October 16, 2004

• Just saw path's thread below, she's more articulate than I woz, so why not discuss this there. tracicle, please remove this Masterpiece of Ineptitude, thanks, bees.
• Hey, bees, your main question were more specific to MoFi. I'm not sure the two conflict.
• Wow, synchronocity. I thought that one inspired the other, not that both were whims.
• Seems like one thread would be simpler, but if ye want to post here, by all means do so, since Monkeybashi makes her own mind up on things, Mr.Knickerbocker.
• I agree with path, this thread really is different, so I'll kick off the replies. I'm a new user who wandered in after seeing a "via monkeyfilter" link on metafilter and decided to join after lurking for a while. I'm very happy so far; no regrets yet! Everyone seems quite friendly, helpful, and intelligent. I find the lack of serious snarkiness to be *very* refreshing. What do I look to get from MoFi? Interesting links and good conversation seem a fine place to start, and that's already here so I'm a happy monkey. Absolutely *love* the monkey theme! What sucks? Not sure I've been here long enough to have any serious opinions about this. Most of my complaints are temporary and relate to the server issues, but that's life in the big internet. When things do get back up and copacetic, it would be nice if the front page were a little bit longer. It's a bit annoying to have to go to archives for threads only a couple of days old. If it's a bandwidth issue, I do understand and it's not that big of a deal for me. Thank's for all of it!
• errrrr... let's try that last line again: "Thanks for all of it!"
• I'm here because MeFi doesn't allow new user logins. I'm also here because everyone @ MeFi is an asshole or a bitch. But I repeat myself.
• I was here at the (near) beginning, actually. I was doing that forced lurk the metafilter tricks you into. There was this hula-baloo about this otherfilter, after some investigative work, I found MoFi just a couple days old. But I got so trained into lurking by MeFi, I kept putting off signing up for MoFi. So I lurked here for a month or two, and just when I figred I'd get off my duff and register, my stupid computer died. So I went about a half year without computer or internet. When I finally got her back online (heh), I soon came over to MoFi and started lurking again. Then someone posted a link that I desperately wanted to contribute to, so I signed up, and I only had to wwait about two hours before I could log in (thanks tracicle!). The thread was still active, and I was able to contribute (w00t!). What sucks? Well, I thought the color scheme was awful, but when I asked about it, tracicle was just about to implement the code to give us choices on schemes (more w00t!). She said she'd accept schemes from people if they choose to create their own, apparently no one has. I'd submit a butt-ton, but I have no idea how to go about creating one.
• PS: Because of that forced lurk: screw MeFi. Their inability to accept the fact that they're isolationists causes them to mislead everyone who shows up there. They could remove the new user link, or be honest on the page it takes you to, but instead they act like they're just about to open registration up. those fuckers. sorry, I've been needing to vent that.
• Why? Monkeys!!!!
• Mon cher Jean-Luc Pikachu et al: Alas, the sorry truth is, ye are likely to discover most of us here are assholes and/or bitches, too. Or both. Like myself. Many monkeys have dual citizenship, here and at MetaFilter. In the past, MetaFilter folk have been consistently kind and helpful to monkeyfilter members. There is no war between us, guys. One of the big drawbacks to coming here during a time when our archives are gone, is that ye have to take the word of imbeciles like myself for this, but 'tis true. If enemies we must have, why not let them be the time-honoured ones of ignorance, attachment, and desire? /yes, I'm Buddhist, albeit a bad one
• You know how bees are when you catch 'em in a jar to toss them out the door? Bzzzzz! *bonk* *bonk* Bzzzzz! *bonk* That's what perma-lurk in Metafilter felt like, so I was thrilled to see Monkeyness was available, and flew on in :)
• *hearts moneyjane, who tosses us out the door instead of swatting us*
• Having been here a while (about 6 months), I find myself visiting MeFi less and less. It's a useful source of news, but it's lacking something - variety, I think, in expression. You'd think there'd be 17000 different voices, but it seems like there's only a hundred people or so posting. By comparison, there's a larger percentage of posters here, I think. Less serious at times, maybe not so hardcore believer in their tone. It seems friendlier here, but then that's me getting all anthropomorphic about it. The one downside is the look and feel of the site (somewhat blandish to my eye), but if Tracicle is willing to allow other designers to come up with new looks, I might turn a hand to it and see what happens.
