PlaymoFriends
General => Community Events => Topic started by: Richard on May 03, 2008, 03:43:29
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WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
Which leads to the next question:
Where are they now?
Breathes new life into the saying: Old collectors never die, they just fade away.
On another forum, somebody was circulating a thread from 2003, and the line-up resembled a graveyard of vanished faces.
Do people get bored, move on? Do their kids grow up and they lose the passion / camouflage? A new forum draws them off? (There's only like six forums in the world, though, right?)
It's nice to know we have Richard to count on to never quit!
-Tim
Timmy posted the above response to a post that I made in another topic (http://www.playmofriends.com/forum/index.php?topic=2206.new;topicseen#new).
I had mentioned the name of one of the entrants who had participated in Collectobil's Customizing Contest about six years ago.
IMHO, Timmy's question (Where are they now?) seemed important enough to have it's own topic!
I hope that everyone else agrees ... ;D
All the best my friends,
Richard
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Some have drifted away and some are active somewhere else and some ... I just don't know.
It all depends on the person. ... Allthough I still would like to know how they are doing :-[
Bogro
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(don't they answer to e-mail calls? ::) )
G.--
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Some don't :'(
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In a way, this means that they didn't make friends ... It happens. :(
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this is a bit off of the subject, but it follows with "they didn't make friends". being new to all of this, how long have these sites been active, and how did collectors keep in touch back in the dark ages before the internet? (and i feel that i can say dark ages because i remember toting my shoe boxes of fortran cards around campus, waiting to get a spot in the computer lab!
kaethe
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In a way, this means that they didn't make friends ... It happens. :(
I think that that's putting it too easy. I've had some very good friendships. But if you're both living on different continents, then that's already putting a strain on things. And sometimes, they just drop out/ off - never to be heard from again. You just don't know what happened.
I've had had a very good relationship with Stacey for a long time. And she's just suddenly disappeared. I tried to re-instate the contact; but there's just nothing. I don't know what happened. But stating that "she didn't make friends" does hurt then.
In the end they're all individual cases with individual reasons and individual situations. You can't just go about picking up a broom and sweep them all unto a single heap...
as to Kaethe: some of the older sites have been up and running for a long time. If I remember correctly, Playmoboard was founded in 2001 and as far as I know - there was nothing before that. I joined in in 2004 so I'm afraid I can't tell you anything of what went on before that.
Bogro
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this is a bit off of the subject, but it follows with "they didn't make friends". being new to all of this, how long have these sites been active, and how did collectors keep in touch back in the dark ages before the internet?
The first online Playmobil group I remember was on Yahoo Groups I can't recall when it started, I moved from there to Playmoboard and from there to here. Before the internet I thought I was the only none Child buying Playmobil ;D
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Hello, Bogro ...
as to Kaethe: some of the older sites have been up and running for a long time. If I remember correctly, Playmoboard was founded in 2001 and as far as I know - there was nothing before that. I joined in in 2004 so I'm afraid I can't tell you anything of what went on before that.
Bogro
A quick and "abbreviated" history of the Playmobil community:
Before forums (and boards) there were newsgroups.
Lego had a newsgroup (rec.toys.lego). Playmobil did not have a newsgroup!
About 1996-1997 I was consistently "flamed" in the Lego newsgroup for mentioning Playmobil and for looking for other Playmobil collectors. (BTW, I never found another Playmobil collector.)
However, I did meet David Helber, a fellow Texan, who had just started his Victorian Wargaming (http://zeitcom.com/majgen/) site. He liked Playmobil and gave me a lot of help in setting up Garden Wargaming. (GW was launched in April of 1998.)
eBay had started in 1994. Only a few used Playmobil sets were beginning to be offered for auction.
Bart de Smet had no sooner launched Playmobil Central in 2000, when Playmobil's attorneys informed him that he could not have a Playmobil website. Oliver Deeg had begun his Playmobil photo stories about the same time and was told that he also couldn't have a website using the Playmobil name.
On Sunday the 26th of November, 2000 ... The three of us launched operation "Klicky Thunder" ... ;D
"Playmobil Central" continued to operate under cover. The name was changed to "Collector Central" and hosted at Garden Wargaming. Then we began the Great Klicky Wars.
All of the online Playmobil vendors were angry with Zirndorf as they had been told that they could no longer sell Playmobil over the internet. The eBay dealers were angry because they might lose their "collector" customer base.
Bart, Oliver and I organized a massive email campaign (with the help of the vendors, eBay dealers and collectors) that totally surprised Zirndorf. Within a matter of weeks, the three of us were invited to visit with the powers at Klicky Towers.
Geobra's attorneys came up with some guidelines for Playmobil fansites. We made a few suggestions. And, we finally all agreed on what is still being used today.
Bart reopened Playmobil Central as Collectobil, Oliver reopened his website as Playfans, Tahra reopened Playmoville as Playkingdoms, and so on.
Bart almost immediately reinstated the "message board" for the Playmobil community! (This was the FIRST Playmobil forum, board or group!) The kind of free "Forum" software thst we have today was not yet available, so it all had to be managed manually.
When the three Yahoo Playmobil groups came along, Bart closed the Collectobil message board.
The three Yahoo Playmobil groups were finally amalgamated into one. Ty ran it until he became ill and Sylvia took it over until he was well enough to return.
Panos really angered most of the "old timers" when he opened Playmoboard. Using the name "Playmo" was in direct defiance of the agreement that we had all made with Geobra. However, we all decided to ignore it, as we had already fought a long hard battle with Zirndorf and didn't want to stir up any unnecessary trouble for any of us.
So in summary ...
Bart had the FIRST Playmobil message board at (Collectobil) Playmobil Central.
The Yahoo Playmobil Groups, finally amalgamating into one Playmobil group, were SECOND.
And, Panos' Playmoboard was THIRD.
However, Sylvia's Playmofriends is by far the BEST ... ;)
All the best,
Richard
Edit: forgot a comma ... :-[
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Thanks for the History-lesson, Richard. Now I am up to date again ... (if I can remember it all :-[ )
Bogro
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I think that that's putting it too easy. I've had some very good friendships.
I was only trying to put in ways that could be understood by someone who didn't know the history of the previous events ... Everything, everyone has history, and it's great to see that!
By no means I wished to offend, and it's good to know things like this, you lived, even to know that they may happen with me, and that I may come to be as sad about a similar thing as you are.
