Displaying 31 To 49 Of 49 Comments Huffington Post Goes NSA on Its Members We’ve moved to the ‘burbs!? Fresh air, freedom to do what we used to do on The Poo – here and on other sites we can regain what we had on HP. It was the place to make connections, now we can at least migrate to other sites receptive to discussion and alternate viewpoints. » Posted By RF Dude On December 13, 2013 @ 9:16 am Thanks traceymarie – good to know it’s only a temporary glitch! » Posted By RF Dude On December 13, 2013 @ 9:10 am Yes, I had the same thing happen this morning. The site link was good last night, as others have mentioned perhaps their server was overwhelmed by a large influx of new HPers! Another sign that this diaspora from HP is a big one! » Posted By RF Dude On December 13, 2013 @ 9:09 am Thanks Fergie1 – pleased to meet you here. As was so recently stated at The Poo, in response to a comment, by none other than Mr. Timothy McDonald, ” Change is good”… It is perhaps the only thing he will ever say with which I agree, although certainly not in the sense in which he said it! 😉 » Posted By RF Dude On December 13, 2013 @ 12:25 am Hi Murph, As you know, I have long respected your postings at The Poo, and you were always one of the ‘pundits’ that shared deep insight onto stories where you posted. I am glad that you also post in other forums, I will be following you here when I can although probably not as much as when i was ‘addicted’ to HP. As Adlib so eloquently pointed out, it’s the corporate information-grab that disturbs me the most. That, coupled with the completely disingenuous way that HP told us one thing (several times, by HP staff – some quite respected) and then turned around and did something different to the community tells me that I cannot EVER entrust them with any more than they already know about me or anyone connected to me. Sure, I am savvy enough to have ‘gamed’ the system on Tuesday and certainly the thought crossed my mind. But I had to ask myself: Why? Why go through all the bother of setting up a Fakebook account, doing the verification thing via an online SMS forwarding service, etc. etc. (as many of the trolls and paid posters will certainly do to bypass the ‘identity’ thing). Why do all that and then face the awful carousel format and the grinding moderation that was unfathomable? Life is short, I have spent far too much time online at The Poo playing this losing game. There are other forums, such as this, that do not willingly and systematically destroy their vibrant community for the sake of corporate gain. And make no mistake, this series of moves at HP is all about monitizing personal information to target ads. Selling data, and perhaps ‘personalizing’ ads – the data FB provides will be quite valuable to an aggregation site like HP. Over the past 6 months I have been active on the (QUITE hidden) threads regarding the impact of the new Carousel format and the new privacy-verification scheme. I have interacted with HP staff, made my views known, and seen many, many others express well-written, cogent views that were all paternalistically dismissed and ignored. “That’s nice, little poster. Now run along and let the adults decide what’s best for you.” HP was a good site when I joined it in 2008. It took a big hit after the merger, but I saw no reason for me to leave then. But between the carousels, the oppressive moderation (which, BTW, seems to not stop the nickel posters or spammers in the least – which leads me to believe they get ‘special bypass’ treatment from the moderation), and now the FB validation – well, it simply is no longer the place for me. I will look for you here, and wish you luck at HP. I know you mean well, and I hope your voice can make a difference for those who decide to stay. But the reality is that for me this was the final straw and I have no regrets at either my time there or my decision to terminate my profile there. Best regards and Peace to you, R.F. » Posted By RF Dude On December 12, 2013 @ 11:34 pm Thanks, Ad – cosign all! I’ve taken the liberty of passing this link to other sites where expat HPers are finding each other – some I recognize, others are old-time HPers that I hadn’t met but all are 1) totally PO’d about the short-stick HP gave the community and 2) seeking other places to land. Thanks for the hearty welcome, good hearts here! R.F. » Posted By RF Dude On December 12, 2013 @ 7:44 pm Thanks HLL! I’ve always considered you to be one of the great voices at HP, loved your comments as pundit. I also respect you for your choice to use your podium to speak out against the new format – it was a brave choice under