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10-11 years ago, I might have thought I was a major part of this site. Uncertain of that now, Larry Send a noteboard - 18/03/2011 09:36:26 PM
E.g. your post about reading books in 4 different languages, and then asking others who if they know which books they are and if they'll read them too, or would be interested in reading them...


You mean the thing I copy/pasted from The OF Blog? That was pretty much as what Joel guessed, except originally it was intended to be a fun sort of guessing game among a great many well-read people who visit that blog and who make even better book suggestions than what I do on occasion.

Hardly anyone here speaks that many languages. Yes, there are people who do, but most people don't. This alienates people, as hardly anyone likes it when they are clearly being excluded. So they dislike you, or at least aren't attracted to you as someone they would become friends with.


But when it's from a personal reading, some people have. I learn languages and blog about them not to make myself seem better than/to others, but to better myself without regard to how others perceive that. But it is not to exclude others, but rather to include several of the blog's readers who are multilingual (and far more proficient in some of those languages than I ever shall be), as well as some here. Only 3% of the volume of books published in the US/UK markets are translations. Ask a few dozen Spanish-language and Portuguese-language writers, readers, editors, and publishers just how important it is to them to see an American reviewer praising their works. It is another reason why I do read works in other languages, for discoveries to pass onto others, with a chance that those who can't read them in the original can at least enjoy them in translation, if those are chosen for translation in the first place.

Not that it matters, but next month, a story by the Argentine writer Leopold Lugones will be able in a new English translation. I'm finishing up the translation this week and it'll be available via e-book. Maybe that's not quite so exclusionary? ;)

The other part...umm...that assumes that I try and fail to make friendships online. Lately, I just haven't tried here, period. Whether or not there are those who dislike me or not is not and never was the point of the post, so bringing such up is rather odd, almost as odd as thinking 100% of people anywhere would ever like someone 100% of the time.

You make it a habit to post things that excludes the majority of people. This means that either you are posting in the wrong place (e.g. post these things where the majority speaks 4 languages), or you are posting the wrong things.


Or maybe, it's just some people who skulk about here choose to cast such in the worst ways possible?

What is it that you want from here? If you want friends, then you would be better served in paying attention to what qualities in you would make you attractive as a friend. If you want people's admiration, then you'd be better served if you showed you were knowledgeable/wise without showing off quite so much.


I want neither. I don't need either. I just noted that things had changed and that it was interesting to reflect back upon it.
Illusions fall like the husk of a fruit, one after another, and the fruit is experience. - Narrator, Sylvie

