Fake 911 call right here in forum - am I wrong ?

I guess at rockbottom its a statistical question.

What is the probability a cry for help is genuine.
In this case obviously pretty small.

What are the costs associated with the two sorts of error.
1. treating it as genuine when it is false.
Cost small, depending how soon all becomes clear.
2. treating it as false when it is genuine.
Cost huge, a human being likely condemned to a desperate lonely death, confiused and terrified, and being mocked while it happens.

I've forgotten my game theory, but multiply things together I think. Huge cost compensates tiny probability.

But how tiny was the probability ? I realised that, being over-sensitized, I was ill-fitted to judge. I asked. Maybe that was a mistake, but once I did I was honor bound to accept the conclusion - and I do.

And only one poster has turned up since to suggest they might have even slightly agreed with me. A poster who confessed to being similarly sensitized.

A(n)y (m)ore i(n)puts ?

oh you're so FIC snob

No offense Elle, but who the high holy hell posts that they're having a stroke on a message board when they should be dialing 911?

Personal opinion, the way I'm reading this is that you probably got offended and now are trying to justify it by saying that you really thought he was in trouble.

If you were offended, say so and leave it at that, but I have a very very hard time believing that anyone would fire up their browser, wait for the forums to load, click New Thread, and post that they're having a stroke, instead of oh pushing three buttons on their phone.

In regards to if it was offensive - well shit, I laugh at everything. I can't make a judgement call on that and hope to be representative of society at large.

Ditto
and as far as a person "taking the time to post if they are having a stroke" a stroke can happen at any time even while a person is reading forums...and if they are unable to move to the phone (often only one side of the body is paralyzed) then typing out a message one handed may be their only option....people have been saved by internet "angels" before, these things CAN and DO happen http://www.local6.com/news/2562364/detail.html I have actually seen an incident where police were called by chatters when someone was in trouble in their chatroom (however these were longtime chatmates who knew each others basic RL info) I guess my point is don't discount this as something that would never happen. I dont know Taco and would err on the side of caution just to be safe. I think its great that Taco apologized and I don't think Ellie was being too sensitive (maybe differently sensitive?) I just hope if anything like that does happen Ellie is online

I'm going to err on the side of greater caution and not tell you loonies any of my RL contact info.

For heavens sake, Cory. What was there to be offended at, if you take the possible call for help out of the equation ?

And please, maybe I was unreasonably oversensitive to the possibility of someone in trouble, but don't insult my intelligence with implying I was envisaging a ludicrous scenario such as you describe.

The only sane scenario would be - you are reading or typing on the forums, you feel peculiar, you collapse forward onto the keyboard. When you come to you are so damn paralysed you cant leave your seat. No telephone is within reach. All you can do is type and read, and they are impaired so that your language is confused and garbled. You want a video ?

OK, it's hugely unlikely, I got that wrong, and I've admitted it. Or perhaps, rather, I overestimated the degree of concern to balance that probability, but there is no need to be insulting, now, is there ? No-one but a moron would ever have visualised what you suggest I was imagining.

I am completely confused as to what you're so upset about then, at this point.

LOL sorry but this made me giggle. Anyone waiting for these forums to load lately, even on broadband.. will be really most sincerely dead. LoL @ the internets.

Pip Puff is a really sweet name

Gee, Cory, Come on, man (woman?). At you casting doubts on my directness. And at you insulting my intelligence with your silly scenario. What else could it be ? You're not doing it again with this question, are you?

gggggrrRRrRRrRRRRRRRRrrrrrrr

Phew...... that feels better !

Maybe I'm beginning to glimpse why so many of you do this "taking offense" thing so often......could be fun !

In fact - maybe I should join the "Insert Nasty Hypothetical Group Name Here".
I sometimes suspect a few people here might belong.

__________________________________________________

Ah-Ah ! Now don't jump to conclusions, children !
Remember -
Research, Research, Research

Nice

Taco is teh sexxorz

Quoting for prosperity until I can get you banned.

