The Awkward Silence

Yvette Colomb

00:01

@Beofett people like this - do not understand the experience of being a minority group and carry a chip that anything that smells of positive discrimination is somehow discriminating against them. They truly do not grasp that we're not always on a level playing field and people are just trying to level it. It's like the attitudes so many people have towards Aboriginals here. They cannot see that their own mentality is the reason these people need to be helped to be able to compete fairly.

Bradley Wilson

@YvetteColomb A great post and an insightful read

Yvette Colomb

@BradleyWilson I only chimed in - I had a look at the starred posts and thought I'd offer the support. It's not something I like to bring up - but rather reply to, if that makes sense. Thanks for the feedback.

@BradleyWilson also this is pretty much how I try and live life - I fail all the time in understanding others, but I strive to be better.

Much can be solved in trying to understand the other person

Bradley Wilson

00:17

@YvetteColomb Makes total sense, it's a discourse that needs to be had within the tech industry, that's for sure. No-one can hide away from it.

gracious1

@Beofett I was away from the computer when you responded. This didn't happen at SE, but it was a tech forum. It kind of scares me how many right-wingers occupy the field. It used to be filled with libertarians, but now it seems to be full of "alt-right". And I would also encourage you to write SE management, too.

Yvette Colomb

@BradleyWilson It's the human condition - practicing using our frontal lobes to override our emotional responses - after all - it's our frontal lobes that put us at the top of the food chain

Bradley Wilson

@YvetteColomb That reminds me of a quote from the famous Dutch philosopher Baruch Spinoza "The highest activity a human being can attain is learning for understanding because to understand is to be free"

@YvetteColomb I couldn't agree more, emotional trumps logic far too often.

emotion, rather

gracious1

@YvetteColomb Yes, if you point out someting is sexist, you can get the wrath of Khan on your head. But then some people did come to my defense, but it was only at that point, after people started defending me, that they shut down the conversation. When they were just hurling invectives at me, it was just fine.

It is still importan to speak out, however. But don't respond when they make ad hominem attacks.

Yvette Colomb

@gracious1 the disappointing thing - is so many men<alt/people> are supportive of women<alt/any minority> and then there's these loud mouthed thugs who ruin it for the rest of us.

I mean look at what's happened in Charlottesville. We have so much ignorance, hate and deception to clean up within our species

Beofett

00:23

@gracious1 It frightens me, as well. The latest incident at Google was a particular slap in the face.

Yvette Colomb

@Beofett the baser side of humankind is frightening indeed

The only good thing that is happening in the US atm is that the elephant in the room is now well and truly visible and being discussed - I don't know how we can erase bigotry from our species

Beofett

@YvetteColomb I believe the only way is education. So much of bigotry is based upon ignorance and misconception. And so many people are eager to share that ignorance and misconceptions to further their own ends.

Yvette Colomb

@Beofett yes. The issue is when people do know better - but use it as a tool on others

Beofett

@YvetteColomb such as those who run for political office...

Bradley Wilson

it doesn't help more with the echo chambers of the internet (easily found by typing your views into a box), where bigots will be encouraged, go unchallenged and facts skewed.

Yvette Colomb

00:29

@Beofett yep - I know we're not supposed to discuss politics - but it's all a jumbled mess that spills down into society and culture and affects our IPS

Beofett

The echo chamber effect is really becoming an issue, and it is not limited to just one side of the political spectrum.

The internet, and social media, have seemingly created an infinite number of echo chambers, where people can find "confirmation" on just about any preconceived notion.

Yvette Colomb

@BradleyWilson yep. The internet is a little scary. So much misinformation is replacing facts. I try to teach my children to question what they see online - it's like holding up a surfboard at a tidal wave

@Beofett yep - that's what I like about SE - is there's an effort to maintain some integrity on the information we post

Bradley Wilson

I like that analogy @YvetteColomb, I feel it's almost a knock on effect of the advertising algorithms (especially social media). Not too sure we can step back from it now.

Yvette Colomb

by discussing it like this - intelligent people gathering - keep striving to make the world a better place and hope that the ripple effect will help - I honestly don't know.

