What happened to "Mayday! Mayday!" Humour article?

Wow, really Sherlock?
Next you'll be exposing the amazing revelation that Uba is talking about me!

So far, you're making great progress.

superflytnt wrote:

From a relative newcomer's perspective, allow me to say this: The tone has indeed changed; it's softened considerably.

You weren't here during the 'golden oldie' days.
To me the big difference was everyone back then was an individual and people accepted you as you were. If you didn't like someone no one else cared. Real life BS was kept at home.
"Front-wise" it was probably more hostile, but that was because everyone wore their heart on their sleeve. If you had something to say you said it. But that is what kept the peace. Now that's getting replaced with people being less upfront and instead we are getting an undercurrent of BS passive aggressiveness here. Far worse in my opinion, and I blame the busy bodies who feel the need to dictate to others how they should behave/live their lives and generally inject themselves into things that don’t involve them. People use to just sit back and enjoy the fireworks, then move on when it was over.
When I was moderating the boards no-one was looking up my number and calling me to complain – people call me sociopathic when there are people are pulling that kind of shit out there? I’ll take a million angry MJs over one douchebag like that.

Personally I’m tired of Tom having to apologise every second week for being Tom. If you don’t like him that’s your* bad luck, he’s contributed more to the site then you*.

(*directed to the haters, not to you Pete)

Personally I’m tired of Tom having to apologise every second week for being Tom. If you don’t like him that’s your* bad luck, he’s contributed more to the site then you*.

Come on now, you know he's not asked to apologize for being Tom.

Are you telling me he is defined as a person by calling people cunts? I don't buy it. He's one of the friendliest, most easy-going guys on the site when he's not freaking out on anyone. That's a big qualifier, though, and you never know what he's going to blow his top and go straight for the throat over.

What's do you want the rest of us to do, exactly? Tip-toe on eggshells to avoid offending him? Just get called a cunt and laugh it off? I'm willing to do that to a point, but not on a once-a-week basis. Tom, if you're reading, I'll pose the question to you as well.

Mr Skeletor wrote:

You weren't here during the 'golden oldie' days... <snip>

I think Skelly's hit the nail on the head.

As an aside, I don't know why Tom's being singled out. Yes, there's been a couple of times recently where I thought he went from 0 to 11 way too quick without justification, but otherwise he's been the same old (and I mean fucking old) Southernman since day one, and God love him for it.

Southernman wrote:
" Adrian makes a Troll's eyes light up and his mouth drool )))"
I'm a firm believer in the 'give them enough rope principle'.
" It's that 'little brother big brother' inferiority complex"
I always thought it was because Micro$oft fans cannot see any other possibility. Could be wrong, never paid that much attention to the sniping in the press.

mjl1783 wrote:
" t was removed for amateurish graphic design"
You bastard! You're on my stalk list too! (Two down, five to go.)
" I believe I saw a stock font on it, and even though it wasn't Comic Sans, it wasn't Helvetica either."
Hang your head in shame! Of course it was Comic Sans! Given how loved the font is here, it would be unthinkable to use anything else.
" And to be fair, it was clearly a joke. I was making light of the situation while pointing out how conspicuous your little lover's quarrel was getting, mildly hoping it would help you two relax your respective sphincters."
Well it backfired, sphincter-wise. Luckily I was facing my keyboard.

Black Barney wrote:
" Ken and I have seen this on other website(s)"
WTF? You guys have been honeymooning elsewhere?
" Anyway, I haven't noticed any change in behaviour here at all."
You're not the first to say it, but I felt a random quote coming on. I don't think the tones any worse, just the random disagreements flaring up in close proximity. This time it's been different people to the last time. Business as usual.

Mr Skeletor wrote:
" When I was moderating the boards no-one was looking up my number and calling me to complain"
I cracked up laughing at that! I mean, jeez, can you imagine? The poor bastard wouldn't dare pick up the telephone ever again!

mjl1783 wrote:

Personally I’m tired of Tom having to apologise every second week for being Tom. If you don’t like him that’s your* bad luck, he’s contributed more to the site then you*.

