Article

2006-08-10 Fifth Column

The Dumbing Down of Rantburgers' Comments - can we reverse the trend?

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Posted by Yosemite Sam 2006-08-10 10:23|| || Front Page|| [11131 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 The wise cracks are part of the reason I like Rantburg so much, why I've been coming here for three or four years now: the hard news mixed with opinion, extra knowledge, and wit.

However, I do know what you mean - before I took a long lurking spell, I remember all sorts of interesting discussions. I see a few of those, but often the article is far more informative than the things that have been said. Even the number of comments seems to be a fraction of what it once was.

And I miss .com's entertaining takes; whatever happened to him?

Posted by The Doctor">The Doctor 2006-08-10 10:50|| 2006-08-10 10:50|| Front Page Top

#2 I agree and miss .com, the uber commentator here for several years.

YS is right. If you have information to add then do so, but there is way too much (self-)ego massaging here these days.

Try to stick to facts, analysis and considered opinion. Some people here can be clever, ironic and funny, but most of us are not that good at it.

Posted by phil_b">phil_b 2006-08-10 11:00|| http://autonomousoperation.blogspot.com/]">[http://autonomousoperation.blogspot.com/] 2006-08-10 11:00|| Front Page Top

#3 I agree about the trend. Part of it is events. I have noticed that the quality of comments declines when little is going on in the world. Participants also change and not beneficially. This is not exclusive to RB, either. Another is the broadening of the articles accepted. Articles are accepted now that would have been booted years ago when the focus was much more narrow. I sense a Ph.D. thesis on the phenomenon of decline in blog comment quality.

Posted by Nimble Spemble 2006-08-10 11:02|| 2006-08-10 11:02|| Front Page Top

#4 idea: is it time to form a Dumbing Down committee?

Posted by RD 2006-08-10 11:07|| 2006-08-10 11:07|| Front Page Top

#5 Does that mean no more 'Good Morning' articles? Those threads consist of mostly 'lame wisecracks' about towels and stuff...

I do agree that the quality of some of the comments are declining. (and yes, I have made my own contribution to that trend - I will try to do better. :)

On the other paw some of the 'classics' threads have been great stress relievers :). I enjoy some of the better wisecracks - others (even my own) have been plain dumb.

I guess the ultimate judge would be Fred and the moderators.

Posted by CrazyFool 2006-08-10 11:11|| 2006-08-10 11:11|| Front Page Top

#6 I'm not one of the oldtimers but even I've been around long enough to miss Dan Darling's comments which had tons of useful information and analysis.

Posted by Odysseus 2006-08-10 11:11|| 2006-08-10 11:11|| Front Page Top

#7 Dan's gone professional. Think of it as Local Yokel Makes Good in the Big Time.

Posted by Nimble Spemble 2006-08-10 11:14|| 2006-08-10 11:14|| Front Page Top

#8 #4 idea: is it time to form a Dumbing Down committee? Posted by: RD 2006-08-10 11:07

Climate survey?
Sensitivity training link?

Posted by Besoeker 2006-08-10 11:16|| 2006-08-10 11:16|| Front Page Top

#9 Fine...

Look at the recent Stratfor spircy theory of everthing and dicuss it. Then the left uses it as ammo to pilory any action as usless.

How about this:

We copy Alexander and cut the Gordian Knot of the MidEast/Islam instead of trying to untie it?

Posted by 3dc 2006-08-10 11:30|| 2006-08-10 11:30|| Front Page Top

#10 Besoeker, thanks!

Posted by RD 2006-08-10 11:35|| 2006-08-10 11:35|| Front Page Top

#11 So, now RB is an exclusive club? I had hoped that RB would be receptive of others that have a common interest in current events. If someone makes a comment that is not of your high intellect, maybe you should look at it as a different approach to a streesful subject. Some people deal with stress through humor. When I started reading RB I told myself "here are people of a same mind set that can help me understand and provide insight to the events going on today", but now I feel like Rodney Dangerfield in Caddishack. We will try to not disturb your sense of intellect Judge Smells, and we'll make sure to hold our pinkies up when we drink from our "whine" glasses.

Posted by DESNC 2006-08-10 11:45|| 2006-08-10 11:45|| Front Page Top

#12 It's going to get serious soon enough, I like comments that make me protect my screen.

The calm before the storm.

Posted by anonymous2u 2006-08-10 11:47|| 2006-08-10 11:47|| Front Page Top

#13 It is a communists plot to drive you insane.