I'm not sure there's way of changing the fact that someone vanished ... Maybe it can be prevented, so that other things like these don't happen ... Maybe to try to make post contact. (Not with her, because you probably haven't her contact, and now it's late to get ...)
Maybe there could be some sort of database. However, many people prefer to stay undetectable, and, in a way, there's nothing to be done about it. :(
(I myself am sad that I lost contact with two friends from highschool ... The two I mentioned in another message ... I made everything I could to keep the friendship, but it didn't happen, and I am sad about it.)
Hello, Bogro ...
A quick and "abbreviated" history of the Playmobil community:
[BRIEF_HISTORY]
So in summary ...
Bart had the FIRST Playmobil message board at (Collectobil) Playmobil Central.
The Yahoo Playmobil Groups, finally amalgamating into one Playmobil group, were SECOND.
And, Panos' Playmoboard was THIRD.
However, Sylvia's Playmofriends is by far the BEST ... ;)
All the best,
Richard
No doubt this is a very (the most) friendly place to be (that I've found) for whoever loves playmobil! :)
I am in Ty's Yahoogroup ... It's great there, too, but I have to admit that this kind of board is much easier to use ... Yahoo is great to store stuff, though.
this is a bit off of the subject, but it follows with "they didn't make friends". being new to all of this, how long have these sites been active, and how did collectors keep in touch back in the dark ages before the internet? (and i feel that i can say dark ages because i remember toting my shoe boxes of fortran cards around campus, waiting to get a spot in the computer lab!
kaethe
(When we open the forum through "playmofriends.com", it goes to a message by Sylvia that says "Happy Aniversary, Playmofriends!", which is from Nov 10th 2006, so Playmofriends is from (Nov 10th (?) -- think so! 8} ) 2005!)
It's very weird to think about how people got along together before, but, in a way, things probably were very regional ... As I was about 10, and saw the dioramas in the pirate boat box (an even previous version than 3750 (http://www.collectobil.com/images/items/3750.jpg)), my cousin an I wondered marvelled where the heck must that framework houses be sold ... -- The Medieval collection here, in Brasil, had only half of the figures, and no castles ... (It's a bit understandable ... In Brasil there's no castles -- I'm not justifying!: I'm ... trying to understand marketing reasons for Troll not to have done castles and medieval houses in Brasil (...).)
Internet makes possible some of the things that were unthinkable. A Brasilian to begin collecting Playmobil again, while, in Brasil, there's an "Almanaque 1980" that shows my favourite toy as an oddity of the '80s (!! >:(!!) ... As well as allow people from all over the world to get in touch, around a common interest.
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thanks richard and everyone for the history. this is definitely the friendliest site, even for newcomers. it is mind-boggling to read all of the research and effort that goes into some of the scenarios that are shared.
personally i remember going to the specialty toy stores with my kids here in san francisco 25ish years ago, and drooling over the big playmobil displays, but only being able to buy a few klickies here and there for them. i did my best not to influence them to buy the ones i wanted, but then i decided it was ok to collect a few (hospital theme) for myself. one day an older gentleman was at the toy store buying all of the newest sets, and i commented how lucky his child was to have so many wonderful pieces, to which he replied, "child, nope these are for me!" the shop owner later told me he had purchased every set she had and many duplicates. i wonder who he was, i never ran into him again.
kaethe
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It's interesting to see how the online community has developed. My first experience was with Collectobil, and then Playmoboard. I left Playmoboard for several reasons. The two main ones were: too much bickering, and online sellers pushing sets to collectors. I didn't get a sense of community there.
Playmofriends has been (by far) the friendliest, best moderated site that I've been on. Everybody is polite, and everyone is here for the toys. It's a pleasure to be here every time I stop by.
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Playmofriends has been (by far) the friendliest, best moderated site that I've been on. Everybody is polite, and everyone is here for the toys. It's a pleasure to be here every time I stop by.
We're the rich gentry of the Playmobil community.
But, seriously, the $5 entrance fee really does filter out the un-serious.
The fly-by-nights on Playmoboard drive me up the wall.
Typical introduction:
Somebody told me I have to introduce myself if I want the instructions to castle #3666. Hi my name is SlaveToMyKids777. I want to stay anonymous, because I think you guys are weird, but if you have the instructions to #3666 email them to brendapatriciamurphy@gmail.com.
Sincerely, SlaveToMyKids777
* Based on a true story
But seriously:
As for vanishing members of forums:
It's a slim possibility that a few of the non-responders have... died. In today's world, we ought to include in our wills what e-friends should be informed in the event of untimely demise...
-Tim
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But, seriously, the $5 entrance fee really does filter out the un-serious.
That said, there are 8 people who paid to register but never posted once. Why would anyone bother to do that?
Happy to say that Tim & I have posted over 1,000 between us so far, so I reckon we're getting our money's worth.
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That said, there are 8 people who paid to register but never posted once. Why would anyone bother to do that?
Maybe they wanted to see some of the non-public pictures?
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Maybe they wanted to see some of the non-public pictures?
I have to admit that a certain curiosity for this made me explore this forum a bit more than I use to do with forums in the internet ...
Only, I found out that it was much funnier to write as well.
ALTHOUGH -- I have to admit as well -- I was a bit shy, before I wrote anything.
But reading the "Welcome" threads inspired me to begin.
&, btw, I've been reading that section, until the beginning, the first welcome speeches ...
I see some people who spoke there and who go on speaking, and others who spoke there, and then not frequently after anylonger ...
There's also people who are always taking a look at the news, but not always interacting with words, though they still like it here.
There may be children as well ... Sometimes children don't have what to speak. There are some discussions that are a bit, er-- I speak about myself, sometimes I, by thinking, I orbit other planets, and the whole iada may be iada iada to them. (And not only to children ...)
(Pyrrhus too, for example, likes a lot to speak about subjects of other planets ;D , sometimes we even speak together :lol: )
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I myself, according to what I said somewhere else ...
As for the weekend to be ending, it's very significant to all who already noticed that I write here more on weekends. In fact, I tend not to write at all during the week. This helps me because, as it can also be noted, ... I spend not little time, when I come in! :hmm: ... :yup:
Maybe my signature should be "@ Your Service ... Mainly on Weekends!". I thought about changing it, but I decided not to do it ... ::)
I usually don't get here during the week, and, however, I evesdrop a lot!
(I work in a balcony, and I don't like to stay logged while I'm working, because I can't be concentrated, but, once and again I "plug", as I have too big a curiosity about one or another commented picture, which can't be seen unlogged ... ;D )
So, for some moments, even during the week, mainly around 19:00 (Rio de J.), you will find a green Red Knight, when you pass by ;) )
There's always at least 15 guests, and not unusually one member.
