there was no resolution; some people tried to trace an IP address and guess who the person was, without naming names; so aside from the yanking, nothing to report.

I have an inkling it would be a known poster from the past, but that's just me and a hunch.

Oh bummer....what did I miss? I always find those threads that get pulled to be so entertaining before it hits the fan...

Oh, and Parma....I hope your Dad is doing okay.

Thanks mitch and amy. My Dad lost his short-term memory and has been diagnosed with dementia. He wanted to go to assisted living close to where he lives so he can be in the same town as his lady friend. I'll be going back and forth from where I live for a while.

Amy, the post you missed was a rather scathing opinion on how not to be an idiot on Garden Web. It covered topics like doing searches, spelling, etc. and had an almost venomous nature to it.

As you can imagine, the follow-ups were pretty amusing.

As a veteran of "caregiving" (I hate that term!) I want you to know Parma, that I'm thinking of you. I don't think there has been anything I've yet endured in my time on this planet that rivals the worry and pain surrounding the mental demise of someone you knew to be bright, inquisitive, and resourceful. It's just awful. Tip: get on top of the fiduciary and legal issues NOW. It will make your life a whole lot easier when/if the inevitable occurs.

So the thread in question was pulled? I hadn't realized it. I feel strongly about proper grammar, spelling, etc. and will remain firmly in that camp, which is not to say I'm completely unforgiving of common mistakes and the more obvious "typos". The heavens know I'm as guilty as the rest of stupid mistakes! :)

As for the perpetrator... WHO CARES? All I can do is wallow in my envy of someone who has so much "free" time they don't think twice about squandering it so frivilously. How lucky are they?!

Chelone, thank you SO much for the kind words. Last week was a week filled with appointments. Doctors, attorney, bank....

The attorney's appointment was the most unsettling. The man is my Father's lawyer and was full of fun statements like "Don't worry, I find that men don't last very long once they are placed". ???? Then when we were all signing papers, he asked right in front of my Dad if I was going to sell his condo.

Everything always seems to happen at once. We just finished our build in November. The painting is done and I really want to jump in and start decorating, posting pics, asking for advice... When we were moving furniture to get ready for the painters, DH's back went out so I've been tending to two men in different cities.

I'm really trying to keep my sense of humor through this though, and not let it get me down.

For the life of me, I don't understand why that thread provoked people so strongly. However, it was interesting to learn that your IP address is in the background of your posts.

I don't know that I personally disagreed with some of what was posted either, graywings. What I personally took offense to was the signature ("GFY"). It's an acronym that was offensive (clearly they weren't saying Good For You). As I said in one of the other threads, if a regular member had told the entire board to "GFY" that would have been grounds for being banned. This person chose to do it under an alias. (50/50 chance their IP is traceable to an accurate geographic orgin - which I did but will not reveal because of that 50% chance it's not reliable. There are a lot of variables that can influence an IP address.) imho, I tend to agree with mitch it was someone quite familiar with boards here, as the posts showed up in BAH and HD, not random scattered boards that a troll would be more likely to choose. Also the author's writing style was familiar. Not that any of that is worth anything in the grand scheme of things. If someone wants to get all uptight over an internet message/conversation board, imho they need to expand their horizons a bit ;) And if they want to complain about board etiquette and practice and deem the way threads should evolve, let 'em spout all they want. They just don't need to tell everyone where to get off in the process.

Darn, I missed all the action! I guess it goes to show that I can't read every single post in the time I have. ;)

On a more serious note, Parma, my heart goes out to you. A few years back I had to put my mom into a nursing home very quickly and unexpectedly. As an only child, I had to make all of the decisions and it laid very heavy on my heart. It is so hard to see the people we love, who were once so strong, start to decline. Hugs across the miles and know that I'll keep you in my thoughts.

Parma, bless your father for knowing it was time to move. He's clearly an amazing man. There is so much to do during these transitions. At least he spared you from the haggling that goes on in so many families about when and where to move. As for the lawyer, sounds like he's been taking bedside manner lessons from the medical world! (Not to dis all the doctors out there....just the select few!)

I sure do wish I were able to figure out to whom you all are referring (the poster, not the episode--I saw that). I hate it when I don't know what's up.

I didn't look up the IP address, just thought I knew who it was based on the writing style, use of certain words, and concerns expressed. It wasn't that I "cared" about her identity, but guessing made the whole thing more interesting and fun! Was sorry that someone felt it necessary to request that the entire thread be deleted because she thought it might potentially get unpleasant.

