Terminalcoffee discussion

Since the moderators didn't bother telling you, you might want to know! The group has changed from a public group, open to all, to a private group.

"This is a private group. Members must be invited or approved by the group's moderator."

How does this affect you, if you are already a member? Well, if you leave the group, you may not be welcomed back in, since moderator(s) will have to approve your entry.

If you are an unpopular or hated member of TC, you may want to bear this in mind.

Perhaps GR has forced the change. Maybe the mods haven't had a chance to make a comment yet. I know GR has made other changes, age related, that have affected other groups within the last 24 hours.

If it was the mods choice, I respect their decision. I am sure they would have avoided it if they could. They have shown an unwillingness to make it private in the past.

LG - what was the real point of your "announcement"?

It's Ed's fault.

Do we really have "hated" members?

Good thing all of my sock puppets are already members.

You may have noticed a marked decline in the number of troll and sock puppet posts recently. Those are the only people we have been rejecting. Everyone else is approved.

Kevin wrote: "LG - what was the real point of your "announcement"?"

Good question.

Susan wrote: "Do we really have "hated" members?"

I have no hate for anyone in this group, only love... and fierce determination to make the grumps and curmudgeons of the world smile a bit more. Sock puppets make me grumpy, though. In those cases, I need a Heidi to cheer me up.

Yeah. Sock puppets are grump makers for sure. I like your fierce determination to enforce smiles. A Heidi cheer up thread should be instituted, if one does not already exist.

Ummm, what are sock puppets and trolls? I've been away for quite a while and picked today to catch up.....

::glomps Barb and Misha::

I did and do bound all around. :D

It is an unrealistic though admirable goal to keep everyone happy all of the time. Keeping TC safe and yummy to be apart of is a job all the moderators do very well, in my opinion. I also agree with all that Gail and Misha have said. Our moderators are kick ass awesome!

Ha! Oh. I was ready to pass the cheese tray in this thread, too.

Kevin wrote: "LG - what was the real point of your "announcement"?"

To let members know there had been a change. The moderators should have, but since they didn't, I took it upon myself. I consider it a major change when a group has always been public and open to all comers, and then suddenly is private and exclusive. There is no other "real point" besides that.

Susan wrote: "Do we really have "hated" members?"

Yes.

Heidi wrote: "This is a very bizarre thread. What was your motivation in posting this, LG? It seems very aggressive to have started a discussion of this sort in the way you did. I take no issue with making an..."

It may seem aggressive, but I didn't intend it to be. I think when there's a change in policy, it should be announced. When it's not announced, it comes across as something secretive and ulterior. I think openness and transparency should be a priority. That's all.

I get why the group was temporarily made private, and I really do hope it's only temporary, but private groups make me uncomfortable. It has the connotation of a secret club, a secret society. That you have to pass some kind of test before you're deemed acceptable. It feels inherently a little hostile. Like a country club where only rich, white people can get in. Or golf clubs or social clubs that only admit men.

It has the connotation of a secret club, a secret society. That you have to pass some kind of test before you're deemed acceptable. It feels inherently a little hostile. Like a country club where only rich, white people can get in. Or golf clubs or social clubs that only admit men..."

I understand the sentiment and sympathize but think it may be somewhat misplaced in this instance. TC is more like a haphazardly constructed hobo encampment that has belatedly built a moat and drawbridge around itself using ashcan lids and tree limbs after being raided by the tougher, meaner hobos who reside down the way. The moderators did what they thought right in responding to a longstanding and corrosive abuse--well done, imho.--and probably matters will sort themselves out as time goes on.

Thank you Jonathan.

I love the hobo camp description. That is so good Jonathan.

::hits tin can with stick to scare off meanie hobos::

Lobstergirl wrote: "It may seem aggressive, but I didn't intend it to be. I think when there's a change in policy, it should be announced. When it's not announced, it comes across as something secretive and ulterior. I think openness and transparency should be a priority. That's all. "

LG, just for thought another way to have handled this may have been to start the thread with possibly a less aggressive approach like - "Hey Mods, I noticed that this group is now private did something happen or why the change?"

