English Language & Usage: Multi-Layered Discourse Room

Luke

01:00

@Cerberus It is on my profile page, along with my "autobiographer" badge

tchrist

grows concerned about @Robusto checking out all these women :)

Luke

I've gotta go. See ya'll

Spare Oom

@tchrist I guess I left that off my profile, didn't i? :D

Cerberus

@Luke I rather meant, does it matter?

simchona

@Robusto I try not to be in battles with anyone. CR has flip-flopped on me, and because I had been actively trying to guide him on how to use the site I brought it here for a second opinion. I did not aim to cause a schism, but I also felt that his behavior was unacceptable.

Cerberus

01:01

Bye!

Gigili

@Luke Have fun!

tchrist

Bye, Luke.

Robusto

@simchona You must admit that drama does seem to follow you around in here.

5

Spare Oom

Bye, @Luke!

simchona

@Robusto I did not, likewise, aim to have this debate turned into some example of an impending schism within the community. MetaEd started that conversation after he found, I think, the Meta post.

tchrist

01:04

@SpareOom It would just surprise me if you were actually older than me, that’s all.

simchona

@Robusto Yes. But I don't try to cultivate it. I'm not some Eres going around the site causing chaos.

Spare Oom

@tchrist Humph, said the camel.

tchrist

knows camels better than you could imagine

Cerberus

@tchrist You naughty-naughty.

tchrist

parfois

Gigili

01:06

Camelogist? Camelogian? Camelist?

Spare Oom

I kind of think of everyone as about my age, then I'm happy, until I find out I was wrong.

about my age = within a decade or so. :D

simchona

@Robusto Perhaps it comes across as enlisting others, but in part my aims are to see whether I'm on the right track in terms of my actions and opinions. I don't know why I have so many views, I really don't.

tchrist

@Cerberus Steven Silberman once wrote of me in Wired Magazine: Boyish and mercurial, Tom has a way of flashing his green eyes that is submissive and superior at the same time, like a child who has decided to be naughty and knows that you know it.

So, yeah.

Robusto

@simchona No, but you could be Typhoid Mary and not know it. Look, I'm not trying to put you down, I'm just stating what I have observed. I don't really know the reason so much drama finds you, only that it does.

tchrist

@Gigili Camel books.

Robusto

01:09

And I say that as one who has found his own share of drama over the duration of my time here.

Cerberus

@tchrist That is no unfamiliar image.

tchrist

?

simchona

@Robusto Then in all honesty, help me to be better. I don't want to rage quit because the drama finds me; I would ask your help in mitigating it.

Cerberus

I mean, I can imagine you are like that!

Robusto

@Cerberus Oh, so it's fine if @tchrist has green eyes, but when I told you my eyes were green you thought that was icky. Double standard, doggy. Double standard.

tchrist

01:10

Ah.

Cerberus

@Robusto Icky, did I say that?

Robusto

@simchona Then help me help you.

tchrist

Cite or didn’t happen. :)

Robusto

@Cerberus Not necessarily that word, but yes.

Cerberus

Yeah!

Then what?

simchona

01:12

@Robusto Ok. I think the first thing I need help with, and the major one right now, is how I can better handle the situation with CR. I believe that that is the biggest source of drama at the moment.

Cerberus

As I told you, ignore him and the issue vanishes.

simchona

I am putting aside the debate, because I don't think it's a drama-source per se.

Robusto

Apr 26 at 20:55, by Robusto

My dad had blue eyes and I have green eyes. Not sure how that happened.

There. Read @Cerberus's reply.

tchrist

wonders whether he’s accidentally stepped in some ♀—♂ thing

Cerberus

I only said "freak".

Robusto

01:13

@tchrist Shit doesn't have a gender.

Cerberus

What's wrong with being a freak?

simchona

@Robusto Ok, then the sub-question is, how do I ignore him when he follows me in elections going "no, you're wrong" and comments on my posts in that same vein?

Cerberus

@tchrist Where?

Robusto

@Cerberus freak a person, animal, or plant with an unusual physical abnormality.

Cerberus

@simchona You calmly give him a counter argument if it suits you, then continue to ignore him.

