A coffee lounge

[milo]

Many years ago I made the suggestion of adding a coffee lounge to the site

Just a place for members to prattle on about their days or converse with other poets.

While there probably isn't much point now as most have either died or left I would like to bring it up again
and not just because it was voted down but as a point of discussion amongst whoever is left:

Both billy and leanne were against it (I can't remember what Todd's position was)

The arguments against it: 

• it would suffer from trollery and tomfoolery and be too much work for the mods
  
• We already have areas for member discussion
  
• We have the sewer and the Pig's arse as unmoderated prattle
  

there may have been more but I don't remember.

My counter arguments were:

• no argument here, there might be some trollery or tomfoolery, I was willing to take on the extra work if necessary
  
• The areas for discussion seem targeted around topics and sometimes members just want to socialize with others with similar interests
  
• Both the sewer and the pig's arse have some negative connotations as a free for all and wouldn't actually fill the spot.
  

What are your thoughts?

[brynmawr1]

I’m not against the idea, but there are some barriers.  In addition to the cons you mentioned, one additional problem would be that it could interfere with the main focus of the Pen as primarily a critique forum.  The coffee shop prattle could over whelm poem posts in the post log thingy causing posts of poems to get lost before anyone notices them.  That happens now at times. 

But, a noble laureate once told me while we were taking a piss in adjacent urinals, “There’s always a reason an experiment might not work.  You just have to do it.”

[milo]

I’m not against the idea, but there are some barriers.  In addition to the cons you mentioned, one additional problem would be that it could interfere with the main focus of the Pen as primarily a critique forum.  The coffee shop prattle could over whelm poem posts in the post log thingy causing posts of poems to get lost before anyone notices them.  That happens now at times. 

But, a noble laureate once told me while we were taking a piss in adjacent urinals, “There’s always a reason an experiment might not work.  You just have to do it.”

That is a good callout, especially if you depend on the side panel to see most recent posts.

In addition, I am not really sure how it would be implemented.  It could potentially, I would imagine be a fixed number of chatter threads so it wouldn't overwhelm.

I do know that the formula of just post - critique always fails eventually on all the sites that have tried it.  To build engagement there needs to be multiple activities keeping members interested.  

Logically, you are at the site.  You post a poem.  You post a couple critiques.  Now what?  Hit the refresh key until something changes?

I think this site was best and most active when there were a lot of different activities going on but even then you could sense poets yearned to chat but we just didn't give them a good method to do it so it would start seeping into the other threads.

Thanks for your response.

[busker]

I wasn't around in the very early days, but I was there when Leanne, billy, ella, tectak, Mercedes, ray, Todd, Keith were around. Milo didn't post as often then. RiverNotch was a noob. Rowens was mad even then. That was before Qdeathstar had got banned. Duke alien joined shortly after.

The forum was alive in a way that you are trying to kickstart it into life now. I remember typing on my phone on the way to work, and then seeing Ella's note of thanks to the pigs of the pen. Good times.

[milo]

I wasn't around in the very early days, but I was there when Leanne, billy, ella, tectak, Mercedes, ray, Todd, Keith were around. Milo didn't post as often then. RiverNotch was a noob. Rowens was mad even then. That was before Qdeathstar had got banned. Duke alien joined shortly after.

The forum was alive in a way that you are trying to kickstart it into life now. I remember typing on my phone on the way to work, and then seeing Ella's note of thanks to the pigs of the pen. Good times.

yah, I feel somewhat guilty for abandoning you all, I had situations that took over everything for me.  Still, looking back and realizing how great I had it here, I wish I'd found a way to hold on.  

That being said, I have more time now.

[dukealien]

I wasn't around in the very early days, but I was there when Leanne, billy, ella, tectak, Mercedes, ray, Todd, Keith were around. Milo didn't post as often then. RiverNotch was a noob. Rowens was mad even then. That was before Qdeathstar had got banned. Duke alien joined shortly after.