Bradley Wilson

fight the good fight, at-least you'll know within yourself you're doing the right thing

3

Beofett

00:53

@Hamlet @gracious1 I did message the community team, for what its worth.

Hamlet

@Beofett yay.

I do think they should do a better job of enforcing the be nice policy with regards to the phrase sjw

So perhaps your letter might lead to some concrete action onthat front.

Gypsy Spellweaver

@YvetteColomb I really like what Thomas Jefferson had to say on the idea of questioning things.

> Fix reason firmly in her seat, and call to her tribunal every fact, every opinion. Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there is one, he must more approve of the homage of reason, than that of blindfolded fear.

gracious1

@Beofett Good for you!

If there is a "be nice" policy, then all ad-hominem attacks should be forbidden.

You can't be nice and call people names.

Bradley Wilson

what about calling people nice names?

;-)

gracious1

At the Pale Moon forum, I never told the guy, "You are a sexist pig". I said that I couldn't believe he as attributing gender differences at the workplace to biology rather than socialization, and I compared his remarks to "Blacks are better suited than Whites to be a basketball players or janitors" and "Jews are better suited than Gentiles to be lawyers". And lastly, once the man at Google had published that memo, no woman could work under him, so he had to be let go.

But I never said, "You are a male-chauvinist pig" or "you are a crazy right-wingnut"

@BradleyWilson I almost think SJW is a nice name. :p

Bradley Wilson

01:08

@gracious1 it should be, but like anything nice people go and ruin it

Bradley Wilson

01:19

anyway, it's 2am here. I should probably get some shut eye. goodnight all.

Shog9

01:52

@Beofett I've been brooding on that one a lot recently. More and more it shocks me that Google did not appear to know how to handle it.

...or indeed, even be aware that such options were held among the tank and file.

How does a company go almost two decades without learning how to manage such things?

It makes me think of this old essay... Wherein, a story is constructed of how an organization might replace the knowledge of why things are done with a process for how things are done, inadvertently losing track of the why... in, heh, the process.

2

And then it's shocking to the folks who've been around forever and still remember the why of it all, that new folks would question the how and dare to suggest that perhaps no "why" exists.

They don't expect it, nor know how to educate.

Beofett

@Shog9 I must admit I hadn't seen much about Google's response beyond some vague disavowal, and that the guy was fired

I have always considered Google one of the "standards" by which hiring process and the search for quality employees might be judged.

The fact that they hired someone whose personal beliefs I find repugnant does not surprise me. There are many personality types out there, and many of them are not generally apparent within work environments (and some may argue they are equally irrelevant in the context of work)

Shog9

02:08

@Beofett there was also a thing wherein they canceled a big group discussion of the matter because questions were being leaked outside the company

Which... Suggests that perhaps the "googliness" of many had not really been put to the test prior to that day.

Beofett

One of the key parts I struggle to understand is how they could have hired someone who would feel it appropriate to send a 10 page "memo" such as this engineer did. That demonstrates such a lack of judgment that I can't imagine how he didn't raise flags earlier

Shog9

I think you'd have to be a very special person to raise such a flag.

Beofett

@Shog9 Ugh. Once a situation like that reaches a certain point, transparency becomes more of an ally than liability... because a lack of transparency suggests that they are unwilling to take severe steps to address the problem

Shog9

Most folks I know don't push boundaries until they've been collecting a check long enough to take it for granted

@Beofett oh, they weren't concerned about the questions - they were concerned about the asker's getting doxxed

Beofett

I suspect the echo chamber effect that was the subject of earlier discussion contributed. No doubt this engineer had been involved in echo chamber discussions where the views he had expressed were considered the norm

apaul34208

02:16

@Shog9 For some reason I thought you were going to link to this: skeptics.stackexchange.com/questions/6828/…

Beofett

Off to put the kid to sleep... night (or day, or afternoon, as appropriate :) ) everyone

Shog9

@Beofett probably. Which suggests that tptb were either ignorant or didn't consider it worth educating

Cheers

Catija

@Shog9 HI! :D

Shog9

Evening

Catija

I'm home again, finally. Up to my ears in laundry and flags. Handling both while catching up on Meta.