Robusto

01:14

Sounds icky to me.

Cerberus

@Robusto Sounds like you are obsessed with normality.

tchrist

@Robusto She’s talking about the genetics, you silly sensitive boy, you. It was a nicer word than asking about who your real father was.

Cerberus

Oh, what you must think of me!

simchona

@Cerberus I feel like there's a catch there though. If I give a counterargument, he runs off calling me a terrorist. But, given my personality, I need to address the issues that arise.

Ignoring a problem doesn't make it go away.

Cerberus

It very, very often does!

tchrist

01:15

Well...

Carlo was the same problem lo these four months past.

Nothing has changed.

Cerberus

If he calls you a terrorist, you ignore him and end the conversation, knowing that all readers will just shrug and find him a weirdo.

tchrist

The problem hasn’t gone away.

Cerberus

And what has Sim been doing?

Ignoring his bad behaviour?

Robusto

@simchona I would have appealed for help to the mod community. Seriously, if someone is stalking you — as I think he was — he ought to be warned and/or censured (though not censored ^_^).

simchona

@Robusto I did appeal to the mods. Repeatedly.

I flagged him, mentioned it to Reg in chat, and nothing changed.

Cerberus

01:17

Don't you feel you're wasting your energy on him?

What do you gain from it?

tchrist

@Robusto tonsured

Robusto

@simchona Then it's on them. Really. All this "Summer of Love" bullshit means nothing — less than nothing.

Cerberus

I was hoping it might.

Gigili

@Cerberus He doesn't let her enjoy her time here.

simchona

@Robusto I guess that's why I've been pushing this issue. I don't honestly feel like it has been addressed. That, at least in part, might seem why I bring on the drama.

tchrist

01:18

@Robusto Ok ok ok, I have to say it: you say the most dreadfully obvious and self-evident things at times. Like that one.

Cerberus

@Gigili Because she keeps feeding the troll.

tchrist

Everybody knows it’s just propaganda.

Robusto

@tchrist Well, fuck me for pointing out what people won't see for themselves.

Spare Oom

@Gigili I've been in a similar stalking situation elsewhere. @simchona the better you ignore him, the faster he'll give up.

Cerberus

@tchrist And you say the most non-obvious things.

@SpareOom This.

tchrist

01:19

@Robusto We’ve only just met, my dear.

@Cerberus Thank you.

simchona

@Robusto @tchrist @Cerberus Guys, please.

Robusto

@tchrist This is what happens when you find a stranger in the Alps.

Cerberus

@simchona Mmm yes, what is it?

simchona

@Cerberus I don't really want a fight brewing

Cerberus

There is no fight!

Robusto

01:20

Would you eat them in a box? Would you eat them with a fox?

Oh wait, @Cerberus isn't a fox. moue

Cerberus

What?

Robusto

It's what a pouting French cow says: moue

Cerberus

@simchona This is just silliness.

@Robusto Is that your "revenge" for my calling you a freak?

I have been called worse than a French cow.

tchrist

@Robusto Tu parles français comme une vache españole.

Cerberus

Though it is nasty.

@tchrist I think you need a capital there.

tchrist

01:22

Where?

Cerberus

In Français?

tchrist

One doesn’t capitalize names of languages in French.

Nope.

Cerberus

And why españole, not espagnole?

Robusto

@Cerberus When I take revenge, you won't have to ask.

Cerberus

@tchrist Hmm actually, you're right, l'allemand and such.

tchrist

01:22

It’s part of the joke.

Cerberus

@Robusto Fair enough.

Robusto

@tchrist Je suis la vache qui rit.

Spare Oom

@Cerberus What?

Cerberus

Je suis le chien qui ronronne.

@SpareOom I agreed with you.

Spare Oom

Oh, got it.

tchrist

01:24

Soy el gallo que quiquiriquío.

Cerberus

I conveniently "replied" to you to point to your line.

Robusto

@Cerberus You mispelled ronronronne — three heads, remember?

Cerberus

It's funny what animals say.

Spare Oom

@Cerberus I thought you'd replied to me by accident.

Cerberus

A rooster says kukelekuu in Dutch.

@Robusto The more ronronronnage, the better, I suppose.