Posted by DarthVader 2006-08-10 11:49|| 2006-08-10 11:49|| Front Page Top

#14 Self-absorbed geniuses are amusing in themselves.

Posted by SamAdamsky 2006-08-10 11:52|| 2006-08-10 11:52|| Front Page Top

#15 Well, if you cannot limit your snark to two sentences...

Posted by TomAnon 2006-08-10 12:03|| 2006-08-10 12:03|| Front Page Top

#16 Serious discussion? That's what we have Joe M for.

Posted by Thoth 2006-08-10 12:17|| 2006-08-10 12:17|| Front Page Top

#17 Should I dump page 5? Page 3? The bloid? The Opinion page? I'm open to suggestions.

When I started out, the 'Burg was pretty compact. August 10,2002 we had 14 posts. August 10, 2003 we had 25 posts. The same day in 2004 we had 100 and last year about the same. It's harder to keep up with that number -- even to understand all that's going on. There are more news sources, and there's more going on that the public hears about.

We've lost some best-loved commenters: .com, TGA, Lucky, Not Mike Moore, Mark Espinola, Tom Roberts and others have moved on for one reason or another. Dan's moved on to a new job that keeps him away from blogging. Chuck Simmins, Mike Calderon, Old Patriot, Phil F. and others are occupied with their own blogs and don't comment as much.

Luckily we're a movable feast. When things heat up or we get Instalanched we pick up new readers and commenters, and some stay, with one or two joining the core of the community. AP and Frank G and Pappy and the rest are always here, as are JFM, A5089, phil_b, tw, liberalhawk, and a host of others.

There are times when I get tired, and then my in-line comments are fewer and further between. A lot of times I'll let the picture or the sidebar make the comment for me. All the mods go through periods where they slack off from the 'Burg to enjoy their lives or to concentrate on their jobs.

I'm going to take a couple weeks off myself soon -- I've been five years without a break, and there are times I'm afraid I've run out of things to say. I work 10-hour days tracking the personal effects of the killed and wounded and then I work on the 'Burg when I get home. I want to read a novel, play with the granchild, and go fishing, all things I don't do now.

The comments and the wisecracks go up and down, in quantity and in quality. Some are consistently good, though. You're just not thinking of them when you comment on the occasinal flipness.

Posted by Fred 2006-08-10 12:17|| 2006-08-10 12:17|| Front Page Top

#18 Thanks Fred. In addition to what I said above, I should have said, it's still the best

Posted by Nimble Spemble 2006-08-10 12:19|| 2006-08-10 12:19|| Front Page Top

#19 Fred, the Burg is great just the way it is; I wouldn't change a thing. Thanks for all you do.

Posted by Dave D. 2006-08-10 12:22|| 2006-08-10 12:22|| Front Page Top

#20 Don't change nuthin' Fred. Take a break.

Posted by Deacon Blues">Deacon Blues 2006-08-10 12:24|| 2006-08-10 12:24|| Front Page Top

#21 Sometimes I feel compelled to snark just to show I'm there.
anyway . THANK YOU FRED !

Posted by J. D. Lux 2006-08-10 12:28|| 2006-08-10 12:28|| Front Page Top

#22 Fred, you take your vacation - if anyone deserves it, it's you.

I think this sort of thing is cyclical - and does have something to do with the events that can be commented on, and the personal lives of the "regular" commenters. So please don't change a thing.

I do miss .com and TGA, especially. If y'all are lurking, please give us a sign you're OK.

Posted by Barbara Skolaut">Barbara Skolaut 2006-08-10 12:30|| http://ariellestjohndesigns.com/page/15bk1/Home_Page.html]">[http://ariellestjohndesigns.com/page/15bk1/Home_Page.html] 2006-08-10 12:30|| Front Page Top

#23 It's the middle of the summer, too...

Posted by Mark E. 2006-08-10 12:59|| 2006-08-10 12:59|| Front Page Top

#24 So, now RB is an exclusive club? I had hoped that RB would be receptive of others that have a common interest in current events. If someone makes a comment that is not of your high intellect, maybe you should look at it as a different approach to a streesful subject. Some people deal with stress through humor. When I started reading RB I told myself "here are people of a same mind set that can help me understand and provide insight to the events going on today", but now I feel like Rodney Dangerfield in Caddishack. We will try to not disturb your sense of intellect Judge Smells, and we'll make sure to hold our pinkies up when we drink from our "whine" glasses.

