OK, I guess I like this sub-forum thingie

[Tzara]

after all, since this nasty spambot "hbodenhagen" that is currently running around Literotica hasn't yet found this place. I presume there are tools to block it before it gets here.

It's kind of a stupid spambot, as it doesn't even have a visible link to whatever smut or scam thing it's promoting. Curiously, it seems to post somewhat relevant comments, which I assume are generated by picking up on words featured prominently in the thread.

Interesting technologically, but about as irritating as the robocalls I am getting about the election: Hello, this is God calling to ask for your support for...

 

[Angeline]

after all, since this nasty spambot "hbodenhagen" that is currently running around Literotica hasn't yet found this place. I presume there are tools to block it before it gets here.

It's kind of a stupid spambot, as it doesn't even have a visible link to whatever smut or scam thing it's promoting. Curiously, it seems to post somewhat relevant comments, which I assume are generated by picking up on words featured prominently in the thread.

Interesting technologically, but about as irritating as the robocalls I am getting about the election: Hello, this is God calling to ask for your support for...

I'm glad you feel this way. It's a good thing, this hangout. And it's certainly a better use of digital space than the poetry circle, which was orphaned by us all almost as soon as it was begun. Don't ask me why because I never wanted a poetry discussion circle (for starters I knew it would be too much work for me).

I am most saddened by those, I know at least one, who feel the creation of this place was a decision by the mods to push the "lesser poets" into the digital equivalent of the back room. I think I'm a decent poet. I've gotten some pretty good publications and I've certainly been writing it for a long time. I'm honest when I give feedback; I say what I believe to be wrong in a poem and if I can't see any good, I don't comment. But in no way does any of that mean I think I'm a better poet than anyone else here, not really. I know I've been at it longer, but anyone can write a good poem. And I do believe that practicing is the best way to improve, so it would be inconsistent with who I am to want people not to write on the main page.

I've been here so long that I forget that new people here are usually pretty tenderhearted about their poetry. It can be soul crushing to think others believe you're not good enough. And there have always been people who say we're a clique. Always. That's where the oval concept that we joke about came from. If I hurt anyone's feelings, I apologize. If you believe that was my intention you don't know me, and I can say the same of Eve and Lauren. We may get testy sometimes, but we are human too.

And I feel that I need to say publically that I understand Senna drives some people crazy. He talks without filters and he can be brutally honest. People have had that reaction to him since I've joined the forum. I'm used to him, and I know his bark is way worse than his bite. If you stand up to him, he will back down. Even if others don't see this in a positive light, I have a real appreciation for how much nicer he is now than he was when he joined.

The reason I stuck his thread is exactly why I said yesterday. Senna is a really good poet, you may have to read a lot of him to appreciate how good he is but he is. And he knows his stuff. I often disagree with him, but I learn enormously from him because he gets me thinking. I certainly can't control what he says and I'd suggest that anyone who feels insulted or hurt by him, tell him to back the fuck off. Lol, he'll understand. But ignoring his thoughtful parsing of poems is, to me, throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

Anyway, I'm glad things are getting back to normal. I just hate it when everyone here is hurt. If I do anything that disturbs anyone here, they can pm me or call me out in a thread. I don't mind; I'll answer to the best of my ability. And so will Eve and Lauren. I wish Lauren were around more, I really do, but she has some ongoing health problems that prevent it.

And how about those Red Sox, eh? I saw you celebrating the Rays elsewhere and they are good. Tomorrow night may be the end for my Boston guys, but at least they gave the Fenway Faithful a great show before they went down.

 

[Tzara]

I'm glad you feel this way. It's a good thing, this hangout. And it's certainly a better use of digital space than the poetry circle, which was orphaned by us all almost as soon as it was begun. Don't ask me why because I never wanted a poetry discussion circle (for starters I knew it would be too much work for me).

You are misinterpreting my post, Angie. What I am happy about is that the spambot that is currently contaminating all of Lit hasn't yet found this place, probably because it is a subforum. They usually work on tree-structure algorithms, so it will be some time before it arrives here. I am hoping you guys will institute defensive measures before it gets here.

I am still unhappy about the reorganization, but have decided it is pointless to argue about it, as it is a fait accompli. At this point changing things back would not help, anyway. The problem raised was not the format.

I do hope we get some of those former poets back.

And how about those Red Sox, eh? I saw you celebrating the Rays elsewhere and they are good. Tomorrow night may be the end for my Boston guys, but at least they gave the Fenway Faithful a great show before they went down.

I'd like to see the Rays get in the World Series simply because so long as my "team" (quotes intentional) cannot, I'd like to see some city who hasn't been there recently get a chance. Nothing particular against Boston, 'cept you guys have been there. Tampa hasn't.