(Today, extraordinarily, I'm here for a longer time ... Trying to learn about the albums ... But you will seldom see a message by me during the week. Even when I get in, during the night, I usually don't reply anything ... And I admit that it will be hard to keep it short today, but I have no choice :'( )
Therefore,
:wave:
G.--
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Speaking of where are they? What prompted your change in avatar Martin? I really enjoyed your Morris Dancer!
Gepetto
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(I work in a balcony, and I don't like to stay logged while I'm working, because I can't be concentrated, but, once and again I "plug", as I have too big a curiosity about one or another commented picture, which can't be seen unlogged ... ;D )
Hi Gustave,
You've stimulated my interest--balcony doesn't mean what you think it does, and I'm trying to guess what you meant.
"balcony" means "balcão" (if Babel-Fish is correct).
A menos que você se sentar fora em um balcão quando você trabalhar.
-Tim
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Speaking of where are they? What prompted your change in avatar Martin? I really enjoyed your Morris Dancer!
Gepetto
Just an accident, I saw the Morris Dancer wasn't showing up anymore so I put something else up temporarily. I don't know why the dancer wasn't showing, but I was only seeing a box with a red cross.
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Hi Gustave,
You've stimulated my interest--balcony doesn't mean what you think it does, and I'm trying to guess what you meant.
"balcony" means "balcão" (if Babel-Fish is correct).
A menos que você se sentar fora em um balcão quando você trabalhar.
-Tim
You got it right, Tim ... :-[ I absolutely DON'T work in a balcony! ::) Thank my god! ... :lol:
Speaking of where are they? What prompted your change in avatar Martin? I really enjoyed your Morris Dancer!
Gepetto
So do I ... Although I don't know precisely what a Morris Dancer is. (I'll take a look at Wikipedia :P )
G.--
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Hi Gustave,
Btw, Tim, you have knowledge on Portuguese, and Latin, do you? ... What do you do for living? :hmm: ... Or is it only a hobby? ::)
G.--
:)
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The Yahoo Playmobil Groups, finally amalgamating into one Playmobil group, were SECOND.
Hi, Richard
Is Sylvia still managing the Yahoogroup? I was reading your "Brief History" again, and I noticed that you mentioned that Ty doesn't manage it anymore. However, he's the more active member there ...
By the way, he sends you a "hello" ... (Actually, I said that you mentioned him, and he said that you had been owner there before, and that he respects your knowledge on Playmobil (and admires your collection ... ;D )
I have been there, at least once a week, once I use the Yahoogroups, though I've been using it here much more frequently, because it's easier to use without being logged, and easier to log in and out, in moments of ... Desperating curiosity.
(I HAD to log in to take a look at the yellow house :), though I don't usually do so when I'm at work.)
Gus
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Is Sylvia still managing the Yahoogroup? I was reading your "Brief History" again, and I noticed that you mentioned that Ty doesn't manage it anymore. However, he's the more active member there ...
No, Sylvia gave the management back to Ty when he was well enough to take it again. And, that was quite awhile ago. (I apologize that what I wrote wasn't more specific about that.)
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No, Sylvia gave the management back to Ty when he was well enough to take it again. And, that was quite awhile ago. (I apologize that what I wrote wasn't more specific about that.)
That's all right ... After all, it was a brief history ... :)
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The three Yahoo Playmobil groups were finally amalgamated into one. Ty ran it until he became ill and Sylvia took it over until he was well enough to return.
I was reading it again ... Actually you HAD mentioned it correctly! :)
Gus
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Thanks, Gus ...
I was reading it again ... Actually you HAD mentioned it correctly! :)
Even though I'm getting old, it's always nice to know that I'm not getting completely addled yet ... ;D
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I must admit that being a soldier freak I usually post at Garden Wargames but I like it here too!
BTW am I the only guy who found it funny that the lady who wanted to remain anonymous ("because I think you guys are freaks") had her full name as an email address!
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Hello, Dan ...
I must admit that being a soldier freak I usually post at Garden Wargames ...
Makes sense to me ... ;)
BTW am I the only guy who found it funny that the lady who wanted to remain anonymous ("because I think you guys are freaks") had her full name as an email address!
Maybe none of us really wanted to contradict her "logic" ... :lol:
All the best my friend,
Richard
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Hello, Dan ...
I must admit that being a soldier freak I usually post at Garden Wargames ...
Makes sense to me ... ;)
It actually makes sense to me ... If I were a soldier freak I think I'd spend more time there too.
But I'm not a soldier freak. Actually all you soldier freaks are freaks! ... ;)
We usually are where it's more according to what we are, need and think. If you get more civillian Playmobil, I guarantee you will be here more often ... ;D
It's interesting, anyway, that people seem to follow the news, in general. Not always do anyone find anything to say.
I have too little experience in forums to say. This was the first I went in. And it's hardly two months! 8} Guess I'm becoming a forum freak. I went into Playmoboard, and another one ... Then I decided to hold me' temper. I didn't "activate" my membership in the third forum yet (i.e., I didn't present myself ...). I like to be at Playmoboard, but I admit that I'm more often here ... Don't know why. / Somehow, I do find it here more easy to handle.
I was thinking about getting out of the third one. (Is it possible?? :hmm: ) I haven't stop to figure it out from in there yet.
The fact is that I've been in two, and it's already more than enough.
I visit a lot GardenWargaming-Playclicks, since Richard showed the works by Ralf Gemein on Napoleonic Egypt :yup: but I realized that it wasn't necessary to join. As well as, I think, I shouldn't. For the time being, I'm not interested in wars on my table. (Well, then again, I still have two klicky and a ... 2 1/2s.) (... Other eight on their way, and another some more hooked, waiting for next month to be bought ::) ) Anyway, I don't make plans. I like civillian life, and, to me, wars won't be welcome, even in the Playmoworld.
Give me adventure!: I intend to make a lot of them ... :love:
But seriously:
As for vanishing members of forums:
It's a slim possibility that a few of the non-responders have... died. In today's world, we ought to include in our wills what e-friends should be informed in the event of untimely demise...
