Maybe this group really is dying. Once I put talk.politics.guns into my
killfile, the number of AUE messages shrunk almost to zero.

--
Peter Moylan http://www.pmoylan.org
Newcastle, NSW

On Tue, 12 Mar 2024, at 09:54:10, Peter Moylan posted:
>Maybe this group really is dying. Once I put talk.politics.guns into my
>killfile, the number of AUE messages shrunk almost to zero.
>
Maybe it is. Maybe it's human nature to move on, and there are fewer
mover-inners than there are mover-outers and naturally-expirers.

We could always discuss inconsistent inflexion of strong verbs, or the
variation of inflection, but it's [in other contexts it is, in this
context it has] probably been done before. I don't get much
entertainment from nit-picking. I leave that to the monkeys.

The fact is that there are plenty of other forums, fora, or even
Internet resources where amusement can be found, and this group is an
old planet earth in an expanding planetary universe. I'd postulate some
working of intellectual entropy if I were cleverer.

I don't foresee any return to the good old days. Life doesn't do that.
--
Paul W

Remember Monday, when Paul Wolff asked plaintively:
> On Tue, 12 Mar 2024, at 09:54:10, Peter Moylan posted:
>>Maybe this group really is dying. Once I put talk.politics.guns into my
>> killfile, the number of AUE messages shrunk almost to zero.
>>
> Maybe it is. Maybe it's human nature to move on, and there are fewer
> mover-inners than there are mover-outers and naturally-expirers.
>
> We could always discuss inconsistent inflexion of strong verbs, or the
> variation of inflection, but it's [in other contexts it is, in this context
> it has] probably been done before. I don't get much entertainment from
> nit-picking. I leave that to the monkeys.
>
> The fact is that there are plenty of other forums, fora, or even Internet
> resources where amusement can be found, and this group is an old planet earth
> in an expanding planetary universe. I'd postulate some working of
> intellectual entropy if I were cleverer.
>
> I don't foresee any return to the good old days. Life doesn't do that.

There are also tidal influences. Historical looks at volume always
show some days get more messages than others, and some themes kick off
more discussion than others.

We recently had (genuine AUE) threads of 44, 19, 32, and 16 messages.
A 300-post thread started on Feb 5. We may have one of those any day.

I'd hang in there. We may have more thoughts about rounds vs
sandwiches vs sammies vs tea cakes, or about pebbles vs gravel vs
stones vs rocks; we can add millings to that thread, which probably
were gravel at one point, until embedded in a tarry matrix or (less
likely) cement. There is also the white stuff used as topping on some
roofs. Usually white, and kind of crystalline ... definitely not
sandstone.

/dps

--
Killing a mouse was hardly a Nobel Prize-worthy exercise, and Lawrence
went apopleptic when he learned a lousy rodent had peed away all his
precious heavy water.
_The Disappearing Spoon_, Sam Kean

does PTD speak or know French ?

where is PTD ? Who else is missing?

Peter Moylan wrote:

> Maybe this group really is dying. Once I put talk.politics.guns into my
> killfile, the number of AUE messages shrunk almost to zero.
Peter Moylan http://www.pmoylan.org Newcastle, NSW

i 've posted some good (meaningful) posts lately.

Someone should respond to them, so that Peter Moylan can see them.

is Moylan an Irish surname?

