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Started by Scott5114, July 30, 2021, 07:22:02 PM

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hbelkins

For the record, I was inquiring on Facebook about the identity of a poster who used a pseudonym here. I'm not sure how that would have endangered him. It's not like I was going to drive to Chicago and hunt him down. I don't believe in cancel culture so i wasn't going to try to rat him out to his employer for anything. I was curious as to his worldview, his influences, his motivation, what made him as hostile as he was. I'm aware of why certain known quantities (people whose identities I know) dislike me. This was just for my own knowledge.

And my haters obviously missed my posts from years earlier when I was trying to discern the identity of the person we later found out was known to MTR as "SPUI" (and is occasionally referred to by that name here).

So, in fact, there was an attempt to sanction me because of things I did away from this forum.

There are still a number of users here whose real identities I'd like to know. I'm curious about their backgrounds, how they've gleaned their knowledge, etc. -- not just ones who have been overly hostile. They present intriguing ideas, offer interesting and informed opinions, and it would be instructive to know who they are.

I know there are people here with whom I've interacted on Facebook and probably didn't know their user name here. Others, like someone who shares a name with a famous lead singer of a band whose guitarist recently died, was pretty easy to figure out.

I was long a fan of using actual identities instead of any made-up name that gives no clue to who a participant really is long before the sausage king came along.

Some of the identities here are well-established -- mine is a variation of my name and is the part in front of the @ in my email address, for example. Others used the names by which they were known on MTR but often with signatures that disclosed their name and other contact info.

Quote from: Scott5114 on August 05, 2021, 01:00:23 PM
Calling an idea "buffoonish" is on thin ice because the person who posted that idea may take that as you calling them buffoonish. The better thing to do is to illustrate the facts of the matter in such a way that anyone reading your post would come to the conclusion themselves that the idea is buffoonish.

One is not responsible for the inferences others make.

Quote from: kphoger on August 05, 2021, 01:10:19 PM

And don't call anybody one of those building features that exist between stories.  That would be less cool than pooing.

Ceilings? Floors? Joists? Beams? Wiring conduits? Help a non-architect out here.
Government would be tolerable if not for politicians and bureaucrats.


hotdogPi

Quote from: hbelkins on August 05, 2021, 02:19:25 PM
Ceilings? Floors? Joists? Beams? Wiring conduits? Help a non-architect out here.

The one that NE2 used post-wordfilter.
Clinched

Traveled, plus
US 13, 44, 50
MA 22, 35, 40, 107, 109, 126, 141, 159
NH 27, 78, 111A(E); CA 90; NY 366; GA 42, 140; FL A1A, 7; CT 32; VT 2A, 5A; PA 3, 51, 60, WA 202; QC 162, 165, 263; 🇬🇧A100, A3211, A3213, A3215, A4222; 🇫🇷95 D316

Lowest untraveled: 36

kphoger

Quote from: hbelkins on August 05, 2021, 02:19:25 PM
One is not responsible for the inferences others make.

To some degree, yes, one is responsible for that.  You should choose your words in such a way that the inferences people make are likely to be most accurate–unless ambiguity is actually your aim.  I mean, that's basically how language functions.

Quote from: 1 on August 05, 2021, 02:21:10 PM

Quote from: hbelkins on August 05, 2021, 02:19:25 PM
Ceilings? Floors? Joists? Beams? Wiring conduits? Help a non-architect out here.

The one that NE2 used post-wordfilter.

I only recently discovered that filter, so I'm assuming most people don't even know it exists.
Keep right except to pass.  Yes.  You.
Visit scenic Orleans County, NY!
Male pronouns, please.

Quote from: Philip K. DickIf you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use them.

hbelkins

Quote from: kphoger on August 05, 2021, 02:26:53 PM
Quote from: hbelkins on August 05, 2021, 02:19:25 PM
One is not responsible for the inferences others make.

To some degree, yes, one is responsible for that.  You should choose your words in such a way that the inferences people make are likely to be most accurate–unless ambiguity is actually your aim.  I mean, that's basically how language functions.

