I think this is goodbye - Donny

[krosch]

Well everyone thanks for the good times but I think its time for me to step away from this site. I will spare everyone the list of things I enjoyed about this site and simply say I think its time for me to leave.

The spam deleting moderator bot has finally decided its likely not worth my time to contribute to this site.

The long time poster ironically that E's post record may be safe for ever (less than 50 ahead of me now).


I only wish I had posted this 2 days ago when I was almost certain I was stepping away (and left the spam for you) rather than now when I am walking away.

I may still lurk if I am bored.

Donny

[cole0271]

check your PM box.

also, good to at least leave open the possibility of posting. there doesn't have to be any pressure or anything - post when you feel like it.

[Stang76]

He'll come crawling back.

[gribble]

Death is imminent. Let's have a eulogy...

UMDStudents.com started out as a vibrant young web forum with much vital debate about the state of current issues from all walks of life. From health care and taxes, the Iraq war, presidential debates to the annoying attitudes of local shop owners and quote unquote old virgins running fantasy shops. Some of the most memorable times of UMDStudents.com were the run up to the 2004 presidential elections when everybody and their cousin was logged in multiple times daily to check back on hotly contested subjects relating to every facet of American Government. Not to mention conspiracy theories regarding the ill-timed, for some, death of the now late Senator Paul Wellstone.

In its later years, UMDStudents.com fell victim to the rabid virulence of spam-bots from all directions. As members of the original group of posters graduated and left Duluth, many of the people who kept the site strong faded into bolivian as they no longer felt any connection to UMD and its students. With no new members staying for long, the last hold outs tried to keep the site going with humor and scarce attempts at serious discussion. The site appointed a spam Czar to keep important topics from slipping off the front page never to be found again. But the work became too much for the pay off. And Donny resigned, leaving the site to the powers that be.

Some of the poster tried to keep up topics, but in the end, the site was overwhelmed with spam and it became too difficult to have any debates, discussions or any type of communication without bots. It was time for UMDStudents.com to take its final bow. This site was fun, facilitated good discussion, as well as utter disregard for personal integrity, but some were civil. The site will be thought of with nostalgia as its former members get older and discover new means of entertainment. It was a good site in its day.

[Stang76]

people who kept the site strong faded into bolivian

VIVA! VIVA!

In its later years, UMDStudents.com fell victim to the rabid virulence of spam-bots from all directions. As members of the original group of posters graduated and left Duluth, many of the people who kept the site strong faded into bolivian as they no longer felt any connection to UMD and its students. With no new members staying for long, the last hold outs tried to keep the site going with humor and scarce attempts at serious discussion. The site appointed a spam Czar to keep important topics from slipping off the front page never to be found again. But the work became too much for the pay off. And Donny resigned, leaving the site to the powers that be.

Some of the poster tried to keep up topics, but in the end, the site was overwhelmed with spam and it became too difficult to have any debates, discussions or any type of communication without bots.

I can't imagine why you'd blame the dearth of posters or the deluge of bots; according to a PM I received today the blame actually lies with "the bad guys" like you and me. I suppose the category would also include anyone who dared to be entertained by our harmless ribbing, which would include at least ron and TSAR iirc.

[krosch]

First off your harmless fun might be harmless if its directed at someone with thick skin and/or accepts the often petty nature of the internet when people don't see each other face to face. Not to mention say things they might never tell a person in real life no matter what the situation.

But there are people who actually are affected by such comments and if my friends are hurt that bothers me far more than anything someone might do to me.

But that has nothing to do with my leaving the forum. That is based on the fact that if those types of threads are all there is ever going to be on this site. Then I have no place here and that lies at the heart of it.

Stang used to actually be involved (and others) in threads were ideas were exchanged and debates were joined but now this "harmless" fun is what most of this forum has slipped into.

If there isn't productive debate and exchange of ideas then this site is nothing to me.

Because while I am not offended by the threads in question. That type of thread has no value to me whatsoever. In fact it has a negative value because I waste my time reading it and there is nothing insightful or thought provoking about it.

I am glad Drew has stepped in to delete spam. Because I think this site still has hope despite what most of you seem to believe. But ultimently fighting the good fight on here even if I somehow manage to have some small part in turning it around and getting new posters. Is it really going to be worth it?

I believed so until recently and if nothing else the actions taken in those threads made me think hard about what my contribution in time was worth to me personally and to the site as a whole.

This is really pathethic on my part but I am attached to this forum and it hurts to leave. I hope you guys can make fun of that and slam the heck out of me. Because at least I can amuse you guys one more time.

[krosch]

Not to mention that treating possible new posters like that is a lovely way to endear new people to the site. Let's save it and make it grow by pushing people away which was my initial issue with the threads long before the consideration of leaving the forum ever entered my mind.

[gribble]

I blame it all on Deeman. He drove away all the opposition. Now all that's left of them are two psychotic vietnam vets who can't organize a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, let alone any sort of an argument. I think what we need to do here is lure back Nabisco with some kind words and some hardcore freestyle rapping...

[krosch]

But how can you expect anyone to want to return or new people to come to the site when its dominated by such threads?

[gribble]

See, the problem is, there's nothing to talk about because liberals are in control of congress, so there's nothing for them to complain about. So how are we going to have any sort of unproductive discussion if the people who normally need to be argued with don't feel the need to argue?

[UMD TSAR]

DEATH TO TYRANTS! DEATH TO TYRANTS!

Wait... he's not dead, he hasn't retired as he swore he would.

Instead, he's already replying to his own posts. The final throes...

Any chance we can get the new moderator to delete some of his posts, and change the title to this thread? Oh Lord I love irony...

