Help and Meta Forum gone?

[GOBUCKS]

The DUmp has gone to hell in a handbasket.

Nutcase nadin, Imaboobi, dick inspector, Pam, catbox squatter Mike, rsmithnumbers, poor addled grasswipe, the LVL, wallduded cali, Socialist Steve, have nearly evaporated.

Even the intravenous junkie Taverner is relatively scarce, but I guess he's got an excuse.

Poor stupid Beth Ferrari is still around, but she's become so addled she's not much fun.

Are they shying away from attention?

[A7X_foREVer]

The DUmp has gone to hell in a handbasket.

Nutcase nadin, Imaboobi, dick inspector, Pam, catbox squatter Mike, rsmithnumbers, poor addled grasswipe, the LVL, wallduded cali, Socialist Steve, have nearly evaporated.

Even the intravenous junkie Taverner is relatively scarce, but I guess he's got an excuse.

Poor stupid Beth Ferrari is still around, but she's become so addled she's not much fun.

Are they shying away from attention?

Either that or the mental hospitals have a block on their computers so they can't access the site. Or mommy and daddy took away their computers for getting Cheetos on the keyboard after a hit or two on their bong

[BattleHymn]

Either that or the mental hospitals have a block on their computers so they can't access the site. Or mommy and daddy took away their computers for getting Cheetos on the keyboard after a hit or two on their bong

I'm thinking our buddy Steve isn't around because he has one of those cartoon-style sized bumps on his head from Marta's rolling pin after he didn't take frank's advice to stay away from the DUmp.

[Doubleplusungood]

Right; the Margaret Mead phenomenon where primitives, once they're aware they're being observed, either change their conduct or hide it.

It's all anthropological; what we have here is that the primitives, having been infiltrated and all is falling apart around them (i.e., the current political environment), retreat further and further into the interior of the forest, huddled together in the darkness, sweating in fear.

It's happened since Time Immemorial.

While it presents--temporarily--a minor nuisance, it doesn't especially bother me, the hiding of the forum.  I'm surprised my fellow alum Skins took so long to do it.  I figured he would sooner or later, but I didn't think it would take this long.

 

[diesel driver]

Maybe now that Ban the GOP is a member here, he'll help his new forum buddies out by posting the funniest, craziest crap from Help and Meta?

It would be easy enough to hide moles as well.

All moles would have to do is send threads to other Cavers as PM's to post.  A little drawn out, but easy enough to cover the "trail" so DUmmies couldn't backtrack on the threads to smoke out moles.

[miskie]

It would be easy enough to hide moles as well.

All moles would have to do is send threads to other Cavers as PM's to post.  A little drawn out, but easy enough to cover the "trail" so DUmmies couldn't backtrack on the threads to smoke out moles.

One could - or just set up the thread, and post it a day or two later.

[BlueStateSaint]

One could - or just set up the thread, and post it a day or two later.

Exactly--but whatever you do, remember OPSEC.  I'm actually serious about this, in this instance.  Whatever arrangements one makes, remember this little quote:  "The chance of a secret being blown is proportional to the square of the number of people who know it."  Sure, it was a fictional character (not to be confused with "a fictional spirit-guide") who said it, but it' s true nonetheless.

[Gina]

I won't tell a soul if they want to send me a pm to post. 

[franksolich]

Well, yes.

Imagine Skins's island as a tropical island far out in sea, remote from any civilized area.

The primitives used to freely romp and play on the beaches, in the coves, and among the lesser foliage.

Well, the primitives have been found out--actually, they were found out a long time ago, but didn't know it--and scared, they're running into the deep dark forest in the middle of Skins's island, hoping to hide there.  They're hiding in the darkness, huddled and sweating in fear; they don't want anybody to know they're there.

Well, we already know they're there, so whoop-whoop-de-doo.

This is also an analogy of the present political situation, by the way.

I suggest just about any book by Margaret Mead illuminates what happens when primitives try to hide; it's not pretty.

[franksolich]

The DUmp has gone to hell in a handbasket.

Nutcase nadin, Imaboobi, dick inspector, Pam, catbox squatter Mike, rsmithnumbers, poor addled grasswipe, the LVL, wallduded cali, Socialist Steve, have nearly evaporated.

Even the intravenous junkie Taverner is relatively scarce, but I guess he's got an excuse.

Poor stupid Beth Ferrari is still around, but she's become so addled she's not much fun.

Are they shying away from attention?

Again, I say for the third time, the next time a primitive says the decent and civilized people of the DUmpster are "meaningless" or "unimportant" or "irrelevant," laugh in their faces.

[Skul]

Going to try something, and see if it works.



The following is just a test.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002715550

Tue May 22, 2012, 09:54 AM
 warrior1 (6,964 posts) Profile Journal Send DU Mail Ignore

 Our President

The President wears a wristband with the word "Willdabeast" on it during the national anthem at the 2012 Joplin High School commencement ceremony.

http://www.buzzfeed.com/mjs538/the-last-year-in-joplin

 

  It worked.

[njpines]

The forum's name has just been changed -- now "Meta Discussion". DUmmies don't deserve "Help" anymore, apparently! 

[Skul]

The forum's name has just been changed -- now "Mental Discussion". DUmmies don't deserve "Help" anymore, apparently!  

Truth in advertising.  

[njpines]

OK, I see -- new forum has been added.  Meta will remain as the DU Bitchfest 

Skinner
 
New forum: Welcome & Help

We've created a new top-level forum called "Welcome & Help." The purpose of this forum is to welcome new DU members, to let members get to know one another, and to provide DU-specific help and support.

