Who are these odd people...

[Eden]

Who come on and post a whole bunch of somewhat inane comments (it appears that they read only the thread titles) to threads that are sometimes years old.....

I get it when they have some sort of ad tag in the post somewhere, but the latest "Jolie", doesn't appear to have overt ulterior motives - no ads or links in the posts....

So what exactly are you doing Jolie? Practicing English? Looking for pen pals? Just bored?

[lph]

I was wondering about the same thing. My first thought is that it was a spammer trying to establish a "genuine" profile before spamming, but I dunno.

Makes for some bizarre posts, that's for sure.

[arielmoon]

Very odd indeed.

[OakLeaf]

I always assumed that there was spam in the sig line that the forum software stripped automatically. Am I wrong?

[Irulan]

Really now. Aren't there worse things to complain about?


Practicing English? Looking for pen pals? Just bored?

Maybe someone wants to participate, is new to forums, perhaps lacks biking experience or adventures, or feels like they don't have anything profound to contribute but wants to be a part of things. I can think of a whole lot worse kind of posts.

[Eden]

Maybe? but how would the software distinguish between spam and legit links? I have a link in my sig line to my team's web site and its not stripped out. I have seen, in the past (but not for a while now), similar weird posts with links to buy purses and other junk...

Really now, yourself... I'm not calling to toss them off, and I don't think they are breaking any forum rules. I just think its strange. I've seen other user names do this and often their replies have little to nothing to do with cycling, are so broad and general that they don't really say much, don't match the threads or otherwise make much sense.... I'm genuinely curious. Though the cynical side of me thinks its more likely to be an attempt at spamming. I can see doing it to practice English skills - he/she might be somewhere that access to English speakers is limited and joining a board would be an opportunity to converse. I think that if that were the aim, the people here would likely embrace it and be more than willing to start a thread talking about any topic to help a person practice...

[lph]

I would have found these posts just as bizarre if they had been presented in flawless English. It's not the language skills.

[OakLeaf]

Maybe? but how would the software distinguish between spam and legit links?

Same way your email client does? (known database plus red flag words)

[Veronica]

I keep reading this as " Who are these old people?" :rolleyes:

Veronica

[jobob]

My first thought is that it was a spammer trying to establish a "genuine" profile before spamming

In some instances, that is what's happening.

[maillotpois]

I keep reading this as " Who are these old people?" :rolleyes:

Veronica

Me too. Maybe because it's our birthday. (Happy birthday - almost! :) )

[Veronica]

Thanks! Happy belated birthday to you too!

Veronica

[tangentgirl]

I have sorry, make better post time next.


***

I suspect that, when I try to speak Spanish, this is exactly how I sound. :rolleyes:

[OakLeaf]

It's not (only) the marginal English - which you're right, is at least as good as my Spanish, French or Italian, and WAY better than I can write in any other language with or without a dictionary. (I gave up trying to participate in a French sportbikers' forum several years ago. :rolleyes:)

It's that those people post statements of marginal relevance to 15-20 threads at once, often digging up threads that are months or years old.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I just read all the posts in question, and I don't find anything that 'odd' about them. Obviously someone struggling with English, but the posts all make sense and they all contribute a little something to the discussion.
I could point out a whole lot of way 'odder' posts by regular longterm members...including myself! lol!

[Catrin]

I just pictured myself trying to post on a French-speaking forum, and shivered. There is little doubt that I would be worse - at least we can get the gist of what she/he means.

If she or he is not a spammer and really trying to connect to a cycling forum in a language that they are, perhaps, learning, I wonder if she or he actually realizes just how old the threads are? They may simply be focusing so much on the content that they do not realize that some are so old. Of course, they had to do some digging to FIND those old posts, and the odds of a newbie finding so many old threads all at the same time considering the forum lists the newest threads first even in searches certainly does make me wonder.

Outside of the large number of old threads they respond to there is certainly nothing in their posts to say that they are either trolls or spammers, and hopefully that won't change.

I certainly have "odder" posts myself, especially when I start over-thinking things :)

[marni]

and for some of us, stream of consciousness is a way of existence, even when we post to email. Besides which I often type dyslexically, especially at night.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

For the record, Jolie has only posted in threads from this year, and mostly to Oct-Dec threads. Nothing unusual there.

Slight thread hijack- Speaking of poor language skills, I spend a few minutes each day helping people from other countries speak better English, while others there help me with my very poor French...all for free (unless you want to buy the really intense courses, which I don't), on this language learning site that I really like: http://www.livemocha.com It's a whole lot of fun, and it is exciting to actually hear audio clips of people from countries all over the world trying to speak English, hoping to get tips on their grammar and pronunciation- and they are helping me with my terrible French skills. :o You can do it on any level, and you can work on learning any language you want. Members can help others, and everyone gets help- very cool and makes learning language easier! I know I sound like an ad, but I am finding it really helpful. :)

[Biciclista]

ah, Lisa, what a coincidence! i do the same on livemocha, but llike you i don't want to spend on the higher level classes, so there is not much for me there except working with others.

i remember when i first came on to TE one of the first things i did was revive a few old threads because i didn't understand how the whole thing worked.