Hey, I don't think that's the problem at all. It isn't the humor, and it doesn't have anything to do with anybody being a snob. It's more that in the past many articles had a lot of people making jokes and adding in useful commentary: we had computer techs, engineers, housewives, pilots, lawyers, etc., and they all had their own take and information to share, which made combing through the comments as much of a learning experience as a couple of minutes on Wikipedia. There just seems to be less of that lately.

The reason you said you came here is, as I previously noted, one of the reasons I keep coming back. Smart-ass humor has, for several years, been one of Rantburg's coolest features, and I for one hope it sticks around. You should, too, because your initial impression was probably fairly accurate. And it's still possible - look at the discussion this article has prompted!

Posted by The Doctor">The Doctor 2006-08-10 13:10|| 2006-08-10 13:10|| Front Page Top

#25 Here ya go, Yosemite..

"The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane." Marcus Aurelius

Dumbing down again...sorry. Carry on. :)

Posted by Inspector Clueso 2006-08-10 13:23|| 2006-08-10 13:23|| Front Page Top

#26 Fred, we appreciate all you do here, even if we don't always say it out loud. If you wnat to take some time off, please do; the Army of Steves are certainly equal to the task of covering for you.

Sam, I'm not sure there's been any overall decline in the quality of the conversation. Some threads just kinda lay there and don't do much, some get trollificated or suffer from topic drift, and some really rock (like this one). Sometimes the snark and smartassery add to the experience; other times not.

The 'Burg is still one of my favorite hangouts--small enough to feel like a close-knit family; big enough to contain an impressive breadth of expertise and experience; enough bad attitude to delaminate and neuter a DU troll at thirty paces, but with a big enough heart to take care of our own and the sense of humor to not take ourselves too seriously. The best mix of geopolitical analysis and vintage pinups the world will ever see.

I noticed that TGA dropped off the radar about the time that Angela Merkel came to power, and I just kind of assumed he had an official position in the new government. Anyone know different?

Posted by Mike 2006-08-10 13:24|| 2006-08-10 13:24|| Front Page Top

#27 I think Fred's words sum the situation up quite well YS. The 'burg has grown much bigger over the last few years, example;
today: rants 80, comments 356 (and the day is not over yet), whereas three years ago it was 25 rants and 111 comments. There has also been a big turnover in regular commenters, but that's to be expected, people want to move on and we don't want to get stale!

These are troubling times, and some of us are just trying to make sense of a world that seems to have gone mad. You look at the MSM and think "that's not right, surely", and then you find a place like this, where people with exceptional knowledge spare the time to frame a complex situation, which on the MSM is given a paragraph or 15 seconds of tube-time, in a way that allows ordinary folk to make sense of it, and that helps immensely. I think it's hardly surprising that when you do find a resource like the 'burg, it's entirely likely new posters will react with a "me too! - I agree with that" post to try and get some of the spleen vented. I know when I started posting here it helped me - a lot.

And I totally echo the calls for Fred to have a vacation!

Posted by Tony (UK) 2006-08-10 13:25|| 2006-08-10 13:25|| Front Page Top

#28 I have been around a long time and I love this site it is the first thing I read when I get up in the morning and the last before I go to bed. Thanks Fred keep up the good work.

ps I do miss .com and TGA

Posted by djohn66 2006-08-10 13:25|| 2006-08-10 13:25|| Front Page Top

#29 I didn't think that anyone would long for the good old days of high quality comments from Gentle and Marat.

Posted by RWV 2006-08-10 13:29|| 2006-08-10 13:29|| Front Page Top

#30 The insightful comments are still around, just not as much at the moment. Like somebody said, I think it's tied to events in the world. We seem to be in a lull at the moment (the non-full strength cleaning operation still counts as a lull in my eyes, they need to get serious and get on with it).

When events spike back up so will the insightful comments. Mixed in with snark, though. Just as Gawd intended. :)

Fred, take that vacation! The mods will keep this lot in line. :)

Posted by Laurence of the Rats">Laurence of the Rats 2006-08-10 13:29|| 2006-08-10 13:29|| Front Page Top

#31 the non-full strength Israeli cleaning operation

Preview is my friend, preview is my friend, preview is my friend...

Posted by Laurence of the Rats">Laurence of the Rats 2006-08-10 13:31|| 2006-08-10 13:31|| Front Page Top

#32 Mike,
Those are some excellent finds from the archives!

