lookin

From what I can gather, Craigslist isn't your ordinary website, your ordinary business, or your ordinary anything. Although it ranks 7th in page views in the U. S., and 33rd worldwide, its corporate headquarters is still in the founder's apartment in San Francisco's Sunset District. According to Wikipedia, the CEO told Wall Street analysts that the company "has little interest in maximizing profit, instead it prefers to help users find cars, apartments, jobs, and dates." Although eBay snagged a 25% ownership from one of the original investors, they're not presently calling the shots, and Craigslist is still operating according to the founder's original user-oriented cooperative vision. There's no advertising at all, most listings are free, and much of the money that does flow into the company flows right out again to support community grassroots organizations. I'm sure Craig Newmark could be a billionaire any time he decides to abandon his roots and play footsie with Wall Street, or sell out to someone who will. But he hasn't yet, and my personal hope is that he won't. Until he does, I think you'll find the company doing the unexpected. If Newmark finds the Attorneys General too much of a nuisance, I expect he'll roll out of their way and let somebody else put up with the aggravation. It always amazes me how freeing it can be to be motivated by something other than money.

Same here. Except it sometimes shifts back to a 12 hour AM/PM clock, and it seems to toggle between the two when I log in or out. And sometimes on the main forum page, both date and time are replaced by a 10-digit code. Clearly a spanner has been tossed into the works. PS: It's kind of fun trying to figure out the pattern, so no need to fix it on my account. Plenty of time for that when the programmers return from their dachas next week.

Thank you, axiom2001, for your added thoughts. I was speaking with a friend who lived in Brazil, and mentioned that I'd like to visit Curitiba. She asked why, and I mentioned some of the things that appealed to me from TotallyOz's post. She agreed with everything he said, and added the fact that there was a strong European influence, as you have also mentioned. I didn't ask her specifically if all the men were goodlooking in Curitiba, but she did say that, in general, Brazilian people are very attractive. Even the not-so-attractive ones, if that makes sense. In general, I've usually found people with mixed ethnic backgrounds to be very attractive. Don't know if you recall Bruno Gaucho with his brown eyes and blond hair, but I thought he was a real doll. I didn't ask where he came from, but I believe 'gaucho' is a term for someone from the south of Brazil. I've often wondered if there were any more like him at home! Anyway, thanks for strengthening my resolve to one day travel to that area and see for myself!

So, fellahs, I love a good game of paintball as much as the next guy. But it would be really embarrassing to see this thread closed down, especially since TY was kind enough to open it up for some additional thoughts on a question I asked in another thread that also got closed down. Maybe there's something about the subject matter itself that's just too hot for civil discourse, so I think I'd better withdraw the question. I do appreciate the answers I got so far, and they've given me lots to think about over the evening bowl. I think enlightenment is close at hand. If anyone feels like sending a PM with any additional thoughts, I'd be much obliged. PS: Just saw Caeron's response, and it's an idea that has occurred to me as well. Added to Charlie's thought that the folks who do it aren't likely to share - or maybe even know - why they do it helps me understand why figuring this out has been so hard. Thanks again, guys!

I am so glad I'm not the jealous type!

Since it's the Jersey Shore, maybe the poll is open only to our East Coast members? Doesn't seem fair to me. I'd hate to have to get dressed up and go on all those marches again, but I will!

Matrix, I agree with you that I'd like to have seen that thread open a little while longer, and maybe get some more input on the question I had. (And thanks very much to those who did respond! It was helpful.) But I also have a great deal of trust in the moderators' ability to see when a thread is going somewhere they don't want it going, and complete respect for their decisions to cut it off before it gets there. They may consider it out of bounds before you and I would and, in effect, I think they're setting an editorial tone for the site that they want to own and operate. To answer your question on 'Where's the harm?', I guess for me the harm would come if they found themselves attracting behavior they didn't want, or losing members they did want, and that could eventually jeopardize the site. I notice that TY apologized in the other thread for closing it. As far as I'm concerned, there's no apology necessary. As we all found in August, there's plenty of room for fun inside the lines.