The forum was alive in a way that you are trying to kickstart it into life now. I remember typing on my phone on the way to work, and then seeing Ella's note of thanks to the pigs of the pen. Good times.

yah, I feel somewhat guilty for abandoning you all, I had situations that took over everything for me.  Still, looking back and realizing how great I had it here, I wish I'd found a way to hold on.  

That being said, I have more time now.

I've been early-retired since shortly before joining, and maintain at least three other hobbies (with other handles and personas (personae?))  Poetry has the advantage of requiring minimal equipment, and doesn't have to be cleaned after firing indulging.

Coffee shop?  Wouldn't work for me, I'd end up trying to strike up conversations on my other interests and it would get... complicated.  But don't let that stop anyone.

[milo]

I wasn't around in the very early days, but I was there when Leanne, billy, ella, tectak, Mercedes, ray, Todd, Keith were around. Milo didn't post as often then. RiverNotch was a noob. Rowens was mad even then. That was before Qdeathstar had got banned. Duke alien joined shortly after.

The forum was alive in a way that you are trying to kickstart it into life now. I remember typing on my phone on the way to work, and then seeing Ella's note of thanks to the pigs of the pen. Good times.

yah, I feel somewhat guilty for abandoning you all, I had situations that took over everything for me.  Still, looking back and realizing how great I had it here, I wish I'd found a way to hold on.  

That being said, I have more time now.

I've been early-retired since shortly before joining, and maintain at least three other hobbies (with other handles and personas (personae?))  Poetry has the advantage of requiring minimal equipment, and doesn't have to be cleaned after firing indulging.

Coffee shop?  Wouldn't work for me, I'd end up trying to strike up conversations on my other interests and it would get... complicated.  But don't let that stop anyone.

Well, I don't know that I am suggesting we do it now -

the four of us just staring blankly at one another, how droll.

I am mostly trying to retcon the past and get everyone to agree that I was right all along.

[milo]

also, don't forget to vote in the poll

[dukealien]

also, don't forget to vote in the poll

There doesn't seem to be a NOTA option. 

[CRNDLSM]

I've been a mod for a few years now and seen a fair share of personalities clash. Just about every suggestion has been made and discussed at length. Just about every topic has a place already available for discussion, but a bunch of poets are likely introverts in their own heads. How many social apps do we need? After facebook it was Instagram, then tiktok, now WhatsApp? Threads tumblrs tweets, we might as well start a discord.

I've encountered milo a number of times in the past ten years, they complimented a sonnet I submitted to a gane of telephone involving Noah's ark during one years napm. They also contributed a poem about oliphants to my music thread in the sewer, one of my favs im very grateful.

However new milos posting is very much like a few other trolls we've dealt with in the past. Same comments, Billy and Leanne are dead the site is dead, im so smart lets talk about me, talk talk talk despite the workshopping focus of the pin. Your initial reasons were shut down by the leaders, for good reason, and now your poll has two options, me and me.

Im not entirely convinced this version of milo isn't shem taking advantage of an absent user. Shem was around and would know your stuff, come to think of it shem never talked about milo. Your interest in ai being perceivable is very on par with their topics and frankly paper mothers is pretty weak, not sure who calls themselves a reigning champion and then tries to correct and improve the real winners who've passed on... a coffee shop forum?

My opinion doesnt really matter here, but ill let my paranoia known, im not playing chess and you can see all my cards
Ill accept new milo, but maybe turn down the arrogance, the room is quiet and youre making a lot of noise
But im glad youre getting engagement though, keep writing

[milo]

I've been a mod for a few years now and seen a fair share of personalities clash.  Just about every suggestion has been made and discussed at length.  Just about every topic has a place already available for discussion, but a bunch of poets are likely introverts in their own heads.  How many social apps do we need? After facebook it was Instagram, then tiktok, now WhatsApp? Threads tumblrs tweets, we might as well start a discord.

I've encountered milo a number of times in the past ten years, they complimented a sonnet I submitted to a gane of telephone involving Noah's ark during one years napm.  They also contributed a poem about oliphants to my music thread in the sewer, one of my favs im very grateful.