Posted by Tony (UK) 2006-08-10 13:36|| 2006-08-10 13:36|| Front Page Top

#33 I'd also add that anonymous2u, #12 comment is particularly insightful.

To my mind, there's a horrible sense of inevitability as we watch events unfold. 11A5S posted yesterday that Wretchard's Golden Moment may well have passed, and the final comment in that thread from OP should be enough to give anyone the willies. In short, it may well be the calm before the storm...

Posted by Tony (UK) 2006-08-10 13:56|| 2006-08-10 13:56|| Front Page Top

#34 I thought .com had switched aliases (as I, for one, have)?

I remember wishing years ago that there would ALSO be a Rantburg for more peripherally WOT stuff. Now there is, which is good -- though more work for Fred et al. (thanks Fred!). I don't think the main product is getting too diluted however.

Posted by JSU 2006-08-10 14:08|| 2006-08-10 14:08|| Front Page Top

#35 I wonder how many of us have switched?

Posted by Nimble Spemble 2006-08-10 14:13|| 2006-08-10 14:13|| Front Page Top

#36 I agree with all the above about Fred taking a well deserved vacation. I've been here long enough (with more frequent hiatuses than Fred) to recognize it's basically due to turnover. By that I mean, .com/TGA/et al have moved on to greener pastures. While I do miss the days of .com ripping the trolls a new one, I come here more for the technical insight, the logical thinking, and most of all, links to news that I know in my heart is going on, but the MSM hides it from us. I sum it up this way...I used to surf multiple news sites daily (newsmax, worldnetdaily, boortz, rush, hannity, opinionjournal, michelle malkin, ann coulter, etc.), but now I can get the "headlines" from ALL of those sites (plus international sites) that are related to the WoT all in one spot, with snark, smart-assedry and female pics in one site. Sorry to be so long winded, but I've learned to cut down on which articles to read, and RB has truly opened my eyes to the interconnectedness of the Islamo-fascist movement with the Int'l news links too. An unbelievable resource. thanks, Fred and mods for all you do!

Posted by BA 2006-08-10 14:23|| 2006-08-10 14:23|| Front Page Top

#37 I found Rantburg late. I've made a few contributions, but mostly, I've found people of like mind. I have become aware of the writing on the walls. I know what to expect from my fellow man. I am frustrated, I am depressed, I am aware of what lies ahead, I am ready to face it. There is nothing left to say. The field has been frammed, the only thing left is the battle itself.
As I wait, sometimes I'll read or laugh or cry or curse. None of that matters.

Posted by wxjames 2006-08-10 14:28|| 2006-08-10 14:28|| Front Page Top

#38 I've been lurking or posting or both since about February 2003, and I think the board is as good or better than ever -- which is to say, it's the best site of its kind on the web. I do miss .com, TGA etc., but other people have picked up the slack. Tony, for example, has really been on a roll, and Dave D. is the god of my idolatry. And the resource value of the site has increased as a result of Fred's tireless efforts.

What I most appreciate is the humor (Belmont Club is consistently insightful, but it's not exactly a barrel of laughs) and the near-absolute lack of pretentiousness: comments get cheered or jeered on their merits and with no respect for the asserted expertise of the commenter. (MSM comments, in contrast, are frequently mere bombast preceded by a recitation that the commenter was the second assistant secretary to our embassy in Botswana during the Clinton administration.)

I've also had the chance to meet some of the regulars in person, and they make me proud to be an American.

Posted by Matt 2006-08-10 14:45|| 2006-08-10 14:45|| Front Page Top

#39 Damn. I thought a lack of recent Hyper schlocommentary would have raised the "Comments" IQ sufficiently...

Regardless of the level Snarkism vs Informed .Commentary, Rantburg is still the greatest clearing house of WoT information I've found.

Thank you Fred.

Posted by Hyper">Hyper 2006-08-10 15:25|| 2006-08-10 15:25|| Front Page Top

#40 I may not be able achieve such standards. It my inate dumbing down characteristic. Some say it is a familt trait. I will try to limit my snarky comments and provide pithy (not pissy), insightful, erudite editorial comments--however, this is difficult for underachievers in our family.

Posted by JohnQC 2006-08-10 15:45|| 2006-08-10 15:45|| Front Page Top

#41 Well, hell--I just gave up drinking and posting--what more do you want from me?!

Seriously, I've been visiting Rantburg regularly for over 3 years now, and I've noticed as well we get periods where comments and posts get rather lame (and I admittedly contribute some of that!). I think it's just the price to pay as long as Rantburg's audience grows, and of course there are times that the news isn't so dramatic and we get a lot of "filler".

