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Underground > Policy & Help >

(How) Do you know what's going on around here?

paranoidwriter waves hello

06:40 / 24.07.06

(I was going to wait till I sobered up a little to post this thread, but there's a small chance I may not be around around for a while, so....)

I had a thought earlier, and it concerned me:

"How much of Barbelith does everyone read? And if we don't read every thread how can we possibly keep track of what other posters are saying?"

The reason I thought this (I admit) is purely selfish in that, although I have realised the mistakes I've made in the context of these hallowed halls and tried to rectify them, I still feel some posters don't trust me.

And then it dawned on me: how can I expect everyone to be up to date with every thread and every poster?

This is one of the reasons I've come to appreciate the Haus. I mean, he works for a living AND seems to be (for want of a better term) omnipresent on Barbelith and pretty much "in touch" with everything that's going on around here. Indeed, how the hell do you do it, Haus?

Personally, I find it hard enough to keep track of name changes, and I get confused with names that look (to me) similar. Indeed, half the time I don't know whom I'm talking to (which I kind-of like, but...).

So, I was wondering, how do you read Barbelith, and how do you feel confident that you have given every member their dues?

(Moderators: I've done a search using this search facility but couldn't find a suitable thread for this query, hence this new thread. However, If my research skills are as crap as I think they are, please point me in the right direction and I will move to modify this post/thread accordingly)

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07:30 / 24.07.06

I usually see pointers to this thread or that thread, if I'm missing something important (or dramatique). I go to threads that I wasn't previously interested in if I see they're particularly active.

But in general— well, people don't know me here, and that's perfectly fine. Expected. Desired, even. I want people to have a different perspective on my thoughts than I do myself, and if part of that is them not thinking of each of my comments in context with every single other thing I've thought out loud on Barbelith ever, so be it. The context-rich view of my posts isn't necessarily more valid, valuable, or true than the isolated view. Is this addressing what you're talking about, or no?

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07:33 / 24.07.06

Oh— and I think part of Haus' secret, unless he has eidetic memory, is a regular use of the site-specific method of google search. In case you don't know how to do that: go to google, type "site:barbelith.com" without quotes, and then your search string— a user's current username is a common one. Google returns only pages from barbelith.com. Handy.

paranoidwriter waves hello

07:52 / 24.07.06

Cheers entity, that's the vein I was hoping to tap. And big thanks for the google tip.

However, although I really understand the need/desire for personal anonymity (so to speak), I'm also really curious as to how we transpose this onto others.

(Shit, I've got to go now. But I will be back ASAP)

16:29 / 25.07.06

I think part of Haus' secret, unless he has eidetic memory, is a regular use of the site-specific method of google search.

Pretty sure Haus has an eidetic memory. There's no other way that anyone would be able to remember that much about Ultra Magnus.

19:01 / 25.07.06

Scroll down for more on Haus's eidetic memory. There's also a link to his blog, where he discusses the subject in more depth.

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20:02 / 25.07.06

Right, sorry about that.

20:08 / 25.07.06

Don't think there's anything to be sorry for, id. You weren't to know.

paranoidwriter waves hello

20:19 / 25.07.06

Wow. Haus has an eidetic memory. Is it wrong of me to be a tiny bit jealous right now?

When I posted this thread I was a little pished, but I think my heart was in the right place. What I was thinking was this:

Sometimes I might see a few nasty/stupid/etc posts from members and (whether I like it or not) this can influence my opinion of them and other comments they might type elsewhere on the board. However, as I definitely don't/can't read every thread I might miss comments of their's which (if i were to read them) might probably sway my opinion once more. Unfortunately, I can't find an example to support this, and I think it would be unwise of me to do so if I could (i.e. using another member as an example seems rude).

It's almost a kind of inverse of when you click on a thread and suddenly find someone's posted a comment about you there weeks ago, and you had no idea. I mean, have you ever clicked on a thread and read something posted by someone you'd previously disliked, then thought "shit, actually they sound all right. Maybe I was bit hasty in judging them so harshly"?

So, I guess I was asking whether anybody else considers all this, and how you try to keep on top of everything and try to ensure you're being...well..fair.

Am I making sense?

20:35 / 25.07.06

Is it wrong of me to be a tiny bit jealous right now?

Possibly. Read the link, tis interesting.

20:38 / 25.07.06

I don't try and keep on top of everything - if it turns out I'm ill informed I attempt to adjust my behaviour accordingly.

I don't seem to worry about Barbelith half as much as some of you guys.

paranoidwriter waves hello

20:49 / 25.07.06

Thanks for that link, that was very enlightening. However, I don't want to concentrate on Haus (even though I'm not helping with my posts, in this respect). It's not fair.

I think for me it's not so much about worrying about Barbelith, but how I notice Barbelith can be a kind of external, measurable, and therefore easier to analyse model of how one interacts with others. e.g. you can go back and re-read an argument and easier look at it from all angles.

It's almost akin to getting a bad vibe off someone you meet and thinking, "my instinct says to be wary of this person", and then years later meeting them again and walking away from that encounter thinking, "How wrong was I? Ze is absolutely lovely and fascinating".

Come to think of it, this is probably a pointless thread. Sorry.

ONLY NICE THINGS

20:53 / 25.07.06

For the record, I had an eidetic memory, but not a very glam one. Now I mainly just have OCD.

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23:14 / 25.07.06

MY instincts about people are ALWAYS right. Even if they seem to be lovely, if I have a bad feeling about them I don't talk to them and I run away whenever I see them. Eventually, sure enough, they always do something horrid to me like grabbing me and shaking me whilst screaming "WHY ARE YOU ALWAYS RUNNING AWAY FROM ME??? I JUST HAD A SHOWER AND I HAVEN'T HAD ANY CHEESE!!!" The world is full of these weirdos, in my experience.

And to be perfectly honest, I don't keep up with the board at all, so I'm afraid I can't help. It's just ESP and algorithms, and I don't understand either very well. But my scientist friends are also working on a new set of algorithms which will automate the "response" I post. It won't be as witty, I think, but there will be feqr typows and it will take less time. When they get all the beetles worked out I'll make the software available to all and sundry and then no one's social life will ever have to be impaired by Barbelith again, except for Tom.

Poor Tom.

08:42 / 26.07.06

I read quickly and focus on the bits I care about. Seems to work.

The Return Of Rothkoid

00:58 / 01.08.06

I used to worry/care a lot more about what was going on around here, but over time I've become less concerned. I just read what's good and skim or skip what's not.

Generally, the biggest change is that things don't seem to piss me off as much. Where previously I would've typed up an indignant reply to some perceived fuckwittery, now I don't bother.

Well, I may type it up. But post it? Rarely, if ever.

So yeah. I guess I don't really know what's going on in the wider scheme of things, but perhaps I am enjoying it more.