Dragging things in from other threads.

[Hijinks]

I agree with what others have said here, especially Shores.  However, I will add that I don't actually keep track of anyone's personal things on this board.  So if PosterXYZ is pregnant and mentions it in every single thread she posts in, it just doesn't register on my radar.  But then, I don't read a whole lot of threads, just in certain sections.

The one thing that DOES bother me, which is kind of the opposite of what's being posted here, is when someone assigns an obscure name to someone in their family, and posts constantly about "Bob" and assumes that readers of their post will know who Bob is.  I actually don't, and it bugs me to see Bob come up over and over again with no explanation of who Bob is.  Just my personal pet peeve LOL ... so I actually like a bit of clarification, at least in that aspect.

[bobsyouruncle]

Hijinks - I'm kinda insulted you can't remember that Bob's my uncle    (I'm not making fun of you I just couldn't help myself)

[SiotehCat]

I know this probably doesn't need to be said, but I just won't feel right until I do.

I am not a cat activist. I love cats and I have said before that I wouldn't be around someone that hated them, but I am not an activist. When I was younger, I was very involved in animal rights, but I haven't been that involved in years.

[hobish]

I think that posting here is like talking in real life. You can't to say one thing on Monday, and have it be completely separate from what you said on Tuesday.

I think it's fair to bring up contradictions as discussion points - "Why are you upset about what the Jetsons did, when you said in another thread that the Flintstones did almost the same thing, and you supported them completely? Is there a justifiable difference that you can explain here?"

It's not fair to bring up things that are not related - "You were upset by the Jetsons? Well, you once said you don't like cats, so what do you know?"

I like that analogy. I think the “dragging” works for good, too, not just to argue, as some people said upthread. Context works for a lot of things other than knowing not to ask Aeris about cooking steak or something like that. There are lots of little details that give nuances to people’s personalities and reasons for why they might think a certain way. It’s great to get the viewpoint of a lot of different backgrounds, and you’re going to learn that about posters from other posts and other threads. And sometimes it is relevant to cross-reference, I think. While it’s smart to obscure details that might make something seem a little skewed, too much of that makes a poster doubtable. Personally I would rather someone question me about it than write me off as terminally befuddled or an outright liar – that doesn’t mean that every question for clarification is calling someone a confused liar, it just means that clarification would help.

[hobish]

I know this probably doesn't need to be said, but I just won't feel right until I do.

I am not a cat activist. I love cats and I have said before that I wouldn't be around someone that hated them, but I am not an activist. When I was younger, I was very involved in animal rights, but I haven't been that involved in years.

Mmmm...the lady doth protest too much...i bet you hate cats.

 

[hobish]

Hijinks - I'm kinda insulted you can't remember that Bob's my uncle    (I'm not making fun of you I just couldn't help myself)

That is seriously funny 
...and that is about the 3d time recently i have heard the complaint about obscure  names. That along with the influx of new people makes me think i will have to call Gish Mr. hobish again to be clear. It's fair enough, i am just resisting because he is Gish to me in my head now sometimes, too

[blue2000]

Hijinks - I'm kinda insulted you can't remember that Bob's my uncle    (I'm not making fun of you I just couldn't help myself)

That is seriously funny 
...and that is about the 3d time recently i have heard the complaint about obscure  names. That along with the influx of new people makes me think i will have to call Gish Mr. hobish again to be clear. It's fair enough, i am just resisting because he is Gish to me in my head now sometimes, too

I think if you are saying something like "Gish made me dinner tonight" most people can get the gist of it.

Unless he tried to poison you last night, in which case we are back to "Why did you let him cook when you said in the other thread..."

[RegionMom]

Hijinks - I'm kinda insulted you can't remember that Bob's my uncle    (I'm not making fun of you I just couldn't help myself)

But...wouldn't the name "Bob's your uncle" mean that Bob is, Hijink's uncle?!?   

[Betelnut]

The only time I would be tempted to do this (drag something in from another thread) is if someone admitted to having a heavy foot on the gas pedal who is also someone who is always a firm stickler for rules.  That is, they love driving fast but is someone who gets upset if someone has 13 items in the express lane or if someone lets her kid ride in the grocery store baskets.  But the thing is, I don't track these things, so I would never know if that is the case anyway!

[Perfect Circle]

I have almost photographic memory - I remember a lot of posts by a lot of people from threads years ago, when I was just a lurker, and from my time on the board. Sometimes I see inconsistency but the thing is that people are inconsistent. We change our minds regularly. So I would never go into a thread and point out that someone has changed their mind from three years ago - what's the point? I know my opinions and thoughts on certain things change over time.

The only time I see any point on questioning someone when the details on their stories are changing very dramatically and inconsistently. I will report that kind of thing when I see it.

[Animala]

I have almost photographic memory - I remember a lot of posts by a lot of people from threads years ago, when I was just a lurker, and from my time on the board. Sometimes I see inconsistency but the thing is that people are inconsistent. We change our minds regularly. So I would never go into a thread and point out that someone has changed their mind from three years ago - what's the point? I know my opinions and thoughts on certain things change over time.

The only time I see any point on questioning someone when the details on their stories are changing very dramatically and inconsistently. I will report that kind of thing when I see it.

I envy your memory.

[Perfect Circle]

I have almost photographic memory - I remember a lot of posts by a lot of people from threads years ago, when I was just a lurker, and from my time on the board. Sometimes I see inconsistency but the thing is that people are inconsistent. We change our minds regularly. So I would never go into a thread and point out that someone has changed their mind from three years ago - what's the point? I know my opinions and thoughts on certain things change over time.

The only time I see any point on questioning someone when the details on their stories are changing very dramatically and inconsistently. I will report that kind of thing when I see it.

I envy your memory.

It's not always fun - my brain is sometimes filled with so much useless trivia it isn't amusing. But it's also really handy on some areas, like work and my quiz league team.

[Nora]

*Drifts off in floaty daydream about having PerfectCircles memory, and using it for studying*

*Looks at books*

Sigh...

[angilamae]

i need that memory for MY quiz league team.  Perfect Circle, you dont live in the Seattle area and are free on Tuesdays are you? 

I am one who gets mixed up and generally cant remember who said what in what thread.  I also prefer if someone preface's who someone is that they talk about alot.  Say the bob example.  I have no idea who bob is.  Some I remember better if they are someone wierdly named like k'nnihve.

Hobish-I do remember Gish (its a fun word to say) so dont fret   plus like someone said, the context makes most things pretty clear

[Allyson]

I don't like when people say things like 'oh, it's so creepy you're keeping track of what I say' or 'why would you bother going back and rereading my threads, you have no life' sort of implications..some people just DO have really good memories, like Perfect Circle, or me for conversations (not so much the written word, but I can tell someone exactly what they said in a conversation a year ago..)

Sometimes it's hard not to keep in mind what someone's said before--we aren't all anonymous, and people do get 'identities' which I think is nice..that I can tell some things about posters. As long as it doesn't get out of hand. It can also be genuine curiosity, ie 'you said X here but Y here, what is the difference?" I've wanted to ask questions like that, but b een afraid I'd come off snarky when I really am just wanting to know!