Fortunately we're not as big as LGF and we still have some sense of community and regulars! I hope that many of the more savvy commenters we've had are still lurking though and will give us their insights when they are so motivated.

Posted by Dar">Dar 2006-08-10 15:45|| 2006-08-10 15:45|| Front Page Top

#42 I can't imagine keeping tabs on the GWOT without Rantburg. It is an indispensible resource. Nothing else on the net comes close to the breadth of coverage and depth of insight. Oh, and humor too!

Sure, the quality of comments waxes and wanes, and some of the best posters have gone by the wayside, but these are natural cycles. I've one thing to say on the topic: most places I go I'm usually the one with the penetrating insights and profound observations. At Rantburg, I generally don't have much to add that hasn't already been said earlier and better.

Thank you moderators for the great work. Fred, have a great vacation when you can. (Maybe sneak in a few days before the 22nd.)

Posted by Classical_Liberal 2006-08-10 15:49|| 2006-08-10 15:49|| Front Page Top

#43 Great endorsements here. Put those babies on the front page.

Posted by Nimble Spemble 2006-08-10 16:20|| 2006-08-10 16:20|| Front Page Top

#44 The Dumbing Down of Rantburgers' Comments - can we reverse the trend?

idea: what if the Dumbing Down Committee assigned negative and/or positive values to each and every comment?

/begging to be sink-trapped

Posted by RD 2006-08-10 16:21|| 2006-08-10 16:21|| Front Page Top

#45 Fred, I'm still around, I'm just not commenting _as much_ either here or on my 'blog because I've been busy with work and had some bad health problems earlier this year. Things are slowly getting better, and I HOPE things will start getting caught up when I get the new CNC mill in here.

If we _are_ going to discuss The Grand Future Direction of Rantburg, I do have a question: Will you be doing something kinda-sorta like an RSS feed soon (or again? I think you'd worked on something like that earlier?)

Alternatively, could there be something like "the bloid" tied up into a single image file with a persistent image url pointing towards the current one?

So that we could put something like
(img src="http://rantburg.com/todaysbloid.png") in our sidebars?

When I get more free time again (hahahaha!) I want to experiment more with aggregator-type stuff.

And I gotta run, I need to track down some material that was supposed to be here already.

Posted by Phil 2006-08-10 16:32|| 2006-08-10 16:32|| Front Page Top

#46 I don't comment as often as I used to, mostly because I don't have anything to say I haven't already said. If I come up with something new, I say it, otherwise I sit here and read, read, read. That includes the "snarky" comments. I do pass over some of the articles because they're duplicates (from different sources, usually), and some of the comments, because they AREN'T worth reading. I do agree that Rantburg is the BEST site on the web, and the first place I go to every day.

Fred, if you come to Colorado, I'll take you fishing. I know a few good spots. It's been a lot cooler here than it has been in the DC area. We all appreciate both the job you do for a living and the one you do with Rantburg. God bless you and keep you strong!

Posted by Old Patriot">Old Patriot 2006-08-10 16:33|| http://oldpatriot.blogspot.com/]">[http://oldpatriot.blogspot.com/] 2006-08-10 16:33|| Front Page Top

#47 Y-Sam, perhaps you have the wrong website.

Rant: a loud bombastic declamation expressed with strong emotion

Personally, I find the long-winded comments something I don't spend much time on because reading off the computer is less enjoyable than skimming over some words.

Posted by Captain America 2006-08-10 16:34|| 2006-08-10 16:34|| Front Page Top

#48 Oh, One More Thing:

("Our two main weapons are fear, suprise, and an almost fanatical devotion... maybe I should come in again?")

OK, seriously, maybe the main reason there hasn't been the sort of quality analysis Yosemite Sam wants is that there hasn't been much movement in the strategic situation of late?

Things could change a lot tomorrow, or maybe even later today, but we're still following a "slow and steady" attrition-style counterinsurgency campaign in Iraq, and despite all the news headlines, the Israelis aren't exactly fighting All-Out Total War in Lebanon. Hizbollah has launched a lot of rockets, but they haven't accomplished much with them, at least compared to what those same rockets could do with western or even modern ex-soviet command and control guiding them.