-Tim
What I thought about it was that it is possible, but probably unefficient. Future generations will know that a Gustavo back in 2008 in Playmofriends will probably have died about the mid XXIth century, so, in 2100, it will be little probable that this forum will hear from me ... 8}
Which makes me think how, I wander, will these things renew? I'm always a bit worried about, for example, my Yahoogroups. Always thinking in having other members as owners too, for, in case I die, the group can go on ... It's a bit crazy to think about it, but it's ... part of the thoughs of someone who thinks too much about many things ... Maybe. 8}
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I think that that's putting it too easy. I've had some very good friendships. But if you're both living on different continents, then that's already putting a strain on things. And sometimes, they just drop out/ off - never to be heard from again. You just don't know what happened.
I've had had a very good relationship with Stacey for a long time. And she's just suddenly disappeared. I tried to re-instate the contact; but there's just nothing. I don't know what happened. But stating that "she didn't make friends" does hurt then.
In the end they're all individual cases with individual reasons and individual situations. You can't just go about picking up a broom and sweep them all unto a single heap...
as to Kaethe: some of the older sites have been up and running for a long time. If I remember correctly, Playmoboard was founded in 2001 and as far as I know - there was nothing before that. I joined in in 2004 so I'm afraid I can't tell you anything of what went on before that.
Bogro
I was wandering too, Count Bogro ...
WHY must this be that some people vanished? :eh?: Especially people who became friends. Did they loose their interest in Playmobil completely? Maybe even so, having become friends, they'd keep in touch, answer to calls ...
Maybe one or another may have had serious problems in life, such as a son who suffered an accident, or something horrible like this.
Martin mentioned it, in a kind of a ... particularly English humour (in a way, I didn't read that as something as serious as I should, but it is a bit funny to think about putting in the will "make contact with my friends in the internet that I died"), maybe someone may be dead ...
(I kept thinking about my father, for example ... I don't have the slightest idea of all the friends &/or communities he may have or make part in the internet ... &, Maybe, the better way of dealing with it would be (him) to make his friends to know that he has a son, and give them ways of finding me, for, if someday, he stops mailing or participating, so that his more friendly friends may search for me, and ask me about him. Maybe this would be the best way to deal with such situation.)
How to deal with the feelings that grows, concerning this matter, is, I think, the most difficult thing.
It seems to be more difficult in what concern forums (?), I think. In mailing-lists, everything seems to be a bit shallower ... (Well, I never had significant relationships in mailing-lists, although I do have ... (at least) one mailing-list where I'd never be for the mailing-list subjects in themselves, but that I never left -- and don't intend to -- because of the people that became ... somehow too important to me that I would simply leave that place.
I say so because few places there were like this, where I felt so welcome. (Ty received me well, in the YahooPlaymoGroup, and there's another Yahoogroup on other subject, too, where I feel at home, though I've been a bit away from there, lately ... Which will probably change, for the next week, once I'm just realizing this fact! :-[ ) I realize by these thoughts that I feel at home in places where the subject please me, and at friends' home where I'm in because of the people; & that I like to be at friends' homes. Anyway ... Some other thoughts.
There's also some other completely different perspective concerning this matter that, though, I should put some other time, 'cause it's getting a bit long it here ;D
G.
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Btw, Tim, you have knowledge on Portuguese, and Latin, do you? ... What do you do for living? :hmm: ... Or is it only a hobby? ::)
G.--
:)
I studied Latin for three years in highschool. My Portuguese is courtesy of Babel-Fish, but I recognize some of the words thanks to Latin and French.
My occupation is software engineer.
An occupation I advise nobody to enter.
The US is complaining about a decline in the number of engineers, but that only re-emphasizes what a hard field this is.
1) We have plenty of engineers. Just not enough engineers lucky enough to be fast engineers, who are also good salesmen, and who spend their off-hours having visions of technology road maps. So, when Microsoft CEO complains about shortages, he really means a shortage of "the best".
2) Our salaries start medium-high and stop medium-high. We're a highly educated manual laborer, down to the carpal tunnel and other physical problems (our salaries place us at the upper end of lower middle-class, by American economic standards).
3) The best of us only makes slightly more than the worst of us, at least in a big corporation. Yet that doesn't make anybody nicer or less ambitious, except for the beat-dead 40+'ers who've stopped fighting, or the green 20-somethings who are too naive to realize they are ruining their careers by not behaving like a Roman during their years of best opportunity (once you turn 30, if you haven't made the "high-potential" list, you're by definition: "low-potential".
Worse, it's actually a fun job, if only one didn't have to deal with the people.
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Hello, Timmy ...
2) Our salaries start medium-high and stop medium-high. We're a highly educated manual laborer, down to the carpal tunnel and other physical problems (our salaries place us at the upper end of lower middle-class, by American economic standards).
Interesting comment, Timmy ...
We were never able to find a really good software engineer (back in the early '90s) who was entrepreneurial enough to want a healthy percentage of the product. This required the software engineer to take the risk necessary to potentially become a multi-millionaire. So, we finally ended up finding and then paying an academician the going rate to do the job.
Fortunately, this became a very financially successful ongoing product with a great future. Unfortunately, there were many other products with equal potential, whose time has come and gone for the want of a few entrepreneurial software engineers.
Timmy, I'm, therefore, not at all surprised by the picture that you paint of most software engineers.
All the best,
Richard
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I studied Latin for three years in highschool. My Portuguese is courtesy of Babel-Fish, but I recognize some of the words thanks to Latin and French.
My occupation is software engineer.
Amazing what that "Babel Fish" can do ... I though you could speak some Portuguese. 8}
I didn't know that. (The Babel Fish program ...) A few days ago, I saw the lass who works with me (behind the counter) to use it, and found out what that was ... I am very tough to allow a machine to teach me. I even have problems with allowing a dictionary to teach me. I hope someday I'll know better, but it's my way, 'can't run from it.
An occupation I advise nobody to enter.
(...)
Worse, it's actually a fun job, if only one didn't have to deal with the people.
Thanks for the advice.
Am ... What's the problem with people? :hmm:
;D I'm kidding here too!
I had a friend, back in highschool days, who played about making computing stuff ... Along with another one, who was more into it, and chose this for career. Later on, the first one who had gone into other kind of Engeneering, turned to your side, too. But it seems that he never liked it too much, and I don't know if he still does it anymore ... 'Lost contact with them, anyway.
You kind of make me remember that guy ... Although he didn't like much Playmobil. They both prefered Lego. (And their best hobby was to make scenaries to a computer game called "Descent" which we used to play in four, back then ... It was a nice hobby they had, and friends had great profit in that ... we had a lot of fun together with it! :yup: )
And the other guy's hobby was to collect The Simpson's episodes, which he recorded in video. Last I heard of him he was inclined to go into Astronomy ...