• Post that to "my blog" as in sidebar, drivingmenuts, I know there's a place but am such a fool, can't remember wot it is and now our Memory is Gone, can't find squat, hep-hep!
• drivingmenuts you can change the scheme in your profile, there's a couple choices.
• Not sure how I got here, might have been via MeFi, might have been some blog out there ... somewhere. What attracted me was there were people here with more than 2 neurons rubbing together who could create an intelligent sentence. The chance at meeting interesting people from elsewhere. The general lack of monkey bashing was attractive. Negatives? Still feel like a voyeur peering through the window. Can understand where Mr Knickerbocker (and anyone else who's wanted to join MeFi) is coming from. Frustrating to see new users can't create an account at MeFi but the number of members magically goes up. ps: A chance to submit a new style? Oooh time to play with the style sheet :)
• I happened to be reading this MetaTalk thread on the right day (you'll find plaintive "I wanna join MeFi" emails from tracicle, kimberly, wolof [I think?] and myself on that thread). Put off joining for about a week, and when the followup thread was posted I still managed to grab a ridiculously low userID number. *beats chest, bares fangs, howls*
• I am also a longtime lurker on MeFi who discovered MoFi from there. One interesting thing I have noticed is that during the time when I have been clicking the new user link at MeFi and have always found it busy with growing pains, several new users have been added there - I have found user names I didn't recognize, and when I clicked on their names, found incept dates in August and September of this year.
• I got here after something from my blog ended up a FPP and my traffic shot up. I became a member because I liked what I saw and because MeFi doesn't allow new people. Also MoFi is far less of a cluster-fuck than MeFi is these days.
• Because of that forced lurk: screw MeFi. Their inability to accept the fact that they're isolationists causes them to mislead everyone who shows up there. They could remove the new user link, or be honest on the page it takes you to, but instead they act like they're just about to open registration up. those fuckers. Whoa, Nellie. There is no "they." The decisions of one man, Matt Haughey, are the direct and sole cause of all of your complaints, so don't damn with such a broad brush!
• Like others, I've lurked at MetaFilter for ages. I'm intrigued by the idea of a community where people delight in saying, "Hey, look at this! It's neat!" and others chime in with their commentary and opinions. I came to MonkeyFilter, though, because I belive that sort of experience, in order to be truly satisfying, must be *interactive.* I want the option and opportunity to participate. Without that dimension, reading a site like this one becomes just another exercise in isolated passivity. At this point, MetaFilter, for example, might just as well be a television show where hosts refer to web pages (or, lately, anti-Bush news stories) and panel members shout "Seen it before!", "Atta boy!", or "Worse FFP ... [audience joins in] *evah!*" I'm not bashing the site, which I still occasionally enjoy; instead, I'm hoping to remind them of what they've lost. Meanwhile: how refreshing to find MonkeyFilter, where the simian metaphor tends to keep conversation light-hearted and free-swinging -- and where anyone, anyone at all, can still join in the discussion. It says something about MonkeyFilter that most of the suggestions for improvement offered so far are purely cosmetic. Keep up the great work; meanwhile, I'll work harder to be a better contributor.
• more senseless cuteness, less useless rudeness
• rushmc: Yeah I know it's one person, but I didn't want to make it a personal attack on him by using his name. I was keeping impersonal by using the "business" name, words like "they" instead of "he". I don't think it would be cool of me to single him out, even if it's solely him I fault. It's kinda like if someone thought something at MoFi was crummy, that person should limit it to: "MoFi sucks", instead of things like "Tracy sucks". I'm not trying to say that every MeFite sucks, or even that the MetaBashi (or whatever they call him) sucks. Just that a specific part of the MeFi website is crummy. Am I explaining myself well? I hope so. It feels like I'm banging all around the head of the nail without hitting it.
