Traits...

I've been visiting VirtualDr for quite awhile, even before registering as a member. Far from being an expert, I do have some opportunities to add some little tidbit to an already well covered post. But for the most part, my answers could just as well be left out since they are never complete, and may very well be inappr… er, WRONG!.

The main reason for my visits being to watch for a particular solution to a problem, I will browse the forums for interesting posts. So, as a regular visitor, it's easy to observe some of the little characteristics that set VirtualDr apart while it works its magic for so many in need of an answer. This receiving sufficient attention in the past, there is one other little aspect that, well. shall we say, most would rather overlook rather than cause any waves by mentioning them. And that would be some of the little traits that are common to VirtuualDr, but not necessarily found in other forums. Not all of them, anyway.

Realizing that others may have their own thoughts about what I am about to present, please don't convict me of being a complainer, because I'm not. I find the VirtualDr forums to be most enjoyable in its ability to continually produce useful info amid a good sense of public relations. The threads are even better than average in regard to being readable. Even though an informational site, some posts are still quite refreshing, especially when the issue is not being forced, and some humor occurs in a natural flow while the thread develops. After all, the idea of entertainers giving answers here does not fit at all, but some threads are just refreshing this way. The ones I don't like to see of course, are those that attempt to belittle another just because their thinking is not quite up to par. I have yet to see anyone who has submitted an accepted answer 100% of the time. So yes indeed, we can say that VirtualDr has something for everyone.

Having a working career that never involved computing in any way, I always said that anyone who cannot look at their own shortcomings without gaining some constructive insight, probably isn't worth knowing. So, how about with the cyber-experts?

After a few occurrences, certain traits begin to stand out. For instance, we can thank the membership of VirtualDr for perfecting the art of flaming thru the use of a happy face.

Just as unique is the better acceptance of a member's criticism if he uses the word "Not" in saying something to the effect: "I'm NOT saying you are wrong, but…" and then proceeds to completely annihilate another members integrity and previous answer. Any other style would of course, cause the thread to be terminated previous to when it usually is.

Each thread being a request for information, we sometimes see a member answering another member's comment instead of addressing the question that was actually posted.

Or the suggestion to use something else rather than provide an answer.

On the same token, I can't see any necessity in stating a viewpoint more than once in the same thread. Some members seem to vie for recognition, competing to be the most influential. It is my understanding that all problems will be resolved, and VirtualDr really has shown a high record of success without the need of such tactics.. It's all in writing.

Illegal posts are appropriately sidelined, but some questionable posts seem to pass undetected under the close scrutiny of our moderators (and influential members). Some illegaliities may not be so easily identified, requiring mention of such before a moderator finally sees reason to remove or close the thread. Action is probably determined by the number of complaints.

There are other examples of deception, most of them being concocted as a workaround in an effort to accomplish what the rules clearly stipulate, should not be done. For instance, placing a link to a website and then stating to the effect: "Ya'll come see me…" is justifiably canned as spam. Members are apparently warned when references to their own websites are used in their answers, especially if the site conflicts with VirtualDr. However, spamming still seems to be tolerated when the URL of the site is used in connection with a question that happens to be a legitimate request for help. Ingenious!

Clics have always been a part of VirtualDr, at one time having several, now there are few. Clicees typically only read and answer posts and comments from those within the clic, ignoring perfectly legitimate answers from outsiders. I have seen it where other clicsters have not been able to give a suitable answer, but yet the legitimate answer remains sitting there, completely ignored. Doesn't matter. They are here to talk with their friends.

Need a quick answer for someone else in your clic? Simple! Just PM everybody for the answer, and then post it. Works wonderfully, and is entirely covert. Well, almost.

We also have the crusaders who continually suggest new forums or rule changes under the guise of being for the betterment of VirtualDr. In some cases, the suggestions may actually have some basis, but I would think there is a measure of egotism involved just to affect a change. As ideas are produced to help influence the change, we may eventually see that some of those ideas turned out to be in fact, false. As members stand aghast that admin has actually agreed to make the change, I can only suspect that this occurs after some influential communication at a level that possibly even the mods never see (nor care to see).