the circumstances, I wish more of the ‘pundits’ had followed your courageous lead! I haven’t been active here in the past, mostly hang out at Jack’s, but now that I’m ‘free’ of the HP addiction this is another haven that is very-much like the HP of old days (before the storm-troopers occupied it, ‘lebensraum’ comes to mind…) Congratulations on your new path – I hope to stay in touch with you and other posters here, reading and occasionally commenting with you. We were blessed to have the old-HP to find each other – now, I believe we must take it to a new level and get ready for 2014!! There is time! Hugz! » Posted By RF Dude On December 12, 2013 @ 1:13 pm Hello Ad, PlanetPOV’ers I will just add my name to the long list of folks who have pushed the ‘red-button’ at HP. Through each of the past ‘improvements’ there, I thought ‘just wait, it will get better…’ Not this time – my comment-activity on HP was fun, I met you all and many other nice folks (well, and a few trollz… 😉 ) but most of all it does not provide me with life-validation. At earlier times, I would honestly have to say that it did and I certainly could not have so easily nuked my account there even up to a year ago. But the past year, and especially the past 6 months, has seen me post there less and less. The new, idiotic ‘carousel’ format, the incredible moderation of good posts, the trollz (especially nickel posters) obviously having accounts that bypass moderation entirely… And now, this facebook atrocity. Couple that with the deliberate lies told by HP staff, and I am left with no confidence that anything they tell me or that I read posted from them carries an ounce of truth or credibility. I have no desire to stay there mute, only able to ‘fave’ or ‘fan’ posters – what is the point of that? Oh, I spent Tuesday faving comments in the “End of Anonymity” thread (and FLAGGING every comment made by Tim The Community Destructor!) but Tuesday evening I’d gotten THAT out of my system and closed my account. No pain, no regrets – as I’ve said, I met many fine people at HP and we now move forward to our next stage of interaction and communication. It was good while it lasted, and now it’s over for me. Turn the page, a new chapter awaits! Sincerely, R.F.Dude (yeah, my ‘real’ name 😉 ) » Posted By RF Dude On December 12, 2013 @ 12:44 pm “2016- Obama’s America” : The Right Wraps Crazy in a Rational Package Murph, I commend you for going to see this “film” so we don’t have to. I’ve been seeing references to it show up in threads around the ‘net, and since the posters pushing this film are usually well known tro//z I knew it was likely just another “hit” piece. But your calm (as usual) review fills in that void where knowledge should be. Since I have not and will not go to see it, there was that empty space that you’ve filled. Thanks. » Posted By RF Dude On August 27, 2012 @ 3:01 pm The GOP and the Clinical Definition of a Sociopath Word! What passes for “education” today has become simply memorizing of raw factoids. Objective testing reinforces this approach, as it’s much easier to test “facts” (right or wrong) than to grade critical thinking ability (subjective, hard to fend off cranky parents!). Too many teachers themselves lack critical thinking skills – they just push raw facts without context or understanding, to enable students to pass some kind of competency exam that affects said teachers performance, pay, etc. About all a student can hope to accomplish these days is to learn to read, write, and manipulate numbers – and so many students fail even to achieve basic competence doing this! Now, if I could only figure out how to add my avi to this thingie (priorities!)… 🙂 » Posted By RF Dude On December 11, 2011 @ 10:03 am AdLib – you said it all, man. Brilliantly stated! It is a measure of how bad things have gotten that the people supporting the GOP these days (or what used to be the “GOP”…) are, by and large, the very SAME people who stand to lose the most from proposed GOP policies! Is this something wired deep in our heads? That humans as a group follow a destructive path, regardless of the eventual outcomes and against their own self-interest, because of an effective combination of denial and propaganda? Or are humans as a group just less intelligent than we would like to give credit? Whatever it is, the path leads all too often to an unhappy ending for all – regardless of belief or political stance… » Posted By RF Dude On December 11, 2011 @ 9:33 am Hi Wolf – I’m late to the party, as usual. Scouts was a very memorable time for me as well – I bow to your Tenderfootness, you are the first person I have met