Shog9

02:25

Sounds like... Well, drudgery. Hopefully meta at least is entertaining

Catija

I've already read most of it, to be honest... I think part of the problem is that we have some nebulous "back it up" rule but no agreed-upon treatment of answers that don't follow the rule... I think post notices might be useful but they also require mods to put them up and to be the arbiters of when they are needed.

Shog9

Deletion sends a strong message...

Be generous when naa flags appear

Catija

Sure. And what happens when all of our lovely users come looking for my head on a plate? I say "I deleted them because we agreed ____ and this answer, despite all the upvotes, did not do ___"?

Shog9

Yup

Catija

@Shog9 Generous to the flags or the answer, by the way?

Shog9

02:36

Generous with deletions

So... Both, I guess

Extroverted Main Man

0

Q: How I can politely decline a job offer?

I got offered a job, but I can't really accept it right now because I'm very stable where I'm working and I don't pretend to leave my actual job. I don't know the person who offered me, but I don't want to burn bridges. How I can politely decline the job I got offered?

Catija

03:04

@ExtrovertedMainMan So... do we need to figure out when something should be on Workplace and when it's OK on IPS?

Henry WH Hack v2.1

03:31

6.6 questions per day Can we get up to 10 or even beyond 10 and keep it that way while also keeping our other stats at a positive rating Find out that and more in I haven't got a name for this series yet.

Let's call it: The HOT sites of SE. :)

Shog9 o/ :)

I can't edit the message.

I find the stats kind of lowers and raises.

NVZ

05:11

Damn the time zones. When I'm alive and awake, this chat room is a ghost town. (insert tumbleweed gif here). And when I'm gone, there's a party going on.

Okay, your input welcome here: english.meta.stackexchange.com/a/10725/50044

Gypsy Spellweaver

05:48

@NVZ How often have such questions been asked there (closed or not)? In the main, are they decent quality, or "plz halp!" questions?

NVZ

06:05

@GypsySpellweaver Not much, actually. So, I'm not fully inclined to adding it to the help center.

Gypsy Spellweaver

As a member of both communities, maybe it's better just to have your eyes on the questions, and offer the suggestion that they ask questions here when it's warranted.

NVZ

That I already do.

Gypsy Spellweaver

This project of "best answers from first 50 days" isn't so easy :(

NVZ

I'm an all time top reviewer there, guiding users with off-topic Qs to wherever it may be on-topic.

Gypsy Spellweaver

I keep finding really good answers, then I see a diamond

NVZ

06:08

@GypsySpellweaver I'm not clear on what you meant.

Gypsy Spellweaver

I am thinking that the mods are not wanting to reward bounties among themselves. The best answers for the first 50 days keep looking like they come from the mods. Nominating one of those seems to defeat the purpose of the project.

Granted, it shows that the CMs picked good members as mods.

Bradley Wilson

there's a gem out there waiting for you to find, Gypsy!

NVZ

Regardless of the person who answered, we shall award bounties. If it's an answer by the same mod who is awarding the bounty, then, haha, we're stuck.

Gypsy Spellweaver

Digging. I've got some to consider still anyway.

Extroverted Main Man

06:26

-2

Q: About CA india online courses

I need online link to download indain ca courses online lectures. Can anybody have link of that??

conversations family socializing social-media

NVZ

@ExtrovertedMainMan Don't you know that's off-topic? :P Wish you could read questions and realize what's on or off-topic yourself.

Gypsy Spellweaver

They can't say the site isn't swift in it's cleanup. :)

Bradley Wilson

i love how someone favourited it

Gypsy Spellweaver

06:41

Maybe they want to watch it, just in case it turns into something else.

Introverted Meta Man.

2

Q: To what extent do we respect the OP's request?

There has been a question rattling around in my mind since I started to participate actively on this site. After reading this question, I feel the need to bring it up in meta. I'm active on several SE sites, and each has it's own subset of "rules", or, if you will, culture. Looking through this ...

discussion

Mithrandir

That looks like a spam seed, actually.

Gypsy Spellweaver

Can a bounty be awarded to answers on closed questions?

Mithrandir

You can't close a question with an active bounty.

Gypsy Spellweaver

Wrong direction. Closed now, can bounty be given to an answer?

Mithrandir

06:50

checks if it's possible to start a bounty on a closed question

Nope.