Quote from: 1 on August 05, 2021, 02:21:10 PM

Quote from: hbelkins on August 05, 2021, 02:19:25 PM
Ceilings? Floors? Joists? Beams? Wiring conduits? Help a non-architect out here.

The one that NE2 used post-wordfilter.

I only recently discovered that filter, so I'm assuming most people don't even know it exists.

I certainly don't, and I don't know which word is filtered. I've tried to think of anything that is between stories in a building and am not having any luck coming up with anything that might be offensive.
Government would be tolerable if not for politicians and bureaucrats.

kphoger

The building feature is not an offensive term.  However, there is an offensive phrase on the forum that renders instead as the name of a building feature.
Keep right except to pass.  Yes.  You.
Visit scenic Orleans County, NY!
Male pronouns, please.

Quote from: Philip K. DickIf you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use them.

kphoger

(Apparently, HB, you and I both should have already known about it.  We must have poor memories.)

https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=21384.msg2269433#msg2269433
Keep right except to pass.  Yes.  You.
Visit scenic Orleans County, NY!
Male pronouns, please.

Quote from: Philip K. DickIf you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use them.

Roadgeekteen

This is rare, but on this subject, I'm on Kphoger and HBelkins side.
God-emperor of Alanland, king of all the goats and goat-like creatures

Current Interstate map I am making:

https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?hl=en&mid=1PEDVyNb1skhnkPkgXi8JMaaudM2zI-Y&ll=29.05778059819179%2C-82.48856825&z=5

Takumi

#82
Quote
I was curious as to his worldview, his influences, his motivation, what made him as hostile as he was.
Heh, I remember who you're talking about, and remember thinking he just started being hostile to you for no apparent reason. I remember once being very drunk and after reading yet another post where he attacked you, asking him "who the fuck are you?"  I think he thought I was your hype man, which we both know is not the case.

(Obviously I didn't see the Facebook post in question, having long since dropped my account.)
Quote from: Rothman on July 15, 2021, 07:52:59 AM
Olive Garden must be stopped.  I must stop them.

Don't @ me. Seriously.

Takumi

Quote from: kphoger on August 05, 2021, 02:39:32 PM
The building feature is not an offensive term.  However, there is an offensive phrase on the forum that renders instead as the name of a building feature.
I don't remember that either, but now I know why he stopped using it.
Quote from: Rothman on July 15, 2021, 07:52:59 AM
Olive Garden must be stopped.  I must stop them.

Don't @ me. Seriously.

kphoger

Quote from: Roadgeekteen on August 05, 2021, 02:44:21 PM
This is rare, but on this subject, I'm on Kphoger and HBelkins side.

I don't know that I'm actually on HB's side.  I'm not so sure I even care if people can be banned from AARoads because of what they post on other sites.  I was just wanting everyone to call a spade a spade.
Keep right except to pass.  Yes.  You.
Visit scenic Orleans County, NY!
Male pronouns, please.

Quote from: Philip K. DickIf you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use them.

Roadgeekteen

Quote from: kphoger on August 05, 2021, 02:49:31 PM
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on August 05, 2021, 02:44:21 PM
This is rare, but on this subject, I'm on Kphoger and HBelkins side.

I don't know that I'm actually on HB's side.  I'm not so sure I even care if people can be banned from AARoads because of what they post on other sites.  I was just wanting everyone to call a spade a spade.
Well you both seem to support not remove posts based on quality. I'm starting to agree more with Hbelkins on his moderation stance.
God-emperor of Alanland, king of all the goats and goat-like creatures

Current Interstate map I am making:

https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?hl=en&mid=1PEDVyNb1skhnkPkgXi8JMaaudM2zI-Y&ll=29.05778059819179%2C-82.48856825&z=5

Scott5114

Quote from: hbelkins on August 05, 2021, 02:19:25 PM
For the record, I was inquiring on Facebook about the identity of a poster who used a pseudonym here. I'm not sure how that would have endangered him. It's not like I was going to drive to Chicago and hunt him down. I don't believe in cancel culture so i wasn't going to try to rat him out to his employer for anything. I was curious as to his worldview, his influences, his motivation, what made him as hostile as he was. I'm aware of why certain known quantities (people whose identities I know) dislike me. This was just for my own knowledge.

