[R-390] Anti freeze

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

On Tue, Aug 5, 2014 at 3:32 AM, Charles Steinmetz <csteinmetz at yandex.com>
wrote:

> Barry wrote:
>
>  Good gosh, man. You need to listen to yourself. You're beginning to sound
>> like Richard Simmons.  Fer crying out loud, this ain't the Oprah list.
>>
>
> It's a matter of boundaries.  There are some things one should simply
> never say, period.  There are things one should say only when one is in the
> company of close family or other like-minded people.  And there are things
> it is appropriate to say in public.
>


I don't disagree with anything you've said here Charles. The only issue I
have is that it's not for you to determine who says what. You're free to
determine that for yourself but not others, here or elsewhere. Same applies
to me and anyone else. And I think that's where the root of the problem
lies.

As Barry said, a lot of good members left this list over the years due to
what I'd refer to as the 'new age experts' or those with tender feelings
who objected to virtually anything that was the least bit off-topic, didn't
agree with their view of how the world order should be or whatever.

Before I ramble too much, I'll at least give some 'credentials' if such
things exist or even matter on here. I've been a member of this list for
nearly 20 years, shortly after it was started by my friend Mike/W1RC and
Chuck Rippel whose callsign escapes me. Don took the list over I think in
'96 has run it well long as I can remember. Don is W5OR.

Barry's point about over-moderation is an excellent one. I'm also an admin
and co-owner of the largest & busiest AM amateur radio site on the 'net,
AMfone.net. Being an admin or moderator is a thankless job and the pay
generally sucks, considering it consists primarily of satisfaction and
gratification of being able to give back to a community or group that has
helped you in the past, something you believe in and so on. Occasionally
you do have to step on someone's throat to shut them up and move things
forward. But there's a right way and a wrong way to go about it.

I think someone mentioned the foolish notion many folks seem to have that
an internet group or email list is a free-speech forum. Wrong. Think of it
instead as being invited to someone's home to exchange ideas, party, enjoy
yourself, etc. The person who determines what's right and wrong in their
living room is your host - not you or anyone else (except maybe his wife,
of course).

Like others, I'm also an animal lover. Had a Scotty dog for 14 years and
several cats and other critters. Even had mice as pets when I was a kid.
Should I get offended when someone mentions setting a mouse trap to kill a
rodent in their home? One of our long time and most interesting,
entertaining, and experienced former members used to mention using his
night vision goggles to shoot cats in his back field. He also did as much
to help new and regular members here as anyone else. Somehow the list
survived that post and numerous others about sheering sheep in the parking
lot, killing mud daubers, and so on. That was before the
politically-correct nonsense crept in.

My point is this: yes, someone made a stupid post that had no purpose or
business being here. Another member objected and decided to let his
feelings be known publicly (actually, in someone's living room). I've known
and respected Ken and the Chew Crew on here, again, for longer than I can
remember - which is sometimes 5-10 minutes, but in this case - a decade
plus. Yet I have to say, responding with a post that appears to want to
somehow punish the rest of the list for a post you disagree with makes as
much sense as the original post.

So if we're going to talk about things we say or don't say or do, let's get
back to basic, common sense. Not as common as it once was, I know. Keeping
in mind that you are visiting and participating in **someone else's
forum**, you have a couple options available to you. First, you can make
your feelings known privately to the original poster and not piss and moan
to the entire list over something you don't like or agree with. Second, you
can (and should) contact the list admin/owner, also *PRIVATELY*, and let
your feelings be known. The lynch mob mentality doesn't cut it online, it
only makes things worse as it throws gas on the fire which we've clearly
seen here.

Try to imagine for just a moment...what would have happened if no one
responded to the original post? What if instead, all those who objected let
Don know their thoughts? It's like those amateur radio ops who complain
endlessly about bring QRMed, and go out of their way to scold or otherwise
give the jammers the very gratification they seek. Ignore them and they go
away. If it's truly egregious, contact the proper authorities. Common
sense, people.

So I'm right there with Barry not because I'm a dog hater or he is either,
but because we've had to deal with more nonsense from the crybabies and
whiners over the years than the actual trolls and troublemakers. Blaming
the idiot in the White House won't cut it, there are too many contributing
factors from public education to media to some peoples' need to feel better
about themselves through superficial means. None of it belongs here and
surprisingly - is seldom seen. Because the vast majority of members here
ignore stupidity and move on. Believe me - if Don receives enough
complaints and discovers there's an idiot on the list causing trouble (see
how I qualified that term?), he'll deal with them. He's a good man who
doesn't tolerate such things. I suspect he also doesn't have time to deal
with p.c. handwringers who use the list to vent, either. Like virtually all
other list owners, moderators, or admins, he gets the same paycheck for his
time on here and has a real life that I'd bet on any given day is much more
interesting and rewarding than dealing with babysitting online. He trusts
us to 'behave' and come to him if we have a problem, not start trouble on
the list.

Sorry for being long-winded (I am) and if I seem to be picking you out by
responding to your post, Charles - I'm not. I'd never go after someone who
knows as much about capacitors as you do. (o:  As one of the older members
who doesn't post much anymore due to the new-age mentality that permeates
the 'net, sometimes even I can't stay silent. Blame ol' Professor Locklear
for drawing me back out of the woodwork a couple years back. He's the one
who started the kielbasa discussing, too. And some scary substance known as
lutefisk. Not sure how many have died as a result.

In the end, as a general statement to anyone who has read this far....there
is life beyond this list and the internet. No - really! If your hobby is
giving you heartburn or you're spending a lot of time online trying to
'keep up', maybe it's time to get out into the sun and get some fresh air.
When you do return to the real world, don't panic. Those aren't really
zombies walking down the streets, they're people staring at these things
called "smart phones".  The phones really must be smart as they appear to
control these people....wait.....what's the definition of 'zombie'?

de Todd/'Boomer'  KA1KAQ/4