• I was told I would find lots of lipstick lesbians here. *sigh* Nothin' but Butches.
• Sidedish, that kitten is wicked awesome. Is he yours?
• no, knick, that is one of the millions of ridiculously cute kittens that belong to cyberspace
• I think I found MoFi through MeFi. I came for the links, and one day, I realized I wanted to comment on something, so I signed up. I've been in online communities before, and I was reluctant to sign up for a long time because my experience has been that they can get, well, cranky. The friendliness of the monkeys here convinced me it was OK to speak up.
• I actually found both MoFi and MeFi through Kuro5hin (which I've lurked for a long, long time.) I still read MeFi occasionally, but I much prefer a site that I can participate in. Took me a couple months to build up the courage to register and post though :P I actually like the color scheme. It is easy on the eyes. *shrugs* Then again, I have no taste.
• If you use Firefox, there's a button on the status bar that lets you change the color scheme, but I don't know if it "sticks". And, yeah, lets not get too hard on Mefi. We wouldn't be here if not for it, and I doubt we'd be here if Matt had allowed new users.
• I also lurked at Mefi for a while and got terribly frustrated. Then my friend jccalhoun pointed me here! I enjoy the conversations (and the sillyness), and the occasional spat is ok. I was raised to believe that a good fight every once and a while clears the air and lets us be better friends... as long as things don't get too mean ;)
• Mr. Knickerbocker - if you go to your profile, you'll find an option for "Style" just below the "Bio" box. There are currently 6 alternatives and I think that tracicle has others that she plans to add.
• I was a mefi lurker also, for about a year. I found Mofi via Mefi, and am very glad I did. I always thought some of the people at mefi were a bit snobbish in their attitude, yet I still wanted an account, but alas as we all know the link for new users was a tease it seemed. I came to mofi and only lurked a couple of days before joining, because of the open and friendly light atitude I saw. I like being a monkey.
• I like the lavender.
• GramMa™ sez: ENOUGH of the dumping on MeFi! Bunches of us banana-lovers got here from lurking there and still do; some of our prehensile posters are dual citizens; many of our myriad posts originate there. Like it or not, MeFi is our big brother. At its best, it's awesome-Best o'the Web. At its worst, it's total PoliticalFightFilter dreck. I hate hate hate hate it when we get all snarky and piss-flinging here--JUST LIKE THEM at their worst! On the whole, we usually do very well to avoid such scrapes and brewhahas as they get into. I've lurked on MeFi since the first year of their inception, and my take is that the fighting that occurs starts with only 1/3 trolling, but 2/3 hurt feelings or mis-readings. If someone says something you don't like here, take a deep breath, count to ten, step away from the keyboard, and DON'T fight. Kill 'em with reasoned kindness if you must, but don't respond to trolls or enraged simian chest beating. Some Monkeys are over-stimulated for the moment and need a time-out, some are only trying to gain or defend a little patch of territory. We all benefit from alternate viewpoints and civil discussion. Look at our F8x for example: We could have gotten out the torches and pitchforks and routed him (and it was touch and go there for a while) but we kept our tempers in our pockets for the most part. We gained overall by having thoughtful discussions that put the fizz into posts that would otherwise consist of "yes, yes, mumble, yes, yes." MeFi is like the marriage with continual bickering between the Ms. Verbally Abusive and the Mr. Passive-aggressive. MoFi is like the marriage with tons o'nanars, great Monkey lovin' and more Japanese fetish posts. Did I really just say that? Nevermind. Anyway, let's celebrate our Monkeyness. Ook, Ook. Do the ApeDance. Balloons, cockpunch, bananas for all!!!
