Congregate in the Cross Thread

"story645" (story645) 09/15/2016 at 10:36 • Filed to: cross thread, open thread

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Welcome to the very weekly !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , and !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! cross thread. How’s the morning/day going?

S65 > story645 09/15/2016 at 10:38

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I’m tired and have run out of coffee, I want a nap.

CB > story645 09/15/2016 at 10:39

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Got an interview for a part-time job that I have to leave for in about five minutes. Hopefully I get it so I actually have something to do. How’re you, Story?

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > story645 09/15/2016 at 10:41

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Using a spring piece on a minifig to launch GBC balls. That’s epic.

story645 > CB 09/15/2016 at 10:41

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Good luck!

I’m permenantly sleepy.

HammerheadFistpunch > story645 09/15/2016 at 10:45

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Not too bad.

Its a lovely morning, I got free breakfast and I don’t have anything to do but drive around in the mountains until 3

Tom.Cruise.Is.Weird > story645 09/15/2016 at 10:53

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Hello, does anyone know how to get sap off of a car? It has been sitting on it for about three weeks now. :(

jimz > story645 09/15/2016 at 10:54

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oh crap why did you give me more kinjas to read

Ishamael > story645 09/15/2016 at 10:57

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Going well, nothing to busy happening which is a nice... oh wait just as I was typing that I got as “Do this by noon” email... what fun. Hope your doing well, also finished up Boruto for the month seems like it was a late release.

story645 > jimz 09/15/2016 at 11:10

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:)

HammerheadFistpunch > Tom.Cruise.Is.Weird 09/15/2016 at 11:12

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automotive Bug and tar cleaner.

https://www.amazon.com/Turtle-Wax-T-5…

plus lots of warm water.

Lexador > story645 09/15/2016 at 11:12

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Tech toy PSA: Barnes & Noble has a 50% off clearance event right now with stuff from Little Bits, Make:, and Parrot drones. My family just picked up a couple of Arduino and Raspberry Pi kits at half off. Also saw some circuit building and other science-y kits for kids. If you have tech lovers in your sub-blog, feel free to share this.

Agrajag > story645 09/15/2016 at 11:15

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So far so good. Went for a walk this morning before heading off to work.

Tom.Cruise.Is.Weird > HammerheadFistpunch 09/15/2016 at 11:18

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Thank you!

Falsoman el Garabatero > story645 09/15/2016 at 11:19

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Today are the celebrations of Mexican Independence. So I just sent students home. I am probably gonna celebrate by being very very lazy like the good Mexican I am.

Also, I finally watched the new season of Orange is The New Black and I’m still processing my feelings damn it.

HammerheadFistpunch > Tom.Cruise.Is.Weird 09/15/2016 at 11:19

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np. I should take my own advice and finally de-sap my car that I’ve owned for 3 years with tree sap on it. Oh well, it blends in with the paint and gives it a nice piney scent.

Tom.Cruise.Is.Weird > HammerheadFistpunch 09/15/2016 at 11:20

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Ooh a piney scent is a bonus. My specs are opposite colors so it looks totally flea-bitten poor thing.

HammerheadFistpunch > Tom.Cruise.Is.Weird 09/15/2016 at 11:23

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The sap sorta works with my theme, so I’ve allowed it thus far.

Lumpy44, Proprietor Of Fine Gif > story645 09/15/2016 at 11:30

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Day is going good, just until I reminded myself of wall of crushing wedding debt.

Mercedes Streeter > story645 09/15/2016 at 11:37

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Day’s going fine! Last Saturday I started a diet after hopping on the scale and seeing 240 lb (the heaviest I’ve ever been in my life). Most major change is less carbs. 8 pounds down and we’re charging hard! :D

The Cranberry Cap'n > story645 09/15/2016 at 11:56

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I was wondering what had happened to these cross threads.

TheRevanchist > story645 09/15/2016 at 11:56

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Got the news that I no longer should work 6 days a week. Going back to 5 days! Best news I’ve had all week!

istari > story645 09/15/2016 at 11:57

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Today sucks, because sometime in the last 36 hours I receive a ban on Gizmodo and I can’t for the life of me figure out what I did to earn it.

story645 > The Cranberry Cap'n 09/15/2016 at 12:02

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Still around, have been every week. Just posted at horribly inconsistent times.

capriciavi > HammerheadFistpunch 09/15/2016 at 12:14

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Oh, what a fantastic view :)

Flerby > story645 09/15/2016 at 12:18

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Hey there Story,

I am exhausted, because I am not sleeping well but otherwise I am doing okay. I have a pressure cooker and want to make chick tacos I think next week. I need to find some recipes where I could actually use this thing rather then just let it sit next to my electric kettle all day.