Come on now, you know he's not asked to apologize for being Tom.

Are you telling me he is defined as a person by calling people cunts? I don't buy it. He's one of the friendliest, most easy-going guys on the site when he's not freaking out on anyone. That's a big qualifier, though, and you never know what he's going to blow his top and go straight for the throat over.

What's do you want the rest of us to do, exactly? Tip-toe on eggshells to avoid offending him? Just get called a cunt and laugh it off? I'm willing to do that to a point, but not on a once-a-week basis. Tom, if you're reading, I'll pose the question to you as well.

Not wanting to carry this on too much longer, especially when it could become a 'Oh yes you do - Oh no I don't' situation, BUT you are exaggerating a bit here (check out this forum search Bad Tom plus add on the Branigymp incident in the blog section and run ins with Weeks).

mjl1783 wrote:

Come on now, you know he's not asked to apologize for being Tom.

Are you telling me he is defined as a person by calling people cunts? I don't buy it. He's one of the friendliest, most easy-going guys on the site when he's not freaking out on anyone. That's a big qualifier, though, and you never know what he's going to blow his top and go straight for the throat over.

Tom has ALWAYS been quick to blow his stack over nothing - that's part of his charm. How do you think he adopted the whole 'grumpy old bastard' thing long before you popped up in here? Tom blows his stack and gets over it 5 mins later, big fucking deal.

What's do you want the rest of us to do, exactly? Tip-toe on eggshells to avoid offending him? Just get called a cunt and laugh it off? I'm willing to do that to a point, but not on a once-a-week basis. Tom, if you're reading, I'll pose the question to you as well.

What you are 'willing to do' is your problem. This exactly is the kind of bullshit I'm talking about, who on earth are you to say "I'm not going to put up with Tom's behaviour on a once-a-week basis"? These forums were made for people like Tom, in fact Tom himself was one of the people it was made for. If the intention of the board has since changed it has yet to be spelled out by those that matter.
If you don't like the tone then why are you here?

Here is a question champ - what behaviour changes are YOU making? You may not think your shit stinks, but only a fortnight or so ago someone on this very thread was complaining about your behaviour (it's not my place to out them since they didn't do it on the public forums, but if they reveal I'll support them). I'd rank you up there with being just as divisive as me or Tom, so I’d not be getting too comfortable on mount sermon were I you.

Now while you can be annoying as dog shit on the carpet sometimes, that’s what makes you who you are and I respect that and think you should remain being yourself on here. I’d rather that than some compromised lemming. But if you have somehow gotten it into your head that Tom and I should be changing while you are a model citizen you’re living in La La land.

If you don't like the tone then why are you here?

Fair enough.

mjl1783 wrote:

Whether or not I'm exaggerating, Tom, the question still stands.

What do you want the rest of us do to respect you, and your opinion, on those occasions when you do flip out and have a go at somebody?

Stick up for yourself, say your piece, be straight, and then get on with life - hopefully what has happened most previous times. Shit even me and Quozl let each other be after a few weeks, and cOctavian just gets a small comment every now and then - never an explosion.

I'm a bit surprised this turns into a scene where people are called out to defend themselves. I never had a problem with Tom blowing his top, but in combo trolls can reach a critical mass, as happened in the f#dome thread. I spoke out there because people continued the shouting after the point where it had added value, even from the point of entertainment. Watching a train wreck is only fun for a limited amount of time.

But I'm also surprised that this causes people to drop out, because they haven't at earlier flare ups. And there have been a few over the years. Apparently the leavers have the feeling that the tone of the site has been changing as well. Those that think that there is more fighting and those that think there is less can't both be right.

What I'm interested in to know is who calls Uba to complain. I don't want names, but a general picture: is this old/new members? high/low profile (in terms of post) members? Is it the ISP or someone advertising? I really don't get what it means now.

But what nonplusses me the most is mjl acting as the voice instead of his normal sourpuss attitude. Will the world ever stop playing tricks on me?