You were upset earlier because I deleted one of your posts in the N'burg forum but here you are hassling someone for saying something you don't like.

Two questions:

1. When did you become such a forum nanny?
   
2. Are you for or against free expression?

~Ulrika~

Did you fucking read it ?

Oh and secondly, if you ever stepped across the line so blatantly, I would just as religiously persue your banning so back off.

best system ever - i had no idea that one just had to time one's comments to get away with shite like that. Way to go LL, brilliant shift coverage.

Or is it free for all, gloves off time?

There is absolutely no comprehensive, rational, or even theoretically plausable way to respond to this post.

Dear LL Forum Moderators,

Now might be a good time to review the Replace Words feature in your forum software. This handy option allows you to automatically replace offensive or derogatory terms with alternative words or phrases of your choice.

Please review an earlier post in this thread run through the sample replacement filter used on Fark.com:



Now, we aaaaallll know what she was trying to type, making her point still abundantly clear. But with this handy (and completely automated!) built in feature, no one gets freaked out because she said the n-word on your game forums and it just sits there and sits there for hours on end and maybe some people see it and think that LL really doesn't have their game plan down for the mass public consumption deal.

Oh aren't you and Ulrika (one and the same?) so clever. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gay_Nigger_Association_of_America
I still call for your fucking banning.

Well, I guess I did expect some reaction. I found out about this organisation a little while ago when researching the history of trolling.

Personally I think everyone using this forum should read that entire section of the wikipedia, as it may cast light on some of the behaviours they may meet, including the endless exaggerated taking of offense. I was going to tell you all about this some time, I nearly started a thread about it, and then forgot.

You understand that the organisation was deliberately named to try to get exactly the reaction a few of you are providing, so that even mentioning it becomes a troll in its own right, so to speak ? It is an organisation dedicated to trolling, flaming, and the creation of the maximum conflict and mayhem in the world of forum posting and the like.

I would be very surprised if Jeska took any offence at all. None of you have any idea of the color of my skin, nor of my sexual orientation, nor should you have. You don't even know whether or not I live in a racist culture, as many people believe the USA to be, or perhaps in one of the parts of Europe, for instance, where everyone may be more laid back about these words.

There is nothing intrinsically offensive in the words themselves. The groups concerned endlessly use them about themselves and each other. Any offense can only be in the intention with which they are used. I was talking jokingly about the joy of trolling, and I remembered those who dedicate themselves to taking it to the ultimate.

I urge you to read the wikipedia. Use a bit of cardboard if necessary to shield yourself from offending content. But you may well find it a revelation, as I did, and never look at some other forum posters quite the same way again. You may also be able to think of at least one possible member, alas now (not sadly) departed.

I agree it was naughty of me to delay giving you the link, and let you fume around a little. But I did say - Research, Research, Research. Had none of you ever heard of it ?

Here it is:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gay_Niggers_Association_of_America
But do also read the wider stuff on forum trolling, which was how I found it. Really, every forum poster should know this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_troll
you'll find the link to GNAA near the end.

Calm down people. Some of your own prejudices might be just possibly be showing, particular if you find that putting the two words together exacerbates the offense you feel.

Lecktor. Instead of swearing, why don't you explain to us all why you think I did something so wrong? I'm always willing to be convinced, but I don't think you'll find it easy. But you clearly feel very strongly, and it would be interesting to know if this is just blind emotion, possibly because of bad personal experiences we would all deeply regret, or whether you see a deep principle you would like to put forward. If we get really dug in, we could start a new thread ?

Just out of curiousity Ellie, I wanted to ask you, why do you randomly alternate (sometimes within a single thread) between the British and American variants of the following words, 'practised/practiced', 'defence/defense' and 'offence/offense'?

I see, so if it is used for a greater illustrative purpose it is okay?

So if I were to create the "*edited* " organization just to make a greater point, that would be okay?

This is very valuable and fun information to know.

I would never actually create such an organization. I was just presenting a hypothetical scenario. *edited*