• What attracted you? What do you hope to get out of being here? What do you like about monkeyfilter? What sucks? How can we fix it? Do let it all hang out! Be inventive, raise hell, don't be shy! Tell us who you are and why we old cretins are all WET Don't forget to answer rest of the questions. What do you hope to get out of being here? One of the reasons I'm here is cause I gots a crush on Beeswacky. *blushes
• What attracted you? What do you hope to get out of being here? What do you like about monkeyfilter? What sucks? How can we fix it? Do let it all hang out! Be inventive, raise hell, don't be shy! Tell us who you are and why we old cretins are all WET Don't forget to answer rest of the questions. What do you hope to get out of being here? One of the reasons I'm here is cause I gots a crush on Beeswacky. *blushes
• What do I hope to get out of being here? To interact with people from around the world, and get some nanners.
• I think I found MoFi through a comment on MeFi. In any case, I lurked for a while, liked what I read, and finally decided to join. I participate in a lot of political forums where the discussions get fevered and the rhetoric sizzles. MoFi is my way of chilling out.
• Lurked on MeFi for ever, lurked here for a bit, then was so utterly bowled over by the Turkmenbashi thread that I had to join. I *heart* beeswacky Never been part of any form of online community before, because I'm usually far too shy and intimidated to ever even think of posting anything, but everyone here just seems so friendly that it makes it ok. Also, bananas are yummy.
• Like most monkeys, I found MoFi through MeFi. I've lurked on Mefi for years, and still do occasionally; shamefully, I'm also an erstwhile Farker. I joined the Monkeys because no one here seems pompous and because there's no general assholery to be found. (Or perhaps I'm the pompous asshole for writing that....)
• I have a crush on BlueHorse. *runs away*
• I too conform to the pattern: Mefi lurk-no signups there- cross post to Mofi one day- rest is history. I like it here mostly and agree that the general level of invective is less incendiary than on Mefi. Small gripe- posters who occasionally attempt to derail serious threads with juvenile comments. It comes with the territory I suppose. Thought the Turkmenbashi thread was brilliant! Also liked the fact that there were ocassional posts on Classical music (thanks Jerry Garcia et al) which elsewhere seems to be a subject almost universally ignored. It's not a dead art folks- just one that suffers from a serious image problem and is unjustifiably marginalized through lack of education and lack of exposure. Hope to contribute more substantive posts myself as time goes on and to someday kick Metafilter's collective ass!
• Well it seems to me that most of us here came from the great void of lurking the blue and decided to stay on a bit. Though I don't get much chance to post, due to my feelings of duty to my employer, I do so enjoy all the hard work the rest of you do here. Three ooks for the monkey house! Oook! Oook! Oook!
• Yep. I was lurking at MeFi since 2002. By the time I managed to get ahold of a username (Ahmose Nefertari) I realized that, even though I'd gotten to "know" all the cliques, I didn't have a whole hell of a lot to talk about. I got more excited about MeFi recently when I found out mathowie had added AskMeFi. It really added a great deal to the service, and as I did more reading of the green and blue I heard references to MonkeyFilter. Thought it was a joke until I tried the URL. So in conclusion: it's a hip, hip, huzzah for the blue, green and gray!
• / passes around Crushes to all.
• I too came here from MeFi a couple of months ago. What keeps me here? The thoughtful civility of the discourse, a cheerful and whimsical attitude, some truly brilliant writing and lotsa tasty links. I think that the snarkiness, howling and poo flinging that we've been bemoaning will taper off as this awful, divisive election season comes to a close. A note to brand-new monkeys; listen to your GramMa and learn from Mr. B. Peace. oook oook * All hail Monkeybashi *
• I'm slowly getting used to the higher bar here in regards to civility; previous boards where I've participated were much more confrontational and sarcastic. It takes a little more work, and is hard to do when it's a a trigger topic for me, but at the very least, it helps me to express my thoughts better, and really think about the topic when I may be simply coasting on an opinion that hasn't been re-examined for years. We monkeys are both thoughtful, and smartastic. I elect us the president of the United States of Monkey.
• it's still the year of the monkey
• Since the Great Thread Disaster of '04 wiped out all memory of things past, we might as well all be new. Dollars to doughnuts nearly everyone came from MeFi for one reason or another. In my head, I like to think of it like a new and glorious colony forged out of the repression and fear from which we all fled. This is what goes on in my head for the five minutes a day I am not thinking about sex. Which reminds me. Also, I came because I wanted to get my +1.