 

[Angeline]

You are misinterpreting my post, Angie. What I am happy about is that the spambot that is currently contaminating all of Lit hasn't yet found this place, probably because it is a subforum. They usually work on tree-structure algorithms, so it will be some time before it arrives here. I am hoping you guys will institute defensive measures before it gets here.

I am still unhappy about the reorganization, but have decided it is pointless to argue about it, as it is a fait accompli. At this point changing things back would not help, anyway. The problem raised was not the format.

I do hope we get some of those former poets back.
I'd like to see the Rays get in the World Series simply because so long as my "team" (quotes intentional) cannot, I'd like to see some city who hasn't been there recently get a chance. Nothing particular against Boston, 'cept you guys have been there. Tampa hasn't.

I figured you still don't agree, but then neither do I with the attitudes I've seen in return to something we tried to do that would improve the forum. I think we've been misinterpreted and that's too bad, but I'm going to keep writing and doing my thing and hope others here do the same. If they feel they can't, at least I've made the effort to explain.

 

[Tzara]

I figured you still don't agree, but then neither do I with the attitudes I've seen in return to something we tried to do that would improve the forum. I think we've been misinterpreted and that's too bad, but I'm going to keep writing and doing my thing and hope others here do the same. If they feel they can't, at least I've made the effort to explain.

I certainly hope the changes will improve the forum and, as I've said, bring back some of those poets who left. If one of them comes back, I swear to neither flirt nor chat with them.

Note to returning poets: If it is your decision not to opt-out and to allow Tzara to chat or flirt with you, you do not need to request an Opt-Out Form or respond to me in any way. If you have previously submitted a request to opt-out for each of my alts, no further action is necessary.

If you prefer that I not chat or flirt with you, except as otherwise permitted by forum rules, please request an Opt-Out Form by PMing me (please have all of my offending alts available when requesting Opt-Out Forms). I will return a Form to your attention. I will implement your request within a reasonable time after I receive your completed form.

(I have been dealing with my insurance company.)

As I think Eve said, all of these things will eventually blow over. Some people may leave, some people may join, and hopefully some people will rejoin.

So it goes.


Vonnegut quote.

 

[WickedEve]

If you believe that was my intention you don't know me, and I can say the same of Eve and Lauren. We may get testy sometimes, but we are human too.

It's only a poetry forum. None of us are human here. We're some words and a emoticon. We don't get bothered by cruel PMs or nasty comments on a thread. But at one time we were friends and poets and we were forgiving and reasonable.

 

[Tzara]

This spambot attack is actually quite interesting. I almost wonder if it is not automated, because the messages it posts are often quite appropriate, though meaningless, to the thread. It seems to be analyzing other posts in the thread to construct its responses.

For example, Champie had posted this response to a poem someone had posted. The bot, or person, posted "wonderful and beautiful theme. but i think, that this is a little bit to long" which is basically a variation on the first line of Champ's response.

If it's programming, I'm kind of impressed. Sorry that Eve and Ange have to clean it up, but impressed. Writing something to analyze the semantics of posted text is not that simple.

At least I don't think it is, but I'm no expert.

 

[WickedEve]

Last night I moved some of the posts out of the forum. I left a few. I'll probably get a PM. "Where are my posts?!"
I thought maybe it was a newbie trying to get enough posts for an AV or something.

 

[Safe_Bet]

Last night I moved some of the posts out of the forum. I left a few. I'll probably get a PM. "Where are my posts?!"
I thought maybe it was a newbie trying to get enough posts for an AV or something.

Awww, leave the poor little spambot alone. After all, a lot of it's posts made more sense than most of mine do.

 

[WickedEve]

Awww, leave the poor little spambot alone. After all, a lot of it's posts made more sense than most of mine do.

I have a crush on spambot. But Tzara seems to hate him for some reason. I wonder if he'll change his mind if the bot writes a poem. A good poem.

 

[Safe_Bet]

I have a crush on spambot. But Tzara seems to hate him for some reason. I wonder if he'll change his mind if the bot writes a poem. A good poem.

I'm beginning to wonder if Tz is spambotiphobic. Hmmm. He might even be a closet spambot himself and is afraid of being "outed"!

P.S. Do you think Spambot might have a sister? Or a sib that gets in to anal sex named SlamBut?

 

[ohhh_livia]

I'm glad you feel this way. It's a good thing, this hangout. And it's certainly a better use of digital space than the poetry circle, which was orphaned by us all almost as soon as it was begun. Don't ask me why because I never wanted a poetry discussion circle (for starters I knew it would be too much work for me).

I am most saddened by those, I know at least one, who feel the creation of this place was a decision by the mods to push the "lesser poets" into the digital equivalent of the back room. I think I'm a decent poet. I've gotten some pretty good publications and I've certainly been writing it for a long time. I'm honest when I give feedback; I say what I believe to be wrong in a poem and if I can't see any good, I don't comment. But in no way does any of that mean I think I'm a better poet than anyone else here, not really. I know I've been at it longer, but anyone can write a good poem. And I do believe that practicing is the best way to improve, so it would be inconsistent with who I am to want people not to write on the main page.