I have some sort of contact only with the fourth friend who played "Descent" with us. He went to Medicine School.
... I think the only "Playmofriend" I ever had was a cousin of mine, who, though, lives in another town, and I have no more friendship with him :-[
Although I know where he is ...
I hope I still manage to tell him about this place. Even though he doesn't collect playmobil anymore, but, well, nor did I, until a couple of months ago. And I'm in my third order, and today, I think, I just "had an epiphany"* (or a klickyphany) the combination of what will possibly be my avatar, in a not distant future! :D
G.
:blackhair:
*I'm quoting a movie: Reign of Fire. 'Like that movie.
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We were never able to find a really good software engineer (back in the early '90s) who was entrepreneurial enough to want a healthy percentage of the product. This required the software engineer to take the risk necessary to potentially become a multi-millionaire. So, we finally ended up finding and then paying an academician the going rate to do the job.
I'm ready to take that risk, now!
But, seriously: the Dot-Com era threw thousands of engineers into Silicon Valley serfdom, working long hours for little pay in hopes of their stock-options skyrocketing.
I started my career at the tail end of that. My experience was that the temp firm I worked for (aka "Consulting Firm") in Chicago was doing prototype web design for a start-up grocery home-delivery company.
What the home-delivery company founder's true strategy was: build enough of a potential threat (a functional website) to get bought out by his rivals (and shut down). He succeeded. His staff got the pink slips within a month, I presume. I think my temp firm got paid.
But, I see the point you are making.
A problem may be that we engineers have had to much mathematical training--technically, a $1,000,000 opportunity with only a 10% chance of success is worth $100,000. (10% * $1 million + 90% * $0 = $100,000.
The math is faulty, but that may be how we think.
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I didn't know that. (The Babel Fish program ...) A few days ago, I saw the lass who works with me (behind the counter) to use it, and found out what that was ... I am very tough to allow a machine to teach me. I even have problems with allowing a dictionary to teach me. I hope someday I'll know better, but it's my way, 'can't run from it.
With babelfish, you have to have some basic knowledge to verify that the result isn't garbage.
I tried to post regularly to Klickywelt using babelfish and my limited German. Very labor intensive.
As for lost friends:
A couple of my old high school friends tracked me down a few years back but it was sort of a mixed bag. One is struggling along at a $6 / hr job, and though really nice and mild mannered, keeps getting on the wrongside of his supervisors. The other is an entrepreneur running one of those investing websites that will probably make him rich soon. But he has the strange air of a mafioso searching for henchmen. The $6 / hr guy usually brings us together but we separate as soon as he's gone.
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The $6 / hr guy usually brings us together but we separate as soon as he's gone.
Hm ... Maybe so. (I'm usually the guy who brings friends together. But, in my friends' case, they quite enjoyed it. But I couldn't do it forever; there was a time when I couldn't any longer ...)
I think it's like this, all right ... Friends simply come and go, throughout life. :(
But this is talking about friends "in town". What about friends in the internet? Has anyone here ever made a friend in the internet that lasted? :hmm:
(What's a friend that lasted? ... Maybe, say ... ten years? 2008, 1998: there was internet already!)
G.
:blackhair:
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Has anyone here ever made a friend in the internet that lasted? :hmm:
(What's a friend that lasted? ... Maybe, say ... ten years? 2008, 1998: there was internet already!)
G.
:blackhair:
I met my wife through the internet, we first encountered each other about 7 years ago, and NOT on a dating site. Does that count?
I've only been using the internet regularly for about 7 years, so I don't think I can claim an internet friendship older than that, though I did have a private email address with a company called comupserve before that, which I used mainly for playing "postal" games, but on the internet.
Besides my wife, I'm still regularly in touch with many internet friends with shared interests from the last 7 years.
One group of us set up our own private forum called "The House" where we go to hang out and let off steam when other forums get too intense. We even have a separate bathrooms for the men and women. My wife tells me the women discuss relationships and medical stuff, while we men mostly crack fart jokes.
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... Has anyone here ever made a friend on the internet that lasted? :hmm:
Yes!
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Oldest friends I have in the internet that I never met personally are about 4 years, I think ... (I started using the internet more frequently about 2003. This is the first forum I'm in; not counting with mailing-lists (like Yahoogroups).)
I met my wife through the internet, we first encountered each other about 7 years ago, and NOT on a dating site. Does that count?
I don't know if your wife counts, Martin ... You don't talk with her mainly through the internet anymore ... (I hope! ::) )
But it's certainly a great story to tell! :yup:
G.
:blackhair:
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I don't know if your wife counts, Martin ... You don't talk with her mainly through the internet anymore ... (I hope! ::) )
But it's certainly a great story to tell! :yup:
G.
:blackhair:
I think the goalposts just got moved! You never said it still had to be communication through the internet.
However we do still exchange emails regularly, since that way we can easily keep in touch while at work. We both do office jobs that require us to be at a computer for most of the working day.
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I think the goalposts just got moved! You never said it still had to be communication through the internet.
However we do still exchange emails regularly, since that way we can easily keep in touch while at work. We both do office jobs that require us to be at a computer for most of the working day.
Yeah, I think marrying the pen pal ought to count.
I mean, if you're asking about successful "e-friendships" you can't get much tighter than marriage.
Other than two army friends who I had extensive connections two in person before we moved to different parts of the country, I've never had an e-friendship last longer than six years, with two years being the norm.
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I agree ... Your friendship with the lass turned out to be successful. It's the best one can get to!
But it's an exception. I doubt I'm going to marry a girl from here ;D ...
What I meant by saying that it didn't count was that it doesn't have much to do with what concerns friendships here, in practical terms, in the situations brought before ...
WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
...
I had mentioned the name of one of the entrants who had participated in Collectobil's Customizing Contest about six years ago.
IMHO, Timmy's question (Where are they now?) seemed important enough to have it's own topic!
I've had had a very good relationship with Stacey for a long time. And she's just suddenly disappeared. I tried to re-instate the contact; but there's just nothing. I don't know what happened. But stating that "she didn't make friends" does hurt then.
But I agree that if every friendship ended up in some deeper level of exchange, maybe we wouldn't loose touch with some friends.
(Maybe I don't have anymore contact with my friends from highschool because they didn't think it worth keeping in touch with me, maybe they didn't think I could offer them anything new (?) -- and, by now, they didn't care so much for me as a person ... I don't know.)