[krosch]

Ah TSAR sometimes your crazy rants make me laugh.

I am on my way to leaving but I never cease to be amused by some of your attacks. Funny one of he most authoritarian members of this board is the first to cry foul. As I said before the changing of the thread name was only done because I believed anyone could do that to their own thread. I forgot you guys could not and the only posts deleted was one of mine and one someone else wanted deleted. Again I did not realize everyone couldn't do that but simply edit posts (in effect a delete0.

I made mistakes so sue me but I have tried to do something positive here and I not referring to the recent incident.

I want to exchange ideas, to have debate and so few have any desire to that anymore. Worse many would rather drive people away and send attacks to amuse themselves than attempt such exchanges. I find such things boring and a waste of time and if thats all there is left. My place here is not worthwhile to you or me.

[gribble]

Seriously, people shouldn't take themselves so seriously. Where's the fun left to go if even people on the internets are serious?

[krosch]

Some people get offended when you call them Hitler and I can understand why. Its pretty intolerant of people to press such people and continue to say worse things about them to amuse yourself.

To top it all off the attacks may have been started by an off site person with a personal vendetta which you guys all feed into with those attacks. Attacks made for no reason other than you knew she got irritated and that amused you. It isn't a case of someone not getting the joke and being "serious". Its a case of you guys getting laughs by hurting another person.

[gribble]

Now hold on just a minute. I said all those things with the utmost sincerity. She really was a stuck up bitch and got what was coming to her. And I was never saying it was fun for her, I was only saying it was fun for me, and should have been fun for people other than her. Apparently, some people aren't sadists though. Nothing wrong with that.

[Stang76]

First off your harmless fun might be harmless if its directed at someone with thick skin and/or accepts the often petty nature of the internet when people don't see each other face to face. Not to mention say things they might never tell a person in real life no matter what the situation.

But there are people who actually are affected by such comments and if my friends are hurt that bothers me far more than anything someone might do to me.

As you predicted in your PM, I have precisely zero sympathy for anyone capable of being "hurt" by meaningless pixels posted by some random jackasses on the internet. To actually take something that petty personally goes far beyond merely lacking "thick skin" - it sounds more like the realization of deep-seated insecurities that were already festering before the fact.

But that has nothing to do with my leaving the forum. That is based on the fact that if those types of threads are all there is ever going to be on this site
...
now this "harmless" fun is what most of this forum has slipped into.
...
dominated by such threads

Ok, now this crap is especially ridiculous. How do two damn threads amount to "all there is ever going to be on this site?" AFAICS that accounts for only 7% of the non-spam threads on the front page, and after a month or two it'll amount to 0.0%. Do those figures really sound like an inundation to you?

Or maybe that miniscule sliver simply has more salience in your mind because it involves a personal relationship.

Stang used to actually be involved (and others) in threads were ideas were exchanged and debates were joined

If there were any mature, intellectual discussions taking place I'd contribute in kind, but there aren't so I don't. As I said in a PM the lack of good threads doesn't mean I've changed one iota, or anyone else for that matter.

It's not a sudden unwillingness to make serious discussion that's the problem, it's the dearth of posters and - more importantly - the boring predictability of opponents, be they regulars or not. Even if gribs and I (and TSAR albeit to a lesser extent) were to begrudgingly swallow our tongues as you'd prefer, the underlying problems wouldn't just go away.

[krosch]

So now you get to psycho analyze people based on their reactions to taking insults. Great my point Stang is that if you feel like acting in this manner the chances that any attempt I make at getting new posters is going to be less successful. Because your going to have your fun with someone who you view as being less than yourself and they will leave.

It’s as simple as that I am not leaving because a baseless and childish attack was made on my friend. I am leaving because that attack made me realize that as this behavior continues it makes it less likely any new creditable posters will stay. Your attitude of if there were any creditable threads I would post in them but since there isn’t I am going to attack people to amuse myself is not something I care to promote.

I had planned to get umdstudents advertised in a couple of papers and I was actually pondering spending money to get it advertised in local papers. Not to mention finally go on that long delayed kick of putting up flyers at UMD again just before the ads would hit.

But I realize all of that work and money would be for naught because they would come here see this crap or get attacked themselves. Some thick skinned people might stay but those more likely to stay would be types who love flame wars. So really the effort seems less likely to productive.

So I am leaning towards other projects instead.

[UMD TSAR]

Well everyone thanks for the good times but I think its time for me to step away from this site.

~17,525

That's the number of keystrokes you have entered after saying you were going to "step away" and "may lurk".

Like Hussein, Hitler, Hillary Clinton, and Al Franken before you, you just can't seem to let dead dogs lie. As long as your name is involved, you simply cannot step away, and fail to live up to your own words.

Like Stang said, it sounds like some of the "insults" hit pretty close to home.

[DeeMan]

he can't leave, we wont' know if he finished the Old Chicago beer tour!!! boner

[DeeMan]

I blame it all on Deeman. He drove away all the opposition.

i cna't help that i make people feel stupid about who they are.

[gribble]

Well, I guess if donny was going to leave anyway it's no big deal. But do we really need to drive out one of six remaining contributors, if he wants to stay so much? Donny, go talk about Iraq in the "Fuck It" thread. We can have some reasonable discussion between five basically conservatives and one left leaning moderate. Even though we all basically know where eachother stands, it will still be fun to rehash the arguments given the fact that the "greatest deliberative body in the world" is now wrapping up a debate on the very subject after "not talking about" for over three years.

EDIT: Oh yeah, plus I have a new stance on the Iraq war. So everybody should be interested in that.