Otherwise today has been going alright even though I am tired. I am getting lunch with a co worker who is in town this week. I am probably going to go to yoga and then maybe message the woman that I have been trying to arrange a date with on bumble. She said she had a wedding this wekeend so we couldnt meet this week, but next week would work. I asked her what days work (my life is foruntately pretty flexible) but I havent heard back in a few days. Not sure if I should wait till like Sunday when she is done with the wedding or message her sooner.

Dorothy > CB 09/15/2016 at 12:24

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Rooting for you!

CB > Dorothy 09/15/2016 at 12:27

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Thanks! It went alright, so here’s hoping for the best!

CB > story645 09/15/2016 at 12:28

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Thanks! And that kind of sucks. Try and get a nap in when you can!

CB > Mercedes Streeter 09/15/2016 at 12:30

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Don’t forget to exercise as well!

Hm, is there an Oppo diet and exercise club yet? Or does that thread only show up at New Year’s and immediately get ignored?

CB > Lumpy44, Proprietor Of Fine Gif 09/15/2016 at 12:30

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Has it happened yet? Save your money and elope! It’s what my granddad did (at 86).

mrsfinch > Flerby 09/15/2016 at 13:30

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and want to make chick tacos I think next week

You’re frightening me, Flerby.

mrsfinch > story645 09/15/2016 at 13:32

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These mornings there is not enough coffee in the world. It’s dark when my alarm goes off and I can feel my system already morphing into hibernation mode. Every atom in my body is telling me to go to the back of the cave.

k2b: da man trynta steal mah bloggy!!!!!!! > HammerheadFistpunch 09/15/2016 at 13:36

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That is lovely, indeed. I have been enjoying a near-autumnal sun on my drive in to work lately, except it seems to be in my eyes a lot. :)

k2b: da man trynta steal mah bloggy!!!!!!! > mrsfinch 09/15/2016 at 13:37

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I thought about googling “chick tacos” to find a funny picture but then I thought better of it.

k2b: da man trynta steal mah bloggy!!!!!!! > Ishamael 09/15/2016 at 13:38

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Tooootally jinxed yourself. My condolences. Happens to me all the time.

k2b: da man trynta steal mah bloggy!!!!!!! > istari 09/15/2016 at 13:38

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Maybe it’s just Kinja being stupid? I can’t help but notice that obnoxious drop-down thing the useless top menu has been doing today.

mrsfinch > k2b: da man trynta steal mah bloggy!!!!!!! 09/15/2016 at 13:43

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I think this is a case where discretion would absolutely be the better part of valour.

k2b: da man trynta steal mah bloggy!!!!!!! > story645 09/15/2016 at 13:44

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Day is full of tedium as per my usual standard. I can work with it. Tedium is good, calming work. Good exercise for the brain and stuff without making it explode.

I got an e-mail from Petsmart that you can bring adoption papers in from anywhere and get their big old adoption coupon kit. I think I’ll try and see if I can get one this weekend on Lal’s papers from July. It may be worth braving the whole National Adoption Day crowd to get a break on food and litter that the monsters change their minds about every couple weeks.

k2b: da man trynta steal mah bloggy!!!!!!! > mrsfinch 09/15/2016 at 13:45

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Or you know, at least I wouldn’t get that queasy feeling.

Chuck E. > story645 09/15/2016 at 13:45

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The day is not going well. I’ve allowed the madness of the external world to creep into my moment-to-moment thoughts and it’s a real bring down. Off to the doctor’s for some happy pills!

HammerheadFistpunch > capriciavi 09/15/2016 at 13:56

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it aint bad. This was technically my “commute” to work this week.

istari > k2b: da man trynta steal mah bloggy!!!!!!! 09/15/2016 at 13:57

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I really wish, but sadly I don’t think so. All my posts on Gizmodo and subsites are gone (not even knocked to the grays).

I think I’m just resigned to being the person with their face pressed up against the window, watching everyone else having fun.

TheHondaBro > story645 09/15/2016 at 14:20

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Well I work late, so I wake up late, which means I don’t have much of a morning to speak of.

OffkilterPendy > story645 09/15/2016 at 14:58

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I have been unproductive today but I have tartufos to look forward to tonight! And I got Stephen King tickets yesterday! So yay!

umataro42 > CB 09/15/2016 at 15:12

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Hope you get it!