Then again, if you don't expose yourself, you'll never make friends anyhow!
...
By the way, Martin, were your then future wife too scared when you first met personally? -- Just kidding!! :lol: sorry, 'couldn't resist!
It's a very curious life experience ... We hear stories like this (I had heard), but I had never met anyone in person. It's very interesting :)
G.
:blackhair:
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But I agree that if every friendship ended up in some deeper level of exchange, maybe we wouldn't loose touch with some friends.
I think a lot is random and out of our control. Some people just change over time.
Richard was a psychiatrist during his professional career.
Maybe he could give us an analysis of the nature of human social behavior.
Money, and being generous with it, probably doesn't hurt either. Bill Clinton has a lot of friends, I think.
What was it the rock group Styx sang?
"I got dozens of friends
and the fun never ends
That is, as long as I'm buying.
Is it any wonder I'm not crazy?
Is it any wonder I'm sane at all?
Is it any wonder I've got too much time on my hands
And it's ticking away with my sanity...
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Other than two army friends who I had extensive connections two in person before we moved to different parts of the country, I've never had an e-friendship last longer than six years, with two years being the norm.
It's more frequent this way, I mean, it's more "natural" to keep friends that you met first personally, and you exchanged contacts, when departed from each other ...
I have a number of faithful penfriends that keep in touch, from time to time (even though they don't write for a couple of months, or longer, while I use to write every week, in "easier" times). I try to keep frequence. I can't say that it's successful, but it's only something I like to do, because of myself (...). And then, sometimes, when something I wrote pleases any of them, he or she will write back, and say hello.
But it's more difficult the other way, I mean, someone you met through the internet. I had contact with a girl, once, that was reasonably profitable, in terms of friendship. (She passed me on a poem she had written.) But after a while, (about a year or two) she never wrote again. Maybe if I write her now, that some longer time passed, she will answer. (I'll try to do it :!: ) But maybe I'll never hear of her again ... I met this girl in a Yahoogroup.
G.
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I think a lot is random and out of our control. Some people just change over time.
Yeah, I think you're right about it ... :-\
G.
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One thing that makes internet Friends easy to abandon is that all you have to do is not go to the site anymore. "Out of Site Out of Mind " I guess you will also have to ignore a few emails from time to time but these computers make it similar to watching TV. all you have to do is change the channel . Computers make things a little less personal so it is easier to ignore than say an old buddy banging on your front door with a cold one in hand . :**:
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"Out of Site Out of Mind "
Very clever play on words ... :lol:
... easier to ignore than say an old buddy banging on your front door with a cold one in hand . :**:
True!
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I guess you will also have to ignore a few emails from time to time but these computers make it similar to watching TV. all you have to do is change the channel . Computers make things a little less personal so it is easier to ignore than say an old buddy banging on your front door with a cold one in hand . :**:
I keep changing the channel but Rasputin is still around.
Here's one you'll love, Ras:
Re-modeling your image for success in a corporate environment.
Nothing like a roomful of yuppies with their plastic smiles and dagger friendships to brighten your day.
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Re-modeling your image for success in a corporate environment.
Nothing like a roomful of yuppies with their plastic smiles and dagger friendships to brighten your day.
Sounds like a fun B.S. crowd. I am still trying to figure out the Carpetbaggers i keep running into .
but as far as me not going away you could always try to E-shoot me a few times , and then send me an poisoned E-muffin but in the end you will have to E-drown me and if it was your relations who have wrought my death, then no one in the family will remain alive. They will be killed by the Russian people. >:D I am after all the MAD MONK :woohoo:
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Sounds like a fun B.S. crowd. I am still trying to figure out the Carpetbaggers i keep running into .
but as far as me not going away you could always try to E-shoot me a few times , and then send me an poisoned E-muffin but in the end you will have to E-drown me and if it was your relations who have wrought my death, then no one in the family will remain alive. They will be killed by the Russian people. >:D I am after all the MAD MONK :woohoo:
Yuppies don't need to shoot, poison, or drown the likes of Rasputin.
They just isolate and marginalize him to death.
-Tim
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Bart de Smet had no sooner launched Playmobil Central in 2000, when Playmobil's attorneys informed him that he could not have a Playmobil website. Oliver Deeg had begun his Playmobil photo stories about the same time and was told that he also couldn't have a website using the Playmobil name.
On Sunday the 26th of November, 2000 ... The three of us launched operation "Klicky Thunder" ... ;D
"Playmobil Central" continued to operate under cover. The name was changed to "Collector Central" and hosted at Garden Wargaming. Then we began the Great Klicky Wars.
All of the online Playmobil vendors were angry with Zirndorf as they had been told that they could no longer sell Playmobil over the internet. The eBay dealers were angry because they might lose their "collector" customer base.
Bart, Oliver and I organized a massive email campaign (with the help of the vendors, eBay dealers and collectors) that totally surprised Zirndorf. Within a matter of weeks, the three of us were invited to visit with the powers at Klicky Towers.
Geobra's attorneys came up with some guidelines for Playmobil fansites. We made a few suggestions. And, we finally all agreed on what is still being used today.
Bart reopened Playmobil Central as Collectobil, Oliver reopened his website as Playfans, Tahra reopened Playmoville as Playkingdoms, and so on.
Bart almost immediately reinstated the "message board" for the Playmobil community! (This was the FIRST Playmobil forum, board or group!) The kind of free "Forum" software thst we have today was not yet available, so it all had to be managed manually.
When the three Yahoo Playmobil groups came along, Bart closed the Collectobil message board.
Hello, master Rich!
Does Bart still run Collectobil? (Yes, I believe ...) How often is it updated? (His work is wonderful!)
I'm curious, 'cause it's only about three months I've been drinking from Collectobil's waters ... ;D
G.
:blackhair:
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Hello, Gus ...
Does Bart still run Collectobil? (Yes, I believe ...) How often is it updated? (His work is wonderful!)
Yes, Bart is still the owner and administrator of Collectobil. His work keeps him very busy. However, it is our understanding that Collectobil may receive some major updates sometime in the near future.
All the best,
Richard
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An interesting topic. I know my collecting interests have changed over time, some things I have dropped completely, others are still around but I don't actively look any more. Playmobil has lasted longer for me as an interest than most other things. My attention does wander though. I am just today working on my first update of my site since March. I am finally getting around to adding in the 2008 add-on releases. A lot of my time has been sucked away into a new art medium - I have started doing 3d based computer art. But I also just this week received my latest DS order that lets me complete my current project, something I am also working on this weekend. Pictures to eventually follow. :D
Sorry I seem to be wandering here. I do still have contact with some people who were active on Playmobil collecting boards but aren't any more, but mainly because we share another online interest that keeps us in touch. I do find that people are people, interpersonal conflicts and disagreements develop - sometimes easier online since emotion is so much harder to gauge. And so they drift off to other things.
