rip a hole in the time-space continuum and lose all of our chocolate.

[LeftyFingerPop]

28. Fucking hell!!!

Your first sentence...:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[Lyric]

36. I see it like this.

Let's say that I'm a Sorority girl who likes to make really, really bad puns --not just one, but five or ten at a time. It's not something that's a truly Important part of who I am--it's just something silly that I enjoy. A few of the people in my Sorority tell me that my bad puns aren't funny anymore--in fact they're getting so annoying that some of the people in the house are leaving in order to get away from it. One of my Sorority sisters asks me to either come up with some truly Funny puns, or to at least consider restraining my habit in order to respect the feelings of the other people who live in the house.

Tell me, in that situation, what is the best way to respond?

A. I have the right to say anything I damned well please, and if you don't like it, you can cover your ears or leave.

or...

B. Wow--I'm sorry gals. I honestly didn't realize I was being annoying. I'd rather not stop altogether, but I'm cool with toning it down a bit because I know that it's not just My house.

Perhaps the post you're responding to wasn't as respectful as it could have been, but it's also not respectful (or kind) to basically tell all of the people who responded in agreement to that thread that their feelings don't matter. DU is where we all "live"; it gets us nowhere if we aren't willing to be kind and respectful to each other. If the issue was something more Important than copycats, it would be different, but nobody's happiness rests on being able to post as many copycats as they want. Technically, we are permitted to post pretty much anything we want, so long as it isn't against the DU rules. That doesn't mean that it's a good idea to constantly post things that we *know* upset other people, just for the sake of indulging a small desire, or proving some kind of a point.

That's not the way that a community is supposed to work. A little less concern with ME and a little more concern with WE would be a welcome change around here.

[Midlodemocrat]

37. .

:applause:

[TZ]

39. Maybe I should just go mute IRL

If I had to go around worrying all the time about whether or not someone could POSSIBLY be offended by what I said, I would be a pretty mute person IRL. Where I work (where people actually think I'm funny for the most part) unless its truly offensive (and most fo us know the difference) no one tells anyone, well I don't think you are funny so just go away cause you are drowning out my old friends and making them leave.
I feel like part of the issue is that people long for the old days and there seems to be an element of prejudice agaisnt non-oldtimers in this.
I can't help it if people leave. Happens all the time. If anyone is leaving because the Lounge is inane, I think thats pretty sad anyway. There are plenty of other places here for intellectual discussion (which I frequent).
I think its pretty sad that people just can't deal with ignore and hide thread if they are that annoyed. those functions aren't hard to use.

[Lyric]

43. ...

If I had to go around worrying all the time about whether or not someone could POSSIBLY be offended by what I said, I would be a pretty mute person IRL.

Indeed. But there is a rather large difference between worrying about *everything* you say, and being respectful enough to tone down one small aspect of the things that you say. Not because you *have* to, but because you care enough about the feelings of other people to *want* to.

Where I work (where people actually think I'm funny for the most part) unless its truly offensive (and most fo us know the difference) no one tells anyone, well I don't think you are funny so just go away cause you are drowning out my old friends and making them leave.

Lounge folks aren't your co-workers; obviously there are differences of personality involved, as well as the differences between how people express themselves IRL as opposed to online. If you were doing something that *did* upset your co-workers, though, do you think they'd be horrible, selfish people for speaking up and telling you so? I think that speaking up (albeit in a more respectful and private way than the other poster chose to do so) is the most responsible way of dealing with a situation like that.

I feel like part of the issue is that people long for the old days and there seems to be an element of prejudice agaisnt non-oldtimers in this.

I'm not really an "old-timer" here, but I think that perhaps the longing for the "old days" has more to do with the way people respected each others' feelings and opinions back then, as opposed to now. I've heard that The Lounge was smaller and more community-oriented at that time. I honestly don't think it's automatically a bad thing to want to make it a real community again.

I can't help it if people leave. Happens all the time. If anyone is leaving because the Lounge is inane, I think thats pretty sad anyway. There are plenty of other places here for intellectual discussion (which I frequent).

I realize that people leave all the time for various reasons that are often beyond anyone's control, but when a significant number of people have all disappeared for the *same* reason, it's not unreasonable for other people to try and "fix" that reason so that they don't lose any more friends. I don't think the problem is just inanity; half the fun of the Lounge is being silly, after all. I think the problem is the excessive nature of the way some people post certain kinds of threads, like copycats. Seeing the board flood with copycats is sometimes funny, but most of the ones I've seen lately seemed more like spam than humor, you know?

I think its pretty sad that people just can't deal with ignore and hide thread if they are that annoyed. those functions aren't hard to use.

I think it's for two reasons. The first is that most people like to save Ignore for truly offensive stuff--think racism, sexism, homophobia, etc. The second is that I think a lot of people see lame copycats in the same way that they see spam e-mail--sure, you can "hide" it, but it's irritating to have to repeat that process when it's so much easier to simply ask someone to stop posting so many of them.

I can't speak for anyone else, turtlensue, but I don't think you're a bad person, and I don't want to see you leave. I often find myself laughing at your posts here, along with many other people. I think there is a respectful middle ground here that should be considered, for everyone's sake. I'm not singling you out because I think it's all your fault or anything; I'm only addressing this to you because you seem to be so upset about it. An increase in the level of respect on everyone's part couldn't possibly be anything but a good idea.

[madinmaryland]

44. I'm with you Doc!

If I had to give up my fav's, i'd be awfully quiet too! I've been around since 04, and there has always been crazy stuff and "cliques" in tef lounge.

[BarenakedLady]

41. Yes!

:applause:

[Bunny]

42. Beautiful!

:applause:

I wish that the people who are getting so twisted about this could just step back and reflect a little....

[Fire Walk With Me]

45. You forget answer C.

Girls, anchor your boats at the dock side of the farce.

Gets 'em every time.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

48. very.well.said.

nice analogy.

:yourock:

[ScreamingMeemie]

46. Seriously, it is not worth the two of you getting that bent up and posting

more threads about how upset you are.

Personally, I have always thought they were stupid (copycats) and a waste of space. But this is the Lounge and, as I said in Forrest's thread, I don't find all that much funny anymore.

I truly hope you and turtle can move on from that. Take care.

[LeftyFingerPop]

47. Mrs. Grumpy...

I'm not upset at all, but some others may be.

I don't usually post the types of copycats being discussed, so they don't really concern me that much. What concerns me is the unwarranted censorship.

Like I said in another post...I've complained vigorously when I felt that a post was insensitive and hurtful. However, if a post is just silly, what's the harm?

I just can't stand to see a poster who does no harm be berated like this...her posts are not insulting. That is my REAL issue in my OP.