| Author | Message | ||
     Nohero Citizen Username: Nohero Post Number: 2000 Registered: 5-2001  |
As they saying goes (or, at least it should): "If you are reading this, you may be addicted." If you read and post, there are other signs. If you were one of the unlucky ones who had their password files messed up recently, you may have gone through withdrawal symptoms. And, during the recent blackout, was your first concern (a) how do I get home, or (b) how do I get online to talk about this? (I thought so.) And of course, you can check your post count, which for me has reached -- Yikes! The big Two-Oh-Oh-Oh! Since this is a sign that I need help, I decided to dig through the Archives for something I posted in the "Soapbox", back in February of 2001. That's right, the "Message Board Twelve Step Program" (slightly updated): 1. Admit that we are powerless over this uncontrollable urge to log-on, and that our lives have become unmanageable. 2. Believe that a Power greater than ourselves can restore to us the hours lost checking for "New Messages". 3. Make a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of Dave, as we understand Him. 4. Make a searching and fearless inventory of our hard drives. 5. Admit to Dave, Jerry, Curmudgeon, Jem, Mem, Drewdix, Mr. Reingold, Marie, Michael, Wharfrat, Nan, LSeltzer, Bobk, Cathy, Harpo, Johnny, Tom, Tjohn, Strawberry (in all his flavors), Algebra2, Reflective, Insite, MrT, CFA, AJC, every May who posts here, Jgberkeley, FFoF, Fringe, DWM, Curb, Eyespy, Toad, Duncanrogers, Melidere, HankZona, Andrew Zorn, Anon, Buzzsaw, Ml1, Musicme, Chris Dixon, Notehead, everybody else, and to ourselves, the exact nature of our wrongs. 6. Be entirely ready to have Dave remove our defects of character, and posting privileges if necessary. 7. Humbly ask Dave to remove our shortcomings, except those we're really fond of. 8. Make a list of all persons we had flamed, and become willing to make amends to them all. 9. Make direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would require us to reveal our real names. 10. Continue to take personal inventory, and when we find ourselves posting responses after 11:00 p.m., promptly delete them. 11. Seek to improve our conscious contact with Dave as we understand Him, seeking only His will for us, except when he takes our "Search" function away. 12. Pledge to carry this message to other compulsive Message Board users, and to get away from the computer more. I have every intention of starting immediately. | ||
| jgberkeley Supporter Username: Jgberkeley Post Number: 3091 Registered: 5-2001 |
Welcome, Nohero! Or something like that. | ||
| Dave Ross Supporter Username: Dave Post Number: 5051 Registered: 5-2001  |
Yes, there are a few people still around from the "early days" (started in '97 actually). Many longtime posters don't fade away -- they get new usernames. (Welcome, Nohero & JGBerkeley) | ||
| ajc Citizen Username: Ajc Post Number: 1800 Registered: 9-2001 |
Oh my, 1800 times to the alter and still counting! Thank you God for this 12 step program. In the name of the Maple, and the wood, and the Holy On-line.com .... Amen | ||
| susan Citizen Username: Ssstitcher Post Number: 2 Registered: 8-2003 |
OK this posting board is trying to hook me also. Lucky for it I am easily add. To mr AJC. my post was for a place in ny but thanks for responding. And to the Dave this seam to be the only way I can responde with out damiam or you getting upset. Please dont take my computer away. Sue  keep smiling it will drive people crazy wondering what your up to} | ||
| Chris Dickson Citizen Username: Ironman Post Number: 734 Registered: 8-2001  |
Ssstitcher: Your use of and your attempt (albeit failed ...) to use formatting (Telltale } at the end of your post) strongly indicates that, saddly, after two posts, you are getting sucked in. It's best to relax and not try to fight your feelings ... Godspeed. | ||
| ajc Citizen Username: Ajc Post Number: 1804 Registered: 9-2001 |