I feel like I know you well enough to know that you would do none of these things, but the fact of the matter is that once that information is out there, it's out there for everyone, including the people who would do these sorts of things. Which is why we took it so seriously.

Also, there's plenty of cases where having this sort of information publicly known could be detrimental in ways that don't even occur to us. A few months ago I got a PM from a user who had something like three posts on the forum way back in the early 2010s. He was asking me to delete his thread from the Welcome forum, which contained his real name. I asked him why he thought it needed to be deleted, since nobody here knew who he was from his scant post history, the thread was so old, and it's not like anyone had called attention to it recently. Turns out he was applying for a job in a country whose professional culture viewed even participating on things like forums as unprofessional, which was something that I had certainly never heard of or even considered as a possibility. He was afraid that on the remote chance someone found his forum profile, it could tank his chances of getting the job. What else could I do but delete the thread for him?

In another case, someone here posted inquiring if any members were interested a specific hobby they were interested in. Trying to be helpful, I suggested the user contact a certain forum regular who I knew to be involved in that hobby. The regular saw my post and contacted me, very upset that I had publicly outed them as being interested in that hobby, since the hobby required the use of certain high-dollar equipment. Because their real name and location was public knowledge associated with that username, they were concerned that I had just made them the target of thieves that might try to find their home and steal their equipment. I had not even considered this as a possibility, so I apologized and amended my post.
uncontrollable freak sardine salad chef

Roadgeekteen

Quote from: Scott5114 on August 05, 2021, 02:53:15 PM
Quote from: hbelkins on August 05, 2021, 02:19:25 PM
For the record, I was inquiring on Facebook about the identity of a poster who used a pseudonym here. I'm not sure how that would have endangered him. It's not like I was going to drive to Chicago and hunt him down. I don't believe in cancel culture so i wasn't going to try to rat him out to his employer for anything. I was curious as to his worldview, his influences, his motivation, what made him as hostile as he was. I'm aware of why certain known quantities (people whose identities I know) dislike me. This was just for my own knowledge.

I feel like I know you well enough to know that you would do none of these things, but the fact of the matter is that once that information is out there, it's out there for everyone, including the people who would do these sorts of things. Which is why we took it so seriously.

Also, there's plenty of cases where having this sort of information publicly known could be detrimental in ways that don't even occur to us. A few months ago I got a PM from a user who had something like three posts on the forum way back in the early 2010s. He was asking me to delete his thread from the Welcome forum, which contained his real name. I asked him why he thought it needed to be deleted, since nobody here knew who he was from his scant post history, the thread was so old, and it's not like anyone had called attention to it recently. Turns out he was applying for a job in a country whose professional culture viewed even participating on things like forums as unprofessional, which was something that I had certainly never heard of or even considered as a possibility. He was afraid that on the remote chance someone found his forum profile, it could tank his chances of getting the job. What else could I do but delete the thread for him?

In another case, someone here posted inquiring if any members were interested a specific hobby they were interested in. Trying to be helpful, I suggested the user contact a certain forum regular who I knew to be involved in that hobby. The regular saw my post and contacted me, very upset that I had publicly outed them as being interested in that hobby, since the hobby required the use of certain high-dollar equipment. Because their real name and location was public knowledge associated with that username, they were concerned that I had just made them the target of thieves that might try to find their home and steal their equipment. I had not even considered this as a possibility, so I apologized and amended my post.
Lol what country was it? That's bizarre.
God-emperor of Alanland, king of all the goats and goat-like creatures

Current Interstate map I am making:

https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?hl=en&mid=1PEDVyNb1skhnkPkgXi8JMaaudM2zI-Y&ll=29.05778059819179%2C-82.48856825&z=5

NE2

Quote from: hbelkins on August 05, 2021, 02:19:25 PM
Others, like someone who shares a name with a famous lead singer of a band whose guitarist recently died, was pretty easy to figure out.
I don't see any user named Jon Anderson...
pre-1945 Florida route log

I accept and respect your identity as long as it's not dumb shit like "identifying as a vaccinated attack helicopter".