[Cataboo]

You know, we complain about newbies that don't search through the forum to read old posts before asking the same question than 800 other people on her asked once they joined (my hands and/or my nether regions hurt or I'm really really short, what bike can I buy?) - but now we're complaining because someone replied to old threads? If the old thread is relevant to their situation, that should be fine.

I don't remember what jolie posted about or on, I did notice her posts the day she did post and I didn't get the spammer impression.

But sometimes spammers just have a link in their profile instead of having it in their signature or post - I didn't go so far as to check her profile.

[Irulan]

I'm offended by this whole discussion. To me it reads of complaints that people are not posting to some imaginary standard... what a great welcoming way to treat new users. Re the whole spammer thing... that's why there are moderators and administrators, to track questionable stuff, and that's why we have a "report spam" button.

Honestly, picking apart this person's posts is so condescending... especially when I go back and read the posting history. Other "get well soon" posts and innocuous commentary from the regulars is ok, but not from a newbie? I'm sure if they are still here, they are feeling pretty unwelcomed by now. the way I read it, the poster was just following the status quo for replies.

from a thread with 30 other "get well soon" replies,

sorry to hear that. Hope you has already get well

from a thread with 29 other posts about eating lots of potatoes...

so many. unbelievable

from a thread with half a dozen other "sounds nice" type responses..

Maybe this is a good experience. So good photos. Don't think it too bad

and yes, even some bike content,



I don't think cycling shoes can washed by washing machine. I just wash it by my hand. Most of time I think needn't clean the inside of the shoes, for a long term wearing.


You shouldn't take too many tools for there is a long riding distance for you. Just take the basic repair tool is ok.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

+1 Irulan.

I can only imagine how she must feel if she read this read.

[TsPoet]

+1 Irulan.

I can only imagine how she must feel if she read this read.

I keep waiting for her to post to this thread. I hope she takes it with a grain of salt and a sense of humor!

[TxDoc]

I keep reading this as " Who are these old people?" :rolleyes:

Veronica

You know, I thought the same, then when I read the first few posts I realized that I had misread the title... it's been a long day... :rolleyes:

[ClockworkOrange]

Everybody is entitled to start whatever thread they want but I must admit to feeling quite sorry for this person.

Perhaps we are the sad ones joining in on such an 'inane' thread. ;)

However, Jolie posted 15 posts in under one hour on 14 December between 02:12 am and 03:05 am and last activity 14 December 03:05 am!

Maybe she is a very busy lady and has not had any spare time to log back on?

Personally I can't see anything wrong with any of her posts, hope she posts again and that we have not scared her off.

Clock changing her name to Inspector Clouseau :D

[Crankin]

Truthfully, I thought the posts were very odd, too, and most likely spam. Or at least they seemed on the edge of spam. In my mind, if someone was trying to improve their English by posting here, they would say so... as a few people have. I know that if I posted to a Spanish speaking cycling forum, I sure would preface it by saying I am trying to learn Spanish; now how do you say that?
I spent all of last fall and winter/early spring doing Rosetta Stone. I got to level 3, but I have to say, I wasn't much further ahead than when i started in terms of my real ability to communicate. Two years of high school Spanish and years of living in the southwest and Florida got me through my trip to Spain, except for the fact that many of the words used in Spain are different from the ones used in the Americas.

[channlluv]

I have sorry, make better post time next.


***

I suspect that, when I try to speak Spanish, this is exactly how I sound. :rolleyes:

Ha! Me, too. The last time I tried to speak real Spanish for the purpose of conveying a message (I was trying to explain the rules of a game to a father and son and the mom at an arcade-type thing at Universal Studios), the woman was literally grimacing at my hatchet job on her native tongue. I apologized to her.

I read the subject line as "old people," too! Go figure. Who you callin' "old"? Oh, wait. It's "odd." Okay, then. <g>

Roxy

[OakLeaf]

No, anyone who still says "<g>" instead of an emoticon really IS old.<g,d&r>

[Dogmama]

Honestly, picking apart this person's posts is so condescending... especially when I go back and read the posting history.

Ha - how did you managed to find my posts? :D:D

There have been MUCH worse on this list - people who attacked other participants to the point where they ( the attackee) had to change their screen name. On another list, there is a woman who posts when she is admittedly drunk. Welcome to the internet!

If we don't like a post, we can ignore it or PM the OP to find out what's going on.

[PamNY]

Re the whole spammer thing... that's why there are moderators and administrators, to track questionable stuff, and that's why we have a "report spam" button.

Yes to the above. As a moderator of another group, I often want to say "Please just let us handle it."

In a properly moderated group (as this one is) there simply is no need for extensive discussion of problems (or non-problems, as may be the case here).