Snidely speculated:
> Remember Monday, when Paul Wolff asked plaintively:
>> On Tue, 12 Mar 2024, at 09:54:10, Peter Moylan posted:
>>>Maybe this group really is dying. Once I put talk.politics.guns into my
>>> killfile, the number of AUE messages shrunk almost to zero.
>>>
>> Maybe it is. Maybe it's human nature to move on, and there are fewer
>> mover-inners than there are mover-outers and naturally-expirers.
>>
>> We could always discuss inconsistent inflexion of strong verbs, or the
>> variation of inflection, but it's [in other contexts it is, in this context
>> it has] probably been done before. I don't get much entertainment from
>> nit-picking. I leave that to the monkeys.
>>
>> The fact is that there are plenty of other forums, fora, or even Internet
>> resources where amusement can be found, and this group is an old planet
>> earth in an expanding planetary universe. I'd postulate some working of
>> intellectual entropy if I were cleverer.
>>
>> I don't foresee any return to the good old days. Life doesn't do that.
>
> There are also tidal influences. Historical looks at volume always show some
> days get more messages than others, and some themes kick off more discussion
> than others.
>
> We recently had (genuine AUE) threads of 44, 19, 32, and 16 messages. A
> 300-post thread started on Feb 5. We may have one of those any day.
>
> I'd hang in there. We may have more thoughts about rounds vs sandwiches vs
> sammies vs tea cakes, or about pebbles vs gravel vs stones vs rocks; we can
> add millings to that thread, which probably were gravel at one point, until
> embedded in a tarry matrix or (less likely) cement. There is also the white
> stuff used as topping on some roofs. Usually white, and kind of crystalline
> ... definitely not sandstone.
>

ah, heck, let's add crushed granite to the list ... let it lead us down
the garden path.

/dps

--
I have always been glad we weren't killed that night. I do not know
any particular reason, but I have always been glad.
_Roughing It_, Mark Twain

Le 12/03/2024 à 00:52, Snidely a écrit :
>> On Tue, 12 Mar 2024, at 09:54:10, Peter Moylan posted:
>>>
>>> Maybe this group really is dying. Once I put talk.politics.guns into
>>> my killfile, the number of AUE messages shrunk almost to zero.

I, too, had been thinking it was quiet - too quiet; I don't like it.

> I'd hang in there.  We may have more thoughts about rounds vs sandwiches
> vs sammies [...]

Here's one, occasionally heard within, and possibly even outwith [sic],
Château Hibou:

Blessed are the piece-makers - for they shall have lunch.

The reference is Biblical, of course, only tastier. 'Piece' is a
Scottish term for a sandwich or packed lunch.

One of the observers in our local IAM group told me his wife had
consented to his buying a Fireblade provided it had space for his piece,
and was therefore suitable for commuting.

Peter Moylan wrote:

> Maybe this group really is dying. Once I put talk.politics.guns into my
> killfile, the number of AUE messages shrunk almost to zero.

I only keep messages from AUE, and the flow I see is not near zero. But
Usenet is dying. One comforting fact is that the language groups are the
last ones to dry out if you disregard the crackpots in groups about
religion and about politics.

--
Bertel, Denmark

On Tue, 12 Mar 2024 09:54:10 +1100
Peter Moylan <peter@pmoylan.org.invalid> wrote:

> Maybe this group really is dying. Once I put talk.politics.guns into my
> killfile, the number of AUE messages shrunk almost to zero.
>

The Hen has been clucking, with very little reaction; I imagine it too is
in the KF.

--
Bah, and indeed Humbug.

On 11/03/2024 23:54, Peter Moylan wrote:
> Maybe this group really is dying. Once I put talk.politics.guns into my
> killfile, the number of AUE messages shrunk almost to zero.
>

It could be a technical problem with your filter Peter. I simply deleted
the thread titled "The fifth amendment does not apply to 14.3" (was that
the thread you were reacting to?), which had talk.politics.guns as one
of the cross-posted groups.

Yes, AUE 'has been dying' for a while, it's the nature of our
demographic <smile>. However what you are experiencing is something
else. What happens when you change your filter parameters?

On 12/03/2024 09:12, Kerr-Mudd, John wrote:
> On Tue, 12 Mar 2024 09:54:10 +1100
> Peter Moylan <peter@pmoylan.org.invalid> wrote:
>
>> Maybe this group really is dying. Once I put talk.politics.guns into my
>> killfile, the number of AUE messages shrunk almost to zero.
>>
>
>
> The Hen has been clucking, with very little reaction;
>

That has a different explanation. Aversion to Hen-pox.

Bertel Lund Hansen wrote:

> I only keep messages from AUE, and the flow I see is not near zero.

I might add that I keep messages for 14 days, and I have 614 messages in
this group.