CB > umataro42 09/15/2016 at 15:25

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Thanks! I already got a call back. Didn’t get a position at the place I applied for, by they sent my application to another location who is pretty set on taking me. So yeah, you lose some, you win some.

KulturVultur > story645 09/15/2016 at 16:08

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Can Crosstalk be included. in this?

story645 > KulturVultur 09/15/2016 at 16:11

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Sure. Only reason it wasn’t is cause I thought Magister was against that. But if he has no objections or isn’t around anymore to voice objections, I’ll throw ya’ll into the mix next week.

Chuck E. > story645 09/15/2016 at 16:20

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Aaaannnd, up we go on the meds! Yay! Actually, I’m being referred to a psych too to look at the entire picture, but I’m of the belief that modern medicines do work if the dosage is correct.

If I can get my spirits up, I want to do some musical recording and also some glass working. I’ve noticed a gap in a local market for a certain type of utility thingy and might be able to capitalize on it. (What happens in vagueness stays in vagueness.)

story645 > Chuck E. 09/15/2016 at 16:27

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Good luck!

Flerby > mrsfinch 09/15/2016 at 16:32

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I meant chicken* :(. I am on the spelling struggle bus today.

umataro42 > CB 09/15/2016 at 17:00

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That’s pretty cool of them. I remember one time being thrilled just to hear back from a place I applied at, even though it was to let me know the position was already filled.

mrsfinch > Chuck E. 09/15/2016 at 17:39

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I can assure you that in my case better living has been achieved through the use of carefully curated pharmaceuticals.

mrsfinch > k2b: da man trynta steal mah bloggy!!!!!!! 09/15/2016 at 17:42

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food and litter that the monsters change their minds about every couple weeks

I broke my back (big dog needs BIG bag of food!) dragging home various kinds of food for Boswell that might tempt his tastebuds while settling his tummy, and they have all been shoved into a cupboard because the only thing that settled his tummy was the gastro food from the vet. I’d like to donate the reject bags to a shelter, but they’ve been opened. I need to think things out better next time.

imaginaryfriend > story645 09/15/2016 at 18:01

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uualternate > imaginaryfriend 09/15/2016 at 18:41

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I love a list that includes Goldfrapp.

k2b: da man trynta steal mah bloggy!!!!!!! > istari 09/15/2016 at 19:16

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Eh, I got banzored from Gawker proper ages ago and that’s how I found all the nice people in the subkinjaverse. And since one of their “upgrades” I couldn’t log in to any of the main pages for months. Still can’t in Firefox - I have to go in Opera to even star people.

k2b: da man trynta steal mah bloggy!!!!!!! > mrsfinch 09/15/2016 at 19:38

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I think there are Petsmarts in Canada. Take the adoption cert and get some more. :)

You might want to contact some other rescues if not your own - they might be happy to take some food off your hands, especially if they do a lot of catch and neuter.

umataro42 > story645 09/15/2016 at 19:46

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Recovering from another bbq lunch at work, where I had 4 tacos (2 beef, 2 chicken), 2 mini burritos (1 chicken, 1 veggie), some grilled corn salad, rice, beans and chips, followed by a scoop of chocolate ice cream and churro for dessert. But I forgot to take a pic of it. So it didn’t happen and I’m not sure why I’m so full.

The rest of the day has been going well enough, work’s been mostly slow, leaving me time to Kinja around, and the I’ve quickly gotten to the work that’s come up so I can go back to not working.

I tried Burger King’s new Cheetos chicken fries yesterday and liked them. And watched the Blu-ray of the real (1986) Transformers movie while I ate. I’m thinking tonight I might watch the original Magnificent Seven, since I’ve been seeing commercials for the new one, and if I eventually get to it I want to be able to compare the 2.

ETA: a gif of the motion menu of the Transformers The Movie Blu-ray.

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Umrguy42: Add $5 for shipping and handling > story645 09/15/2016 at 21:31

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Way late, but I’m starting to look into places to get an aftermarket stereo for my 13 year old Corolla. The tape deck died last week, and the FM transmitter is *not* cutting it for music from my iPod, so I want to get something that actually has AUX inputs (probably a Pioneer unit that can actually control the iPod itself, not just take a 3.5mm line in).

Anybody got an opinion on Best Buy’s car stereo installation? I mean, they say they’ll do installs even if you don’t buy stuff from them, and that they’ll reinstall your factory stuff for free so long as you still have the original installation receipt...

