Happy New Year, everyone! I hope that 2005 is a fruitful geocaching year for all!

I wanted to take a moment and mention something that I think needs mentioning. Please take this all with a grain of salt, and not as a comment geared towards anyone in particular. Rick -- I hope I'm not overstepping my bounds by writing this message. If so, let me know. :)

Back in the late 80's/early 90's, I ran a computer bulletin board. Before the internet, this is where everyone met online to share messages, files, games, etc using a dialup modem. The internet has since killed this. *sigh* I miss those days. ANYWAY. I learned a lot in those days, that really can carry-over to systems like geocachingmaine. Rick et al do an amazing job here, but we the people are what make it blossom.

One of the things I learned "back in the day", was that e-mail and forum messages need to be taken with a grain of salt. You have no idea what the message poster's attitude or intent was by reading a message. It is hard to convey a tone or inflection in an e-mail. What I may say in jest may be completely misunderstood (or Miss Understood, as my message title says) and can be blown out of proportion so easily. I'm just starting to notice a few messages in the forums where I can sense some anger building, and I don't want that to happen. Everyone on this site is an integral and important piece to the larger puzzle. We don't need fighting and warring amongst us.

Here are a few things I think will help alleviate this:

1. Use "Smilies". Smilies were originally designed to help other users tell when they were trying to say something funny, or tongue-in-cheek. If you are posting something that may be sarcastic, funny, or tongue-in-cheek, throw in a smiley so that people will know that that is your intent.

2. Use Italics. Italics and bold are other things that can help convey your true meaning.

3. Use acronyms. "LOL" and "ROFL" are among the acroymns used to denote laughing ("Laughing Out Loud" and "Rolling On Floor Laughing"). Again, this more clearly helps the reader understand the intent of your message or statement.

4. Go with the flow. Take EVERYTHING you read with a grain of salt.

5. Have fun, but don't push buttons. It's easy to get into a message war. Learn when to let things go. It's not worth it.

Here's an example of how misundestandings happen. THIS IS JUST AN EXAMPLE
Misunderstood statement: You guys are so annoying.
Better: You guys are so annoying! ;)

Doesn't the second statement really convey a completely different meaning?

There's a lot more that could be said, but just keep these few things in mind. I don't want to see something good go sour. I think the world of all of you. I don't post messages very often, but I do read the forums here almost daily.

Take care, and have a peaceful 2005. :p

Rick-- there seems to be a limit to the number of image tags (smilies/italics/bold/etc) that you can use in a message -- can this be bumped up? I'm at the limit with this message! ;)

-Randy
"RanMan22"

Great message, RanMan!

:D

I've also been online since the mid-80's, and have seen a lot of changes in the internet. You're absolutely correct that emotion/intent/etc is hard to express online, and is the main reason why "emoticons" - the predecessor of "smilies" were created.

Hey! Since the next caching event is going to be at a deli - wouldn't that be a great time for a food fight? ROTFLMAO!

Thank you RanMan22, well said. I take everything with a grain of salt that I read on the internet. But your statements are 100% accurate.

Ha! ha!! :D So it's not so much what you say as how you :p "emoticon" it! :D 'Nuf said!! I like the idea of a "food fight" Bruce...right after the "eating competition." :D

Thank you Randy!!

Having recently been part of such an incident where my comment, meant in jest, was misunderstood or Miss Understood ;) , I appreciate that you put this out there. A gentle reminder is a great thing and I appreciate your willingness to share! My personal take away from my political statement situation is to remember that very few people here really know me and understand that most everything that comes out of my mouth is in jest, therefore I either need to refrain from comments in jest (which will be hard for me - LOL!!) or be more clear that they are intended in such a way. Unfortunately, I sometimes learn the hard way, but the good news is that I usually do learn! Again - Thanks Randy - I've wanted to say this and your comment provided me with the perfect segway!!!

Happy New Year to all!

And when all else fails, paintball the smiley faces at http://www.gamescraze.com/games/?g=paint.swf

All opinions are accepted at face value!! :D :D

cudos to the Ran Man.. Life is much to short. All of us are however intitled to our opinion, but the reality of it is, no one has to listen..

If Ran Man's comment was about my always bragging how much I like my DNF logs on my caches, I am sorry. I really thought you all knew how much it pains me to see people log DNFs on my caches.

Oops, forgot the smiley! :D

Hey - BRDAD -

Here's an article about some neat cache containers you might find useful!

:cool:

http://www.negeocaching.com/modules/AMS/article.php?storyid=78

Oops, forgot the smiley! :D

I was just about to reply to your first message to tell you this, then I saw your second message. :)


-RanMan22

Very nIce Job RanMan. I all to often also forget that the intent might have be funny or sarcastic. But the internet is a great way for all to enjoy the same adventure without having to be at that very spot. I would hate to see it getting spoiled or have someones feelings get hurt because of a joke.


Thanks for the effort put in to your post
Dave

With all thats going on ( :) ), I thought it might be a good idea to bump this thread back on the "new posts" list.

We're all friends here, with a common hobby! Let's have fun, and don't take things too seriously -- life is too short. :) :) :) :)

-RanMan22

Oh sure, go away for two years and them come back and tell everyone how to post.


Or should that be ..
Oh sure, go away for two years and them come back and tell everyone how to post. :D

I'm actually thinking we should have a rule here where we can only post things that the people reading would like to hear. :p

I'm actually thinking we should have a rule here where we can only post things that the people reading would like to hear. :p

Sheesh! That would sure shut Hiram and me up! LOL! :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

Oh sure, go away for two years and them come back and tell everyone how to post.


