I have to agree with BH-FLASH about cencership on this forum

[APV]

Koalabear33,

I support your statement and 100% agree with you.

[KvHagedorn]

Well, I'm glad you're not a nobody, Petie!

As the falcon flies..
<good grief, were we REALLY all minis at some point?>

------------------
Kind Regards,

KvH

[motub]

All right, <font size=4>I have had enough of this!!!!</font>

Let me introduce myself, for those of you who ... {snip}... {snip}...errr, don't know who I am.

I moderate The Soap Box, or the 'Box, as I like to call it. I'm getting a little tired of you telling me what the 'Box is about, because clearly you don't know.

I recognize that many of you seem to have pre-conceived notions of what a forum called "The Soap Box" <u>would</u> contain, and what a forum called "General Discussion" <u>should</u> contain. I also recognize that this causes many people who might otherwise find useful information in the 'Box to avoid it like the plague. Part of the job of moderating The Soap Box necessarily involves behaving in the light of that recognition, despite the fact that it's total bull.

But your "notions" have nothing to do with my 'Box, which has its own agenda within the MURC-- which you would know if you ever read it; I have to explain this to our regulars all the time. You could also read the FAQ, naturally, which also gives a strong sense of how the MURC forums 'think' and work from there.

But fine, I'll go through it again.

<center><u><font size=5>This is a USER-TO-USER HELP FORUM</U>.</FONT></center>

This is <u>not</u> AnandTech, Tom's Hardware, Ars Technica, AGN3D, or GA-Source.

We don't do reviews (much), we don't spend vast amounts of time combing the 'Net for industry news or rumours.

<center><font size=5>WE HELP USERS OF MATROX VIDEO CARDS GET THEIR CARDS CONFIGURED PROPERLY TO WORK WITH EITHER THEIR HARDWARE, OR THEIR SOFTWARE.</CENTER></FONT>

We don't get paid to do this. Matrox didn't ask Ant to do this. We do this, all from our own resources in time--- and for Ant, in money-- because we're kinda geeky. And because we have Matrox cards and love them so much that we want others who have them to love them too. And we know they will when the conflicts are solved... and being geeks of one sort or another, we know there will be conflicts.

What does this have to do with the 'Box?

Well, there's a lot of people who hang out here. And well, you know... people persist in (shudder)...talking (d*mn users! )...

A lot of cross-chat destroys the purpose of these forums. So first and foremost, the 'Box is simply a place for all of that to be.

But the issue you minis have is "What is 'that'"? Since that's <u>my</u> lookout, I'll tell you (again).

The MURC forums are not just a help desk-- with some 4000 members ( thx andrei), we are a community. Look at the profiles of some of the MURC-ers and see how long we've been hanging out here.

And communities have social and political issues. Most of the lighthearted frivolity you see on the 'Box is just the social aspects expressing themselves. But since we are bound together by the activities of a single manufacturer, we also have 'political' discussion of both the behaviour of that manufacturer towards its customers --which is mostly complaints, since people seem to be more inclined to post those rather than compliments-- and also discussion of the activities of that manufacturer in the marketplace, and the activities of other manufacturers and how that might affect us in future.

So lots of stuff can go on there that a mini might want to know about... not least that it's a great place to ease into the community without causing too many ripples, if you have any desire to be part of the community.

But as I said in the FAQ, the community will demand that you follow its rules while you're here, even if you don't stay, so imo it's best to make an effort to find out what they are. But hey, maybe that's just me.

The function of The Soap Box is to be a valve for the social and political issues of the MURC community, so that the other forums (MHW, Gaming, GH, DTV, PD, AltLife, MGA, Happy Shopper, and even Site Feedback) can get up in the morning and get their work done--which, once again is helping users configure their Matrox cards-- without being concerned about flame wars, industry rumours, and inveterate jokesters.

All of these are perfectly valid expressions... but just not at work, no more than they would be at <u>your</u> job or school.

So don't blame me (the mod) or Ant (the admin) for your prejudices about what goes on in "The Soap Box" based on its name.

I don't know how many times I have to repeat that <U>the MURC is absolutely unique</u>... and that you need to take the time to quietly take its measure and understand it on its own terms before you open your mouth-- because on its own terms, the MURC will wipe the floor with you if it sees that you have not done so .

That said, though, I feel that for the record, and in the name of consistency, I must ask that this thread go over to Site Feedback, since that's what it's turned out to be.

That's another thing, you know... sometimes it takes a while for a thread to develop a solid personality, so it can't be transferred till we know where it might go...! This could easily have wound up in the 'Box if the MURC had been in a mood....

Though if you think people don't go to the 'Box, you must be forgetting about Site Feedback... 5 or 6 wads of bubblegum could lose their flavor on the bedpost overnight before you see a new thread posted over <u>there</u> ....

------------------
Holly

<good blessed gods....>

<OK, all you old-timers now have 24hours free 'Rag on Holly' time for sitting through this lecture on "Spiritual Pastorage of the MURC Forums". I promise, I won't behead anyone who teases me. You've earned it.>

<The countdown timer starts....NOW. 23:59:59... 23:59:58....>

<Long live the MURC!>

[This message has been edited by motub (edited 13 February 2000).]

[Pertti]

<Hip, Hip, Hooray Holly>

[Jorden]

While I remove my nylons <long live the MURC!!>I must say this out loud:
<font size=6><center>Long Live The MURC!!</font></center>
<Yes KvH, we were minis once or twice... not for long though :-)) Not like these boneheads>
Jorden.

[Rags]

I thought I would add one more thing, I don't think it should matter where they decide to put the thread, since they are leaving the original thread in tact, with it being locked with a note of where it can be found. Therefore, there is no arguing that since people generally look in Matrox Hardware/ Matrox Gaming that they still can find the info. they are looking for.

Rags

[Wombat]

Holly,
What makes you think he knows what usenet is?

[HollyBerri]

Hot spiggety, andrei!! That Q3 forum is some pretty f*cked-up sh*t, right there!!!

Doesn't quite make ty-loser look like a wanker... but if it happens all the time (like it looks like it does).... well...

<center><font size=5>LONG LIVE THE MURC!!!</CENTER></FONT>

Yipes....!

----------------------------
Holly

[paulcs]

Can we boot this over to the Soap Box?

We're setting a bad example.

Paul
paulcs@flashcom.net

[Jorden]

If only they would learn something, Holly...
<don't think they'll ever do :-((>
They will never be like us

Jord.