Robusto

01:25

@Cerberus He says the same thing in English, only with a different accent.

tchrist

keekeereekee isn’t the same, but it’s still close vowels.

Robusto

Look how it pulls together this whole thread: roosters, cows, green ...

Gigili

A rooster says ghooghoolighooghoo here.

Cerberus

This reminds me of a "game" that I used to play with my cousin.

tchrist

I see, I see.

This is good.

Cerberus

01:28

We put socks on our hands, closed the curtains, opened the window, and starting making animal sounds at passers-by.

I lived in a very busy shopping street.

It was great fun.

Lots of tourists taking pictures and shooting videos.

Spare Oom

@Cerberus en.wiktionary.org/wiki/cock-a-doodle-doo

Cerberus

We are probably on Youtube.

Robusto

@Cerberus Right. On your "hands" ...

Cerberus

@Robusto She only has "hands".

Spare Oom

@tchrist Agreed.

Cerberus

01:30

@SpareOom Right, yours is perhaps the silliest.

tchrist

I love how the commands one gives animals is different, too.

simchona

@Robusto I guess I have trouble accepting that something can't be done. My flags were "helpful", but the problem persists. However, @Cerb, I will try to ignore him.

Cerberus

@tchrist They are usually (variations on) real words.

@simchona Great, do keep us posted.

tchrist

Look at horsey commands.

Cerberus

We have vort, hortsik...

Gigili

01:32

@tchrist Umm, no rooster?

simchona

@Cerberus "Dear Cerb. Today I ignored it when CR called me a terrorist. I also made brownies."

Cerberus

But vort no doubt comes from voort, which means forwards.

tchrist

There’s a rooster line.

Robusto

@simchona Brownies will help.

Cerberus

@simchona I sound like a diary, so I'm not supposed to comment on your adventured, or am I?

tchrist

01:32

I’ll bet the Swedish horsey sound made with the lips can be made with fancy IPA.

simchona

@Cerberus You can be a magical diary.

Gigili

@simchona The word "dear" is not necessary there.

simchona

@Gigili "Precious Cerb..." better?

Robusto

Why does no one ever trouble themselves to articulate the sound a sloth makes? Too lazy, I suppose?

Cerberus

@simchona I'll try.

The sloth is too lazy to make a sound, rather.

tchrist

01:34

In French, the parrot says coco. In English, he says Who’s a pretty boy? Hmph!

Gigili

@simchona speechless

Cerberus

In Dutch, parrots say lorre.

Robusto

@Cerberus How do you know? Have you ever bestirred yourself to go ask one? No, it is you who are lazy.

Cerberus

Which is also what one says to a parrot.

simchona

@Cerberus I will try to improve, because I know the drama affects more than just myself. However, if it doesn't look like it's getting better I might send up more mod flags @Robusto. I don't like feeling like I'm going to be told "you're wrong" every time I say or do something.

Cerberus

01:34

@Robusto I may have a drop of sloth blood in my veins.

Spare Oom

@Robusto lol But have you ever heard a rabbit either?

simchona

@Gigili Usually when you write to a "diary", the movies start off "Dear Diary..."

tchrist

Moose are remarkably silent.

simchona

So, if Cerb is my diary, it'd be "Dear Cerb"

Cerberus

@simchona It often helps me if I just post my argument in return, for posterity, then ignore what follows.

@tchrist Don't they cry or yelp or something?

Squeal?

Robusto

01:37

@simchona I said before, if you can't get relief against a stalker on this site, what can you get? If the behavior persists, when you are a mod take the issue to the mod chatroom and lay out your case for warning and banning. Then, if nobody moves to stop you, act.

simchona

@Cerberus I'm not sure I can counterargue besides "that's nice, dear" so I'll probably skip that step.

tchrist

A moose is a dear built like an elephant, you know.

Elk bugle.

Cerberus

@simchona Haha, that will do.

Gigili

@simchona OK but the two don't match. "Dear Diary" sounds lyrical but "Dear Cerb", umm...

tchrist

I have never heard a moose, though.

simchona

01:37

@Robusto I haven't been an angel to him, though, so I don't want to be the one who opens up that chat.