I expect this will run its course pretty quickly, and the thread will be locked but, before it is, I have a somewhat broader question that's been rattling around in my head for a couple of years and I can't seem to come up with a good answer: What's the payoff for someone who sets out to trash other people? I know the standard quick responses: He's an *******, He was dropped on his *** as a child, He doesn't have any ****, etc. Those answers sound OK at first blush, but they don't really give me the insight I'm trying to get as to the why. And I'm not asking the question with one specific person in mind, because I've seen this kind of activity arise more than once on anonymous message centers. I know it can be safe to trash others when the trasher is anonymous, but the fact that it's safe doesn't really tell me about the why behind the behavior. And I'm not talking about the occasional clever putdown. Lots of people get a kick out of being really clever and, if it's at the expense of someone else, so be it. But I'm talking about someone who sets up a whole screen persona for the purpose of embarrassing or belittling or making fun of other people, and always operates that way. What I'm trying to figure out is what the act of trashing others actually does for the trasher. What's the payoff? If I were to trash someone, I can't think of any particular benefit it would bring to me. Maybe if I thought of some especially clever turn of phrase, I'd burst my buttons for a minute or two. But then I'd be left with the feeling that I've hurt someone who never did anything to me, and I wouldn't feel particularly good about myself. There wouldn't be any net benefit from doing it, at least that I've been able to figure out yet. And I sure wouldn't keep doing it unless there were some kind of payoff. I believe that for someone to keep doing it, and not just to one particular person for a particular reason, but to many people over a prolonged period of time, there must be some kind of payoff, or he wouldn't keep doing it. And, if someone does feel good about trashing others, what is he feeling good about? I don't recall ever coming across anyone who admitted to being proud or fulfilled or happy or anything else, just because he continually trashed other people. So what do you good folks think the payoff is? What does the trasher get that he wouldn't get otherwise? Have any of you ever personally known someone who set out to deliberately trash other people? What benefit do you think he got back in return? I'm not trying to judge this kind of behavior, and certainly not until I understand what's behind it. Anyone able to shed some light while the thread is still open? Thanks in advance.

You can raise me a nice bubble ass any time!

Thanks for the great write-up! I'm adding another place to my must-see list.

Not that I don't like other websites too, but during the month of August, I found myself thinking of things I especially like about the MER Forums and decided to make a running list. The list does not include the biggest draw: the many creative, funny, knowledgeable, articulate, caring, sharing, and - dare I say - quite attractive denizens who festoon the fora day and night. It's just a list of site qualities that I think set MER apart. I'm sure I'm not done, as I've added a couple just in the last few days. Others may want to join in. But here's my list, so far, and in no particular order: Lucky and the folks who joined in to create a little magic in August - haven't seen anything like it before Site owners who participate fully and have as good a time as the other posters Erections Fair, evenhanded, no-nonsense moderators Minimal drama, and what little there is can sometimes be entertaining Flexibility and willingness to try new things Respect for users Erections Responsiveness to user requests Any changes are quick and fuss-free General spirit of tolerance Ability to include lots of images in each post Ability to include videos in posts Expressive smilies Attractive layout Erections No unexpected outages - it's here when I'm here Flirt4Free banner - always some new eye candy General feeling that we're all in this together Anticipated forgiveness for leaving something out

Cheaper than you think, my friend. I don't get why you would want to change FourAces though. It's a great name, pops off the screen, ties to an important part of your life, suggests a charmed existence, and carries a history of great posts along with it. Still, if you decide the grass is greener, Lookin can be yours for a song. So to speak. (I'd have to hang on to my avatar though, as he is family.)

Although he never posted a lot, StuCotts has always been one of my favorite posters here or anywhere. I almost always learn something, have a laugh, and usually both. He and AdamSmith can riff through many a delightful thread. I hope the recent traffic hasn't spooked him. I very much look forward to the next sighting.

Only thing is though, I meant my screen name to have a capital "L". When I went back to fix it, it was too late. Ah, well. Still having fun!

I thought surely a good night's sleep would get this out of my head. No such luck. Anyone needs me, I'll be frippin on a philtz.

Funny, I would have taken him for a sugar plum fairy.

It sounds like your Uncle Rob would have made a terrific Moderator.