--
Bertel, Denmark

On 12/03/2024 04:35, Snidely wrote:
> Snidely speculated:
>> Remember  Monday, when  Paul Wolff asked plaintively:
>>> On Tue, 12 Mar 2024, at 09:54:10, Peter Moylan posted:
>>>> Maybe this group really is dying. Once I put talk.politics.guns into
>>>> my killfile, the number of AUE messages shrunk almost to zero.
>>>>
>>> Maybe it is. Maybe it's human nature to move on, and there are fewer
>>> mover-inners than there are mover-outers and naturally-expirers.
>>>
>>> We could always discuss inconsistent inflexion of strong verbs, or
>>> the variation of inflection, but it's [in other contexts it is, in
>>> this context it has] probably been done before. I don't get much
>>> entertainment from nit-picking. I leave that to the monkeys.
>>>
>>> The fact is that there are plenty of other forums, fora, or even
>>> Internet resources where amusement can be found, and this group is an
>>> old planet earth in an expanding planetary universe. I'd postulate
>>> some working of intellectual entropy if I were cleverer.
>>>
>>> I don't foresee any return to the good old days. Life doesn't do that.
>>
>> There are also tidal influences.  Historical looks at volume always
>> show some days get more messages than others, and some themes kick off
>> more discussion than others.
>>
>> We recently had (genuine AUE) threads of 44, 19, 32, and 16 messages.
>> A 300-post thread started on Feb 5.  We may have one of those any day.
>>
>> I'd hang in there.  We may have more thoughts about rounds vs
>> sandwiches vs sammies vs tea cakes, or about pebbles vs gravel vs
>> stones vs rocks; we can add millings to that thread, which probably
>> were gravel at one point, until embedded in a tarry matrix or (less
>> likely) cement.  There is also the white stuff used as topping on some
>> roofs.  Usually white, and kind of crystalline ... definitely not
>> sandstone.
>>
>
> ah, heck, let's add crushed granite to the list ... let it lead us down
> the garden path.
>
> /dps
>

Then there's hoggin. (I'm glad I checked the exact word, else I might
have innocently confused it with hogging).

--
Phil B

On 2024-03-12 06:31:56 +0000, Bertel Lund Hansen said:

> Peter Moylan wrote:
>
>> Maybe this group really is dying. Once I put talk.politics.guns into my
>> killfile, the number of AUE messages shrunk almost to zero.
>
> I only keep messages from AUE, and the flow I see is not near zero. But
> Usenet is dying. One comforting fact is that the language groups are the
> last ones to dry out if you disregard the crackpots in groups about
> religion and about politics.

Two that I visit and are full of crackpots, but still have a
significant number of sane people, are sci.physics.relativity and
talk.origins.

--
Athel -- French and British, living in Marseilles for 37 years; mainly
in England until 1987.

On 2024-03-12 08:12:37 +0000, Kerr-Mudd, John said:

> On Tue, 12 Mar 2024 09:54:10 +1100
> Peter Moylan <peter@pmoylan.org.invalid> wrote:
>
>> Maybe this group really is dying. Once I put talk.politics.guns into my
>> killfile, the number of AUE messages shrunk almost to zero.
>>
>
>
> The Hen has been clucking, with very little reaction; I imagine it too is
> in the KF.

Let us hope so.

--
Athel -- French and British, living in Marseilles for 37 years; mainly
in England until 1987.

On 12/03/24 19:12, Kerr-Mudd, John wrote:
> On Tue, 12 Mar 2024 09:54:10 +1100 Peter Moylan
> <peter@pmoylan.org.invalid> wrote:
>
>> Maybe this group really is dying. Once I put talk.politics.guns
>> into my killfile, the number of AUE messages shrunk almost to
>> zero.

> The Hen has been clucking, with very little reaction; I imagine it
> too is in the KF.

Not initially, because it reappeared with a new address. It didn't last
long out in the open, though.

My killfile probable includes lots of people who are no longer here.
Maybe it's time for the autumnal spring-cleaning.