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But, seriously, the $5 entrance fee really does filter out the un-serious
-Tim
[/quote]
WHAT THE :hmm: ? Talk about inflation! How long has is been since you joined this site!? I just paid $8.12 USD to join :hissyfit:!!! But so far it was worth every penny :woohoo:!!!!
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But, seriously, the $5 entrance fee really does filter out the un-serious
-Tim
WHAT THE :hmm: ? Talk about inflation! How long has is been since you joined this site!? I just paid $8.12 USD to join :hissyfit:!!! But so far it was worth every penny :woohoo:!!!!
No, no. The fee has not changed. It has always been set at 5 Euros. It's probably the rate of exchange which is causing such a big difference in the prices being paid by US members. Either the Euro must be very strong or the US dollar has weakened recently.
$8.12 does sound rather high. I can remember when it was converting to about US$6.00. However, I'm glad that you don't feel your money has been wasted. There is enough money saved in the fund to pay the hosting fees for several years. :yup:
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Oh i had wished you were investing the funds into oil and gold and we were all going to get a super set one of these days :doh:
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Oh i had wished you were investing the funds into oil and gold and we were all going to get a super set one of these days :doh:
Hmmm... now why didn't I think of that...? ;D
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Hi guys :wave:
(and girls - of course ;) )
I'm still here - but I have to admit I've somehow lost contact to the english boards for nearly a year or so ... sorry, I was distracted ....
I'll try to drop by every now and then - even if it's just for a short blink ...
promised :-[
cheers
Sven
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I'll try to drop by every now and then - even if it's just for a short blink ...
It is always good to see you, Sven !!!
All the best,
Richard
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Hey, Playmofriends
(mainly adminis)
I'm in a forum in Portuguese, as I had said before ( http://meiapalavra.com.br ), which has the folloeing tool, in the profile section: "away for some time / from _____ to _____ / reason: _____". This might help us have a better
knowledge of some people's destinations or activity ... (It could be specially oriented in the guidelines to "in case of ceasing the use, please inform this &/or that way".)
And it could there be a tool of any kind, that made some sort of if the user doesn't log in in, say, a year, or a semester, he'd be marked as "inactive", until he came to log in again, and this would automatically (and with no additional cost ... ;D ) turn him active again.
These things, if possible to be implemented, might be of some help to avoid loosing touch with people without, at least, to know why, as well as give us a better knowledge of the real activity in the forum, I mean, who's active, who isn't, and so on. For a place as Playmofriends, I think it might be worthed, once there's little people here, and usually interested (to the point of paying to come in ..., which doesn't happen in other forums and, lets say, with consequences* for that ...)
Only an idea that came around, in mind.
I hope it can help, anyhow.
Gus
:blackhair:
* Forums overpopulated, including with some ... "weird" people. Martin can talk about the weird-people part better than I.
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Hi Gus,
not a bad idea, but if the Forum model doesn't offer the option, it's probably not possible.
Sylvia mentioned possible plug-ins (for a map) this might be one, but I don't think I've yet seen a English forum that offers this option, and I've been on half a dozen different models.
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The idea of paying to enter is an interesting filter ... However, how to have notion of who "exists"? ...
The ideal place in the internet would be a place where you could know that people are actually there. This is difficult in a forum. In free forums its even more difficult ... Playmoboard must have about a thousand people (by the amount of people that go in everyday, a number of them because it's free ...), as well as this literature forum I went in ... I'd love it to be a pay-to-enter ... It's a beginning.
There's the problems of the versions of programs ... This forum I went in maybe can't do this, but it's a more recent version, and it happens that they go on getting more and more sophisticated. Into some time, maybe there will be such kind of forum program with this possibility ... But will be Playmofriends be possibly upgraded into that?
The pay-to-enter isn't enough to prevent us to know about people's abcences. It's sad, and common. As common as getting a girlfriend, and begin having less time in life to dedicate to Playmo &/or forums, if you aren't prepared for that. And many 20-25 people aren't. (I wasn't ...)
Gus
:blackhair:
[Ps. The Meiapalavra forum is originally in English. The owner said that she had to translate a lot of stuff, to make it work in Portuguese. But I don't know yet, for instance, whether they have a photo section, which is crucial to us ...
(Ou of curiosity, "meia palavra" is "half a word", and there's a saying, in Portuguese that says that "para bom entendedor, meia palavra basta", which means that if someone is smart, he understand things already in the first half of the speech, and there's no need of any more explaination ... It's an interesting title for a forum on literature, at least in Portuguese. People there is very smart. It's a rare find. As well as Playmofriends :) ...)]
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missed this
very interesting reading
thanks for the History revieuw Richard
Stil ....
where are they ?
are they still reading ? and no longer posting ?
I remember a lot of people no longer posting because of the management on fora but confessing to me they still read
maybe real life interfeared ?
I do have several friendships that still last and started on a playmo forum
is there anybody who found lost active members back ?
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I remember a lot of people no longer posting because of the management on fora but confessing to me they still read
As I entered, and was eager to meet people, I contacted, maybe two people through pm, after having read their "Welcome!" message, and I've got the same answer, that they still evesdropped around, but didn't interact. So, they're active.
What worries me are those whom people try to recontact, and get no answer. It'd be very interesting if the forum program signalled this somehow: "this member hasn't posted since 200?". (Without giving us the trouble of searching for the person's last messages.) This might even be some sort of a little push for people to log in, say hello, sometimes, from from time to time ... Specially if it was said somewhere "if you don't log in in the period of (a year? a semester?), you'll be automatically marked as inactive, (and made unable to post?), until you contact the adminstrators of the forum" ...
And the tool of "absent from .......... to .........., because of .........." might be interesting as well, as long as it was properly announced as well in the coming in "if you get yourself absent for some reason, don't let the forum without saying why; if you don't fill the reason of absence update, you run the risk of loosing your active log in", or something like.
(The forum in Portuguese I'm in, of course, doesn't do all this; probably no forum does.)
I thought this would be interesting for Playmofriends, to make the group even more united.
This will get a lot of (hard) work to accomplish, though. But it'd be very interesting, I think.