who spent more time as a pre-Tenderfoot than I did… Beans in the fire is a great way to start off Lunch! One Winter Saturday, a few of us went out for a 5-mile hike. Mind you, in Iowa finding a place to do a 5-mile hike that doesn’t involve cutting through at least 2 farm-yards is a real chore! At mid-hike, we stopped for lunch and lit a small fire. It was cold, and besides you were allowed to cut down and burn REAL trees back then – none of this stove thing you gotta do now! Bob, my good buddy, was rummaging through his clothes looking for his knife and found a live .22 cartridge in his jacket pocket. Guns ‘N Ammo are always interesting for kids that age, any age for that matter, and even tho’ we all were good shooters we all had to take a look. So Bob passed the cartridge around the circle so we could each verify that yep – it’s a live .22 shell – and eventually it got back to Bob. As lunch went on, I got up to pour some water from a canteen into my cup. No drinking from the common canteen – that was something we might have done if girls were around just to gross them out, but amongs’t us guys, with no girls to try to impress with our manliness, we always used our own cups. So I’m over next to a tree, bent over away from the fire with an open, full canteen of water when Tommy asks, ” Hey Bob – what did you do with that .22 shell?” Bob casually says, ” Oh, I tossed it in the fire”. Eyes wide open, 4 boys instantly teleported themselves behind the tree I was standing in front of. Bent over. Pouring water from a canteen. With my butt pointed at the fire… Before I could even think to set the canteen down, there was a loud POP and a cloud of sparks flew from the fire. I knew that I was dead – no pain, but you know how shock prevents the body from realizing it is in great pain and all that. First-Aid… Then, I heard the whine of a ricochet from way down the hill and I knew that I had not become “No Entry RF Dude” – meaning that the doctors would have found an exit wound but not an entry wound – and that I would be able to walk home that day. A story that I told my parents many, MANY years later 😉 Ahh, Wolf – you bring back such sweet memories! Thanks for your story!!! » Posted By RF Dude On February 19, 2011 @ 8:59 am Hi Ad – I still remember looking up at the moon that evening in July, and knowing that another person who probably resembled my father was up there looking back at Earth. For a nerdy kid in Junior High just finding out what the world has to offer, it was breathtaking and life changing. I have never forgotten that evening, and I hope that it isn’t 431 more years before we go BACK! » Posted By RF Dude On February 15, 2011 @ 8:52 pm Your Valentine’s Day open thread सब ठीक-टाक है . आपका कहानियां अच्छा है, मुझे पसंद है! » Posted By RF Dude On March 1, 2011 @ 2:13 pm Comes in Assorted Flavors – including new Banana Delight! Hi Khirad! » Posted By RF Dude On February 15, 2011 @ 8:46 pm OOPS – I got my Valentine’s AV on. This site must be hooked to Gravatar! Don’t worry – it’s really me. I’ll have Doc Savage back up later today – I had to put something cuddly in for Valentine’s, the Doc is a little stern looking for today 😉 Happy Valentine’s Day to you, Blue. » Posted By RF Dude On February 14, 2011 @ 8:15 am BLUE! I’ve been out exploring other venues, too (well, when I’m not over at Jack’s – but that’s a different story). I registered here a while back, but haven’t been coming here a lot. HP used to be a nice concentration of many friends, and now many that I know have scattered to many different sites. Adonai is on here, too – he’s what brought be in today to take another look. Glad I saw you here! Stay on someplace, keep posting and we will see each other again soon! Stop by Jack’s late at nite to say HI if you get a chance – I’m usually on there with Hokey, MsB, and Ando until way into the wee hours. Laterz. Peace. » Posted By RF Dude On February 14, 2011 @ 8:13 am Thanks NanaMex! Have a great “Return To Daylight Savings Time ” Day!! » Posted By RF Dude On March 13, 2011 @ 10:05 am I know I don’t get over here much, but one of our old friends is still in trouble. MsBager is running out of time on her microgiving site, and if you can stop by to see her there she would really appreciate it. Her URL is http://www.microgiving.com/profile/msbadger. Many of you know me from The Other Place (now AOL-ish 😉 ) Things are stretched thin between our troubles and now Japan. Follow your heart, try to help where and when you can. Thank you my friends. » Posted By RF Dude On March 12, 2011 @ 11:58 pmComments Posted By RF Dude
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