I’m well versed with flob.com now. For those unaware, here is the life span of a thread…
The thread begins with a request. Someone wants to know why the Bolivians don’t drink mint tea, or if Taiwan is nicer than Japan. And the thread is usually aimed at a tiny percentage of those who may read it. SO the question may be: Can any 42 to 47 year old albinos explain why my toes hurt in the cold? Do any other Strawberry blondes have excema?
Let’s take the vitally important question: Is it better to be happy in Korea on a Tuesday or sad in Jiayi on a Sunday? Any one of the following comments may then be found…
A) I have never lived in either place, but I once went to Bali.
B) Your question is wrong and I am angry because of it.
C) I saw Jane’s Addiction play in Korea.
D) You wrote ‘on a Tuesday’ but forgot to include a comma, I am therefore superior to you in all ways and you are just some worthless specky retard.
E) ‘My third husband says…’
F) You don’t understand Taiwanese culture.
G) You should chill out. Your posts in D+R indicate that you are negative and shy and…
H) Alleycats sells awesome pizza.
I) Teaching jobs are crap here but I defend my right to be taken seriously whilst moaning about what a joke my work is.
J) Pithy off the cuff one liner.
K) Personal attack in response to comments made in G. Poster K points out faults in poster G.
L) Moderator complains about how effing important and busy they are and can’t we just grow up and do their job for them.
M) A European writes something no-one can understand.
N) Someone pipes in with their own questions and their own agenda.
O) Why didn’t you respond to me.
P) I read a tiny part of your thread and understood even less. Here are my two cents.
Q) Have you read Wittgensteins theory on the matter? Don’t read the ‘Hughes’ translation, go for the Yiddish version.
R) DO a search newbie.
S) Beer is good. I like beer and talk about it often.
T) Lewd comment about women in general.
U) Large and sweeping statements based on observation not thought.
V) Merciless cut and pasting of ‘U’ taking single sentences and ridiculing the author of ‘U’ with a shield of belligerent pomposity and supposed knowledge of the law. Statements made are equally as baseless as those made by ‘U.’
W) Random and scary comment about a past event that happened in Korea. Poster isolates themselves from crowd and prompts flurry of PM’s.
X) Large random insult.
Y) Some comments aimed at making everyone get along, bring the conversation back to the original question and generally having the effect of killing the thread. By which point there are 5 pages of crap in the Flounder bin, (Sorry, the 'Comment Crematorium) two people have been suspended, the question has been totally ignored and the Original Poster has left Taiwan and quit flob.com.
Z) Two years later… ‘Hi, I just read this and found it fascinating. I’m new here, can I get an ARC if I land in Bangkok on a Saturday in July?’