There's no option to start a bounty on a closed question

Gypsy Spellweaver

Darn :(

Extroverted Main Man

-1

Q: Are 'negatives' (e.g. wrong) really less diplomatic than 'negated positives' (e.g. not correct)?

2. Avoid negative words - instead use positive words in a negative form. http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/five-rules-of-thumb-for-polite-and-diplomatic-language: People react to positive sounding words, even if they are used with a negative auxiliary verb. Don’t say: [1.] I think th...

language

Mithrandir

@NVZ yeah, that happens to me as well :(

@ExtrovertedMainMan some awkward formatting in there

Gypsy Spellweaver

@Mithrandir Which one? The CA India post?

Mithrandir

@GypsySpellweaver yeah

Gypsy Spellweaver

07:02

@ExtrovertedMainMan That's an interesting concept, with quirky results.

@Mithrandir That's the "something else" I was referring to when it was mentioned that it had been favorited. I half expect that it was intended for that. User has a several minute older account on SO as well (iirc).

Sometime, about a decade ago, I learned that for some reason the mind ignores the negating part of a statement. I say "The goal is to not go crazy", and what the mind stores in memory is "the goal is to go crazy."

A J

@BradleyWilson I favorited it to check its status. It must be deleted.

I also do the same for posts on Movies and TV

Mithrandir

Yeah, I often use favorites as a 'bookmark' as well.

A J

Yes. You can keep track of its status.

Gypsy Spellweaver

It's handy to have them automatically disappear from the list when deleted too. No need to "check" it's status. :D

A J

It's more of a habit actually.

Bradley Wilson

07:11

I thought as much, handy tip. Might have to use that.

A J

@GypsySpellweaver When you have access to moderator tools, they'll come back.

Gypsy Spellweaver

@AJ That's not fair :(

Mithrandir

Why?

Good way to find a deleted post.

Gypsy Spellweaver

Well, at least they come back in color.

Hamlet

@Catija sounds like a good thing to say.

Extroverted Main Man

07:40

0

Q: How to avoid the cleaning lady?

Every Wednesday the cleaning lady comes to clean the hallways of the apartment building and is always looking to strike up long conversations with every single tenant who passes across her. She speaks in a different dialect to me, so I can't mostly make sense out of what she says, but it's clear...

conversations

Bradley Wilson

@ExtrovertedMainMan, you not paying your cleaning bills?!

Gypsy Spellweaver

@BradleyWilson So that's why he's avoiding her. I used to have "friends" like that. Ran out of money, ran out of friends :/

BRB, need to take a short break. I have too much blood in my caffeine system and too much oxygen in my nicotine tanks.

Mithrandir

@GypsySpellweaver that's not very healthy :/

...to have nicotine tanks, that is.

(feel free not to reply to that)

Bradley Wilson

@GypsySpellweaver haha, love that. I'm going to use it!

Gypsy Spellweaver

Normally I keep the systems topped off. ATM the housemate is recovering from surgery and 2nd-hand smoke is bad for the healing process, so need to go outside to recharge the tanks.

Mithrandir

07:55

(but I'm asthmatic and allergic to smoke, and so it's kind of a real annoyance and possibly dangerous for me when people smoke in public, which they do everywhere here)

(even at the playground and inside the mall)

Bradley Wilson

I avoid smoking around anyone else at all costs (unless they're smoking that is, or I know they're fine with it)

Gypsy Spellweaver

Everywhere I've been recently (several USA states) it's no longer allowed in the malls. I even know of one city where it's illegal to smoke on the street. Private property only.

Mithrandir

Yeah, this isn't the US... It may be illegal to smoke places, but it's not enforced at all. Heck, the police officers smoke in illegal places.

Gypsy Spellweaver

They can almost do what ever they want anyway, almost anywhere.

Extroverted Main Man

0

Q: Can you help someone become self aware?

The TL:DR is the actual heading. The rest is all backstory on why I am asking. I am asking if I can (or maybe even should try) to assist my spouse on becoming more self aware. My husband and I were doing a quiz tonight. Sometimes we do these. They are often just interesting. Usually we ea...

relationships marriage

Mithrandir

08:00

@GypsySpellweaver unfortunately.