Could have been deleted for any number of reasons, people, fronts. I doubt one request would do the trick.

As far as the ip address, those are potentially clues, but one can never know if someone chooses to post something like that when they're away from home. We have a number of people from that area, fairly close by, and visiting as well. So unless a direct hit on the number is repeated consistently, the style and beefs may be better clues, I think. I'm sure they've gotten a big kick out of the whole thing and having other people take the rap for them.

Very familiar post, I agree. And an intriguing mystery for curious minds.

Thanks for the kind words from everyone. :)

Michelle

For the life of me, I don't understand why that thread provoked people so strongly. However, it was interesting to learn that your IP address is in the background of your posts

I can only speak for myself but the reason it got me going was that I was sure it was a regular poster who was hiding under an alias. Kind of spineless. At the very least a good mystery like Squirrel said.

lindy, it was kind of provocative, "how not to be an idiot......", signed GFY, lol.

I agree with you, it sure sounded like a familiar (virtual) voice...........

Okay, so did anyone save it? Fess up...! I want to play the "whose writing style is this" game, too. ;-)

I like you Parma wondered where it went as well and so guessed that it had been pulled. I am so dense though that for the first half of the thread I thought GFY was short for goofy. It wasn't until someone pointed it out that I finally understood what that meant. :)

By the way, you and your dad are in my prayers.

Shannon

I didn't read the post, but wanted to jump in and send a hug to Parma......been there and done that and it is very hard to watch them disintegrate before your very eyes! You and your Dad will be in our prayers. Blessings to you.
Jaybird

Thanks you two!

BTW Shannon, I email GFY to DD all the time. Thought it meant "good for you".

Parma42, I'm so sorry to hear the heartache that you are going through with your Dad. I have suffeed the same trauma with my Mom. Chelone's advice is very important. My Mom was suddenly ill and sent to the hospital. In due time she was sent to a rehab institution...where they tried to take her estate. Fortunately we had signed the necessary legal papers giving me Power of Attorney for her financial affairs as well as her health decisions. Today she is living in assisted living and doing quite well. You may email me privately if you wish. Lesley

You cracked me up with the sending DD GFY all of the time. Too funny!!

OK, it kinda freaks me out that people are making presumptions about who "GFY" is/was based upon writing style. What if someone posted something nasty that came across similar in style to stuff I'd said in the past, but it definitely wasn't me posting the nastiness? Call me paranoid, but I'd just hate to think that people are being falsely accused based upon extremely limited info. Not that any names have been named in this forum, but I've a feeling some private messages have been exchanged.

I just thought of this comparison to that thread and it made me laugh. We are no different than kids playing on the playground at recess and invariably having a playground scuffle and the duty teacher (message board monitor person whatever) had to pull the instigator off the playground !!! :)

Someone can also try to change their voice or scripting style -- or even imposter as someone else -- or cut and paste stuff or post statements they've agreed with in the past. Sounded like they were just losing it, but you never know, if it's someone actually trying to hide their identity.

People will naturally wonder who, and the message will always read as it does and remind us of certain people, but making *firm* assumptions, when little concrete info is actually available, is pretty fallible and unfair to others on our board, I think. The ip addresses, also, are just another piece of the puzzle and can be non-static or misleading (mine shows an external ip, from Wichita, oddly enough).

We can't expect people to be brain-dead and stop thinking, but I hope we all try to keep in mind that the info we have from that thread is sketchy. A consistent ip address over time would be better.

I think it's a shame, and surprising, how people always presume one of 'us' does these things. Of course, if it's a just plain nasty person, who cares, I guess, as they've earned it. But it could just as easily be a fly-by-nighter. Would seem likely that the things that go on with these message boards go on with other boards as well.

Unless you were on the East Coast, AJ -- it was likely not you!

**hastily covering tracks that dot all the way up to my recent trip to Boston**

J/K! ;-D

Parma42-
I am sorry about your Dad.I am living this EXACT scenario right now. I have to mention, that I hope your dad has had a CT scan, to show whether there is excess fluid on the brain. This can cause (temporary) dementia. It is called Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus. Google it, or check this link:

http://www.lifenph.com/

After my dad had a CT scan that showed fluid, they put in a permanent shunt that drained the fluid. He is staring to come out of the "fog" now.