Je suis méchant.
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Things that I have learned and noticed over 11 years Larry - 16/03/2011 11:07:50 PM 1649 Views
Most of the personal sharing you describe I've shifted over to my Facebook activity. TaskmasterJack - 17/03/2011 12:12:34 AM 901 Views
There is that, yes Larry - 17/03/2011 12:24:14 AM 936 Views
I only use it to keep up with family and share pictures random thoughts - 17/03/2011 04:22:54 AM 820 Views
Facebook; that's that one app for Farmville, right? Joel - 17/03/2011 01:05:58 AM 979 Views
You are getting older, that's all Druid - 17/03/2011 01:12:14 AM 1040 Views
Netscape turns 18 next year.... Joel - 17/03/2011 01:21:40 AM 909 Views
It will never catch on! Druid - 17/03/2011 01:32:00 AM 891 Views
Re: It will never catch on! TaskmasterJack - 17/03/2011 01:52:12 AM 858 Views
It's not that I don't still love the Illuminati BBS, a man just needs a little variety sometimes. Joel - 17/03/2011 03:30:55 AM 965 Views
joel, you're about to get married, no leering at other browsers for you! *NM* moondog - 17/03/2011 04:34:35 AM 428 Views
It's cool; we have an open source marriage. Joel - 17/03/2011 05:29:37 PM 906 Views
Re: You are getting older, that's all TaskmasterJack - 17/03/2011 01:53:28 AM 897 Views
Agreed...but Druid - 17/03/2011 03:15:42 AM 1073 Views
Re: Agreed...but TaskmasterJack - 17/03/2011 11:30:42 PM 925 Views
What's odd is that I've become happier and more content in recent years Larry - 17/03/2011 02:28:14 AM 1077 Views
Familiarity breeds contempt. Joel - 17/03/2011 01:14:03 AM 1041 Views
Thanks Larry - 18/03/2011 09:48:49 PM 1019 Views
Books: Always finding new ways to enrich peoples lives. Joel - 22/03/2011 10:51:53 PM 1044 Views
Since we first met a few things have happened. Avendesora - 17/03/2011 02:06:40 AM 1112 Views
Nah, you're not alone. Michael - 17/03/2011 08:47:43 AM 843 Views
Yeah, but you started out with boobs. TaskmasterJack - 17/03/2011 11:32:00 PM 904 Views
There is that, yes Larry - 18/03/2011 09:46:44 PM 1053 Views
remember all that time we spent on the phone? sometimes i miss stuff like that temeraire - 17/03/2011 05:34:08 AM 871 Views
There are nights where I crash by 7 PM these days Larry - 18/03/2011 09:38:39 PM 1015 Views
Even I have gotten tired of the politics. Ghavrel - 17/03/2011 06:17:23 AM 922 Views
My view on politics has changed quite a bit in the past few years Larry - 18/03/2011 09:40:31 PM 1024 Views
Mine hasn't, really, but my opinion of repeating my positions endlessly has. Ghavrel - 18/03/2011 11:14:39 PM 883 Views
There is that, yes Larry - 19/03/2011 01:48:39 PM 968 Views
Things I've learned.. @my - 17/03/2011 02:17:46 PM 837 Views
There is wisdom in that Larry - 18/03/2011 09:54:10 PM 933 Views
Or. I could be that that some people (coughmecough) @my - 22/03/2011 05:55:50 PM 881 Views
I stopped trying to be funny when I realized I wasn't, and that I can't take a joke. Macharius - 17/03/2011 03:19:56 PM 853 Views
nUUUUUUUUUUUd *NM* TaskmasterJack - 17/03/2011 11:32:57 PM 402 Views
Well, you could just be silly instead Larry - 18/03/2011 09:52:46 PM 873 Views
Alas, I am not a resident of Camelot. *NM* Macharius - 19/03/2011 08:16:59 PM 441 Views
'Tis a silly place. Larry - 21/03/2011 10:26:49 PM 782 Views
Don't feel to bad alliandrina - 17/03/2011 04:27:15 PM 927 Views
Ha! Larry - 18/03/2011 09:51:19 PM 832 Views
I think part of the problem is people are simply not posting fun stuff any more random thoughts - 17/03/2011 05:03:52 PM 819 Views
Chat was definitely better than the MB for building personal relationships. TaskmasterJack - 17/03/2011 11:34:49 PM 793 Views
Some of the conversations I have on FB are like chat with really bad lag. *NM* Avendesora - 18/03/2011 01:03:21 AM 425 Views
"FB" and "chat with really bad lag" just naturally go together. Joel - 18/03/2011 04:36:23 PM 919 Views
I think that's near, if not at, the heart of all this Larry - 18/03/2011 09:50:37 PM 853 Views
My problem is I just like to argue random thoughts - 18/03/2011 10:12:03 PM 916 Views
I don't think you like me. rebelaessedai - 18/03/2011 06:27:45 AM 977 Views
So ignore him. I like you. Ghavrel - 18/03/2011 07:32:47 AM 916 Views
rebelaessedai - 19/03/2011 04:43:55 AM 877 Views
Yeah, if you've been avoiding me over an internet fight, you really do. Ghavrel - 19/03/2011 08:56:03 AM 786 Views
What can I say, I have issues. rebelaessedai - 20/03/2011 04:21:12 AM 954 Views
I like you. Lady Mystery - 18/03/2011 01:10:16 PM 917 Views
*splutters* rebelaessedai - 19/03/2011 04:45:03 AM 832 Views
*giggles* Lady Mystery - 21/03/2011 01:10:21 AM 1264 Views
random thoughts is yours? Talk about your unlikely pairings.... Joel - 18/03/2011 04:32:17 PM 935 Views
Re: random thoughts is yours? Talk about your unlikely pairings.... rebelaessedai - 19/03/2011 04:46:59 AM 900 Views
Skype is your friend. Joel - 22/03/2011 10:47:41 PM 988 Views
Really? Larry - 18/03/2011 08:41:35 PM 1098 Views
Really. rebelaessedai - 19/03/2011 04:41:46 AM 970 Views
Larry - 19/03/2011 01:49:30 PM 872 Views
It doesn't help that you don't tend to post things that make you likeable. Helene - 18/03/2011 06:55:04 AM 1028 Views
I always took those posts as attempts to include people. Joel - 18/03/2011 05:33:55 PM 942 Views
That's a very positive outlook, which perhaps is shared by others *NM* Helene - 18/03/2011 09:13:43 PM 332 Views
Hope so; try thinking in terms of what fantasy used to be like. Joel - 22/03/2011 11:19:36 PM 1016 Views
10-11 years ago, I might have thought I was a major part of this site. Uncertain of that now, Larry - 18/03/2011 09:36:26 PM 976 Views
Offering a perspective. Helene - 18/03/2011 10:03:58 PM 879 Views
Re: Offering a perspective. Larry - 19/03/2011 01:46:06 PM 1048 Views
The answer my friend, is blowin' in the wind Bad Ash - 19/03/2011 04:19:10 AM 932 Views
Tangled up in blues Larry - 19/03/2011 01:50:52 PM 1189 Views
I haven't changed at all. Jacob - 22/03/2011 01:44:12 PM 954 Views
Re: I haven't changed at all. TaskmasterJack - 22/03/2011 11:37:47 PM 835 Views
You just only propagated, that's all Larry - 23/03/2011 12:33:20 AM 812 Views
Lady Mystery - 23/03/2011 01:15:01 AM 877 Views
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