Bradley Wilson

In the UK it's not allowed indoors fullstop

Mithrandir

Question: My ball bounced into the yard of my next door neighbor, who once threatened to throw rocks at me ...for playing ball in my own yard. How should I get the ball back?

Answer: climb over the fence and be fast :P

Gypsy Spellweaver

Knock on the door and ask/

Bradley Wilson

let's hope he's not a good throw!

Gypsy Spellweaver

If he throws rocks at you for knocking on the door, call the police.

Mithrandir

08:03

Oh, we called the police when he threatened to throw rocks at me for throwing a ball against my own house when it was still legal to make noise at night... like, before ten.

Bradley Wilson

oh, it wasn't a joke.

Mithrandir

Nope, that was an actual scenario.

I've actually got a question that I was considering asking here but I don't want to gross people out (question involves blood).

(my own, don't worry)

Bradley Wilson

throw it at us!

I'm sure a small disclaimer at the top won't do any harm

Mithrandir

I'll sandbox it here ;P

Gypsy Spellweaver

blood = humors ?

Mithrandir

08:10

I've got a problem with my nose. It randomly starts bleeding whenever, especially when I have a cold or the weather is changing. It's been known to suddenly start bleeding even when I'm just standing there. I've got to meet with some people (most my age (15), others 17/18). What should I do if I have a nosebleed in the middle? Run out and take care of it? Sit there with a tissue on my nose until it stops? Something else?

israel meetings

(it's possible to get surgery to reduce the likelihood of the bleeding but not for a few years)

Bradley Wilson

That to me is a valid question and isn't as bad as I thought it'd be

Mithrandir24601

@Catija Inspired by your Why do men shake hands with each other but hug women? question, have you ever considered a references meta-tag, so that any answers to any question tagged with that has to provide references? Would it help solve the references/no references issue? Or is it a bad idea?

Gypsy Spellweaver

IT should, however, be clear that you're not wanting medical info or advice. only IPS input.

Mithrandir

@GypsySpellweaver yeah, don't want another peeing question

Gypsy Spellweaver

Nope.

Mithrandir

08:37

Asked.

Gypsy Spellweaver

Based in the USA I can't help, but I always just help my nose, covered with tissue if I had it. Sometimes I poked some into my nose. Looked ugly. I'm a non-people person anyway, so what others thought didn't matter much.

Side note: carefully consider the pro/con of a medical fix. I had mine cauterized at one point. A few years later the burns just fell off like a scab and made no difference. Big waste of parent's money.

Extroverted Main Man

2

Q: What should I do if I have a nosebleed in the middle of a meeting?

I've got a problem with my nose. It randomly starts bleeding whenever, especially when I have a cold or the weather is changing. It's been known to suddenly start bleeding even when I'm just standing there. I've got to meet with some people (most my age (15), others 17/18). What should I do if I ...

teenagers meetings israel

Gypsy Spellweaver

@ExtrovertedMainMan Slow poke. ;P

Mithrandir

@GypsySpellweaver Yeah, I've heard that it can be ineffective.

Gypsy Spellweaver

It was nice, while it lasted. Got to wear my clothes without having to worry about how to get them clean again later.

@Mithrandir BTW, mine was several decades ago. Techniques may have improved over that time.

Mithrandir

08:49

We'll see what happens in a couple years ;)

NVZ

09:08

I've added a note on my profile: Reach me @ chat.stackexchange.com/rooms/61165/the-awkward-silence I'd like to know if there's some way that I get notified of new messages here, even if I have been away from chat for a while.

Mithrandir

oh, the irony

just got a nosebleed \eyeroll

gracious1

10:49

Hullo.

Oh, it really is silence.

Mithrandir

There are currently 8 IPS questions on the HNQ.

sigh

The wonders of HNQ.

Rory Alsop

12:05

@Mithrandir some sites are more HNQ friendly... I think the more subjective, the more likely HNQ will kick off

Extroverted Main Man

0

Q: How do I to tell someone to stop critizing what we do?

TL;DR: How do I to tell a judgemental person with unsubstantiated statements, making it a clear and definitive statement, that she may not move things around in our office? That person isn't business-related but is family-related to my business partner. She always critizes, not directly with wo...

conflict-aversion difficult-people boundaries europe

Mithrandir

@RoryAlsop The first revision was worse than what it is now.