We're in what basically amounts to the "sitzkreig" phase of WW2. When we look back from the future we'll probably wish we'd done things differently, or maybe not. All we can do is muddle through now with imperfect vision. But given the path the US has chosen much of the victories we accomplish today, if we do, are only going to be obvious in hindsight many years from now, if at all. Or they're going to be classified. Or some combination of the two.

Now there was some good news today. In fact, some excellent news. A major terrorist plot was foiled in Britian. Doesn't mean there won't be successful ones in the future, but I believe the failure of this one to be a good sign.

Posted by Phil 2006-08-10 16:47|| 2006-08-10 16:47|| Front Page Top

#49 At Rantburg, I generally don't have much to add that hasn't already been said earlier and better.

I'll dissent from that CL. Your comments are excellent.

Posted by Nimble Spemble 2006-08-10 16:47|| 2006-08-10 16:47|| Front Page Top

#50 I promise to resist any dumbing down of my comments, even if it makes me all the more abrasive. This place has way too much vital information to be fettered with PC or "sensitivity" related constraints. Now as to the occasional humorous anti-Islamist filked song, you'll have to pry those out of my cold dead hard drive.

Posted by Zenster 2006-08-10 16:50|| 2006-08-10 16:50|| Front Page Top

#51 #45 - Glad to hear you're ok!

Posted by Tony (UK) 2006-08-10 16:58|| 2006-08-10 16:58|| Front Page Top

#52 I should also add that Rantburg is the first place I go to in the morning and almost always the last place I go to at night. It's a terrific resource and I've learnt a shedload here from experts in many fields.

Thanks heaps for the site Fred, it is greatly appreciated!

Posted by Tony (UK) 2006-08-10 17:03|| 2006-08-10 17:03|| Front Page Top

#53 I, for one, applaud the Dumbing Down of Rantburg. I had a hard time understanding stuff back then. Now I don't.

Posted by Dreadnought 2006-08-10 17:10|| 2006-08-10 17:10|| Front Page Top

#54 And don't forget, we also have Rantburg Junior as a backup in case of Atomic Attack. It is the email equivalent of a party line composed of tin can telephones.

As far as .com (PD) goes, no joy there. We have emailed and faxed him. He has gone completely off the radar screen, as far as we can tell. No other details, sad to say.

Posted by Alaska Paul">Alaska Paul 2006-08-10 17:12|| 2006-08-10 17:12|| Front Page Top

#55 Rantburg is a good information blog. The articles and links are usually well selected.

Posted by leroidavid">leroidavid 2006-08-10 17:54|| 2006-08-10 17:54|| Front Page Top

#56 Suggestion: Allow one funny off topic post per day. Even if there were few comments on the "Giant Crab" post, I bet a high percentage opened that page. And AOL should be trashed at least once per month.

Posted by Snease Shaiting3550 2006-08-10 18:32|| 2006-08-10 18:32|| Front Page Top

#57 I don't understand the title's premise...Fred does a great job along with the mods to produce a top-quality product, even in the face of my best efforts to drag it down to my level. Hey....wait a minute...damn :-(

Posted by Frank G">Frank G 2006-08-10 18:58|| 2006-08-10 18:58|| Front Page Top

#58 Rantburg's the last thing I read before I start my day, figure it'll put me in the right mood to deal w/disgruntled employees and managers... Glad I wandered by many moons ago and never left!

Posted by IG-88 2006-08-10 19:04|| 2006-08-10 19:04|| Front Page Top

#59 I've been a reader and lurker for many years and only recently started posting. And I miss several of the mentioned departed posters.

RB is without doubt the best news aggregator on the 'net for WoT stuff - these news bits warrant serious "rant".

But it also has a lot of posts regarding other issues and philosophy - as well as just plain weird and humorous stories.

It's the latter, IMO that evokes some of the snarkiness and perhaps dumbness.

If my own posts are part of what is considered the "dumbing down", then all I can say is that there was no intent to offend, and that some of the guys/gals here are just plain smarter and more informed than me.

I do the best I can.

Posted by no mo uro 2006-08-10 19:27|| 2006-08-10 19:27|| Front Page Top

#60 LOL Dreadnought!!

I don't have a problem with funny posts, most of the Crossfire Gazette ones are hilarious, as long as the main focus is the WoT, or will it be renamed WoI - War on Islamofascism?

One concern I have is for the mods. and whether they have the time for the quantity of posts that flow through the 'burg.

Posted by Tony (UK) 2006-08-10 19:32|| 2006-08-10 19:32|| Front Page Top

#61 No way no mo uro - there's been several comments of yours recently that I've found very informative.