• Moaneyjane - great comment.
• I seem to be one of the few that didn't discover Mofi through being a lurker at MeFi. My lurking at MeFi was strictly second-hand. path would lurk and then tell me about it. path is also how I came to be here. One of the things that made MoFi attractive once I knew about it was the civility and friendliness of the Monkeys. Both my social circle IRL and my online friends can be very aggressive and fling insults around casually. The way the Monkeys could discuss things without often resorting to name-calling and fits of temper was something fairly new to me. I tend to be fairly aggressive myself, particularly online. So I thought this would be a good place to learn better attitudes in addition to enjoying the links and discussions here. Like many others, I'll be glad when the election is over and done with. I've been participating a bit less here, because the tone has gotten rather more shrill and angry than it used to be. The arguments have become wearying. Not just to read, but because they make me fight with myself. After all the years I've spent among people who specialized in all-out verbal warfare online, it is my natural reaction to want to go on the attack. For the most part, I've managed to keep from doing so here, even if it means sitting alone in my bedroom and yelling, "Asshat!" at the walls until I feel better. I'm hoping that the more civil approach will re-assert itself once this divisive US election is over and done with. As for what I'd like from MoFi, at the moment I'd like for someone to send the various MoFi boys I've got minor crushes on over here for a... test drive. ;) There are just too many smart, funny Monkey boys around here for someone who is mainly attracted by those qualities...
• thanks, Mr. Knickerbocker! I didn't know I could change the scheme. And add me to the "MeFi lurker who appreciate the civility and monkey business over here" pile. I vote for a Boys of MoFi calendar. ook ook!
• I came for the great prices, stayed for the conversation. All I originally wanted out of MoFi was another metafilter -- one that was available to anyone. Now I admit my standards have been raised because in general, things seem more laid-back and relaxed. I think pretty much everyone here is committed to some degree to getting on with everyone else, and it shows. I love the injokes, love the feeling of community, love the fact that most members seem to get what they want out of it. It's also a chance for me to try something new -- well, many things: learning to code in PHP, relearning HTML, and most of all learning what it means to run a website. I have ultimate respect for mefi's Matt, for having the patience, diplomacy and consistency to deal with 17,000 people on a daily basis. I'm working on it. :) Oh, and welcome back, SideDish. I'm glad you came back.
• Joined a while back, but haven't spent much time here. Don't remember how I found MoFi. Not really happy to have joined; have no expectations. Like nothing particularly, but have no constructive complaints. Don't really have as much free time as I'd like--barely enough to visit MoFi once or twice a week; love the links, but find the discussions in these so-called "threads" a waste of time. Mid 20s. Nondescript appearance. Developed, with some effort, an ascetic lifestyle: own exactly 14 pairs of shirts and jeans, two pairs of sneakers, one set of practice clothes, one wall-scroll saying "In Karate there is no Initiative" in calligraphic Japanese (given by late teacher when attaining first-level black belt). Working on a Ph.D. Aspire to be obscure. No redeeming vices: non-smoker, teetotaller, vegetarian, atheist (but utterly in love with Zen). Never had a date, stopped caring years ago, now find sexuality vaguely nauseous, hope to die a bachelor. Distrust social contact: try to hide craziness in public, but not always successful. Politically a reformed Republican. Was an Objectivist during unthinking youth, now regret it all and suppress it. Can't really stand any of the political parties, but plan to vote for Kerry to chuck Bush out.