Scott5114

Quote from: Roadgeekteen on August 05, 2021, 03:02:53 PM
Lol what country was it? That's bizarre.

I'm not going to give the exact name of the country out of respect for the user's wishes (and don't start guessing countries because I'm not going to confirm if you get it right), but it's on a continent that as far as I know we don't have any active users from (and don't start guessing continents because I'm not going to confirm if you get it right).
uncontrollable freak sardine salad chef

thspfc

Quote from: Scott5114 on August 05, 2021, 03:11:16 PM
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on August 05, 2021, 03:02:53 PM
Lol what country was it? That's bizarre.

I'm not going to give the exact name of the country out of respect for the user's wishes (and don't start guessing countries because I'm not going to confirm if you get it right), but it's on a continent that as far as I know we don't have any active users from (and don't start guessing continents because I'm not going to confirm if you get it right).
I'm guessing India.

TheHighwayMan3561

Quote from: NE2 on August 05, 2021, 03:04:07 PM
Quote from: hbelkins on August 05, 2021, 02:19:25 PM
Others, like someone who shares a name with a famous lead singer of a band whose guitarist recently died, was pretty easy to figure out.
I don't see any user named Jon Anderson...

I'm confused, as both Steve Howe and Trevor Rabin are still alive, and Peter Banks died almost 10 years ago now.
I make Poiponen look smart

NE2

Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on August 05, 2021, 04:31:50 PM
Quote from: NE2 on August 05, 2021, 03:04:07 PM
Quote from: hbelkins on August 05, 2021, 02:19:25 PM
Others, like someone who shares a name with a famous lead singer of a band whose guitarist recently died, was pretty easy to figure out.
I don't see any user named Jon Anderson...

I'm confused, as both Steve Howe and Trevor Rabin are still alive, and Peter Banks died almost 10 years ago now.

Chris Squire was a guitarist, just not lead guitarist. Nothing fishy here.
pre-1945 Florida route log

I accept and respect your identity as long as it's not dumb shit like "identifying as a vaccinated attack helicopter".

hbelkins

#93
Quote from: kphoger on August 05, 2021, 02:42:51 PM
(Apparently, HB, you and I both should have already known about it.  We must have poor memories.)

https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=21384.msg2269433#msg2269433

Well, I don't remember the word or phrase that got switched to that, but I also regard that term as more of a landing between levels, such as a terrace or a wide spot in a staircase.in

Addendum: I have basically only heard the term "mezzanine" in references to levels at sports stadiums, synonymous with "concourse."
Government would be tolerable if not for politicians and bureaucrats.

1995hoo

Quote from: hbelkins on August 05, 2021, 04:41:10 PM
Quote from: kphoger on August 05, 2021, 02:42:51 PM
(Apparently, HB, you and I both should have already known about it.  We must have poor memories.)

https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=21384.msg2269433#msg2269433

Well, I don't remember the word or phrase that got switched to that, but I also regard that term as more of a landing between levels, such as a terrace or a wide spot in a staircase.in

Addendum: I have basically only heard the term "mezzanine" in references to levels at sports stadiums, synonymous with "concourse."

The word was "assclown," if I recall correctly.
"You know, you never have a guaranteed spot until you have a spot guaranteed."
—Olaf Kolzig, as quoted in the Washington Times on March 28, 2003,
commenting on the Capitals clinching a playoff spot.

