Skip to main content ↑ ↓
Topic: Thanks for removing that thread (Read 4831 times) previous topic - next topic

Thanks for removing that thread

There was something offensive in a certain thread, and I was in the process of replying that NWO should remove it.
When I tried to reply, the thread vanished.
Thanks, NWO.

Re: Thanks for removing that thread

Reply #1 –
I assume you are referring to the post that was asking a bunch of music questions. There has been an increasing trend lately for non-NWC users to ask the forum for answers to some kind of music test/homework. Although music discussion is generally permitted and even encouraged, an obvious dump of a list of test/homework questions into the forum will not be permitted.
 

Re: Thanks for removing that thread

Reply #2 –
Amen to that.  In technical newsgroups, many people are willing to help students who have shown they have put in a reasonable amount of effort and have difficulty with some advanced concept.  OTOH, if they ask something covered in Chapter 1 of their textbook, a terse "Do your own homework" is all they usually get.
Since 1998

Re: Thanks for removing that thread

Reply #3 –
I agree also. If the thread were allowed to persist it would very possibly have encouraged similar lists of exam questions in the future.

I personally found some of the replies amusing, but obviously at least one other person (perhaps the original poster) was not similarly amused.

Re: Thanks for removing that thread

Reply #4 –
Honi soit ..........

Re: Thanks for removing that thread

Reply #5 –
I'd remove reply 4, too, if I were in charge of the forum.  And I'd ban the writer if I could.  We don't need that.

Re: Thanks for removing that thread

Reply #6 –
Probably the best reason to ban the reply from N* B* is that search engines looking for N*B* might come here.

Re: Thanks for removing that thread

Reply #7 –
Perhaps the time has come for all users of this forum to log on with a valid e-mail address and a password originally sent to that address.  It is too easy to spew anything in this forum when one can hide behind an anonymous handle.

Re: Thanks for removing that thread

Reply #8 –
That's a possibly useful idea (from also concerned). But some of use (I plead guilty) have occasionally made anonymous, humorous replies to wacky questions occasionally posted by non-NWC users. At its best, this forum can be fun.

One problem with the forum, as I see it, is that non-NWC users (who are not here to try the program, either) can sometimes bog down the forum with questions properly related to audio. I am referring to the N*pst*r, M*rph**s, and K*z** crowd, as well as the troublesome W*b C*d*ts. (Spelling altered so as not to draw search engines.)

There are also persons searching for a legitimate answer to a hardware-related problem, but one unrelated to NWC or even to music. Often, these are drawn by search engine. I doubt if they come back to read the posted replies. They might not even know where they posted. Indeed, a couple of recent inquiries were from persons claiming that they might not re-visit for the answer to their question, but would like an e-mail reply. I wonder if they were simply seeking to harvest e-mail addresses of persons who use NWC, or who are musicians?

All of the above are good reasons to limit the forum, as was suggested. But when potential users have a question, I doubt if they would be willing to publicly show a valid e-mail address, even under a handle name. Also, there are programs that automatically grab e-mail addresses, so there is a disincentive to have one posted, especially if it is repeated.

From time to time, I participate in the forum-equivalent for another software program. They used to use a NWC-like open method, but recently changed the system. Now, anyone can read the postings. But if you wish to reply or originate, you need to login. The login is created with a valid e-mail address and (presumably) valid name. But their forum allows the posting to be shown with a handle, and e-mail omitted at your option. Only the forum administrator knows who you are, unless you want to tell everyone. The catch is that I believe thier forum is limited to registered program users. I have never seen a posting from someone who doesn't already have the program.

Re: Thanks for removing that thread

Reply #9 –
One other thing, for the benefit of all of us who create web pages:

In the HEAD of an HTML document, it is possible to place the following tag:

<META name="robots" content="noindex,nofollow">

In case that does not show here properly, the beginning end end symbols are the usual HTML tag brackets.

You can also use "index,follow" or "noindex,follow" or "index,nofollow".

Search engines do not have to honor the tag, but I am told that the popular ones do honor it, because it is a waste of their resources to index or follow things that don't want it.

If a search crawler engine comes across a page with "noindex" then it will not list the web page. If it comes across "nofollow" it will not crawl to the links from that page. "nofollow" is useful when you want to ensure that search users fond a high-level page, rather than a sub-page on the same topic. "noindex" is a form of mosquito repellant.

Re: Thanks for removing that thread

Reply #10 –
 
Now, that's a really useful tip. Thanks!

FWIW, suggesting the register/login system was in my mind, too. It's not that hard for one to register multiple accounts.

See this and this on a gaming forum. The first one was a Mr.Hydeish character, now abandoned, while the second one clones [abbr=the cooperative, the contributive, the helpful, the almighty, the...]me[/abbr] as all are used to seeing :) </self_plug>
 

Re: Thanks for removing that thread

Reply #11 –
Speaking of alter egos: Some Youth of America, who is evidently a Star Trek fan, wrote an imaginary Star Trek episode in which (by chance) my father was named as a Star Fleet Admiral! I found it one day when showing dad how to use the computer. I typed in his name to see if anyone on the Internet had the same name.

Alas, there is also some sort of bad boy with my name, as I found by reading the crime report in an on-line newspaper somewhere. Can't win them all.

Re: Thanks for removing that thread

Reply #12 –
When I was in college, someone who had my name owed three semesters worth of tuition.  It took nearly a semester for the university to realize that our middle names (see above) are completely different, and for them to stop harassing me.

Re: Thanks for removing that thread

Reply #13 –
Robert, at least you are the Robert Allgeyer who gets the "I'm feeling lucky" slot at google.
Sincerely,
Francis Beaumier
Green Bay, WI

Re: Thanks for removing that thread

Reply #14 –
Francis: That's why I do NOT want my full name spelled out here! It's not a secret. But if a search engine finds my name more often elsehwere (such as the NWC forum), then it will direct users to places other than my own home page. Yes, that was once the case.