• Avast there, young 'uns. My story? Aaarrrr. Lurked over at the place more Blue for a while, think I found MoFi through some MeTa thread almost a year ago now, yadda yadda yadda. Joined, had fun, enjoyed the open-source in-jokes, and got terribly worried that the place would all go to hell once membership got up around the 400 mark... Just want to say that this thread's made me, y'know, happy; or has at least caused a slight drop-off in my natural levels of abject despondency. I thought we'd recently lost too much of the thoughtful, playful tone that developed along with the community. But it seems not; monkeys are still interesting, funny and, you know, nice. And are clearly much better than me at pointedly ignoring the fights and flamesquabbles... And a small thought, with a bit of history for new monkeys: I think this is now the third time, or maybe the fourth, that we've had a little bout of self-examination, as membership grows and the syle subtly changes. Each time, I've been impressed with how people talk about it calmly and sensibly, but without becoming self-regarding bores. And maybe it's just my perception, but I'm sure the quality of posts gets much better for a few weeks after one of these little tribal rituals. Maybe it can look a little obsessive from the outsides, but I actually think we do it quite well... Also, SideDish is back, which rocks. Small gripe- posters who occasionally attempt to derail serious threads with juvenile comments. I like to think that we at least have a much higher standard of juvenile comment than most other websites. Bum willy fart smell.
• Sometimes those juvenile comments are an attempt to derail potentially tense threads - puppies and kittens are also traditional.
• I'm going to give tensor a bucket of kittens. Grad studentry can be a life-sucking activity. I was once married to a geneticist, and I'm tellin' ya, it was all about the fruit flies. Those suckers get down pretty fast, so if you want to keep track of crosses, you've got to sort the flies out every four hours or so, around the clock. Flies. When will they ever learn?
• I wish I could think of a juvenile comment too... het wait! that was easy....and satisfying
• I'm a MeFi lurker. I found this place in a thread over there and figured I'd give it a try. I have no expectations. I'm one of the last surviving regulars from a forum dating back to 1994 (used to be a destination point off Mosaic) which is now essentially a ghost town. We keep it going so that the 20-odd remaining die-hards can continue to stay in touch. Like Christophine, I am used to relentless verbal warfare because that was the culture in which I learned about the Net. I don't have any particular need to make war, though I could do with fewer bananas. Overall impressions: I think the idea of remaining civil is a nice one. I think you already have your recognized core group (as all communities do) and that it is already difficult for newbies to make a place for themselves, but possible with patience. I think you are quick to jump on those who do not behave within your unwritten codes and quick to reward those who do. I think MonkeyFilter is like MetaFilter on prozac.
• I think MonkeyFilter is like MetaFilter on prozac. Well, that's your opinion. Having never taken psychiatric drugs, I wouldn't know. /snark Re: newbies, well, I don't know. Some just want to come in and shout the house down. Others flourish through dialogue. Fuyugare (who seems to have taken a powder until the election's over) set the world record number of comments in a Carl Lewis-like manner, but I think got very little poo for it. People like Decani, on the other hand, want to get a better feel for the prevailing norms over here before handing out the lectures and the Big Leftist Hat Outrage.
• *apologises to hat*
• Am I a memeber of the recognised core group? Am I? The core group I recognise are those who post often, with conviction, interestingly, and/ or amusingly. Then there's ActuallySettle, who is a recognised core group of his/ her own...
• I suppose I'd better deign give you some information about myself. 34. Male. I live in Bodø, Norway, although I'm a Brit. Too much education. Teacher of English. Eater of whales and reindeer. Hater of dogs (never tasted a dog, but it's a safe bet I'd hate it), Lover of cats (ditto). I suffer (from hypothryroidism and chronic depression, so far, but there are other things on the horizon). Oh yes, I was brought up on Usenet. I find the lack of flame here refreshing. I can be quite well-behaved.
• *considers flaming skrik, can't think of a decent reason to do so, hopes idest is as happy here as I mostly am, heads for warm and inviting bed*
• Thank ye, flashboy, I feel much better now. One difficulty with being a Celt is that ye periodically sink into a Plumbless Gloom. And then it's up up and awayyyy into the clouds before the next grand ker-plunk dashes ye down, and it's all to do over again. Ah, now -- the roller-coaster-ride of existence! Came here originally because languagehat mentioned it on his website last November.
• I too came here after lurking at MeFi. I still check there from time to time to see what neat links I can find, but no longer have the burning desire to be a part of that place. My user ID is 409, so I don't know if that makes me an early member or not or a core group member or not. I am just glad to have a place to hang with some pretty cool folks.