I've been here so long that I forget that new people here are usually pretty tenderhearted about their poetry. It can be soul crushing to think others believe you're not good enough. And there have always been people who say we're a clique. Always. That's where the oval concept that we joke about came from. If I hurt anyone's feelings, I apologize. If you believe that was my intention you don't know me, and I can say the same of Eve and Lauren. We may get testy sometimes, but we are human too.

And I feel that I need to say publically that I understand Senna drives some people crazy. He talks without filters and he can be brutally honest. People have had that reaction to him since I've joined the forum. I'm used to him, and I know his bark is way worse than his bite. If you stand up to him, he will back down. Even if others don't see this in a positive light, I have a real appreciation for how much nicer he is now than he was when he joined.

The reason I stuck his thread is exactly why I said yesterday. Senna is a really good poet, you may have to read a lot of him to appreciate how good he is but he is. And he knows his stuff. I often disagree with him, but I learn enormously from him because he gets me thinking. I certainly can't control what he says and I'd suggest that anyone who feels insulted or hurt by him, tell him to back the fuck off. Lol, he'll understand. But ignoring his thoughtful parsing of poems is, to me, throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

Anyway, I'm glad things are getting back to normal. I just hate it when everyone here is hurt. If I do anything that disturbs anyone here, they can pm me or call me out in a thread. I don't mind; I'll answer to the best of my ability. And so will Eve and Lauren. I wish Lauren were around more, I really do, but she has some ongoing health problems that prevent it.

And how about those Red Sox, eh? I saw you celebrating the Rays elsewhere and they are good. Tomorrow night may be the end for my Boston guys, but at least they gave the Fenway Faithful a great show before they went down.

As wonderful as some of you seem to be, most of the time, well, it doesn't shock me that there are people leaving. There is an air of elite-ism, there are people who come in here and are treated badly, whether accidentally, by some of those "brutally honest" ones you refer to. Not everyone can be objective, not everyone is likable to everyone else.

What seems to be the most scurrilous problem is that one person tries to give good honest FB and gets punished for it, while others are worshiped and it is an uneven scale that the critique is measured on. People go by how many H's and E's someone has, and they decide how to measure the crit they receive by how popular the person who gives it is in the forum.

Some of you people need to step back and look at the situation through someone else's eyes. I know how it feels to be treated as a less than here, it is not as uncommon as you people want to profess that it is, it isn't all peaches and roses in Poetryville, people who aren't in the precious oval or clique know they aren't considered as talented or as "cool" and it can hurt...if that sort of thing matters, and to some it does.

Not everyone has the time to start or maintain interest on a dozen threads, not everyone has the time or inclination to kiss hineys to make everyone think they are mahvelous, some people just want to come in and read good poetry and write and get real critique and not have to wade through the shit on some of these threads. I for one am glad that you separated the shit from the shine, but I still pop in and tread through the rubbish on occasion. Some of you people are pretty entertaining in a i-have-no-real life sort of way.

I wish you all the best and hope your little crisis resolves itself soon, gosh forbid the sub-forum suffer because someone didn't feel welcome.

right?

 

[champagne1982]

As wonderful as some of you seem to be, most of the time, well, it doesn't shock me that there are people leaving. There is an air of elite-ism, there are people who come in here and are treated badly, whether accidentally, by some of those "brutally honest" ones you refer to. Not everyone can be objective, not everyone is likable to everyone else.

What seems to be the most scurrilous problem is that one person tries to give good honest FB and gets punished for it, while others are worshiped and it is an uneven scale that the critique is measured on. People go by how many H's and E's someone has, and they decide how to measure the crit they receive by how popular the person who gives it is in the forum.

Some of you people need to step back and look at the situation through someone else's eyes. I know how it feels to be treated as a less than here, it is not as uncommon as you people want to profess that it is, it isn't all peaches and roses in Poetryville, people who aren't in the precious oval or clique know they aren't considered as talented or as "cool" and it can hurt...if that sort of thing matters, and to some it does.

Not everyone has the time to start or maintain interest on a dozen threads, not everyone has the time or inclination to kiss hineys to make everyone think they are mahvelous, some people just want to come in and read good poetry and write and get real critique and not have to wade through the shit on some of these threads. I for one am glad that you separated the shit from the shine, but I still pop in and tread through the rubbish on occasion. Some of you people are pretty entertaining in a i-have-no-real life sort of way.

I wish you all the best and hope your little crisis resolves itself soon, gosh forbid the sub-forum suffer because someone didn't feel welcome.

right?

So, what other carcasses have you been picking clean lately?