No Prius Needed > Umrguy42: Add $5 for shipping and handling 09/15/2016 at 23:29

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Which FM transmitter do you use? I just got an iclever one and it sounds almost as good as my CDs.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Umrguy42: Add $5 for shipping and handling 09/15/2016 at 23:31

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If you’re not worried about brand and you don’t REALLY need the control-the-iPod-from-the-deck function, there are many used OEM single-DIN stereos with built-in Aux. input jacks you could pick up from a local pick-and-pull yard, I imagine?

Baskingshark > Umrguy42: Add $5 for shipping and handling 09/15/2016 at 23:34

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I wouldn’t worry about the installation service especially if it’s not expensive. You could probably even do it yourself if you were so inclined.

I would look around if you have a local auto stereo shop as well.

Umrguy42: Add $5 for shipping and handling > No Prius Needed 09/16/2016 at 08:55

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It’s a slight older Belkin, from Amazon. Has the 30-pin connection to plug my iPod right into, although it wasn’t actually designed for my old 2nd gen Nano, so it doesn’t sit snugly in any of the swappable cradles that came with it. https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00…

The big problem is there’s just too much FM interference half the time. (The bigger one is, I can *hear* the quality difference, and it drives me nuts.)

Umrguy42: Add $5 for shipping and handling > Baskingshark 09/16/2016 at 08:58

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Yeah, I’m looking at local places too, I just figured I’d check. And while I could probably do it myself, I’d still have to buy a couple tools, and for the amount of time it would take me, I’d rather just pay somebody with more experience (one hopes) to do it.

livesquiggles > story645 09/16/2016 at 09:40

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*congregates*

What happens now?

omnichad > Umrguy42: Add $5 for shipping and handling 09/16/2016 at 10:00

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I say order from Crutchfield. They include the car kit (trim replacement, wiring, and instructions) for free or really cheap. It’s really easy to DIY with their kits. It takes about 10-15 minutes.

I’ve used the Pioneer iPod control. It’s really good. But it looks like you also might have room for one with full Apple Carplay support (depends on what you like better).

Umrguy42: Add $5 for shipping and handling > omnichad 09/16/2016 at 10:11

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I caught a video online for my car, the guy mentioned a “panel tool” (looked like a small blue crowbar) - where would one get those, any idea?

omnichad > Umrguy42: Add $5 for shipping and handling 09/16/2016 at 11:19

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Google says Amazon has them -

https://www.amazon.com/Panel-Removal-…

I’ve just been really careful with a flat screwdriver and never caused any damage. If you’re not going to be doing it day in and day out, it’s probably not worth buying.

artiofab > istari 09/16/2016 at 11:26

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Looking around... you were still an approved commenter on Gizmodo as of 10:54am on Tuesday. Then you have a few comments on Gizmodo where you were either approved or not approved (since they’re recommended by someone I can’t tell which) but you still have commenting rights. But then by 9:14pm on Wednesday you were banned. Huh.

Are there any authors on Gizmodo who you feel you have a good enough rapport/whatever with that you could ask for reinstatement? Because emailing/tweeting at one of them with the nicest and humblest attitude you can summon up is probably the only way to get past the ban, because ... you can comment all you like at Gizmodo but because you’re banned it goes into this separate file than all the not-banned comments... and ... the moderators/staff very very very very very rarely look at that separate file, since that’s where the obnoxious terrible toxic comments [IOW, the commenters who really deserve to be banned] go.

artiofab > livesquiggles 09/16/2016 at 11:28

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We all exchange long protein sequences (digitized of course) in order to create a more perfect human.

istari > artiofab 09/16/2016 at 12:05

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Thank you for looking artiofab, I really appreciate it (and am surprised anyone who I’ve commented alongside there actually ended up seeing this!). I’m pretty sure the ban happened Wednesday during the day, because my Tuesday late-night comments were showing up fine and I didn’t get back to a Gizmodo comment thread until Wednesday night, which is when I noticed what had happened.

I’ll have to think about who I could reach out to, because few ever really interacted with me in the comments. Eve Peyser would, but I’ve been thinking about who I could have pissed off and I know I’ve called Eve out for problematic material in her posts (yet she should definitely remember my compliment of her writing , since she screenshotted it and posted it in reply to someone who wrote something bad about her).

