Entering information about yourself in your profile
Entering information about yourself in your profile
Why not? Perhaps some folks like to seem mysterious, or maybe they like appearing suspicious? Maybe they want us to think they're someone incognito like, uh... Matt Molloy. I wonder why some folks don't include anything about themselves in their profile. When I meet someone at a pub I enjoy getting to know where they're from, how they got interested in ITM etc. Why not here... what's up with that? Discuss
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
I couldn't agree more, Jack! Many's the time someone has written something that I really liked, and I thought "who is this interesting and intelligent person?" so I checked their profile and ........ nothing.
And after all, Jack, if it wasn't for your profile I would still be believing that you are really Seamus Tansy writing under as assumed name.
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Maybe some people just don't know what to say when they set up the profile initially and then never get around to it later. It is really annoying however. Perhaps a public flogging would be in order? If only we could find them however
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
I'll just paste in my little bit from the Pariah thread : about profiles - I agree entirely with Danny (Rab). It's bad form to opine strongly, while at the same time hiding behind a cloak of anonymity. Definitely not good form, in my opinion. I mean, putting something in your profile doesn't mean you have to identify yourself, like publishing your real name and zip code! It's just nice to have an idea who you are talking / listening to.
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
OK,OK! Hands up.I'll admit i'm a culprit.i honestly meant to but never got around to it.i tend not to look up profiles so i didn't realise that it was important to a lot of yez.Anyway it's up there now & i'm wearing sackcloth for the next week.
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
Rab C has complained about people who haven’t given information about themselves in their profile posting opinionated material on this website. Notwithstanding that in his own inimitable way he might have started a bandwagon here, this is really a non-issue, or at best a minor issue. The opinions are either valid or not, and I trust members are mature and intelligent enough to make that assessment for themselves. I fear I might be one of the people Rab C is referring to here, as I haven’t put anything in my profile and as I have on rare occasions – though only when absolutely necessary to provide an indispensable item of information or edification to other members – made some humble and meagre contributions to ongoing discussions. As these morsels of wisdom were gleaned from years of experience, reflection and reading, I was hoping they might be appreciated and utilised by members to their own advantage. I am disappointed, therefore, that they are not appreciated for what they are. As for my not giving any information in my profile, that is a deliberate decision that I made for specific reasons to do with my immediate, and I hope temporary, circumstances that I cannot divulge. I’m not being capriciously coy or evasive here, and I hope I will be excused for this. So let’s not start chewing each other up over this.
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
I like to know a bit about people. As a result of reading one members's profile, I Emailed them off line regarding something not relating to ITM and we have been sending Emails back and forth every couple of days for months now and hope to meet up later next year.
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
I disagree, Phonz.. while your profile doesn't need to reveal exactly who you are in meatspace, it's a gesture of good faith to give at least a general idea who you are.
Even if it's just a few notes on what instrument you play. Otherwise you're not playing fair, no matter how erudite you appear. This is a real community, after all - not just a collection of abstract (though perfectly valid) opinions.
Go on, tell us about yourself. We already know you're not a 2nd year philosophy student!
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When you meet someone, you don't proffer an extended soliloque about yourself, such stuff just gets known through the course os conversation. my profile is merely my real name. If anyone wants to find me, they know where I am.
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
There's little to no consequences to posting online, no matter how abrasive or opinionated or even hateful the post, if no one knows who you are or anything about you. It's more an issue of trust and responsibility to me. I tend to trust and respect people who post more if I know that they've put their real selves and identities on the line, not just some e-identity that can say whatever it likes with no consequences. Sure, a person could lie through their e-teeth, but we tend to find them out one way or another anyway, just like in meatspace. Still, faster this way.
Besides, I've made some very VERY good friends on this site, and it's a faster process if I know who I'm dealing with upfront.
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If there's one thing that really annoys me it's people who don't use their real names online And (shock, horror) I agree with MG that people's posts on here say a lot more about them than their profiles ...
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
... and as phonsie said, people may have perfectly good reasons for *not* revealing information in their profiles, or their real names. I personally have had a massive kicking in cyberspace under my real name (and hope I gave as good as I got). It's not very hard for someone who knows me to figure out who I am from my profile and posts. But I'd rather those who have seen my name in other contexts didn't rush to judgement ... so I don't use it here
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Sorry, Q, Zina, and others, you'll have to trust me on this. I mean it when I say there are compelling and legitimate reasons for my not disclosing my full identity right now. I think it was Paul Newman who said, "A man who has no enemies has no character". I like to think that's the reason I have more than my fair share of enemies in meatspace at the moment. Because of my present circumstances there are some people who I know would be delighted to pick up on some of the "wild and whirling words" I might use in cyberspace and use them against me. And I would agree with you, Michael, in that many of you will have learned a lot about me in any case from my various offerings on this site.