Rory Alsop

That's special

Extroverted Main Man

12:21

0

Q: How to tell someone that they are eating with their mouth open?

I'm from France (sorry for grammar mistakes) and I've been educated with "eating manners" I consider "normal" (chew with your mouth closed, don't pout your elbows on the table, wait until everyone is served before starting to eat...). I'm OK with people that doesn't share theses "rules" though. ...

rudeness family france eating

Extroverted Main Man

13:16

0

Q: How to handle a manipulative person who owes me money

Background I broke up with my ex about some years ago. I've been through a lot all those (many) years I was in a relationship with her, due to the fact that she suffered from various disorders such as depression, anorexia and OCD. Just to be clear I don't blame her for having those issues - and ...

relationships money

0

Q: How do I deal with a mother who won't take "no" for an answer?

My mother is quite single-minded in getting what she wants. Unfortunately, she also has only a single tactic: trying to convince me every single time we talk. Most of these things are products or activities that my wife and I have no interest in. Yet saying "no" is not a solution. It just lea...

united-states saying-no family

Beofett

@RoryAlsop I also have a suspicion that newly launched sites are more likely to have questions show in HNQ

@NVZ If you don't pop into chat periodically, I think the only alternative is for a moderator to "super-ping" you

@GypsySpellweaver I had the same experience, with one additional "benefit". For several years later, I could deliberately cause a nosebleed just by crinkling my nose a certain way.

NVZ

@Mithrandir That user had a -100 penalty "splashed onto their shirt" for posting bad advice previously. Hence, the 1-rep.

Mithrandir

@NVZ I guessed, because of the association bonus.

Beofett

@NVZ How does that happen?

Post deleted because of flags?

Mithrandir

if a post receives 6 rude or abusive flags they'll get a -100 rep penalty

Beofett

13:27

Sounds like someone's trying hard for an answer ban :)

NVZ

13:46

@Mithrandir Doesn't have to be exactly 6 "rude or abusive" flags.

If at least one or two are "rude or abusive" out of the buch, that will do as well.

Mithrandir

I don't think so.

If a mod flags it as r/a, it will apply the -100 penalty.

If it was flagged a r/a and a mod regular deletes it, it'll show as 'deleted as spam of offensive' but the IP ban/-100 rep penalty aren't applied, AFAIK.

NVZ

Maybe you're right. I don't remember it clearly.

Extroverted Main Man

16:09

2

Q: How can I ask if a person is leaving a parking space?

Yesterday, I was going out with a friend. We were looking for parking in a small city (population ~30,000) in the northeastern United States at around 6:00 PM, and things were fairly crowded. After 20 minutes, we saw that a woman was walking towards her car, parked in a roadside spot. She saw us ...

united-states communication driving

HDE 226868

@ExtrovertedMainMan Care to go for a drive some time?

Bradley Wilson

@HDE226868 He'll probably avoid that offer, like he does his cleaning lady

HDE 226868

@BradleyWilson He's such an introvert. . .

@NVZ I could have sworn they all had to be rude/abusive flags.

@Mithrandir24601 Sounds a lot like hard-science on Worldbuilding. Not sure how eager I am to go through that on another site. :P

Catija

16:33

@Mithrandir24601 I'd rather not have post notices everywhere if we can avoid it.

Mithrandir24601

@HDE226868 funny that :P although if you're not very eager and don't want post notices @Catija then that probably makes it a 'bad idea'

HDE 226868

The other thing about post notices is that they take a lot of effort to work. I handle almost all of the hard-science threads on WB, and that still requires a lot of community flagging so I can keep up with what posts need the notice added and what posts don't. We have one or two users there who are very diligent about raising custom flags for that; I'm not sure how many people would be willing to do that here.

But I suppose it does depend on how many of those sorts of questions we get.

Mithrandir24601

@HDE226868 fair enough. I'd still like a more rigourous standard of how the notices are applied, but that's not a problem for here and probably one of those things where everyone disagrees with me anyway

HDE 226868

@Mithrandir24601 I think it could be a good option not too far down the road. It has potential; I just don't think it's something we want to go after now, considering all the other stuff we're sorting out at the moment.