The real problem though is I take the privacy barrier that my account provides me seriously (I do research on sensitive subjects in a tough location, and I like commenting on my area of expertise when I can, but don’t want my expertise to unmask me so I try to keep it vague when possible.). That makes reaching out difficult because it doesn’t look great for someone who wants to protect that privacy to also be asking for a ban reversal, so I may just accept it and move on with my life.

artiofab > istari 09/16/2016 at 13:40

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Your linkage to that article is really confusing me because it looks like the thread you started, the one where you compliment the author and she even responded, is dismissed. It’s, like any banned comment, in that weird nether region wherein it’s not precisely directly connected to the article. That a comment thread being nice to an author is dismissed or deleted whereas a comment thread insulting an author’s work is kept around makes no friggin sense. Why is SpaghettiKillah still an approved commenter on Gizmodo when you’re not? This kind of comment moderation makes no sense and it’s part of why I have no qualms about pulling all kinds of comment manipulation shenanigans.

I very much understand the privacy barrier concern which is why I have a few email addresses, and why I use a not-using-my-real-name one to contact any Gawker Media authors. So I mean if you want this screen name of yours to get Gizmodo commenting access back, maybe throwing Eve Peyser an email or tweet/Twitter DM would be your route of most success.

The only problem is that I don’t think Gawker Media keeps any kind of record on who bans particular commenters or why, so your completely logical questions of “who banned me?”, “why am I banned?”, and “how do I avoid being banned again?” might not have ready answers. Which is extremely annoying.

istari > artiofab 09/16/2016 at 14:21

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I similarly find the fact that I’m banned, yet SpaghettiKillah is not, ultimately ironic, but I hope it’s clear I’m not arguing that I should be ok and that that commenter should be gone, because maybe I did something I don’t think was terrible, but which the staff feels was egregious. I just don’t know.

As for why that specific comment appears dismissed, I’m pretty sure it’s because, when a commenter gets banned, all their comments are automatically dismissed. I’ve had some other more-starred comments - usually critical, but well researched and well-received - on Gizmodo and all of them are gone. So I wasn’t just un-approved; something more severe happened.

I decided to take your advice and made an account for contacting Eve (I figured she’d be the one most likely to remember me and, even if she doesn’t like how I can be critical, will at least tell me a yes or no). We’ll see if she responds. But I hopefully I was clear to her that I only wanted a confirmation and to pass along an apology, not a request for reinstatement. If they choose to reinstate me, I think that’s up to them.

artiofab > istari 09/16/2016 at 15:20

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Oh yeah I similarly wasn’t trying to make a dichotomous decision about both of your ban statuses; I was just making a point about how the comment moderation often makes no damn sense. It often seems like meaner commenters are being artificially selected for or just not being selected against, which ... basically runs counter to most studies on how to use comment moderation to improve articles. BUT I will stop myself before I rant on that topic.

I’ve never looked deep into what happens to a person’s commenting history after they get banned so thanks for providing interesting data into what happens. I’m digging slightly into the past and ... yeah, comments of yours, even with high levels of audience support, are now in the dismissed pile. And it seems to be Gizmodo-wide, across both Gizmodo and its subsites (io9, Sploid) (I didn’t look at Paleofuture or Toyland but I assume it’s the same there). So maybe you did something on io9 or Sploid and the ban takes effect over all of Gizmodo’s properties?

Best of luck with getting a positive result out of your email correspondence. ... not saying you won’t get a positive result, just hoping you get some kind of response.

istari > artiofab 09/16/2016 at 15:32

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I’m not all that hopeful (one response was a short kind of “IDK,” which I understand), but thank you for chatting with me about it anyway and for your advice. Also, you did a lot of digging! Which means you’ve seen that sometimes I get dismissive in possibly-inappropriate ways of people who I think are wasting my time.

If you’re around Deadpsin, I’m sure I’ll see you there.

artiofab > istari 09/16/2016 at 18:10

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a short kind of “IDK,”

Yeahhhhh I expected as much. There’s so many possible people that could have banned you that unless it was literally Eve, she might not know who did it, let alone know answers to any subsequent questions.

Uhhhh I haven’t extended my reign of terror to Deadspin yet and I’m not sure I’m an approved commenter there but I’ll make an effort one of these days.

istari > artiofab 09/16/2016 at 19:39

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Well, I went there after Gizmodo. Then, in that Great Approvening a month or two ago, I ended up approved on Jalopnik as well (I guess I had just enough liked comments there to warrant it), along with all the subsites on the other two. I’m just not all that interested in Jalopnik’s content, so it looks like I’ll be “living” at Deadspin for the time being.

artiofab > istari 09/16/2016 at 20:35

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Gotcha. I’ll keep in mind where I can, and where I can’t, expect to possibly run into your comments. And of course my apologies about the Gizmodo incident; they are missing out on some good comments.