how can the local village idiots get “lost” and not find their way back to this website?
OR, is car talk doomed to have repeat offenders “help” out in thier special way?
I fear it is time for a moderator to start taking some action. The said part of it is that it appears one likely problem is really a good person who would otherwise be making good contributions, but for medical/meds reasons is unable to do so.
However if they are not controlled, CarTalk will not continue as the kind of place it has been.
Well stated.
I too would welcome some moderator assistance. This site has numerous knowledgeable contributors who invest their precious time to help. Having it get cluttered with antagonistic replies will only drive people away in the long run.
how does a full moon effect the affect?
That’s backwards, man.
Affect; to act upon, to produce an effect.
Effect; result or consequence
So, you can affect an effect but not the other way around.
Needless to say, I understand what you mean and your frustration with the situation.
This board goes through cycles just like most other, lightly regulated boards.
As they say, “this too shall pass”.
Besides, legend has it that the strange and unusual are encouraged by the full moon…
i realized that after i hit the submit button, BUT, like most things on this new website you CAN’T edit after posting… darn it.
I’m only partly certain about what this discussion is about. But I would say that “village idiots” only continue to annoy others when their annoyances get a rise out of people.
If regular offenders are ignored, they are more likely to go away on their own. (At least this is what I teach my kids about life in elementary school - I’ll have to ask them sometime if it actually works).
It would also be nice for this forum to have some kind of “reputation” ratings (not entirely unlike those on eBay) - e.g. “did you find this post useful” sort of thing. Then all posters can get some little stars next to their names for average ratings.
P.S. An “ignore posts by…” button would also be nice.
Actually, there are little star rating things for comments. …Not sure they’re exactly worth anything though (and I gave you 3 stars, amateur).
Personally, I’ve grown fond of this board largely b/c of the level of maturity on it. I don’t know if that’s because of the type of person likely to listen to NPR, or because the general lack of feedback from posters means fewer hurt feelings. In either case, incidents like last night’s need to be addressed and quashed quickly. It hurts how the entire board looks to people who come here looking for help.
As a younger brother with an older sister, I can tell you that the “ignore it and it’ll go away” policy can be a long and fruitless road, as my sister has been trying to ignore me for nearly 30 years- yet I’m still here! : P
TT
Actually, cappy’s usage is correct. While the definitions that you listed are accurate, they do not include ALL of the meanings of those two words.
Effect can also mean to “bring about a situation”.
Affect can also mean “an emotion or a mood”.
So…cappy’s question, “How does a full moon effect the affect?”, can be interpreted to mean something along the lines of “How does a full moon bring about the mood”…of the village idiot to whom he referred in his post.
Affect and effect are two of the most commonly misused words in the English language, and the many, varied meanings of those two words do not help!
Cappy, you were correct.
Thank you for my stars, but I always ought to get five I think 
Now, if there was a way to show a users average “star” rating (excluding unrated posts, and including a zero rating) that would get somewhere - in addition to an “Ignore posts from X user” option.
Effect can also mean to “bring about a situation”.
I was having this discussion with a co-worker a number of years ago. She was adamant that “effect” could only be a noun (and “affect” only a verb). I gave the example: “The behavior of parents can effect children.” She slapped me. Oh well.
Yeah, I know who the “village idiot” is you’re talking about. Right, “mm”? Whenever I see him post some idiotic chatter, I click on the red flag to report him to the moderators. Hopefully they’ll kick him off the system soon.
You can edit your post by clicking of the pencil in the lower right corner.
But you can’t do that on the OP.
actually the old system had a rating for responders, and it let you rate the responses.
but as with all “new and improved” things, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it comes to mind.
and the corrections i was referring to was the original post, as in the subject above are uneditable once submitted.
i stand humbly reminded that the ‘feeding of a troll’ is the most likely way to keep 'em coming back. (sort of like a stray dog that should be shot instead of being coddled and fed)
and the old board did have a way to ignore posts from anyone you chose to ignore. this system has NONE of the nice conveniences!
One of my beloved strays, Pluto, became a dear friend during his last year. The vet dosed him every month, and I fed and sheltered him.
I just smile when the different view comes along and then I look for the nuggets that are usually very well hidden, buried deep, yet fully recoverable. Maybe that’s a Senior Moment of effectual affectivity?
I have been visiting less frequently. I guess combination of the new board and my “crazier” life. Now I started looking this weekend and posted one recently and noticed that there is no moderator whatsoever, but then I guess it is a free world. It is like the annoying guy at work in the cubicle next to you. Just have to put up with it I guess.
With the exception of censoring outright cuss words, the approach of having the moderator screen the responses for whose are good and whose are wild is, I submit, a “slippery slope”. My personal preference is for we ourselves to stand up to the warewolves. The true crazies will quickly get the hint and those that simply need help with their “cursive” may just clean up their language.
claude it has taken me a full 24 hours to really get what you said. i appreciate your insight. sometimes old dogs can “learn new tricks”
thanks, john