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LOL Orson! And all the Cartes with you! Phonsie, sorry, I wasn't trying to point a finger at anyone. It doesn't mean that I *don't* trust or respect people or their opinions for *not* using their real names, of course, only that I tend to trust and respect either more or not rather *quicker*, y'see.
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
Many of us live in societies that, at every turn, want to know more increasingly personal information when we transact business. In some places we're photographed or surveilled on every corner, at many building entrances and at the urinal and toilet. At some stores if we want to buy a pair of socks they want us to verify our phone numbers! And many of us, like precious little lambs, trot right along with this bullying. It doesn't surprise me that this pernicious snooping ethos has now invaded recreation.
This site has been created in an intelligent, efficient, thoughtful and respectful way. email addresses aren't sent up for the world to see and mishandle. Exhibitionist are free to display themselves in all their presumed grandeur; jokers get a stage; gasbags are given generous expansion chambers and introverts have space to communicate without being bothered.
I use this site because it's about the music. I disclose the instruments I play because I want any interested person to have an idea how I might approach ornamentation and phrasing. I list the players who influence me to give an idea of the types and styles I enjoy and maybe to attract interaction with people of similar interests. I put tunes in the tunebook with the idea that people will understand something about me through the content and perhaps will want to learn those tunes, as I would learn theirs, for a type of connection. It's a pleasant fantasy.
If I write in my profile that I've been a welder, a bailbond enforcement agent, a psychiatric crisis interventionist, a cake decorating, mountain climbing, ski diving, neurosurgerying, gene encoding, philandering EMT ballerina; all, part, or none of it might be true. It depends on my degree of neediness or sociopathy and my skill in converting those conditions into a form that others curiosity, snoopiness or gulliblity will ingest. So what?
What matters to me on this site is the music. And the profiteroles. And the Humpback Titanias.
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
So you're calling me a bully? *smirk* Let's put it this way. If someone asks for information, but doesn't give us any idea of how long they've been playing, what they play, or whatever, then it's very hard to offer good advice for them at an appropriate level or possibly to avoid inadvertently insulting them.
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
Zina
You could keep asking them.
If someone enters a music forum with the idea of receiving help but fails to provide the details in the profile feature to receive that help, their organizational skills regarding the process are flawed and the process will be labyrinthine for them. My view is that what their real name is, how many free dives they've made; whether they prefer boxers or briefs, brie or cheez whiz, live in a packing crate or a castle is not relevant unless, of course, they must supply that information to receive help and satisfy curiosity standards.
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In my case, I think my current username is more informative than my real name, as I think I am the only caprine who posts on this site. 'Billy' could be anyone.
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
Not *relevant* -- well, I suppose if you see this site as only a way to get or pass on informatiion, perhaps. And as for flawed skills or whatever -- well, not everyone thinks of that stuff or realizes it might be good to provide that kind of information. Should I then decide that they're too numbskulled for me to help, or not try to make things a little less labyrinthian for them? Nah. I'd have never gotten very far myself if that'd been the case, because there can't have been anyone more numbskulled then me when I first started out, though I had enough enthusiasm for anybody.
I don't think anyone's asking about info as to boxers/briefs, although "Maryanne or Ginger" might be of some use.
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I'm on both sides of this question, which I guess puts me on the fence. I can understand the desire for privacy; I haven't put my full name in my profile, or the name of my town, because my husband is a writer who pokes into the odder crevices of history --- and you would NOT believe the letters he gets. He gets nice notes from fans, but he also gets the most screamingly lunatic stuff you can imagine. (Will, do you get nutso letters too?) I've come in for collateral craziness in a few cases, and don't care for any more.
On the other hand, I agree that it's nice to put in something about your ties to the music, what instrument you play, etc. Having made friends on this site due to material I put in my profile, I appreciate the benefits thereof, which also inclines me in favor of putting something down.
In the end, though, I think it has to be the individual's choice. How's *that* for a controversial statement?