Or should that be ..
Oh sure, go away for two years and them come back and tell everyone how to post. :D

I'm actually thinking we should have a rule here where we can only post things that the people reading would like to hear. :p


<BIG GRIN> :D :D :D

-RanMan22

P.S. I never go away...I just lurk in the shadows. ;-)

Sheesh! That would sure shut Hiram and me up! LOL! :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

Speaking of Hiram where is he . . . haven't "heard" from him in a few days now. Mighty quiet in here . . . .;)

With all thats going on ( :) ), I thought it might be a good idea to bump this thread back on the "new posts" list.

We're all friends here, with a common hobby! Let's have fun, and don't take things too seriously -- life is too short. :) :) :) :)

-RanMan22

Well said . . . there are way too many things to truly get worked up about and to take seriously and I'm afraid to say that geocaching is not one of those things.

. . . I'm afraid to say that geocaching is not one of those things.

I was beginning to wonder, but thank you for clarifying. ;-)

-RanMan22

I was beginning to wonder, but thank you for clarifying. ;-)

-RanMan22

? :confused:

I'm not quite sure what you mean by this statement.

? :confused:

I'm not quite sure what you mean by this statement.


LOL -- sorry. I only quoted part of what you said. You said, "there are way too many things to truly get worked up about and to take seriously and I'm afraid to say that geocaching is not one of those things." -- and, I was agreeing with you -- I just didn't word it well. :-)

-RanMan22

And so, FFJ - you have met "Miss Understanding" - lol - it is waaaaaaaaaaay to easy to confuse things when it is in this type of communication!

And so, FFJ - you have met "Miss Understanding" - lol - it is waaaaaaaaaaay to easy to confuse things when it is in this type of communication!

...And I was SO disappointed with myself that it happened -- especially in this thread, by ME! *sigh*

-RanMan22

LOL -- sorry. I only quoted part of what you said. You said, "there are way too many things to truly get worked up about and to take seriously and I'm afraid to say that geocaching is not one of those things." -- and, I was agreeing with you -- I just didn't word it well. :-)

-RanMan22

Ah I see . . . for a minute I thought maybe I had somehow offended you in some way although I realized that I may have misunderstood your post -- ironically enough.

And so, FFJ - you have met "Miss Understanding" - lol - it is waaaaaaaaaaay to easy to confuse things when it is in this type of communication!

Ah yes . . . IMs, PMs, e-mails and BBS messages are fine, but they just do not convey the subtle nuances of the unspoken language that we all clue in on as we converse tete-a-tete.

...And I was SO disappointed with myself that it happened -- especially in this thread, by ME! *sigh*

-RanMan22

No problem . . . sometimes we're the pot and sometimes we're the kettle. I know I have typed stuff before that has been misunderstood.

<BIG GRIN> :D :D :D

-RanMan22

P.S. I never go away...I just lurk in the shadows. ;-)

Well, it's nice to have you visible again! Your comments are very timely and well expressed. Thanks for that.

Now, get back to work!

:D Oh, wait. That's "get back to work":D :D :p ;) :cool: :eek:

:D Oh, wait. That's "get back to work":D :D :p ;) :cool: :eek:

Either way (with or without the smilies), I am ON VACATION -- no work!! :D :D :D :D


-RanMan22

Happy New Year, everyone! I hope that 2005 is a fruitful geocaching year for all!

I wanted to take a moment and mention something that I think needs mentioning. Please take this all with a grain of salt, and not as a comment geared towards anyone in particular. Rick -- I hope I'm not overstepping my bounds by writing this message. If so, let me know. :)

Back in the late 80's/early 90's, I ran a computer bulletin board. Before the internet, this is where everyone met online to share messages, files, games, etc using a dialup modem. The internet has since killed this. *sigh* I miss those days. ANYWAY. I learned a lot in those days, that really can carry-over to systems like geocachingmaine. Rick et al do an amazing job here, but we the people are what make it blossom.

One of the things I learned "back in the day", was that e-mail and forum messages need to be taken with a grain of salt. You have no idea what the message poster's attitude or intent was by reading a message. It is hard to convey a tone or inflection in an e-mail. What I may say in jest may be completely misunderstood (or Miss Understood, as my message title says) and can be blown out of proportion so easily. I'm just starting to notice a few messages in the forums where I can sense some anger building, and I don't want that to happen. Everyone on this site is an integral and important piece to the larger puzzle. We don't need fighting and warring amongst us.

Here are a few things I think will help alleviate this:

1. Use "Smilies". Smilies were originally designed to help other users tell when they were trying to say something funny, or tongue-in-cheek. If you are posting something that may be sarcastic, funny, or tongue-in-cheek, throw in a smiley so that people will know that that is your intent.

2. Use Italics. Italics and bold are other things that can help convey your true meaning.

3. Use acronyms. "LOL" and "ROFL" are among the acroymns used to denote laughing ("Laughing Out Loud" and "Rolling On Floor Laughing"). Again, this more clearly helps the reader understand the intent of your message or statement.

4. Go with the flow. Take EVERYTHING you read with a grain of salt.

5. Have fun, but don't push buttons. It's easy to get into a message war. Learn when to let things go. It's not worth it.

Here's an example of how misundestandings happen. THIS IS JUST AN EXAMPLE
Misunderstood statement: You guys are so annoying.
Better: You guys are so annoying! ;)

Doesn't the second statement really convey a completely different meaning?

There's a lot more that could be said, but just keep these few things in mind. I don't want to see something good go sour. I think the world of all of you. I don't post messages very often, but I do read the forums here almost daily.

Take care, and have a peaceful 2005. :p

Rick-- there seems to be a limit to the number of image tags (smilies/italics/bold/etc) that you can use in a message -- can this be bumped up? I'm at the limit with this message! ;)

-Randy
"RanMan22"


Can't everybody play nice? :confused: