Second Post / Parameters

Monday, Jan. 12, 2009 - 7:09 a.m.

(Friends, in a rare second post of the day, Something Has Happened Somewhere, and although it's been dealt with at this point, I still am compelled to address an ongoing issue I've been having. This post is not for most of you, honest it's not. Please don't take offense. Thanks.)

The people who know me are well aware that I am pretty reasonable most things. But I'm forced by some recent circumstances to clarify something about the use of my comments section.

My comments section is NOT nor has it EVER been a place to practice your high school debate tactics or decompress if you've had a shitty day, or curse me out for my opinions.

If I ever said anything to you to make you believe otherwise, please accept my apology. It's not a free-for-all, and frankly, I don't see the point of paying for the privelege of getting yelled at.

I'm now going to reprint the small print at the bottom of each entry page in a big enough font so that you can see it, with an emphasis on the part that is the most important for everybody to understand. It's been there for awhile, but based on some recent activity in my comments section, (that got deleted before most of you saw it) I'm pretty certain at least some folks out there didn't read it. So here it is:

THE LEGAL STUFF: All content on this site that was created by me is copyright 2003-2009 Brin-Marie McLaughlin. Steal my stuff and I'll squash you like a bug. This diary features the sole opinions and experiences of one person, namely me, the person who is paying for the space. All incoming email is subject to publication or other distribution by me in whole or in part at my sole discretion. Anything else on these pages including any comments belongs to whoever created it. The comments section is part of my paid presence on the web, and is used by my readership to supplement the things I have written here with relevent information in a polite manner. Comments that do not fall in that category are subject to deletion at my whim. Your use of my comments section constitutes the understanding of this statement. All external links are current as of the date of the entry in which they are featured. News excerpts used here are for educational purposes and are permitted under the Fair Use Doctrine.

Thanks for reading.

And thanks to those who have chosen to abide by those parameters anyway from day one.

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Now then, as to whether or not I'm visible in this messenger program or that one?... and if I am, will I talk to you?

It depends on how busy I am, and whether or not I see your message.

Several years ago, I got completely fed up with all of the ding-dongs and knock-knocks and door-slams and jingle bells and sound effects of all of the messenger services I used. When that happened -- I turned off all of my sounds. I *also* gerrymandered them so that when somebody pings, the messenger window in question does NOT leap forward to the front of whatever it is I'm doing, because most of the time I'm in a writing frenzy and I've had more than a few instances of accidentally filling somebody's IM window as it comes to the front with only part of whatever it is I was writing, or worse, deep in the middle of a conversation I'm having with somebody else. I think the most interesting non-sequitur IM window I filled up said something along the lines of "You just watch; that frog is going to turn out to be Micky Dolenz!" The joyous part of *this* error was that the person I had accidentally sent this to did NOT want an explanation, preferring to fill in the details for himself.

Anyway -- during the past several months, I've been transitioning my deadtree writing from where it was living, and it's now over on this computer, at long last. Things have changed especially dramatically in the last month or so; I'm in the process of learning new software and completing some deadtree writing requests, so it's taking up my attention over here on the same laptop with which I use to surf the web.

Most of the time when you see me online -- I'm trying to research what I'm deadtree writing about.

If you see me online, but I haven't messaged you, it means I am busy. If you need to send me a ping, start with asking if I'm too busy to talk, okay? And then please wait at least two minutes for a response, because I'm still on a land line, and if you want to hear back from me, patience is requested on your end because it's fucking mandatory on MY end.

If I miss your chat window, please do not take offense. I'll leave you a ping if I've missed you, honest I will.

Sometimes I do have to use the messenger services and ask my colleagues about various issues. But I still have my sounds off.

This is the online equivalent of turning the answering machine off, and turning the ringer off of the phone. Which is largely how I have utilized telephones throughout my life anyway. These messenger programs, like all of the phones I've ever used in my life, are there for *my* convenience -- and this is more of a work computer than it has ever been before.

If you don't see me where you think you should be seeing me, it's nothing personal. Throw me an email if you have something to say. :-)

Thanks for your understanding.

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Okay, that's it. If you missed today's earlier post, here's the permalink.

Thanks for reading me twice today.

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THE LEGAL STUFF: All content on this site that was created by me is copyright 2003-infinity by Brin Marie McLaughlin. Steal my stuff and I'll squash you like a bug. All incoming email or any other form of communication with me is subject to publication or other distribution by me in whole or in part at my sole discretion. This diary features the sole opinions and experiences of one person, namely me, the person who is paying for this space. In the interest of safety and accountability, no anonymous input will ever be allowed here, ever, for any reason in the entire history of ever. Whenever there is a comments section appearing in this diary, it's to be considered part of my paid presence on the web, and shall be used by my readership to supplement the things I have written here with relevant information in a polite manner. Comments that do not fall in that category are subject to deletion at my whim. Your visit to my diary along with your use of my comments section constitutes the understanding of this statement. Anything else on these pages including any comments belongs to whoever created it. All external links are current as of the date of the entry in which they are first featured, but at no other time. News excerpts used here are for educational purposes and are permitted under the Fair Use Doctrine. Hold hands when you cross the street, and play nice.