This is making me long for the days of TT's Book Sluts and Literary Lounge Lizards thread.

I was a hardcore lurker/semi-poster in the Eggers/Mcsweeney's thread which was just so full of funny brilliant people it was frightening. You would read a post and the next day it would be the daily entry on the Mcsweeney's page.

To this day I have my favorite TT post ever written (it's about politics) on a stickie on my desktop. I'm glad I saved it but I cannot believe I forgot to make a note of who wrote it.

Uhm. Yeah....Off to look at that pesky ol FAQ.

You know, listening to the TT talk, it makes me feel young, as I delurked during Buffy 5 on TT and often feel like an old-timer.

Of course, I was just talking to a student of mine who had assumes I was over 40 when in reality I am just 30, so I like feeling young.

Yay those of you who have the energy to do updates to the FAQ and etiquiette! I wish I had timeto help.

I lurked on the first Buffy thread, as I recall.

tina, if you transcribed it I bet one of us would recognize the post, or at least the writer's style.

And Susan, that's great to hear about Christine.

There's no obvious thing saying that it isn't the Feets making the decision.

I'm not saying the current wording is good (unless it's spelled out repreatedly elsewhere that the Stompies are merely enforcers of community will). Both points are important. Allyson can't post a warning, and I can't make one up.

if you transcribed it I bet one of us would recognize the post, or at least the writer's style.

But it's not from the buffy threads - I think it's from the Florida threads during the election chaos.

But - reading it now I really couldn't tell you why it's my favorite - it's much loftier than what I usually enjoy but it just struck me as kind of wise:

Politics, the aesthetics of mass organization, will never make anyone happy (with the possible exception of politicians), it can only make things "less worse." Culture and art, consistently make individuals happy, but can never change the world. The key is for each of us to be engaged in each. In politics because we are members of a group and sub-groups and are biologically indistinct. In art because our minds are, in their darkest hours, alone and discreet. Politics because our selves are meaningless, Art because, in spite of that, they are all we have. We are molecules held together by the tension of wanting to collapse in on ourselves and the opposing desire to spin-off as far from ourselves as possible.

Both points are important. Allyson can't post a warning, and I can't make one up.

Yes, precisely. I just want people to understand. Of course, I have no suggestion for better text.

I think Sophie makes excellent points, and I do think that newbies would be better served first reading the site etiquette, rather than the FAQ, before "joining in the fun." People looking to learn their way around a new place may look for a FAQ

Too true. For myself, it never occurred to me that the FAQ would not be an ideal place to start before reading the board, but you're right.

Consistent demon-like behavior may earn a warning from the Stompy Feet. If you don't listen to the warning, you will be suspended for two months. And if you come back unreformed, you will be banned. Banning is rare and very much a last resort.

OK, how about like this?

Demon-like behavior may lead to an Action by the community (link to something that explains the whole thing). Someone will tell you in-thread if you have gone over the line. If you do it again, it may be brought up in Bureaucracy (again with the linking), and may lead to a suspension. And if you come back unreformed, you will be banned. Banning is rare and very much a last resort.

How about the NAFDA suddenly expands to 32-point type when you do a mouseover and shrieks like Wesley in Buffy S3?

In future, please wait until I'm not wolfing down a crunchy-crusted mouthful of vegetarian pizza before posting something like that. You nearly killed me!