“I am hoping this will be more affordable then a hotel, and safer.” You're welcome Susan... Wasn’t sure why you were looking in NJ, where you live, or how much security you were looking for. We're under a half hour to the city by Midtown Direct, and definitely more affordable and safer than a hotel…. Good luck. | ||
| OK, it's Tom Reingold Citizen Username: Noglider Post Number: 404 Registered: 1-2003  |
This is most certainly not the MOL addiction meeting hall. It's a mockup, I say! This is more like the bar everyone goes to, to moan about their drinking problems. Tom Reingold | ||
| ml1 Citizen Username: Ml1 Post Number: 1220 Registered: 5-2002  |
Tom, you're absolutely right. But as long as I stay out of the Soapbox, I think MOL is a harmless addiction. I was going to dispute Nohero's listing of me as one of those needing the 12 steps, but with 1200+ posts under my belt, I think I'm left without a rhetorical leg to stand on. (And the fact that I'm using the small type as an homage to Nohero really nails me as an MOL addict.) | ||
| duncanrogers Citizen Username: Duncanrogers Post Number: 689 Registered: 12-2001  |
Frankly I was worried. But 5 days away from a computer and I never once went into the library to read MOL postings. For now, I have this under control.. For nowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww | ||
| Hank Zona Citizen Username: Hankzona Post Number: 726 Registered: 3-2002 |
As a friend once said regarding drinking..."Its not hard to give up drinking...Ive done it a hundred times." Cheers to all posters..well, to most posters. | ||
| ffof Citizen Username: Ffof Post Number: 1382 Registered: 5-2001  |
Krikey! I'm on a list! and as for #10, there's nothing better than a perfect post post-pub! | ||
| buzzsaw Citizen Username: Buzzsaw Post Number: 1040 Registered: 5-2001 |
Just this last post and I am done. I swear. | ||
| Ed May Citizen Username: Edmay Post Number: 1658 Registered: 9-2001  |
CONGRATULATIONS on 2  posts!!Ed May | ||
| Ed May Citizen Username: Edmay Post Number: 1659 Registered: 9-2001 |
CONGRATULATIONS on 18  posts.Ed May | ||
| mem Citizen Username: Mem Post Number: 1923 Registered: 5-2001  |
Hi! My name is Mem! I live in a BAR down by the river! There's nothing like spending your whole life in a BAR! | ||
| Joan Citizen Username: Joancrystal Post Number: 1890 Registered: 5-2001 |
Nohero: Thank you for not including my screen name in your listing (item #5) of known MOL addicts. The facilitator at my next PTA meeting (Posters Turned Addicts) is likely to use this thread as a point of departure for the group discussion and I would just as soon not have to defend my being on such a list. True, I was the first poster ever to sit virtual shiva on MOL and I originated the first ever posting retrospective when MEM made his/her 1,000th post but that doesn't make one guilty of (post of) substance abuse. Does it? Keep up the valuable work! Joan | ||
| nan Citizen Username: Nan Post Number: 913 Registered: 2-2001 |
How about when you try to talk to your kid about how he's spending too much time on the computer and his response is, "What are you talking about YOU spend WAY MORE TIME on the COMPUTER than I do. You're always posting on that MOL!" Of course, I've been posting for years and don't even have 1000 posts yet so he is way out of line. HE's in very big trouble. Now why am I on this list again? Remind me. | ||
| Nohero Citizen Username: Nohero Post Number: 2025 Registered: 5-2001 |
Errata: Joan should have been at the top of the list, since she has often referred to the "MOL 12 Step Program". Sorry for the omission. Of course, that was not intended to be a list of addicts, but just a representative sampling of who one might encounter online. There are many, many others (not to mention those lurkers out there, and you know who you are). | ||
| Curt Wayne Citizen Username: Cswayne Post Number: 40 Registered: 10-2002  |
I'm not addicted to MOL, I can quit anytime I want! But seriously, I want to know who's going to be the 10-Millionth banner ad displayed? ..and will there be a free drink or something? Curt |
