Have Things Changed Here?

[lovecraft68]

Write yourself a good old fashioned Loving Wives tale, and just watch your comments section blow up

I have one done, but I'm waiting until the end of October to publish it. Its an election themed noir style LW story.

The response should be epic(ally bad)

 

[SimonDoom]

Do you also remember the steam locomotive, soda fountains, barbershop quartets, and straight-edge razors? Just how the fuck old are you?

According to my children, when I was young dinosaurs still walked the earth. I don't remember any dinosaurs, but maybe that's just because I'm so old and have no memory left.

 

[MillieDynamite]

At least you're a good sport about it. Some aren't so easy to poke fun at and get away with it.

According to my children, when I was young dinosaurs still walked the earth. I don't remember any dinosaurs, but maybe that's just because I'm so old and have no memory left.

 

[dmallord]

My first computer had 16k, and that required a massive cartridge.

I recall my first intro to computers. It involved a demo using 3x5 cards that we notched holes in, which allowed us to run a dowel through and sort out similar pieces of information - a clue as to how data worked.

My first true exposure to hands-on computers was to hand cards punched with holes through a window for someone behind the glass to process in a strange, bizarre room glowing with radio tubes and a massive airconditioning system. I don't know what it was called.

My first personal computer use began with the Tandy 12" floppy drive systems with two bays on board and a four-bay expansion below - black and white screen.

From there was: Tandy 5.25", Apple IIe, IBM series, Macintosh SE30, and Macs from then on.

 

[gunhilltrain]

Write yourself a good old fashioned Loving Wives tale, and just watch your comments section blow up

BTB! Sometimes I think they'd like to literally do that.

 

[gunhilltrain]

Yes, it is, I think there is a second one as well, but I'm not sure. Maybe one near Royal Gorge. Mary @theWollstonecraftWoman might know.

I just had to look up all of them. One surprise is that the three at Disneyland are authentic, not replicas. The ones I'm sure I've been on are Strasburg and Steamtown in PA, and North Conway and Mount Washington in New Hampshire.

https://www.trains.com/trn/railroads/locomotives/rosters/2022-steam-locomotive-list/#:~:text=According to a Trains magazine,a replica of historical significance.

 

[gunhilltrain]

According to my children, when I was young dinosaurs still walked the earth. I don't remember any dinosaurs, but maybe that's just because I'm so old and have no memory left.

I do remember the woolly mammoth being around. That was only 13,000 years ago, a mere blip in time.

 

[Voboy]

I get about ten emails a year, and my stories are lucky if they get more than ten comments, total. I'm floored when I get more than fifteen.

I'm not sure when you were previously publishing here, @DirtyMindedMinx but that's how it's been for me since 2016 or so. It might also depend on which categories you favor.

 

[orangecurious]

Oddly, i had a spate of emails about one series (most were offering opinions on what I should do next with the characters!) and then on another story, but other than that, nothing.

I do remember some emails from the first stories here, back in 2005/6, but it just comes and goes otherwise, same with comments

 

[intim8]

Do you also remember the steam locomotive, soda fountains, barbershop quartets, and straight-edge razors? Just how the fuck old are you?

Steam went out in major RRs around the time I was born. But I am old enough remember my family not having color TV or FM radio. They were available, but not common, especially for lower-middle class families.

 

[ShelbyDawn57]

Do you also remember the steam locomotive, soda fountains, barbershop quartets, and straight-edge razors? Just how the fuck old are you?

Barbershop Quartets are still very much a thing. A lot of them are absolutely amazing.

 

[bestkeptsecret678]

Write yourself a good old fashioned Loving Wives tale, and just watch your comments section blow up

I’ve never gone near the LW category; way above my pay grade. Hell I even managed to trip over myself in BDSM.

But, given its lecherous reputation, maybe we should all just throw something nutty into the LW boiling pot… just to mess with them.

 

[MillieDynamite]

I seem to remember hearing that somewhere in four-part harmony.

Barbershop Quartets are still very much a thing. A lot of them are absolutely amazing.

 

[bestkeptsecret678]

I seem to remember hearing that somewhere in four-part harmony.

I stopped listening when it was barbershop version 3.0; before 4.0 was released.

 

[nice90sguy]

I got reminded recently that one of my "stories" -- actually a howto, received an unusually high number of email repsonses, I think because it was about an embarrasing sex-related addiction, and I had anonymous feedback turned off. I guess they could have PM-ed me, but I don't think many of them were lit members. I've just resubmitted that story, because it was pretty funny, and actually might help some people deal with that addiction.

 

[ElectricBlue]

I’ve never gone near the LW category; way above my pay grade. Hell I even managed to trip over myself in BDSM.