Posted by Tony (UK) 2006-08-10 19:37|| 2006-08-10 19:37|| Front Page Top

#62 I've been completely incommunicado in Hospital Hell for some time - got home today.

First thing I did: Read Rantburg. Not even eating real non-hospital food came close. I'll order a pizza with extra sausage - later.

I love Rantburg. It's that simple. I missed it more than anything else, and that's one helluva long list. Hooked for life.

It's absurdly inadequate, but: Thanks, Fred.

Posted by flyover 2006-08-10 19:43|| 2006-08-10 19:43|| Front Page Top

#63 Rantburg is my favorite spot on the web. I can't tell you how much I learn here every single day. Fred, what you do is simply outstanding and is an incredible resource for anyone with an open mind willing to learn.
I've read many positive kudos for various posters in this thread, all well deserved. I'd like to add that Trailing Wife writes some of the clearest, most incisive comments I've read anywhere. Truly impressive stuff. Thanks to you all. I think we are going to need one another a whole lot more in the future.

Posted by remoteman 2006-08-10 20:13|| 2006-08-10 20:13|| Front Page Top

#64 Much love to all my Rantburg homies, both posting and lurking. It's a privilege to spend time with all of you. I think we will need each other *that much more* in the coming months/years...the road ahead looks rocky indeed, and possibly mined. Everyone go read some Homer or Shakespeare, 'k? Go listen to a symphony, or spend some time with the works of Vincent Van Gogh. We *must* bear witness to the goodness, the greatness, of our heritage and our legacy. We can't let the darkness overtake us.

Posted by Seafarious">Seafarious 2006-08-10 20:20|| 2006-08-10 20:20|| Front Page Top

#65 ima gree. yo sam.

shapen up yallz ratburgers or shippen owt!~ >:(

ima deemanz hi kwalitees posts now 4ever more.

Posted by muck4doo 2006-08-10 20:30|| 2006-08-10 20:30|| Front Page Top

#66 Muck - you are a shining beacon

Posted by Frank G">Frank G 2006-08-10 20:35|| 2006-08-10 20:35|| Front Page Top

#67 Muck4doo, have you been making your quota this year?

Posted by Phil 2006-08-10 21:03|| 2006-08-10 21:03|| Front Page Top

#68 flyover..good to see ya back, git well!

that goes for all the other recovering RBees!

Posted by RD 2006-08-10 21:04|| 2006-08-10 21:04|| Front Page Top

#69 Rantburg nostrum quotidianum da nobis hodie.

Posted by Swiss Tex 2006-08-10 21:11|| 2006-08-10 21:11|| Front Page Top

#70 Do not underestimate the effort that goes into a good lame wisecrack. My lame wisecrack production process is as follows:

1) First draft of lame wisecrack.
2) Review of lame wisecrack by lame editorial committee.
3) Analysis of lame wisecrack by lame wisecrack Artificial Intelligence engine to compute Lameness Coefficient. Insufficiently lame wisecracks are rejected at this point.
4) Speelling error insertion.
5) Error grammatical insertion.
6) Final review by senior editorial committee.
7) Comment typed into Rantburg by my pet ferret.
8) Posting for enjoyment by RB readers throughout the civilized world.
9) Post posting analysis and continuous process improvement.

Posted by DMFD 2006-08-10 21:29|| 2006-08-10 21:29|| Front Page Top

#71 RD :) I missed ya, bro. I have this frickin' huge shiny new zipper running from my navel to my sternum, LOL. And several other "randomly placed" holes, as well, LOL. Bastards love their scalpels and toys. I guess I'm now a work of art... My Doc would bring others by to show off his carving skills - no shit. Sent me home with a pile of expensive pain killer dope, which I won't take - and told them ahead of time, the pricks. Wasted $.

Posted by flyover 2006-08-10 21:31|| 2006-08-10 21:31|| Front Page Top

#72 WB Flyover :-)

Posted by Frank G">Frank G 2006-08-10 21:40|| 2006-08-10 21:40|| Front Page Top

#73 Its this war on terror thing, these Muslims fellows just don't seem to be actling like the reasonable chaps we beleive them to be; they refuse to take a holiday, no matter how much we try to be diplomatic with them and talk them into taking some time off. Quite puzzling.