And finally, if you want to show others your influence at VirtualDr, just post your complaint in the Feedback forum. The more influence you have, the more comments received.

VirtualDr has the answers, so enjoy!

That's an essay and a half

In any group of people [ours being global] there will be some or many who over time get to know others and form bonds with them even if they never meet face to face it is the way of the human kind to communicate,socialise and integrate this way.

If I or even you know someone or a group more intimately than the other does this assume we belong to a click is it a social pyre [s/p] or faux paux to do so,does it make me/you a bad person?
I myself do not think it is but I personally allow anybody the freedom to verbally disagree if they wish with anything I say or do on the understanding that I may do the same to them.

You view point seems to attack both the members and the moderators with a whimsical daub of white wash and throughout the underlying tone is not one of a happy camper for what ever reasons you may have.

The forum was designed and is maintained as a requisite of knowledge of computer literate folk who give their free time to try and help others within the bounds of its mandate.
Posters may get several responses and some may well be wrong but as in all things in life you cant be right 100% of the time and it is through mistakes one learns.

I think I have said enough I leave it for other members/moderators to add their 2c if they so wish.

Not wanting to beat a dead horse but maybe oldhermit is refrerring to threads such I fell Asleep At My Computer which was locked and hidden / deleted within a day or so with few rresposnes for apparently being Off topic vs Discogail's 99th birthday which was blatantly Off Topic from the outset yet was allowed to run for a number of days and numerous posts before being locked but otherwise still viewable.

Basically inconsistencies across the forums with indivdual moderators having the 'power' to do what they want in terms of thread control.

Maybe threads that are deemed 'lockable' / 'removable' should be locked, then all moderators vote on whether it should remain locked , removed, re-opened etc. Very time consuming so will probably not happen.

Btw I predict this thread will get locked.

Just one reply from a moderator:

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then all moderators vote on whether it should remain locked , removed, re-opened etc

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The above is decided not by moderators but by administration.

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Originally posted by photolady
Just one reply from a moderator:

The above is decided not by moderators but by administration.

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So you are telling me that the site administrators decide on which threads should be locked / hidden.

If that is truely the case I guess it is based on those reported by moderators ?

Aren't the administrators, administrators of numerous sites and thus would spend a lot of time reviewing potential threads for locking from all sites ??

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Originally posted by Nix
Aren't the administrators, administrators of numerous sites and thus would spend a lot of time reviewing potential threads for locking from all sites ??

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The sites owned by Jupitemedia all just have one on site Administrator, they are responsibe for the day to day operation of thier site, which is really a big enough job. There are other Admins available if needed but generally they just sit back & watch over the forums.
There are times when the closing or deleting of threads is discussed in our private forum for mods & Admin but not in each & every case. We have a great moderating staff here & I trust them to do the right thing when im not availabe, BJ

Thanks BJ.

I learn more everyday.

Sorry my sleeping at the PC got to everyone. ;)

You are more than welcome Nix.

Quote from old hermit:
VirtualDr has the answers, so enjoy!

Yes it does & thats why we love it here, with the large membership we have here we run the gamut with all the different personalitys we have, different cultures, different countries. Not everyone agrees with one another but hey thats only human. We all come here to interact with other people & help whenever we can. It's like a big second family to me & thats what keeps me coming back. BJ

even when I should be sleeping, or am sleeping, I'm often here.

Well here it is... This board in a nut shell...


There are many good things here at virtual dr and there sure is favortism and clicks too. Clicks are a natural thing and should be encouraged as long as it is fair and good natured.

Seems everyone has a opinion and here lies the controversay. I believe there is strength in numbers. That is what makes a great tech help board.