--
Peter Moylan http://www.pmoylan.org
Newcastle, NSW

On 12/03/24 20:44, Athel Cornish-Bowden wrote:
> On 2024-03-12 06:31:56 +0000, Bertel Lund Hansen said:
>
>> Peter Moylan wrote:
>>
>>> Maybe this group really is dying. Once I put talk.politics.guns
>>> into my killfile, the number of AUE messages shrunk almost to
>>> zero.
>>
>> I only keep messages from AUE, and the flow I see is not near zero.
>> But Usenet is dying. One comforting fact is that the language
>> groups are the last ones to dry out if you disregard the crackpots
>> in groups about religion and about politics.
>
> Two that I visit and are full of crackpots, but still have a
> significant number of sane people, are sci.physics.relativity and
> talk.origins.

Many years ago I was asking myself whether it would be a good idea to
create new groups with names something like sci.physics.sane and
talk.origins.sane. It wouldn't have worked, though. Physics and
evolution -- and, to a lesser extent, mathematics -- attract huge hordes
of crackpots, and they wouldn't have been distracted by simple labelling.

--
Peter Moylan http://www.pmoylan.org
Newcastle, NSW

On 12/03/2024 10:46, Peter Moylan wrote:
> My killfile probable includes lots of people who are no longer here.
> Maybe it's time for the autumnal spring-cleaning.

But just in case, keep PDT in the file anyway.

<smile> You know the trope - killing a vampire is not enough, you have
to hammer a stake through the heart, to make it permanent.

On Tue, 12 Mar 2024 11:23:38 +0100
occam <occam@erewhon.nix> wrote:

> On 12/03/2024 10:46, Peter Moylan wrote:
> > My killfile probable includes lots of people who are no longer here.
> > Maybe it's time for the autumnal spring-cleaning.
>
> But just in case, keep PDT in the file anyway.
>
> <smile> You know the trope - killing a vampire is not enough, you have
> to hammer a stake through the heart, to make it permanent.

Is he dead or just missing? He stopped posting before the Great Google
Cutoff.

--
Bah, and indeed Humbug.

Kerr-Mudd, John wrote:

> On Tue, 12 Mar 2024 11:23:38 +0100
> occam <occam@erewhon.nix> wrote:

>> On 12/03/2024 10:46, Peter Moylan wrote:
>> > My killfile probable includes lots of people who are no longer here.
>> > Maybe it's time for the autumnal spring-cleaning.
>>
>> But just in case, keep PDT in the file anyway.
>>
>> <smile> You know the trope - killing a vampire is not enough, you have
>> to hammer a stake through the heart, to make it permanent.

> Is he dead or just missing? He stopped posting before the Great Google
> Cutoff.

He was having problems with the captcha that GG instituted.

--
Jerry Friedman

Peter Moylan wrote:

> My killfile probable includes lots of people who are no longer here.
> Maybe it's time for the autumnal spring-cleaning.

That was one of the features in Agent that I miss in every other
newsreader I have tried. You can set a number of days of inactivity, and
then the filter would disappear.

--
Bertel, Denmark

On 12 Mar 2024, Phil wrote

> On 12/03/2024 04:35, Snidely wrote:
>> Snidely speculated:
>>> Remember  Monday, when  Paul Wolff asked plaintively:
>>>> On Tue, 12 Mar 2024, at 09:54:10, Peter Moylan posted:
>>>>> Maybe this group really is dying. Once I put
>>>>> talk.politics.guns into my killfile, the number of AUE
>>>>> messages shrunk almost to zero.
>>>>>
>>>> Maybe it is. Maybe it's human nature to move on, and there are
>>>> fewer mover-inners than there are mover-outers and
>>>> naturally-expirers.
>>>>
>>>> We could always discuss inconsistent inflexion of strong verbs,
>>>> or the variation of inflection, but it's [in other contexts it
>>>> is, in this context it has] probably been done before. I don't
>>>> get much entertainment from nit-picking. I leave that to the
>>>> monkeys.
>>>>
>>>> The fact is that there are plenty of other forums, fora, or
>>>> even Internet resources where amusement can be found, and this
>>>> group is an old planet earth in an expanding planetary
>>>> universe. I'd postulate some working of intellectual entropy if
>>>> I were cleverer.
>>>>
>>>> I don't foresee any return to the good old days. Life doesn't
>>>> do that.
>>>
>>> There are also tidal influences.� Historical looks at volume
>>> always show some days get more messages than others, and some
>>> themes kick off more discussion than others.
>>>
>>> We recently had (genuine AUE) threads of 44, 19, 32, and 16
>>> messages. A 300-post thread started on Feb 5.  We may have one
>>> of those any day.
>>>
>>> I'd hang in there.� We may have more thoughts about rounds vs
>>> sandwiches vs sammies vs tea cakes, or about pebbles vs gravel
>>> vs stones vs rocks; we can add millings to that thread, which
>>> probably were gravel at one point, until embedded in a tarry
>>> matrix or (less likely) cement.� There is also the white stuff
>>> used as topping on some roofs.� Usually white, and kind of
>>> crystalline ... definitely not sandstone.
>>>
>>
>> ah, heck, let's add crushed granite to the list ... let it lead
>> us down the garden path.
>>
>> /dps
>>
>
> Then there's hoggin. (I'm glad I checked the exact word, else I
> might have innocently confused it with hogging).