(Still around, but work has been eating my life - very little brain or time left for posting - and when one is tired one is seldom funny. Short staffed - half our people are reservists or guard, so about 1/4 the office seem to be prepping for, recovering from, or out on, a deployment. Thigs are easing a bit now, so I hope to get back to posting and being snarky and informative)

Posted by Oldspook 2006-08-10 21:44|| 2006-08-10 21:44|| Front Page Top

#74 Thanks, Frank. A day without professional snark is, well, a day wasted, LOL.

Posted by flyover 2006-08-10 21:45|| 2006-08-10 21:45|| Front Page Top

#75 You can have my drugs, Oldspook, LOL.

Posted by flyover 2006-08-10 21:46|| 2006-08-10 21:46|| Front Page Top

#76 Dumbed down? I don't see it. And I've been here for awhile. I've seen dumb people here occasionally, but they aren't here for long. Or they don't stay dumb for long. On the contrary, most of the folks here are a helluva lot more aware of what's happening in the world then a majority of the population, probably a vast majority. I've read folks here that have written dissertations on a subject and other folks that can sum it up in one line on every subject from the Grand Jirga to lesbian supermodel bounty hunter movies that can crack you up, make you cry or make you want to learn more about a certain subject . It's a microcosm of modern day life here. They oughta put it in a time capsule for fity years down the road. And we owe it all to Fred.

Posted by tu3031 2006-08-10 22:03|| 2006-08-10 22:03|| Front Page Top

#77 'Spook, thanks for all your work.

Flyover, get well soon.

Posted by Mike 2006-08-10 22:04|| 2006-08-10 22:04|| Front Page Top

#78 I don't comment as much because there is so much TO Rantburg now: In recent days, it's been the ONLY blog I've visited.

Keep up the good work, fred, and enjoy that vacation. In fact, if I were you, I'd take up OP's offer: a worthy man who sounds competent, both with regard to work and to relaxation.

Posted by Ptah">Ptah 2006-08-10 22:18|| http://www.crusaderwarcollege.org]">[http://www.crusaderwarcollege.org] 2006-08-10 22:18|| Front Page Top

#79 OS, Thanks for what you do here and not here.

Posted by Nimble Spemble 2006-08-10 22:29|| 2006-08-10 22:29|| Front Page Top

#80 YS, I have to disagree. Rantburg simply reflects a broad spectrum of commentary. Just as there are the less educated and less informed in the general public, so it is here -- of course, to a much lesser extent because an interest in the body politic and world events is a given for Rantburgers.

Personally, I enjoy the smart ass remarks and third rate wisecracks intermingled with the more serious and informed pieces. I can't count how many times I've laughed my ass off as I seriously read through a thread and suddenly come upon a smart alek remark. And, I'm not averse to offering a few myself.

Thanks Fred. Don't change a thing.

Posted by mcsegeek1 2006-08-10 22:52|| 2006-08-10 22:52|| Front Page Top

#81 Yosemite, I agree in a way. That is what happens when a larger audience comes into play.

That said, I don't see a lot of input from you. It's like a restaurant critic who complains about the food, but can't boil an egg.

Posted by Pappy 2006-08-10 23:05|| 2006-08-10 23:05|| Front Page Top

#82 Zing! #81 Pappy.

That's gonna leave a mark. ;-p

Posted by Barbara Skolaut">Barbara Skolaut 2006-08-10 23:07|| http://ariellestjohndesigns.com]">[http://ariellestjohndesigns.com] 2006-08-10 23:07|| Front Page Top

#83 Let's just blame Frank G in post #57 for Yose Sam's observation of plain and (funnier than hell)simple crap (for not reading the iron clad DMFD formula of success in post #70) and my mia culpa of lurking without a license. Best site on the net. Take a vacation, recharge the batteries, Fred. Be back before 8/22... :)

Posted by Inspector Clueso 2006-08-10 23:47|| 2006-08-10 23:47|| Front Page Top

23:59 C-Low
23:51 Mike
23:47 leroidavid
23:47 Inspector Clueso
23:44 djohn66
23:37 Glains Threrese9277
23:36 twobyfour
23:19 BA
23:13 The Ghost of Walter Duranty
23:10 Captain America
23:07 Barbara Skolaut
23:06 Glolusing Chains9685
23:05 Pappy
22:59 newc
22:59 mcsegeek1
22:55 Claviling Sholuth9192
22:55 Barbara Skolaut
22:54 Pappy
22:53 Claviling Sholuth9192
22:52 mcsegeek1
22:51 flyover
22:51 tipper
22:48 flyover
22:45 mcsegeek1