As for the favortism... It clearly exhists here at Virtual Dr. I kind have a problem with it. I am sure others do to. I still poke my head in from time to time but still I feel jaded. I have shown proof of favortism and was met with stern talking to, because i made it public. Was it right of me to make it public. I don't know. I felt I had to make a statement and I did. I still post here but not too often now. I post at a few other boards instead. Bottom line is this board provides very good tech support much better than anywhere I have posted. So inspite of wrong doings that is why I continue to post here. I guess I am stubborn and bitter about being done wrong too. That doesn't change the fact that this board gives very good help though. To stand on doing something wrong to a member is to risk losing their help. That hurts everyone. Think about it.

oldhermit and the rest of you have started an interesting dialog. One that is needed from time to time. Good constructive criticism is a very good thing to have. And it is needed on VirtualDr. That way we keep ourselves on track.

The word clique is interesting. And more interesting to define. And, yes, we have them. They are always present where human beings congregate. Some are good and others not so good. A part of human nature.

Virtual Dr is a place where newbies (people new to computers) can get stated especially after getting themselves into trouble and a place to grow and learn. But after a point many people will go on in their search for more knowledge and seek out higher levels of learning. And others take over. I guess a matter of succession here.

Change is inevitable.

Here on Virtual Dr there is an ebb and flow as in all organizations.

The challenge for us is to continue to try and make Virtual Dr better. How? As we have started doing in this thread. Listen to one another and with respect. You can make a difference with your opinion. Bring up your opinion or issue if you have one. And maybe, just maybe, something will get done. You never know until you try. But try and then you will know.

:)

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Originally posted by oldhermit
Illegal posts are appropriately sidelined, but some questionable posts seem to pass undetected under the close scrutiny of our moderators (and influential members). Some illegaliities may not be so easily identified, requiring mention of such before a moderator finally sees reason to remove or close the thread. Action is probably determined by the number of complaints.

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Action may begin with a complaint - I didn't see some spam until I received a "reported post" in one case - but never has it been "number of complaints." Usually we wonder whether something is over the edge enough to close/remove and make that decision without ever receiving member feedback or reporting. We receive very few reported posts. Please, DO mention things to moderators if you're miffed about them. Then we can discuss them. All of us - the moderators and admin - are here to help you and we're glad to listen when anyone has a problem. And I understand that a little problem that keeps recurring is a big problem.

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There are other examples of deception, most of them being concocted as a workaround in an effort to accomplish what the rules clearly stipulate, should not be done. For instance, placing a link to a website and then stating to the effect: "Ya'll come see me…" is justifiably canned as spam. Members are apparently warned when references to their own websites are used in their answers, especially if the site conflicts with VirtualDr. However, spamming still seems to be tolerated when the URL of the site is used in connection with a question that happens to be a legitimate request for help. Ingenious!

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There are many sites we do link to repeatedly, of course - if you believe there is an undercurrent of spam to the post, go ahead and report it. If we disagree we can discuss it. The reporting tool isn't just for severe cases. Naturally I'm curious to what sites you mean.

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Clics have always been a part of VirtualDr, at one time having several, now there are few. Clicees typically only read and answer posts and comments from those within the clic, ignoring perfectly legitimate answers from outsiders. I have seen it where other clicsters have not been able to give a suitable answer, but yet the legitimate answer remains sitting there, completely ignored. Doesn't matter. They are here to talk with their friends.

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I think cliques are annoying too, but it's a fact of human interaction including message boards. Personally, if it were my correct answer someone was ignoring, I'd post "..So, did you see my reply? Did it solve your problem?" If the person keeps it up I'd ignore all subsequent requests for help. If the person is like this with everyone to the point where they're wasting people's time and trying a lot of patience, they may lose their posting privilege.

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We also have the crusaders who continually suggest new forums or rule changes under the guise of being for the betterment of VirtualDr. In some cases, the suggestions may actually have some basis, but I would think there is a measure of egotism involved just to affect a change. As ideas are produced to help influence the change, we may eventually see that some of those ideas turned out to be in fact, false. As members stand aghast that admin has actually agreed to make the change, I can only suspect that this occurs after some influential communication at a level that possibly even the mods never see (nor care to see).