"Not to forget hogget," he bleated.

(Does AUE still have an ovine tendency?)

--
Cheers, Harvey

On 13/03/24 01:33, HVS wrote:

> "Not to forget hogget," he bleated.
>
> (Does AUE still have an ovine tendency?)

Probably not. Sheep may safely graze.

--
Peter Moylan http://www.pmoylan.org
Newcastle, NSW

On 12-Mar-24 0:52, Snidely wrote:
> Remember  Monday, when  Paul Wolff asked plaintively:
>> On Tue, 12 Mar 2024, at 09:54:10, Peter Moylan posted:
>>> Maybe this group really is dying. Once I put talk.politics.guns into
>>> my killfile, the number of AUE messages shrunk almost to zero.
>>>
>> Maybe it is. Maybe it's human nature to move on, and there are fewer
>> mover-inners than there are mover-outers and naturally-expirers.
>>
>> We could always discuss inconsistent inflexion of strong verbs, or the
>> variation of inflection, but it's [in other contexts it is, in this
>> context it has] probably been done before. I don't get much
>> entertainment from nit-picking. I leave that to the monkeys.
>>
>> The fact is that there are plenty of other forums, fora, or even
>> Internet resources where amusement can be found, and this group is an
>> old planet earth in an expanding planetary universe. I'd postulate
>> some working of intellectual entropy if I were cleverer.
>>
>> I don't foresee any return to the good old days. Life doesn't do that.
>
> There are also tidal influences.  Historical looks at volume always show
> some days get more messages than others, and some themes kick off more
> discussion than others.
>
> We recently had (genuine AUE) threads of 44, 19, 32, and 16 messages. A
> 300-post thread started on Feb 5.  We may have one of those any day.
>
> I'd hang in there.  We may have more thoughts about rounds vs sandwiches
> vs sammies vs tea cakes, or about pebbles vs gravel vs stones vs rocks;
> we can add millings to that thread, which probably were gravel at one
> point, until embedded in a tarry matrix or (less likely) cement.  There
> is also the white stuff used as topping on some roofs.  Usually white,
> and kind of crystalline ... definitely not sandstone.

Tailings can sometimes be rehabilitated as gravel.

But I'll stick to toppings on pizza.

--
Sam Plusnet

On 12-Mar-24 21:11, Peter Moylan wrote:
> On 13/03/24 01:33, HVS wrote:
>
>> "Not to forget hogget," he bleated.
>>
>> (Does AUE still have an ovine tendency?)
>
> Probably not. Sheep may safely graze.
>
Shearers often graze a sheep, but they usually put some salve on it (or
so I'm told).

--
Sam Plusnet

On 12-Mar-24 10:23, occam wrote:
> On 12/03/2024 10:46, Peter Moylan wrote:
>> My killfile probable includes lots of people who are no longer here.
>> Maybe it's time for the autumnal spring-cleaning.
>
> But just in case, keep PDT in the file anyway.
>
> <smile> You know the trope - killing a vampire is not enough, you have
> to hammer a stake through the heart, to make it permanent.

D@mmit! I miss PTD.
<There! I've said it.>
He stirred up a lively trade in reaction to some of his more -
unsupported by evidence - posts.

--
Sam Plusnet