Cerberus

Oh, yes, bugle.

simchona

@Gigili Dear Cerbypoo.

Robusto

@SpareOom Yes. My brother shot a rabbit with his sling-shot when we were little and it actually cried out. It scared us.

simchona

@Robusto Oh, wait. I see what you mean now. I thought you meant open a chat with him

Cerberus

Aww.

tchrist

01:38

It isn’t Sim. It’s Carlo. He’s a screaming rabid nutcase on everybody.

Spare Oom

Yeah, I heard one in its death throes too.

Cerberus

@Robusto Was it hurt?

Spare Oom

A stray cat got it.

tchrist

This bunny-snuff stuff is very troubling.

Cerberus

Eek, I am too drunk to deal with hurt animals.

Can't handle that now.

Robusto

01:40

@Cerberus It was a Wrist-Rocket slingshot, so — yeah. It died.

simchona

Jul 3 at 15:36, by Carlo_R.

@JasperLoy Welcome, Jasper. I was lonely without you. Simchona has done his best, but it is not the same thing. However, I confirm. I am an engineer and I said that when I replied to Reg on the radiator question (em1 user). He said something in contrast with Laws of thermodynamics. "I would add, though, that even if it emitted frost" The contrast is that doesn't exist a body that emit frost.

tchrist

Please stop.

Luke

Where are we?

Robusto

Shooting a ball-bearing.

Cerberus

sad

Luke

01:41

Oh no!

Spare Oom

@tchrist Sorry. It bothered me as well when it happened. (Bunnies are cuter than cats.)

Cerberus

@simchona doubly sad

simchona

Apr 12 at 17:48, by Carlo_R.

@simchona can you send me your photography?

Gigili

Can you?

simchona

I can, but I won't.

Spare Oom

01:42

@tchrist Bullies often win, unfortunately. (Been there and learned to live with it.)

Cerberus

You'd have to have "a" photography first.

Gigili

Do you have a photography anyway?

Jinx!

Cerberus

Heh.

Gigili

@simchona I don't think people can make sense of his comments.

Robusto

He reminds me of Lazlo Toth. Sometimes I think he's putting us on.

simchona

01:43

I should stop, this is probably what @Robusto meant about causing drama.

Robusto

Well, it does seem to be at least a nimbus hovering over you at the moment.

simchona

waves hands to try to disperse it

Spare Oom

@simchona Don't loose any sleep over it.

@simchona gone Good job!

Robusto

@simchona Done and done. See? Was that so hard?

Cerberus

@simchona empties bucket of holy water over your head

simchona

01:46

@Robusto I'm biting my tongue on other things I wanted to say. But I won't say them. Nuh uh.

Cerberus

Does that help at all?

simchona

@Cerberus Do you know what wet cats look like?

Cerberus

Thin.

So what's the problem?

simchona

Spare Oom

@simchona You have many supporters.

simchona

01:47

@Cerberus And bedraggled.

Cerberus

Hey, you are cleansed.

simchona

@SpareOom Thank you.

@Cerberus Humph.

Robusto

Ah, me knee is giving me fits. Going to go lie down. Laters, all.

Cerberus

Aww.

Take care.

Spare Oom

Goodnight @Robusto.

Cerberus

01:48

Stupid knee.

simchona

@Robusto Bye. Thank you--I appreciate your willingness to help me, I really do.

Cerberus

stomps knee

Oh, wait...

Spare Oom

@Cerberus That wouldn't help.

Gigili

Good nacht @Rob

Cerberus

Too late.

tchrist

01:50

Too late.

Cerberus

Because it is blonde and has a large bust, you decided it must be?

simchona

@Cerb I'm sorry I've been difficult

Cerberus

Don't worry about it, we're allowed to disagree.

simchona

I really don't like loose ends

Spare Oom

@Cerberus Not quite.

Cerberus

01:51

Oh.

Spare Oom

plotmonkeys.com/2009/10/26/it-boggles-the-mind-and-your-eyes

Gigili

I was writing a terrifying story about an epic battle with a cruel user, but the entry appeared to be limited to 140 characters.

By the way @Cerb, if people are children, sooner or later it'll be your problem too.

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