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I don't know much about this one. If it makes you feel better, my suggestions for forum alteration get ignored, too. :D

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Originally posted by J A L
As for the favortism... It clearly exhists here at Virtual Dr. I kind have a problem with it. I am sure others do to. I still poke my head in from time to time but still I feel jaded. I have shown proof of favortism and was met with stern talking to, because i made it public. Was it right of me to make it public. I don't know. I felt I had to make a statement and I did. I still post here but not too often now. I post at a few other boards instead. Bottom line is this board provides very good tech support much better than anywhere I have posted. So inspite of wrong doings that is why I continue to post here. I guess I am stubborn and bitter about being done wrong too. That doesn't change the fact that this board gives very good help though. To stand on doing something wrong to a member is to risk losing their help. That hurts everyone. Think about it.

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Sorry this happened to you, and that you feel wronged. Not familiar with the situation but maybe we could discuss it in PM.

This is a good one and very interesting to read. Maybe it’s my tunnel vision preventing me from seeing some of the remarks made above in this thread.

I’ve always seen VDr as very liberal in its choices. Not radical left wing but more left than down the middle of the road. On some other forums I see the thumb print on a posters back being pushed down by a radical right wing conservative Mod/Admin. I see, also, far left liberal forums that pretty much allow almost anything. And I mean almost anything. You name it and it’s on there.

I don’t know about ‘Cliques’ being formed to hinder or neglect others.
What I do see is a lot of good people that have been around here a long time. Some of these people have a great track record of being on spot most of the times. But then I see some names that look totally unfamiliar to me, that’s not hard to do, and answer a posters problem with an answer dead on the money. I really do think some the most familiar names hold back and wait for others to come up with an answer rather than flood the threads with just their input, good as it may be.

I hang at VDr to learn, help, and have fun. I’ve been in trouble many times so I ain’t no angel but an explanation was forthwith and without prejudice.

As many of you know, a post I made, recently, (probably could be OT just as much as birthday wishes) ran to a natural close. Am I special? I hardly think so. It just shows the amount of rope available on this forum to run its length, come to a screeching halt, or be hung by it.

You go, VDr.:cool:

Thankyou to all for your responses. I'm glad this was recognized for what it is, an observation, and not a complaint. Some still need a little more convincing, though. The included excerpt posted by JAL is typical of some of the posts that have occurred from time to time at VirtualDr. Somewhere deep within the archives are other little posts that address some other trait I mentioned. My post has been in the workings for some time, and I finally submitted it, attempting to do so in a format that would be better accepted. These are repetitive events ever since I can remember, and the post is not slanderous, nor does it attempt to isolate and point a finger at anyone, nor does it include anything that can be considered as a breach in VirtualDr rules. So, for those who can recognize the benefits of such an observation, go my appreciation for your open-mindedness and my thanks for your responses of support. What may be happening is a little soul-searching, and possibly some are asking "Do I do that?". Indeed, if finding yourself "guilty" of any of these, then in the worst scenario, possibly you have offended someone at some time, and really didn't know why. These are just things that I have noticed, and I respect that they may very well be considered as inconsequential by others. So, as in all my posts, it was submitted for anyone to grasp and pick up and run with, or to just ignore.

No doubt, receiving an obscene statement in response to a "Good Morning" salutation can curb a bad relationship before it ever begins. Genuine openness for sure, but it may also be a source of some other anguish.

As indicated, the mere mention of any shortcomings can cause some concern, which I tried to quell as much as possible in my opening statements. Having no ties or involvement with any group allows an individual to make observations that a member of a group might ignore in fear of risking his solidarity. Regardless, groups have their benefits as well as their shortcomings. And the same is true for individuals.

VirtualDr being a center for computer related information, some requests are deceptive. We have to watch for them because some requests can pass as being innocent unless the deception within it is appropriately identified. Sometimes, we have to check first. In one particular case, I can remember that there was a request in regard to a missing file. The request did not mention that it was related to porn.