MG, you're not quite alone! (And I think that gives you a clue as to where my birthday falls in the year.) ;)
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Yes, Mountain Goat, though not in an astrological sense, you're a man (have I inferred the gender right from the "Billy" reference?) after my own heart, being inclined to get up to the ould bit of bucklepping from time to time. You wouldn't be one of the Macgillycuddies from Moll's Gap by any chance? A happy New Year to yourself, Zina, Fiddlemouse and all others with whom I have engaged in sapient and not so sapient dialectics here this past while.
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
...but I think I'm gonna change my name to Swearbox while I'm here. Cause that is a way cooler name, and I was thinking of my old swearbox the other day and how many good swears were in it.
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Thanks Phonsie! I am now very happy. Could be because of the many glasses of whatever I've had to drink over the past few hours, but at least there are lots of words in your profile now. Quantity counts, damnit
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I agree! It's disappointing when I try to find out more about a member only to find that all they put in their profile is something like "I play fiddle. Hi."
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Zina, I wasn't calling you anything. You are responsible for your own inferences. Your generosity of knowledge and experience is obvious to all and apppreciated by me. In the light of your remark about understanding a person's length of time playing of I've overcome my reticence and modified my profile.
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
People who don't post anything in their profiles are failing to take advantage of an excellent opportunity to spout offensive, controversial, disrespectful, scandalous and irreverent remarks without being ganged up on. Think of the soap-box potential, people!
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Personally, I'm terribly disappointed by the lack of taking me up on the "Maryanne or Ginger" question. I think it'd be very useful to know how a person stands on this important issue, and would tell me everything I need to know about whether someone's opinion on this stuff is valid or not, because of course that's all I exist for here on this forum, to make judgements on other people. But perhaps that's just my arrogance, self-righteousness and rigidity of belief talking!
*smirk*
Happy New Year, everybody! May the new year be much better than the last.
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We've just experienced the worst natural disaster in living memory... perhaps ever. Well over 100,000 souls washed away in Asia. Not to mention all the other horrors around the world due to greed, coruption, and immorality. I don't have a very rosie prospect for the future of the world at this jucture I'm afraid.
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
Jack, relax. Damn, you’re right, but that’s why we play. Celebrate life. Push back the evil. Lose yourself if only for a while in the beauty of a well turned tune. Life is suffering, but there is beauty, too, and we must not give in to ugliness.
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
It's true, things are pretty bad. Me, I have been all but unemployed for months now due to The Big O (outsourcing makes more money for my company to hire execs you see) and the tragedy in Asia is much on my mind. Sometimes it's hard to see a reason for getting up in the morning.
But music can get you through just about anything. I think 2005 has to be better. Hang in there!
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
I've only EVER seen comment about lack of profile information in situations--like this time--when a poster obviously wanted to attack another poster on the basis of what or who they were, rather than on the basis of what it was they'd said.
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Not necessarily s1m0n. Sometimes it's nice to know if someone has the experience to back up their opinion -- before attacking them, or whether they're probably just parroting somebody else -- before attacking them... ;)
Mark, you're just trying to justify the novel your bio keeps turning into. :-p
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
What was that Zeens? Sorry, I don't speak to people who don't have enough in their bio. Come back to me another day when you've made more of an effort.
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
My mistake; I had confused the authors of this post in the Planxty thread (from Rab Nesbit) which appeared right after one of yours.
"Who are you Bard?
You're giving out big opinions yet we know nothing about you. I wish for godsake new people would put something in their bio. "
When I read the above, that's a dead givaway that Mr. Nesbit had checked out the Original poster's profile hoping to find something to use in support of his position, and was frustrated that he'd failed.
I leapt to a conclusion that this was the inspiration of the current thread. Am I incorrect?
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
s1m0n, for a long time I have looked at people's profiles to get a better idea of who I was talking to only to be disappointed when there was little or nothing there. Also, when folks make comments that are provocative, I look at their profiles in hopes of getting an insight as to why they might say something like that. It's true that I was reminded of this in the Planxty thread, but you're way off in you're presumption about my motive for starting this thread.
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
I don't think anybody is looking for DNA results in the profile, just info about the where your from, perhaps age group, what your playing, your level of skill, and simple things like this would be a great help.
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
Pbbbbthhht to you, Jimmy Troy! Heh. John's quite right -- and I forgot about age range -- I suppose I will make certain allowances for and feel more protective of our young'uns, frankly, and I may offer a different sort of advice to a, say 13 year old than what I'd offer to a 54 year old. (Sorry, guys, I know that sounds condescending, but you'll have to forgive me, it's my advanced years talking.
