The Off Topic Topic

[Queequeg]

I'm saying christmas over and over now. When I try to leave a definite lack of something between s and m it sounds odd. There should by a bit of a gottal stop in there.

Saying just "Chris-mas" sounds Dickensian.  IPA is krĭsʹməs, so it looks like that ' indicates a kind of stop. 

[Admiral Yi]

A glottal stop does not a t make.

[Syt]

[Sheilbh]

I love Timothy Spall

Who would play you in the film of your life?
Me, but if I wasn't available, Beyoncé.

What is your most unappealing habit?
I'm prone to flatulence and its undeserved glorification.

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/mar/15/timothy-spall-interview

[alfred russel]

Why is it that when I check the list of posters browsing the forum we have a huge number of guests, many of which are reading really old threads?

Also, why do I see that some of them are supposedly registering for a new account, when we never get new members?

[Josquius]

I succesfully managed to stay out all night yesterday. It wasn't anywhere near as horrible as I feared it would be. Quite interesting though to go to McDonalds at 4am. The place is full of middle aged men sleeping....

[The Larch]

Why is it that when I check the list of posters browsing the forum we have a huge number of guests, many of which are reading really old threads?

Also, why do I see that some of them are supposedly registering for a new account, when we never get new members?

Neil or Moldy can explain it better, but I guess that most if not all of those guest are not people but bots, and their attempts at registering are all shot down or blocked by admins.

[PDH]

Neil or Moldy can explain it better, but I guess that most if not all of those guest are not people but bots, and their attempts at registering are all shot down or blocked by admins.

I just made $8500.00 working from home!

[Eddie Teach]

Prostitution?

[Baron von Schtinkenbutt]

Why is it that when I check the list of posters browsing the forum we have a huge number of guests, many of which are reading really old threads?

Also, why do I see that some of them are supposedly registering for a new account, when we never get new members?

Neil or Moldy can explain it better, but I guess that most if not all of those guest are not people but bots, and their attempts at registering are all shot down or blocked by admins.

Yes, they are most likely bots.  The registration page now has a clever "Are you human?" question that is extremely effective at preventing them from registering.  Prior to that we had to go with admin approval of all accounts because of the rate of bot sign-ups.  We were getting well over a hundred a day at one point.  I don't keep statistics on the number of times the registration's human check fails, but I should start.

[Admiral Yi]

Today's NYT has an opinion piece in which the author compares Paul Ryan's attitude towards the poor with Britain's attitude towards the victims of the potato famine, from which Ryan's ancestors fled. 

[alfred russel]

Yes, they are most likely bots.  The registration page now has a clever "Are you human?" question that is extremely effective at preventing them from registering.  Prior to that we had to go with admin approval of all accounts because of the rate of bot sign-ups.  We were getting well over a hundred a day at one point.  I don't keep statistics on the number of times the registration's human check fails, but I should start.

100 a day? The machines are testing our defenses. Is this the start of the singularity?

[alfred russel]

Is that also why the guests are reading posts from a long time ago?

[CountDeMoney]

Today's NYT has an opinion piece in which the author compares Paul Ryan's attitude towards the poor with Britain's attitude towards the victims of the potato famine, from which Ryan's ancestors fled. 

Pretty Boy needs more nuns on buses, chasing his ass.

[Ed Anger]

The myxoid cyst on mah pointin' finger has returned. Gross.