VirtualDr having specialists representing many fields of computing, helps in several ways. So, really all I am saying is to be careful what questions you answer, and then look at your response before clicking the Submit button, and be confident that your answer is using the best approach in answering the particular question. For the most part, I find that most fraudulent posts are discovered, but a few do get an answer before supervision steps in. Otherwise, the outstanding majority of questions are perefectly legitimate, and many of the answers here are very definitive and complete, for which the recipient can be very appreciative for the time and effort made by the expert in answering. They are always noticed by me, and often wish I could show the same amount of patience and expertise.

If a thread seems to be of questionable nature, then Verlux has suitably provided the solution to that in her response.

So, I learned something, and I provided another type of viewpoint, and hopefully this thread will be of some small benefit to others before it finally disappears into the massive cyber-abyss. I really do believe that Nix will eventually learn how to determine an OT post from a Feedback post or an actual question, and when and where to place his posts correctly. Have to be early and slip OTs in before TJ submits his!

My respects to all, and I consider myself very fortunate as a member, and among good friends at the VirtualDr forums.

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Originally posted by oldhermit
I really do believe that Nix will eventually learn how to determine an OT post from a Feedback post .........where to place his posts correctly.

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Ok here's the deal.

I thought the fact that I fell asleep at my PC was an amusing anecdote.

In hindsight yes it was OT, but at the time I posted, I dindn't really think of that.

I posted in the forum I did as it didn't really fit into any of the forum categories and it wasn't Feedback - maybe that was a clue that it was OT and shouldn't have been posted.

My subsequent post in regards to where the thread had gone was merely because I had had no notification of what had happened to it, so it was as much to make the mods aware my thread had gone as anything else.

I wasn't seeking out preferential treatment or anything and don't believe I have been shown any in the past.

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Originally posted by oldhermit
or an actual question,

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Again i don't believe that I am guilty of posting that many threads that are OT, in the wrong forum or are not questions.

In fact I think I spend most of my time trying to assist others.

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Originally posted by oldhermit
Have to be early and slip OTs in before TJ submits his!

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Of course maybe I have just taken this all exactly the wrong way and you were just 'pulling my leg' in which case I apologise for being so defensive.


:D

Watch it! Or, I'll be back... with a happy face!

:) ;) :p :D

The essay continues and I find it to be extremely forthcoming and informative and believe that all members should read your views in order to learn just a little more on how people feel.

However, I have never noticed the cliques or the favouritism of any 'members' as described throughout this thread. However, I do understand the point being made and I've read between the lines and found where the answer is hidden.

With regard to the OT in Feedback well, I know I'm quick to jump in but recently I only do it when nobody else has started an OT thread and I don't want members to lose that particular facility.

Members asked for the OT and were supported by others. As a result BJ negotiated its being and it will only remain if it is used in the correct manner.



Nix

I get the feeling that you believe people are having a go at you or being critical. I can assure you that I honestly don't believe that to be the case. You are a valued member.

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Originally posted by TJolly
Nix

I get the feeling that you believe people are having a go at you or being critical. I can assure you that I honestly don't believe that to be the case. You are a valued member.

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Only in that last response, to which I was defensive.

But I did then apologise if I interpreted it incorrectly.

My other 'beef' yesterday was my disappointment at not receiving any form of notifcation in regards to my thread being 'terminated', but I've moved on from that as there's more important things in life to worry about.

I'm happy.

P.S. I also have never noticed the cliques or favouritism.

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Originally posted by oldhermit
. Have to be early and slip OTs in before TJ submits his!

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This is not have a go at me is it? I hope not.

Sometimes interpretaion of what is written can cause upset and aggression. I feel that this quote is tongue in cheek, well I hope I'm right.

Yours

TJ

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Originally posted by TJolly
Sometimes interpretaion of what is written can cause upset and aggression. I feel that this quote is tongue in cheek, well I hope I'm right.

Yours

TJ

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Exactly and often quoting parts of an original post can cause it to be interpereted in a different light to that intended.

That line made me think that it was tounge in cheek and thus my reference to 'pulling my leg'.

Hi TJolly,
Yes, my comments were tongue in cheek, and I think Nix already picked up on that.