It might begin with some "relationship tips tutorial", in the introduction notes, by the administrator(s) & moderators.
These are only ideas ...
(This is, possibly, how geobra Brandstätter feels, when they receive our ideas ... "It'd be great to do it, but it'll spend a lot of energy (and maybe money ...), so (...)". Unfortunately, it's a crude reality.
But, well, giving the idea is something already! :)
Maybe Tim, our computing wizard! could solve this matter easily!!! ;D
(I'm kidding you, Tim ::) )
Gus
:blackhair:
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What worries me are those whom people try to recontact, and get no answer. It'd be very interesting if the forum program signalled this somehow: "this member hasn't posted since 200?". .
Gus,
Go to the "members" section from the tool bar, click to view the profile of the member you want, and note the "last active" date.
Granted, if you're trying to look up 100s of long lost members, that could be a pain. If this is an issue, you might consider spam software that includes read receipts and possibly port snooping of the members' last registered IP address. :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o
Letting receivers of PMs who fail to write back simply go their separate way may be the gentleman's response. :omg: :omg: :omg: :omg: :omg: :omg: :omg: :omg: :omg: :omg: :omg:
-Tim
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Well Tim ... If you say it isn't possible,
all right then ::) ...
:lol: The way you said was VERY funny, though! :lol:
Gus
:blackhair:
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People leave forums for various reasons and it would seem very unnatural to me if no-one ever did.
Usually it's because they discover new hobbies which interest them more or their personal lives become so busy that they don't have the time. I know from my own experience that spending too much time and energy thinking about and talking about the same topics can eventually lead to feelings of burnout.
Personality clashes are to be expected when you have a large group of people from varying backgrounds. Sometimes people take a dislike to the admin, moderators, or other members and decide to distance themselves in order to retain their sanity. ;)
I agree it would be much nicer if long-term absent members dropped back in occasionally to let us know how they are, but I don't usually worry about the lack of communication unless it's very sudden or out-of-character.
Time is short so I prefer to concentrate on interacting with active members rather than trying to revive those that appear to be "dead" (for want of a better description :P). I have attempted this myself in the past and have always found it to be an exercise in futility.
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Time is short so I prefer to concentrate on interacting with active members rather than trying to revive those that appear to be "dead" (for want of a better description :P). I have attempted this myself in the past and have always found it to be an exercise in futility.
That's different & interesting :eh?: ... I'll probably have to spend time thinking about it, you know? :eh?:, now you mentioned. Take the subject to my analyst ::) ... See what comes out of that :0 ...
That's ... Kind'a funny, too.
& It's very nice, I have to admit, to know your face, you know?, and imagine real Sylvia saying so. It gives some reality to the opinion.
Thanks for sharing your opinion ... Crystal ;D *
:lol:
Gus
:blackhair:
*I remember you, Sylvia, when I open the polls at Ty's Yahoogroup, and see a lot of polls by Crystal :lol:
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Just reread the whole thread
I wanted to thank all who contributed
learned a lot , it is nice to read who everybody deals with the question
all the best
Michael
Macgayver
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For a while now I have been pondering what, if anything, to say in this thread. I guess the key point I want to make is that people do come back, sometimes. In my own case, I was very active on another site until it became intolerable there. Playmofriends was founded and I was a member here from the very beginning. Then I drifted away for a variety of reasons - my kids were older and no longer played with Playmobil, I became busy with other things, I had some some lingering bad feelings from the other Playmobil forum, and such. I still looked in occasionally here and the other place just to see what was going on and to catch a glimpse of old friends. Then I decided to start posting again, though much less frequently than before.
I learned a lot from reading this thread - thank you, Richard, for the history lesson! There was a lot of information that I did not know before. :) Also, I agree with you completely on this point:
. . . However, Sylvia's Playmofriends is by far the BEST ... ;)
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I've got another theory!:
All absent members get girlfriends! (weddings, children ...), and don't tell them how important playmobil is to them! ... ::)
Oops ... Better talk with this new girl as soon as possible! :-\
8}
:lol:
:hmm:
:P
:love:
:wave:
though much less frequently than before.
Gus
:blackhair:
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i think some of the members can also get boyfriends, gus. :P
well... i am back after a short pause, not because i got a new girlfriend (i still have the same one) but because a lot of work demanded my attention. :hmm:
i hope now i will have a few more time for this forum again.
i am still missing a photo of me riding my motorbike to give to sylvia and some of my new (i am so happy) 3550 pirate ship.
that will have to wait though - my camera had a close encounter with some stairs and lost its lens.
i am waiting to find the time to get a new one.
at lest i found the time to come back here.... :love:
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& WHERE ARE WE?
I thought about opening a thread, for this, but, well, this one exists, and if they think it interesting, they'll set this appart themselves, because I don't have enough time this week ...
HELLO PLAYMOFRIENDS!
I'll be away the whole week, this week. Where I'm going to travel, maybe seldom will I have access to internet. Hope to be back safe, the other week.
So, I won't drop by ev'ry day ... :-\
Take care of the place!, while I'm absent ;) hehe!
See you!
Yours
Gus
:blackhair:
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well... i am back after a short pause, not because i got a new girlfriend (i still have the same one) but because a lot of work demanded my attention. :hmm:
i hope now i will have a few more time for this forum again.
Too bad we aren't all billionaires, who live only for playmorelax! ... :lol:
i think some of the members can also get boyfriends, gus. :P
No doubt o' that!
By the way,
I'm back!
See you around.
Gus
:blackhair:
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This is a cool topic! Things change, and people change, and their interests change, so frequent turnover of participants is to be expected.
This is an interesting question, and we probably will never know all the reasons for the turnover. So it boils down to just enjoying a chatroom about PM with whomever is available.
Most of us have many different interests within PM, so we tend to follow the threads that relate to those topics. Hopefully there will be enough threads to keep our interest.
We are lucky to have such a cool forum, Pgal :wave:
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if administrator of forums where able to apply their "law" to everybody on the same way , i will still contribute . There's too many politics and private interest in the forums .It's a too little community ....
When you're attack in public and you cannot answer because it's from "friends" administrator , sure you stop to contribute . (no need to say more to Richard .... )
Lot of collectors are still "alive" but prefer to do that quietly at home !!
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After a couple of years, I guess I can conclude there's no rule at all. All cases happen. Personal ones, "political" ones, random ones ...
One thing interesting to note is that the new people + a few old people who remain are what seem to help the places to be alive, if they don't eventually die for management problems.