Jim, perhaps I should have done it that way.

On top of yesterday's sudden change in 18+ group rules, and Goodreads making the change without notifying anyone (as they are wont to do, make a change and then when users are surprised and outraged, appear and apologize that they didn't notify people in advance - when they almost never notify anyone in advance of anything, so their apologies always seem disingenuous), it felt like an excess of secrecy and lack of transparency and not-being-notified across the site.

GR made changes yesterday?!

If a group is 18+, members now have to enter a birthdate to "prove" they are over 18. But no one was notified, and a bunch of people couldn't access their groups.

Lobstergirl wrote: "If a group is 18+, members now have to enter a birthdate to "prove" they are over 18. But no one was notified, and a bunch of people couldn't access their groups."

Wow! I have a birthday? I thought I sprang fully formed from the sea . . . :)

I'm just glad that Ed & Co. are gone. They are gone, right?

Félix wrote: "I'm just glad that Ed & Co. are gone. They are gone, right?"

To the best of our knowledge yes.

Jonathan wrote: "The moderators did what they thought right in responding to a longstanding and corrosive abuse--well done, imho.--and probably matters will sort themselves out as time goes on."

Love you Jonathan! Usually when people say "imho" it bugs the begingoes out of me. Usually because they are being a pratt! You however I know are being humble about it. Love!


I think I received a friend request from one of Eds Co's. I suspected the person of trying to build up his friends prior to joining the group.

http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/14... This guy Jack. I agreed to the friendship ('cause I never say no) but was exceptionally nervous about it at the time.

I hate being suspicious of people. :(

::sigh:: Thanks Bun. I'd been keeping an eye on it. Just in case it wiggled.

All that Ed shit had me crazy paranoid and freaked out. Fucking weirdo.

You were awesome Susan. There was no way I would have survived the Ed bashing you received.

Gail wrote: "I'd been keeping an eye on it. Just in case it wiggled."

TWSS

:)

Gail wrote: "You were awesome Susan. There was no way I would have survived the Ed bashing you received."

Eh. It wasn't so bad. I was maybe indignant or a little hurt for a few seconds after I realized how awful of a thing it is to be considered an E-anything but nobody knew me. Then I just wanted to put everybody in a bubble with little and protect all of you.

Besides what I gained was more than well worth it.

This is my private (new) page.

Hey! Put that thing away!

Wooo!

::Glomps Dubs::

Susan wrote: "Hey! Put that thing away!"

TWSS

::Starts carding people for Phil's private page show::

Yay. This is a private 18+ group. Let's keep all those OTHERS out. I feel much more comfortable now.

We've already discussed that in this thread, Scout. We're not an 18+ group and we're not keeping others out, just Ed and his army of sockpuppets.

what does this mean? exactly? I remember that I had to get TC's approval before I signed up?

Scout wrote: "Yay. This is a private 18+ group. Let's keep all those OTHERS out. I feel much more comfortable now."

hey Scout, I may be fake (in your opinion) but this is the internet after all. I get all your points about my thread about the Gyllenhaals, I might have been sloppy with the content, but don't go around and attack people. You don't know me and I don't know you.

I really like that it is private, now. It feels even more like a safe little haven to me. I don't feel like it is exclusive or snubbing since it really isn't as the moderators are letting people in and only keeping bad people out. We have bouncers and people working the door. That is cool and a sacrifice of our moderator's time which I greatly appreciate.

***I deleted my next post which was a picture of little***

HA! Heidi, she is a HE!! :D

I keep his locks long and so we get that all the time.

Little is scrumptious!

Silly girls. I would hate to annoy the becrapus out of you. I wonder if little will have girls trying to call him too late at night and I will have to say things like "It is 9 o'clock and much too late for little to be on the phone"!
I was the nitwit younger sister that fawned over my older brother's friends.

And in Paul Frank jammies, no less! :)

Exactly!

He is adorable Susan.