It's impressive alright, and thanks for sharing it! I watched it with Safari, which seems to work OK. As you said, there are a number of open windows when it hits full stride. On my modest laptop screen, most were partially hidden by others. I kept wondering where the ads were, especially with all those windows. No doubt, Google is experimenting with the technology and will soon figure out how to give us an eyeful.

Poetry in the Politics Forum. Pinochle in the Buffet. At least Lucky knows his Place. (Sorry, guys, I've been waiting weeks to use that line, and August is nearly over!)

My first experiences were in the early seventies with the pure stuff, amyl nitrate, which originally came in glass capsules wrapped in a heavy cloth mesh. The thin glass popped when you broke it, soaking the cloth, which was then held under the nose. The capsules themselves were a rare treat courtesy of a nurse I dated briefly, but the brown bottles of the same era held the equivalent liquid. The effect was immediate and lasted for several minutes. During those few minutes, any sexual activity I was involved in became the center of my universe. Orgasms were at least doubled in intensity and duration. I got topped for the first time ever, any discomfort trumped by a strong desire for the experience itself. And I believe I could have deep-throated Priapus himself, swallowing every drop and begging for more. There was no headache during or after. Sometime in the late seventies or early eighties, amyl nitrate (C5H11NO2) disappeared from the shelves and was replaced by butyl nitrate (C4H9NO3). For me anyway, the beneficial effects were reduced to a trickle, and were more than offset by a headache that began with the first whiff and intensified with each one thereafter. A sexual partner once rolled an open bottle off the bed, forcing us out of his apartment and heralding a month of celibacy. To enjoy once again the pleasure of real amyl nitrate, one would probably have to develop a case of angina and find a sympathetic doctor. The experience of butyl nitrate, and its ensuing reformulations, can perhaps best be captured by spending an hour or so hunched over a mis-tuned power mower.

I think you've got it exactly right. It's a new way of selling fantasy, and those who learn how to work the audience will make the bucks. Wonder if they could get Joan Rivers to come on and do for them what she's done for QVC? Jack Steel, ladies and gentlemen! He's got it in so far, Crisco's running out of his nose! We'll match your tips for the next three minutes and let's see if we can get him to squeeze out a double load!!

I've been wondering what happens to the window size when somebody pays the full $6 a minute for a private show. I read a review of the service that says you can choose from four window sizes, but that the largest is pixelated. It looks like this week's free samples are delivered in the basic small window, which is about 2.5 inches square on my laptop. If I were paying for the service, I'd hope to get a clear picture at least 5 inches square. Does anyone know if that's possible? (Assuming the model has a decent camera.) Thanks very much for the screen caps, and for spotlighting the new program! I think what Flirt4Free has done the last few days, and what you have done on their behalf, has got to be good for building their business. I hope it means more revenue for their site, and ultimately for yours.

If you ever start a horndog-walking service, I'd like to join the pack!

I'm over here in the shallow end myself, MsGuy. It hit me a year or so ago that I think I prefer being in my sixties now to being in my twenties or, worse, tomorrow's newborn, who will likely have a chip implanted up his ass letting everyone know where he is, what he's doing, and with whom. But then I started wondering if that's also what my grandparents thought about the world they saw me born into. Maybe in a few decades the idea of privacy will be as quaint as the idea of hayrides. Everyone will just get used to the idea of having everyone know what you're up to. It seems to work pretty well for ants. I'm not ready to go gentle into that good night just yet, although I can't quite figure out exactly where my rage should be directed for maximum effect. What puzzles me is the seeming lack of public debate on the issue of privacy, especially since the so-called Patriot Act. (That very name gives me the jitters. ) Maybe some big company will figure out how to make a buck off of selling privacy, and we'll start hearing more about it from them. But right now, they're all making their fortunes from collecting information; and the more they collect, the more they make. I don't see anyone in government taking on the issue. The bureaucrats are collecting everything they can get their hands on. You can't even find out what the National Security Agency's budget is. I don't see a privacy champion among the politicians either and I think the Supreme Court ruling on corporate campaign contributions makes it a bit less likely that one will emerge any time soon. The Europeans seem to be ahead of us on this issue, although what they will do with that lead remains to be seen. More questions than answers for me right now. I think this may be the year I send a little something to the ACLU or the EFF. Cash in an unmarked envelope though. I don't want to show up on their mailing lists.