A J

@Catija I am kinda busy right now. I will update my answer as you told me later.

And also I am on phone.

Extroverted Main Man

16:53

0

Q: How can I let my boss know her methods for management aren't useful?

I work. A Lot. Most of my job consists of running quantitative analysis on a variety of financials for a few different companies (I work for a holding company), and as I recently joined the company, I am still learning the ins and outs. Most of my current tasks revolve around trying to make the...

united-states work-environment professionalism

Bradley Wilson

17:04

@HDE226868 Oh, the irony aha

Extroverted Main Man

17:27

3

Q: What to do when a group conversation is not interesting?

Leaving is preferably not an option. I'm not particularly good at socializing so I want to practice by participating in as many group conversations as I can. There isn't any group that I prefer more than others, they're all the same to me. Here's a little background on what type of people I'm de...

conversations socializing groups

Bradley Wilson

@HDE226868 Czech literature is just as much of a pleasure to read as Russian, I urge you to give it a try

@HDE226868 Milan Kundera is a personal favourite of mine

NVZ

@ExtrovertedMainMan Are you suggesting that you find our group discussions boring? Damn you.

Introverted Meta Man.

0

Q: Should we open a sandbox?

In How can I let my boss know her methods for management aren't useful? the OP asked for a chat session to improve her question. After a week or two thinking why we don't have our sandbox thread, is it time to create one? We have 18 questions closed with various reasons this month, so I think s...

discussion

Mithrandir24601

17:46

@HDE226868 fair enough - IPS certainly seems to keep you busy at the minute!

Extroverted Main Man

1

Q: How do I correct my daughter's teacher's grammar?

An email I received from my daughter's 2nd grade teacher has a grammatical error. The teacher wrote "your daughter can meet with Amy and I" where he should have written "your daughter can meet with Amy and me". The email was cc'd to other teachers but not other parents. I do think that it's impor...

united-states awkward-situations language school

Mithrandir

@ExtrovertedMainMan the American and Canadian kids here correct the English teacher often, or so I've heard (never having set foot in the school myself)

Anoplexian

18:03

@Mithrandir I think that's a chat bot you're replying to.

Mithrandir24601

@Anoplexian we do that here :)

Anoplexian

Oh jeez. This is perfect. You should hear me at work, I'm great at talking to myself. XD

I can finally put this useless skill to work @ExtrovertedMainMan

Bradley Wilson

we call that "rubberducking" in my field, you seem less mad that way

NVZ

@Anoplexian Please. No discrimination allowed here. We're all the same. Bots have feelings too.

HDE 226868

@BradleyWilson Oh, interesting. I'll look into it; thanks.

@Mithrandir24601 Well, that's one way to put it. :-)

"Y'all write a lot of content" is another.

Mithrandir

18:19

@Anoplexian actually, not a bot, but a feed. There's a subtle difference ;)

NVZ

@Mithrandir Subtleties of life.

Catija

@Anoplexian I'm here now but I was at lunch. I don't think there's anything wrong with your question, actually. I'm trying to prevent people from pointing you towards Workplace by getting clarification of the IPS connection. A lot of people see "this is a work issue" and want to push the question over there... if it's specifically about communication, you're in the right place.

HDE 226868

@IntrovertedMetaMan. Way to open up a new can of worms :P

Hey, why is there a period at the end of the meta feed's name?

Catija

18:36

@HDE226868 It's been there for a while. Not sure why.

Blame... um... who was it? @Zizouz212 I think created it?

Bradley Wilson

@HDE226868 Would people volunteering towards a sandbox, help move the motion forward?

HDE 226868

@BradleyWilson It'd be nice to know that people are committed to helping with it, yeah.

If we all just say "Yeah, let's do it!" and nobody helps out . . . then it all falls apart.

And that's not great.

NVZ

@HDE226868 Or, in other words, belling the cat.

