poll: should the DUmpster be made a closed forum?

[franksolich]

Do it until DOTY is announced (and the election is over).   Like the Oscars it should be a secret ballot and process.

You know, that gave me an idea, although again it's probably just wistful thinking; if it were to be done, there'd be mutiny.

Perhaps the nominations and voting for the Top DUmmies of 2012 should be a closed process, invisible to the lurking primitives, open only to long-time members with 1000+ posts or something.  These are the people most likely to be knowledgeable about the primitives, and the ballot would present only high-quality candidates.

(The winners of course would be publicly displayed.)

There's always been a problem with primitive riff-raff, the lumpenunterprimitiven, the faceless lynch mob, being on the ballot, confusing readers.  As Mr. Wiggum will confirm, sometimes one of the award's bestowed upon a primitive about whom little or nothing is known.  It's a pain then, when one has to write the award.

About two or three times each year, I've been almost compelled to write an award thusly:

Congratulations to primitive blahblahblah, #14 Top DUmmie of 20xx!

I know nothing about this obscure primitive, and there doesn't seem a whole lot of material.

So anyway, congratulations to primitive blahblahblah, #14 Top DUmmie of 20xx!

But being a nice guy, I try to do better.

There'll be a new rule for nominations this year which should ameliorate the situation somewhat.....that is, if the rule's read.

[BlueStateSaint]

Can I vote multiple times from different locations?  Democrat Underground tells me I should be allowed to do so. 

Why are you disenfranchising me?

We're disenfranchising your cat Bob, not you.

[Aristotelian]

Can I vote multiple times from different locations?

Not until you're dead.

[Tess Anderson]

On the fence here . . . yes, it could be worth experimenting with this idea some after the elections are over next month.

[Carl]

I believe they will eventually return with some quality material,right now they are having to adjust to what is just unthinkable to them,the country does not believe as they do and soon they will see and hear the words President elect Romney.
It has left them in an abyss for the moment as they knew,just knew that O was inevitably going to be reelected and in a second term without worry of campaigns that was when all the goodies would finally be delivered.
In time the vile evil that is their soul will rebound and the crazy will be back.

I also think that knowing so many of us walk freely among them has them unsettled as well.
The me first paranoia of a liberal mind is in play too I suspect.

Really,what fun would it be to post the absolute idiocy that is symbolic with the name atman if he can`t see it.
DUmbass McGrath has had plenty of chances to post here and just lurks,doubt that would change since he is such a pansy ass coward so would hate for him to miss out seeing his sheer stupidity displayed for all.

[franksolich]

I vote no - search engines do a much better job educating people about primitives if they are able to index the data.

It's not going to happen anyway, and in all honesty, if it were put to a vote, I'd regretfully have to vote "no" myself.

As Splashdown said, the genie's already out of the bottle, and can't be shoved back in.

Part of which is my own damned fault, four years ago trying so hard to get lurkers here.

I'm just engaging in wistful thinking here; as some have pointed out, they mostly read instead of comment, and we don't want to cut them out, as they're us too.

[Tucker]

My main point--although it's not going to win my argument, of course--is that the primitives were funnier when they didn't know they were being observed.

Take, for example, the sparkling old dude confessing that his trophy wife makes him use the bathroom in the basement so he doesn't stink up the bathrooms on the first and second floors--or his posting of photographs of himself in a pink tutu.  He did things like that when he wasn't aware he was being watched.

Now he's really uptight, and isn't funny any more.

Or the big guy--imagine what would've happened if www.electstevedawes.com suddenly came out of nowhere, from no known direction.  That would've really freaked him, having absolutely no idea "something" was coming, and it would've been funnier.

And quite possibly the subway cat would still be posting prolifically.

And perhaps even the hippywife, Mrs. Alfred Packer, would still be around in the cooking and baking forum, providing rich material unbeknownst to her.

People are funnier when they don't know they're being watched.

I voted no until I read this.

You make a strong  and reasonable argument.

[franksolich]

You make a strong  and reasonable argument.

Whoa.  That's a first.

But anyway, those who say "no" don't have to worry.  The DUmpster's NOT going to become a closed forum.

I brought up the issue because I'm frustrated that the primitives, knowing they're being watched, aren't putting out like they used to, and so it's getting harder and harder to stock the shelves here with quality inventory.

It's just wishful thinking on my part.