However new milos posting is very much like a few other trolls we've dealt with in the past.  Same comments, Billy and Leanne are dead the site is dead, im so smart lets talk about me, talk talk talk despite the workshopping focus of the pin.  Your initial reasons were shut down by the leaders, for good reason, and now your poll has two options, me and me. 

Im not entirely convinced this version of milo isn't shem taking advantage of an absent user.  Shem was around and would know your stuff, come to think of it shem never talked about milo.  Your interest in ai being perceivable is very on par with their topics and frankly paper mothers is pretty weak, not sure who calls themselves a reigning champion and then tries to correct and improve the real winners who've passed on... a coffee shop forum?

My opinion doesnt really matter here, but ill let my paranoia known, im not playing chess and you can see all my cards
Ill accept new milo, but maybe turn down the arrogance,  the room is quiet and youre making a lot of noise
But im glad youre getting engagement though,  keep writing

a bunch of silliness at best.

I banned Shem back in 2018

and shem never wrote even similar to me.

It is paranoia and a strange paranoia

I will choose to ignore it.

[CRNDLSM]

Billy banned shem... shem had many avatars and different styles, but I said you wrote like shem did, not the other way around. Shem would also ignore me. Just glad were clearing things up, its been a long absence, this isn't the movie 'the thing'

[milo]

I definitely do NOT write like shem did and anyone who reads can see it quite clearly.

Never saw the movie "The Thing"

I banned Shem after he followed me around to 5 different threads complaining about me.

No idea what was cleared up.

[milo]

slight edit: I said that I didn't think i should be the one to ban him because of a conflict of interest but then I went and hit the button anyway

I also have no idea what shem's issue with me was just like I have no idea what your isse is

<shrug>

[busker]

Look, in CRNDL's defence it was all a bit odd that you came back after a decade of silence and became exceptionally active. That was bound to raise a few red flags, and the possibility of Shem using your account couldn't have been ruled out. That, and the fact that your handle says 'joined Dec 2016' whereas you've been around for longer than that. However, I think all that is now in the past, and you are the true milo, not Shem wearing the face of milo after brutally murdering him, in a manner of speaking. Shem would never do that.

[busker]

And also - milo wasn't a huge presence on the Movies, Music forum. So there's that.

Then there's the choice of poems posted, etc.

[busker]

We'll never know for certain. It's possible that the true identity of milo and whether he was or wasn't Shem will be defended in PhD theses tomorrow.

But I also heard that Shem died from an infected baboon bite

[milo]

Look, in CRNDL's defence it was all a bit odd that you came back after a decade of silence and became exceptionally active. That was bound to raise a few red flags, and the possibility of Shem using your account couldn't have been ruled out. That, and the fact that your handle says 'joined Dec 2016' whereas you've been around for longer than that. However, I think all that is now in the past, and you are the true milo, not Shem wearing the face of milo after brutally murdering him, in a manner of speaking.

It is definitely odd I came back though technically, it has been around 5 years, since I participated and around 7 since I was VERY active

Why on earth it says I joined in 2016 I have  no idea, I joined in March of 2013 and you can see my very first post which is a critique as were the first 18 posts I made on this very site.

I am definitely the true milo - lol 

I had no idea shem returned at some point to troll everyone - that may be the most interesting thing he has ever done

[milo]

And also - milo wasn't a huge presence on the Movies, Music forum. So there's that.

Then there's the choice of poems posted, etc.

Actually, I had a ton of posts in the What are you listening to now thread? over the years.  Most of them are meant to be ironic but  - shrug - what can you do?

[milo]

We'll never know for certain. It's possible that the true identity of milo and whether he was or wasn't Shem will be defended in PhD theses tomorrow.

But I also heard that Shem died from an infected baboon bite

also, not that I should defend myself because it is ridiculous - but I switched my avatar back from my allegory of the cave avatar to my original avatar on the site from when I was way more active.

Nobody else on the planet has access to that avatar!