But, given its lecherous reputation, maybe we should all just throw something nutty into the LW boiling pot… just to mess with them.

There are writers who do that regularly. Why they bother, I don't know.

 

[BobbyBrandt]

Yes, it is, I think there is a second one as well, but I'm not sure. Maybe one near Royal Gorge. Mary @theWollstonecraftWoman might know.

I used to know one of the engineers who ran that train during the winter season, He would move up to the narrow gauge railroad in the Yukon during the summer season. While on an Alaskan cruise, we had a stop in Skagway and he let my grandson drive the train back to the station at the end of the day.

 

[MillieDynamite]

Is drive the right word? I mean, you don't do any steering at all. Now I wonder what is the right word, anyone, anyone at all?

I used to know one of the engineers who ran that train during the winter season, He would move up to the narrow gauge railroad in the Yukon during the summer season. While on an Alaskan cruise, we had a stop in Skagway and he let my grandson drive the train back to the station at the end of the day.

 

[DirtyMindedMinx]

Sorry to interrupt your RR/Computer/Dinosaur thread, but I wanted to say thanks to all the kind folks who responded to my privileged whining. I guess the lack of feedback probably has more to do with the category than anything else. Ego crisis averted!

Cheers,
-Rachael

 

[StillStunned]

Is drive the right word? I mean, you don't do any steering at all. Now I wonder what is the right word, anyone, anyone at all?

Regardless of the word (I assume "drive", as in "train driver"), let's take a moment to appreciate what a wonderful thing to do for a kid. That's the kind of memory that stays with you for a lifetime.

 

[MillieDynamite]

No, I'm just curious what the technical word is for what an Engineer does. I'm not saying it isn't wonderful for the kid. I'm saying drive doesn't sound right to me. I'm curious but can't find anything about what they do but run the train. But they run and are responsible for everything on the train.

Regardless of the word (I assume "drive", as in "train driver"), let's take a moment to appreciate what a wonderful thing to do for a kid. That's the kind of memory that stays with you for a lifetime.

 

[nice90sguy]

I asked a guy who works on a narrowboat, taking people for sight-seeing cruises, what a person who drives a narrowboat is called. He told me they're known as "narrowboat drivers". Then he took a sip of his beer.

 

[ElectricBlue]

No, I'm just curious what the technical word is for what an Engineer does. I'm not saying it isn't wonderful for the kid. I'm saying drive doesn't sound right to me. I'm curious but can't find anything about what they do but run the train. But they run and are responsible for everything on the train.

I know in England there are songs about engine drivers, "My name is Ivor, I'm an engine driver," (The Who). And I know for sure that metropolitan trains in Australia are "driven" by "drivers".

"Engineer" is very much the American word for the person in the cabin. Here and in the UK, an engineer is the person who does the technical work, typically in the context of maintaining a railway: an electrical engineer, a mechanical engineer, a software engineer etc.

 

[MillieDynamite]

We have all of those here. The train Engineer is responsible for the maintenance of his train as well.

I know in England there are songs about engine drivers, "My name is Ivor, I'm an engine driver," (The Who). And I know for sure that metropolitan trains in Australia are "driven" by "drivers".

"Engineer" is very much the American word for the person in the cabin. Here and in the UK, an engineer is the person who does the technical work, typically in the context of maintaining a railway: an electrical engineer, a mechanical engineer, a software engineer etc.

 

[elizaloo]

I remember when I first started publishing here (sometime in the mid-19th century), when one of my new stories got posted I would get a flood of emails and PMs with feedback (good and bad). Now...not so much. Maybe it's just me and I've lost my touch. An indication that it's time to hang up my spurs and pack away my dildos (just not all of them, of course)?

Just wondering if I'm the only one, or has anyone else found this sort of thing to be the case?

Hugz,
-Rachael

Eh, I've been publishing since '06 with a number of years in between and there is DEFINITELY a difference in how readers respond to stories.

Back in my day (yes, I'm old so I can say that), I always had a good response to publishing and nearly always picked up a handful of followers every time. Along with that, I'd get PMs (not necessarily about the story) and emails.

Now, it's as if no one even notices outside of followers - who are fabulous about voting and sometimes commenting, but rarely do I receive a PM or email from someone new REGARDING A PUBLISHED STORY.

Randomly I will pick up a new follower, likely because of a comment here or there, but with no contact whatsoever. WHY????? Becomes the prevailing thought and I end up reading their bio and comments in an effort to figure that out. Usually a futile effort.

I tend to send a note to an author if I enjoy their works, especially if I choose to follow them, simply because I dislike the no contact if I notice a new follower myself. This has led to some good friendships here and makes me glad I reached out.