The Welcome & Help forum can be found here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=forum&id=1256

...and the forum's Statement of Purpose is:

Introduce yourself here! Meet and greet other DUers, share tips about DU, and get help in a positive, supportive environment. No whining about DU. People who create an unwelcoming atmosphere will be blocked from this forum.

Meanwhile, we have made some slight changes to the Help & Meta-discussion forum. Help & Meta-discussion has been renamed to Meta-discussion and it is now only available to logged-in members. We have also changed the Statement of Purpose slightly. The new Statement of Purpose for Meta-discussion is:

Discuss Democratic Underground policies and procedures. Second-guess decisions by Juries, Hosts, and Administrators. Work through problems between members. Discuss the DU Community Standards. Bemoan the current state of DU.

Thanks for your patience while we continue to work to improve DU.

[miskie]

A proposal :

I propose creating a CC sockpuppet called 'MetaBOT' - MetaBOT can be accessible to one, or a select few members. The purpose of MetaBOT would be to receive PMs from CC Members with moles who will post a PM with a hot Meta topic in it. MetaBOT will then repost the topic *without* a link back to DU at a random time in the future. Once the post is made, MetaBOT will then delete the PM.

Then discussion, dissection, pointing, and laughing will proceed as normal.

I would be willing to man MetaBOT.

Of course, *DO NOT* expose your mole's ID to MetaBOT. The point of this exercise is to continue The DUmpster as if Meta ( and possible future forums)  have never been made members only, and to thwart mole-hunting by randomizing Meta posting.

[diesel driver]

A proposal :

I propose creating a CC sockpuppet called 'MetaBOT' - MetaBOT can be accessible to one, or a select few members. The purpose of MetaBOT would be to receive PMs from CC Members with moles who will post a PM with a hot Meta topic in it. MetaBOT will then repost the topic *without* a link back to DU at a random time in the future. Once the post is made, MetaBOT will then delete the PM.

Then discussion, dissection, pointing, and laughing will proceed as normal.

I would be willing to man MetaBOT.

Of course, *DO NOT* expose your mole's ID to MetaBOT. The point of this exercise is to continue The DUmpster as if Meta ( and possible future forums)  have never been made members only, and to thwart mole-hunting by randomizing Meta posting.

I LIKE IT!!!!   

[Skul]

A proposal :

I propose creating a CC sockpuppet called 'MetaBOT' - MetaBOT can be accessible to one, or a select few members. The purpose of MetaBOT would be to receive PMs from CC Members with moles who will post a PM with a hot Meta topic in it. MetaBOT will then repost the topic *without* a link back to DU at a random time in the future. Once the post is made, MetaBOT will then delete the PM.

Then discussion, dissection, pointing, and laughing will proceed as normal.

I would be willing to man MetaBOT.

Of course, *DO NOT* expose your mole's ID to MetaBOT. The point of this exercise is to continue The DUmpster as if Meta ( and possible future forums)  have never been made members only, and to thwart mole-hunting by randomizing Meta posting.

From what I see, no need.
Open new window. Copy/paste into WinWord (or similar).
Bounce back into wherever you wish to be, then copy/paste from there, in msg block.
I don't think txt or doc files carry tracking. Might be wrong about that.  I'll find out.

[BattleHymn]

From what I see, no need.
Open new window. Copy/paste into WinWord (or similar).
Bounce back into wherever you wish to be, then copy/paste from there, in msg block.
I don't think txt or doc files carry tracking. Might be wrong about that.  I'll find out.

Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but I think it's more a matter of seeing when the thread was accessed and by what members (since you have to be logged in), and then narrowing it down from those choices. 

[miskie]

From what I see, no need.
Open new window. Copy/paste into WinWord (or similar).
Bounce back into wherever you wish to be, then copy/paste from there, in msg block.
I don't think txt or doc files carry tracking. Might be wrong about that.  I'll find out.

Its less a matter of tracking, its a matter of timing.

example :

Meta post goes up a 8:00PM EST.
Meta post ends up on CC at 8:05PM EST

at 8:06, a half dozen links from CC find their way to DU.

As a small time webhost and systems admin, I could figure it out. And I am certain that DU's folks could too.

[miskie]

Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but I think it's more a matter of seeing when the thread was accessed and by what members (since you have to be logged in), and then narrowing it down from those choices. 

Exactly - Meta is now is now a giant mole trap. If we are going to play with the forum, we need to adapt our methods slightly.

with MetaBOT, and a few who can access it, suggested threads would be posted at whatever time one of MetaBOT's controllers decide to post. And by not linking back to DU, it would prevent users from clicking straight through, and marking themselves in the process.

[Boojatta]

Meta is now is now a giant mole trap. If we are going to play with the forum, we need to adapt our methods slightly.

Why not have an informal rule that there should be at least two hours between the posting of something in DU's Meta Discussion Forum, and its posting at Conservative Cave?  The DU administrators wouldn't know when in the two hour period a mole had accessed the post.  Ideally, the time of access would be randomized to avoid detection by DU administrators.

The word "mole" might not even be appropriate here.  Somebody who  provides others with indirect access to the DU Meta Discussion Forum doesn't have to post any messages.  Given that DU is offering to members of the general public an opportunity to register, and given that DU has rules (aka "Legal stuff": terms of service and privacy policy), it is possible that various members of the general public might like to know something about the nature of DU's rules in practice.