• I originally came here from MeFi and thought it was a pretty dumb looking site and disregarded it for awhile. I later came back and read a thread on salamander brandy and fell in love. I also hated reading MeFi and not be able to argue back or be able to join in the fun. But now, I don't even read them as much, MoFi is much nicer since its so small and out of veiw. I hope Tracicle eventually does put a cap on the membership. I hope the anagram thread comes back soon and an east coast American meet up thread eventually gets put together...and that moneyjane can come. Bees, you live in Ireland?
• Fedora, try here.
• Last night I buttoned down to post a little bio and, in the middle of composing, the power went out. For an hour and a half. I found that symbolic. I live in a small town near the small city north of Calgary where squeak lives. I'm male, not quite 30, single. I have a business degree, but was never a player. I work in compensation and get to see what everyone else makes, and fume about the lack of justice in the world. Now I'm trying to figure out how to cross over into the IT field, cuz I'd be wicked awesome at it. Unfortunately, I didn't want to succumb to my inner geek when I was choosing my education a decade ago. Oops. I have at least four things in common with tensor. I like my dog, music, poker, computer stuff, nature, camping, and trying to figure out a better system of thinking and living than this diseased western culture offers. I'm a "nice guy", but not in a nice way. I'd like to make some new friends. * puts off writing web singles ad another 6 months *
• Like many monkeys, a frustrated would-be Mefian. But also like the rest, find Monkeyfilter restful and somewhat less stodgy and more fun. I still read Mefi, but remain sad that it seems to have too few female (well as far as I can tell) regular posters. Mofi feels more balanced in that regard. Also, bananas. The color scheme isn't bad, but I'm not a fan of lavender, so I would be up for a change. Oh; I'm a 33 yr old writer/editor living in NYC.
• embjayee - you can change your style sheet in your profile. (See "Style" a line or two down from the "Bio" window.)
• Many of ye already know (so don't read any further now) but old threads which have fallen off the front page Never Die on monkeyfilter. It is a thousand pities we are lacking most of our Collective Memory, but new monkeys can determine the truth of this by going to the Archives and messing around with the many-fested month of October. Or what's left of it. This means monkeys have a HUGE area in which to play or raise hell. For which I say: All hail Monkeybashi!
• i came for the bananas but stayed for the conversation.
• I'm going to give tensor a bucket of kittens. B-but I already said I'm a vegetarian!! Don't think you can recruit me into the flesh-consuming group with your promises of delicious treats just begging to be consumed. I don't care how tasty kitten is. (Also a bucket is overkill. Even if I was so inclined, I could eat maybe only five-six kittens before the rest started to spoil.)
• One of the other things I enjoy about us is that there's now usually someone online to talk to, play with, 24 hours round, instead of these great blank gaps we had back in the Ancient Days, when simians fell asleep, I think, whole continent by continent. Our varied ages, too, seem wonderful to me, giving Antiquities like me a shot at insights which are so much harder to come by within a family or neighbourhood context. Absolutely adore the music threads, but also feel very ignorant there...it's supposedly good to know you're ignorant. (O so why don't I enjoy finding it out, then?) Also, I appreciate our non-North American monkeys, who may keep the rest of us sane, if we'll just let them! In my next life, I SO want to be a New Zealander! or an Ozlander! Used to think I would not care for Singapore, but since Alnedra's from there, I'm willing to open the previously slammed-shut doors of my personal ignorance and bigotries say, "Hey, someone charming [and cute, dammit!] and clever came outa there!" I really don't know much, except how little of what I assume to be so is really so. Happy to have new monkeys to play with. Am a great fool. [I fall love in love all the damn time, but you will, I hope, be polite and gloss ove that little defect in my judgement.]