Thanks for the nice comments. Possibly what you suggest is a good topic for this weekend's OT.

I don't think you need to worry about losing the OT privilege though. BJ is from Arizona where they still strap big irons to their hips. He is the law here, not the government. I shed the "use or lose" attitude when I left government service, and haven't seen it since.

When posting to any forum one must have a thick skin. I've found this forum far better than most. There's always going to be a member or two that delights in controversy.Who will jump on a thread for the solitary purpose of causing controversy, no matter what the topic is. So fellow members when this happens to you, grin and bear it, then move on. Remember, that person is thousands of mile away and anonymous. :)

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Originally posted by oldhermit
He is the law

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Big (Judge Dread) John

Very interesting thread, and some good observations. However, I must say that I disagree with a few things said by Oldhermit.
Firstly, I as well haven't noticed any cliques. I am usual pretty good as spotting these things, but I have no idead who you are refering to. Gives us names. Give us blood. Lets make this REALLY interesting. Kidding! :D
Also, you said that if someone posted an answer, its not necessary for someone to post the same answer. Well, I think that sometimes its nice to to hear the same answer from two people or more. For example, if someone gets an answer that he has to change something in the registry (something that can be fatal if mistaken) its nice to hear that someone agrees with this answer. Because wrong answers can be costly. So a little assurance can go a long way.
And lastly, I am personally very appreciative of TJolly's OT's. I get the feeling that he really cares. Mostly, no one writes OT's and so he adds something to keep the OT alive. I've also noticed that he does not write the OT early Friday morning (UK time) giving others time to post, like myself just last Friday. I say, keep it up. Its absolutely appreciated!

My 2 cents.

Verlux is a she?! :confused:

Although I do find the concerns raised in this thread valid and informative but I will caution everybody not to be so ready to judge other people.

Like TJolly says,

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Originally posted by TJolly
Sometimes interpretaion of what is written can cause upset and aggression.

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It is dangerous to judge other people.
It is more dangerous to judge people you don't know well.
It is even more dangerous to judge people you don't know well based solely on their written words.

Some members do read too much between the lines and form all sort of unfounded opinions about people they don't know.
For example, if one would survey my posts one would find that I use emphasises a lot.
I capitalise, bold, underline, colourize and enlarge key words.
This is just my personality. I strive for clarity and this is just the way for me to accomplish that. I talk like this in real life and it carries over to my written words.
But some members have told me that they think that I am arrogant and that I treat them as if they are not smart enough to get my finer points without all those emphasises.
But I am not.
I'm sure if they talk to me face to face they won't think about me that way.

Also, I have got into troubles with a couple of mod's here with quoting people. (Hope no mod will edit this part of my post :P)
I quote a lot because many members including myself read posts too fast too casually and "who says what" gets mixed up all the times and the question "Are you talking to me?" comes up a lot in threads.
To avoid that I quote. That's the only reason.
But a couple of mod's here think that I quote people with the malicious intent of embarrassing the member being quoted especially when I ocassionally point out the fact that they have posted a wrong piece of information.

Another thing is that I edit my post a lot. I do b/c I can't type! Often times I need to go back to correct the typo. But some people think ... well, whatever they think is the truth for them.
See what I mean?

Anyway, I'm glad that this topic comes up. (I wanna put a smilely here but I won't.)

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Anyway, I'm glad that this topic comes up. (I wanna put a smilely here but I won't.)

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LOL :D

A well written post. I personally would much prefer to see a post written with emphasis on certain words to avoid confusion.

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It is even more dangerous to judge people you don't know well based solely on their written words.

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This is well said. I often write emails to my wife. I often get screamed at for saying some things. I usually tell her not to scream at me because she did not see my smile while I was writing the email.
And this is a big problem in writing. People really do not know what the person means, where the emphasis is, and can often get offended. I guess its a problem that will not be solved as long as people are not aware of the problem. Hopefully this thread will educate us all.