Belling the cat

"Belling the Cat" is a fable also known under the titles "The Bell and the Cat" and "The Mice in Council". Although often attributed to Aesop, it was not recorded before the Middle Ages and has been confused with the quite different fable of Classical origin titled The Cat and the Mice. In the classificatory system established for the fables by B. E. Perry, it is numbered 613, which is reserved for Mediaeval attributions outside the Aesopic canon. == Synopsis and idiomatic use == The fable concerns a group of mice who debate plans to nullify the threat of a marauding cat. One of them proposes...

Bradley Wilson

@HDE226868 Well seeing as I'm active pretty often, I'm happy to help out.

NVZ

I'm here as well.

What's the plan?

What am I looking at?

Catija

18:46

What's what plan?

NVZ

Wish I knew

Something's cooking.

Beofett

@Catija I believe it is "who will help out on reviewing submissions if we open up a sandbox?"

HDE 226868

@BradleyWilson Awesome.

@NVZ Who says we have a plan for anything?

Catija

@Beofett The question's only been up for an hour... we can't exactly start acting on it already. HDE makes some very important points that need to be addressed before we do this. We're also considering some other options.

NVZ

@HDE226868 A plan resides where men believe it does.

I for one review anything and everything that comes my way, or I chase it anyway.

Beofett

18:52

@Catija Not my suggestion... I was just pointing out what appeared to be the context :) I had to do research to even figure out what was meant by a "sandbox"....

Catija

@Beofett I had a turtle shaped one that had a lid to keep cats from pooping in it.

Beofett

@Catija According to my cats, that defeats the entire point of a sandbox!

(and ours is also turtle shaped)

Catija

NVZ

Why not have pet turtles instead?

Catija

:D Best thing ever. So clever.

Beofett

18:55

That's the one!

HDE 226868

Turtles are strongly underrated. I'm not sure if they're the best pets, though.

@Catija I'm ~99% sure I had one very much like that.

Beofett

@NVZ Salmonella?

HDE 226868

I know I had a hard time with the lid.

NVZ

They won't meow the hell out of you when you wake up. They won't sit on your keyboard.

Mithrandir24601

@HDE226868 he's so introverted that he tries to get all interaction with him to end ASAP, so puts a full stop in his name to keep interactions to a minimum

Beofett

18:56

I like turtles (and not in an outdated meme type of way)

NVZ

Turtles are nice. Especially when they know martial arts.

Beofett

But then they eat all the pizza...

Bradley Wilson

I like turtles

2

HDE 226868

Box turtles are great, but spotted turtles are really, really cute.

Really, really cute.

Bradley Wilson

aw beofett

he'll never get old

NVZ

18:58

@BradleyWilson I love it everytime.

HDE 226868

Beofett

It is a classic

Catija

I like Tortoises better.

NVZ

Poor thing, turtling its way into this crazy world.

@Catija But can they eat pizza though?

Catija

19:33

@Beofett I'm sorry about your mom. That sounds really frustrating.

Beofett

19:50

@Catija Thanks. I'm 44 years old, so by this point I've learned to mostly tune it out, but my wife has had much less time to deal with it than I have

Catija

@Beofett Ugh. I can imagine.

Introverted Meta Man.

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Q: How do I convince someone else to change their behavior?

This was inspired by: How do I deal with a mother who won't take "no" for an answer? How do I convince someone else to change their behavior? This sort of question was and is a recurring problem on the Workplace. But we have defined this sort of question off topic. People are very different f...

discussion asking-questions off-topic

Catija

20:06

@Beofett have you actually talked to your mom about why she's pestering you about these things?

apaul34208

20:29

Geckos are better.

How can you say "no" to that face?

apaul34208

21:42

Woohoo! We won! They're removing the Confederate Monument from the front of my local courthouse!!!

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Extroverted Main Man

22:14

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Q: How to politely correct a teacher?

I'm a high-school student in the United States, and from time to time a teacher makes a minor mistake while writing on the board in front of the class. (Such as a punctuation/arithmetic mistake.) To give an example, I took an informal math class during the summer. The teacher, only a few years o...

united-states politeness school

Extroverted Main Man

23:21

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Q: What is the best way to deal with a passive aggressive person

I have an office mate who can be a bit passive aggressive. I'm very quiet and tend to not say anything in order to "not rock the boat". I have, in the past, tried to saying something, but it tends to get redirected by her saying that I'm coming towards her with some form of "micro-aggression". T...

communication

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