• It felt odd, at first, hearting things. Hearting people/personas. Ye can do it online, though, without provoking major stress in the object of your affections. So in this way, we may enjoy the privileges of critterdom, to be, and to be loved as we be. I heart ye all, new monkeys and old. /now, brain turns to mush, as I, once a wild oat, now drown in my own porridge
• OK, I'm convinced, beeswacky. You are a truly well-designed Markovian text-generating program. Compliments to your creator!
• tensor, bees is one out of the box.
• Here I thought I woz only Nova Scotian.
• Take back your mink Take back your poilz ...
• Myself and Lewis Carroll practice Fainting in Coilz.
• I lurked for a year or so on MeFi, afraid that I would get sucked in if I joined a site that I could actually comment on. Then I wised up to MoFi, and decided that if I could watch a Cher infomercial without buying anything, I probably had the self-control necessary for online posting. Of course, time will tell - haven't actually done an FPP yet.
• Used to think I would not care for Singapore, but since Alnedra's from there, I'm willing to open the previously slammed-shut doors of my personal ignorance and bigotries... Dear bees, why do you think I'm so glad to be out of that little island? It has its good points (so does Siberia), but what it does not have is tolerance for those who want a different road from The Good Life. So many of my friends are flying away from me. And now (at least for a year) it's my turn! Have not been a wanna-be Mefier for so long, I can't quite remember why I was one. I think, looking at Mefi's archives prior to 2002, I wanted a place where I could make friends, make jokes, hug and heart people without fear of being found flirtatious (=loose in Singaporean terms) or worse, "not right in the head". So glad I found this little monkeyhole.
• Well, I'm glad you're out of there, Alnedra. Should I be hoping something will open up for you so you need not go back there? Thanks to you, I'm thinking of all the other Singaporeans who might wish to leave, too, but can't, as human beings stuck in a situation not of their own devising. Repressive societies are the very devil.
• All hail a return to the good times! The recent spate of pleasantries and goodvibes has distracted me again from the call of mother opiate! Keep it up, good monkeys, else dark-eyed and dreaming I go.
• Um. I like it here. MeFi seems too mean-spirited to me. I enjoy a good argument more than the next guy, but some of what goes on there seems childish to me. I like the fact that I can comment a lot, sometimes on tangents, and no one snaps at me. I am bored and in front of a computer a good deal of my life, and I wind up coming back here over and over again until I comment on almost everything. I don't think I have ever really participated in an online community before- it always seemed good in theory, but nothing ever held my interest. So, umm, keep up the good work everybody I guess.
• Hmmm, turned up this post by accident looking for another, and lo! Taglines. MonkeyFilter: please remove this Masterpiece of Ineptitude MonkeyFilter: I was told I would find lots of lipstick lesbians here. *sigh* Nothin' but Butches. MonkeyFilter: Alas, the sorry truth is, ye are likely to discover most of us here are assholes and/or bitches, too. Or both. MonkeyFilter: Still feel like a voyeur peering through the window. MonkeyFilter: more senseless cuteness, less useless rudeness MonkeyFilter: It feels like I'm banging all around the head of the nail without hitting it. MonkeyFilter: * All hail Monkeybashi * MonkeyFilter: his is what goes on in my head for the five minutes a day I am not thinking about sex. Which reminds me. MonkeyFilter: I'm tellin' ya, it was all about the fruit flies. MonkeyFilter: So glad I found this little monkeyhole. MonkeyFilter: I came for the bananas but stayed for the conversation.
• We haven't done this sort of thing in a while, but it was fairly common in our early days, and it was always fun and interesting. And, I think they helped us form our little community. Here are some of the earlier threads where folks introduced themselves: MoFi census A/S/L I'll show you mine... Who are we? So, those of you who haven't gone beyond being a nickname might want to step into the spotlight - someone could start a new thread, but posting to any of these old ones will put it back in the sidebar. So, who are we now?
• Slight derail. I just realised that dxlifer hasn't been with us for over a year! *sigh*
• A month or so, is all, Alnedra.
• Wasn't she off moving around for a while, thus sporadic access? That's kind of how I remember it.
• *slaps forehead* Apologies. I was must have conflated her "last logged in" with her "user since" date.