That's why I don't rely on emails at all.
I don't even like talking on the phone.
Remember that "Sex and the City" episode (yes, I'll admit, I do watch it) Miranda is ordering Chinese take-out over the phone and thinks that the lady is laughing at her? She think that the lady laughs at the fact that she orders the same meal each and every time. It turns out that it is not the case at all.

Yeah, saw that one. Great show by the way (no need to be embarrased about watching it just because its a show about 4 girls :) )

I'd just like to add that, I can't spell and my grammar is rubbish, so I usually end up editing to fix spelling errors and obvious grammar mistakes - such as the fact that this response should not have been one sentence.

And the punctuation is probably wrong.

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Originally posted by Nix
... obvious grammar mistakes - such as ...
And the punctuation is probably wrong.

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No Sh*t. Shouldn't have used the hypen there, Nix. ;) :D

A Hyphen Is Not a Dash :D

Nix, buddy, it's a joke ;)

Guys, DON'T reply to this. I don't want to get too OT. ;)

I took a look at that page you linked to, W** ?

I didn't even know there was different types but I found this in Word 2000 help

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Automatically format hyphens as en dashes and em dashes
On the Tools menu, click AutoCorrect, and then click the AutoFormat As You Type tab.


Select the Symbol characters ( -- ) with symbols ( — ) check box.


Click the AutoFormat tab.


Select the Symbol characters ( -- ) with symbols ( — ) check box.
When you type text followed by a space, one or two hyphens, and then one or no space, followed by more text, Microsoft Word automatically inserts an en dash ( – ). For example: "See pages 3 - 10" becomes "See pages 3–10."

When you type text followed by two hyphens ( -- ) followed by more text, Word automatically inserts an em dash ( — ). Do not type any spaces on either side of the hyphens. For example: "Many pines--ponderosa, for example--grow here" becomes "Many pines—ponderosa, for example—grow here."

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As I said earlier in this thread—always learning.

I reallyappreciate all the comments that are still showing up.
I need to make one little clarification for the benefit of Usil, who misunderstood one little trait I mentioned.

In regard to duplicate comments, several people may be suggesting a solution, but will try to force attention to their own answers by each stating them again in succession, and again, and... Well, that's what I meant. Not such a good image of VirtualDr. Maybe?

Your right! Several people giving the same answer is always an indication of being the surest solution. At least the most popular, anyway...

OK, I see. After rereading that part in your original post, I realized that I misunderstood. My bad :)

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Originally posted by oldhermit
Hi TJolly,
Yes, my comments were tongue in cheek, and I think Nix already picked up on that.

Thanks for the nice comments. Possibly what you suggest is a good topic for this weekend's OT.

I don't think you need to worry about losing the OT privilege though. BJ is from Arizona where they still strap big irons to their hips. He is the law here, not the government. I shed the "use or lose" attitude when I left government service, and haven't seen it since.

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I don't feel that I have the privilege of the OT.

What I do feel now is tht this thread has been very educational in its own meaning and response from others and as a result I would appreciate if oldhermit be the author of this weeks OT thread, no matter the subject. So, olderhermit do your homework for tomorrow and I will be looking forward to your post.

Btw what's a big iron, is that a gun?

Quote:

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Originally posted by falcon2000
Although I do find the concerns raised in this thread valid and informative but I will caution everybody not to be so ready to judge other people.

Like TJolly says, It is dangerous to judge other people.
It is more dangerous to judge people you don't know well.
It is even more dangerous to judge people you don't know well based solely on their written words.

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I totally agree but, unfortunately that's what we all do and sometimes we do it when we don't know or realise that we are. I believe that is what makes us all different and how relationships are therefore formed.

Here on Vdr I believe we really try and stick together and even when something that is obviously a personal disagreement appears, we try to deal with it as a moderator would ie calm the situation and bring people back together again into the family environment.

A "Big Iron" is a Colt 45

https://discussions.virtualdr.com/im.../2004/03/1.jpg

or possibly the older and larger frame Dragoon version.

https://discussions.virtualdr.com/im.../2004/03/2.jpg

The term was made famous in a song by Marty Robbins in the '60s. "Big Iron". One of the classics...