"That sounded stupid, didn't it?"
—Kolzig, to the same reporter a few seconds later.

hotdogPi

Quote from: 1995hoo on August 05, 2021, 08:51:34 PM
Quote from: hbelkins on August 05, 2021, 04:41:10 PM
Quote from: kphoger on August 05, 2021, 02:42:51 PM
(Apparently, HB, you and I both should have already known about it.  We must have poor memories.)

https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=21384.msg2269433#msg2269433

Well, I don't remember the word or phrase that got switched to that, but I also regard that term as more of a landing between levels, such as a terrace or a wide spot in a staircase.in

Addendum: I have basically only heard the term "mezzanine" in references to levels at sports stadiums, synonymous with "concourse."

The word was "assclown," if I recall correctly.

It was actually a two-word phrase.
Clinched

Traveled, plus
US 13, 44, 50
MA 22, 35, 40, 107, 109, 126, 141, 159
NH 27, 78, 111A(E); CA 90; NY 366; GA 42, 140; FL A1A, 7; CT 32; VT 2A, 5A; PA 3, 51, 60, WA 202; QC 162, 165, 263; 🇬🇧A100, A3211, A3213, A3215, A4222; 🇫🇷95 D316

Lowest untraveled: 36

Roadgeekteen

I'm pleasantly surprised that the mods haven't locked this thread yet.
God-emperor of Alanland, king of all the goats and goat-like creatures

Current Interstate map I am making:

https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?hl=en&mid=1PEDVyNb1skhnkPkgXi8JMaaudM2zI-Y&ll=29.05778059819179%2C-82.48856825&z=5

1995hoo

Quote from: 1 on August 05, 2021, 08:52:43 PM
Quote from: 1995hoo on August 05, 2021, 08:51:34 PM
Quote from: hbelkins on August 05, 2021, 04:41:10 PM
Quote from: kphoger on August 05, 2021, 02:42:51 PM
(Apparently, HB, you and I both should have already known about it.  We must have poor memories.)

https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=21384.msg2269433#msg2269433

Well, I don't remember the word or phrase that got switched to that, but I also regard that term as more of a landing between levels, such as a terrace or a wide spot in a staircase.in

Addendum: I have basically only heard the term "mezzanine" in references to levels at sports stadiums, synonymous with "concourse."

The word was "assclown," if I recall correctly.

It was actually a two-word phrase.

You're right. I forgot that he preceded the word I used with "racist." Easy enough to find such posts if you search the forum for posts containing "racist" on which he is the author.
"You know, you never have a guaranteed spot until you have a spot guaranteed."
—Olaf Kolzig, as quoted in the Washington Times on March 28, 2003,
commenting on the Capitals clinching a playoff spot.

"That sounded stupid, didn't it?"
—Kolzig, to the same reporter a few seconds later.

kphoger

Quote from: 1995hoo on August 05, 2021, 08:57:15 PM
You're right. I forgot that he preceded the word I used with "racist." Easy enough to find such posts if you search the forum for posts containing "racist" on which he is the author.

The way I found out (again) was by searching for that very two-word phrase.

A bunch of results popped up, yet mysteriously none of the posts actually contained the phrase.   :hmmm:

And, actually, the plural somehow slipped through the filter.  (Interestingly and perhaps ironically, |NE2|'s spelling error in that same post ended up referencing a historical figure who was actually and veritably racist.)
Keep right except to pass.  Yes.  You.
Visit scenic Orleans County, NY!
Male pronouns, please.

Quote from: Philip K. DickIf you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use them.

hotdogPi

Quote from: kphoger on August 05, 2021, 09:02:16 PM
(Interestingly and perhaps ironically, |NE2|'s spelling error in that same post ended up referencing a historical figure who was actually and veritably racist.)

I'm seeing as entirely intentional. He's making fun of a spelling error made earlier in the same thread by someone else.
Clinched

Traveled, plus
US 13, 44, 50
MA 22, 35, 40, 107, 109, 126, 141, 159
NH 27, 78, 111A(E); CA 90; NY 366; GA 42, 140; FL A1A, 7; CT 32; VT 2A, 5A; PA 3, 51, 60, WA 202; QC 162, 165, 263; 🇬🇧A100, A3211, A3213, A3215, A4222; 🇫🇷95 D316

Lowest untraveled: 36



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