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
Sometime in the near future I will be giving out my NIDN
(National Identification Number) which is wired into the
HSS (Homeland Security System) and Big Brother can line you out right down to the library books I checked out last week.
Maybe by then I'll just change my name to a symbol or something more traditional
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
Those of you who have made an issue of this, why don't you simply admit that the only reason you'd like to see personal infomation about a poster, is curiosity. Nothing more and nothing less. That's the reason I look at somebody's profile. And I regard that as perfectly natural and normal. I would agree with s1m0n that comments submitted are valuable or not, as the case may be, in their own right. A comment that may appear provocative should be assessed on its merits, not by reference to the person who made it. Anything else is ad hominem.
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PS, and Jack, one other point about the term "provocative" that you used. Are not all comments provocative, in the sense that they are intended to provoke a response? Otherwise we would keep them to ourselves.
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Phonsie -- Ad hominem indeed, but sometimes I'll have a response that isn't appropriate for the person posting the comment. For example, there have been times where I wrote out a response and at the last minute checked the profile only to find out I was addressing a 13-year-old girl who has recently taken up the fiddle. In these cases I've tempered my response to suit the individual. As for postings that are obviously from adults; sometimes it makes a big difference to find out that someone who considers themselves to be an authority on session etiquette and tune interpretation is someone living in *Alberque, New Mexico who just took up the whistle last year, plays in a Celtic new-aged renaissance rock band and has seen the Chieftains twice.
*This description is in no way shape or form intended to resemble anyone in particular. I'm sure there are great musicians living in Alberque -- I just selected that name at random because I liked the sound of it.
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Wow, I stand corrected -- I guess there are no musicians in Albuquerque, New Mexico. But I remember one year at Lark Camp when a fellow showed up in my concertina class who played concertina very well. He was picking up everything fast, and one day I noticed something odd about his fingering. Turns out his concertina was upside-down. His explanation was that he sent away for the concertina and when it arrived he opened the box and pulled it out and started learning to play it himself -- he didn't know it was upside-down. His name was Jack, anyone ever heard of him? He was from Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
There are people in some jobs and professions where it can be distinctly inadvisable for them to reveal their identity to all and sundry. Teaching, professionals in the social services, medicine, law, and security are a few examples.
Trevor
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
*sigh* You guys. You *so* love picking things to death. Is it so hard to agree that a little information, such as relative age and experience, and perhaps the general area in which one lives, would be a good thing to put in your bio? ;) Sheeeeesh.
Send little bunnies to tromp all over your head, yeah right. *smirk*
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
All I'm ever interested in is a person’s approximate age and an idea of the their experience. I don’t necessarily expect their real name and occupation or any information that has nothing to do with the music. I'm not interested in anyone's GPS coordinates, but what country and town they're in can add insight sometimes. And it’s nice to know what they play etc. That’s not too much is it? After all, no one expects a Spanish Inquisition... do they?
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
I'm with you Jack, on this one. As you said previously, you may not know whether you're talking to Frankie Gavin or a 12-year old beginner whistle player, and unless they put at least a few words on their bio, you don't know how to respond to some statement they made.
But more than that. It's all very well looking up the Sessions section for sessions if you're abroad or in another town, looking to play out during your visit. But what about you try contacting the person who posted a particular session, but they no longer go there, are not the leader, etc., or conversely, they *do* go to, or run, a sesh but don't want to post it here. Or what if you play an unusual instrument, maybe eg, the hapsichord (and before any of ye whippersnappers start up, listen to the Bothy Band), but might feel slightly reticent about starting up an Hapsichord thread, you'd maybe prefer to email another 'chordist.
I've given out in the past about this not putting even a few words up about yourself. Right now I'm rather bemused about other aspects of this site, so I expect my postings will dwindle to a trickle in future.
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You know, most people here couldn't give a monkey's as to the exact indentity of the members and I personally would perfer not to know anybody by name, or have their email. But if memebers what to know something in relation to Irish Music and expect users of this site to freely provide info then it is good sense to give some generals and stop acting like gobsh*ts. I personally will not answer a thread in the future from a member with an empty or rubbish profile and I would encouage other members to do the same.
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
I can only say that I respect anyone's privacy but...
It is nice to know who said what and the thing that ties together the things that are posted by individuals here is, for me, their profile. I use it a bit like a peg to hang the clothes (their postings) on. This makes it easier to avoid misunderstandings also.
Without the geographic location of posters there is little likelihood of people meeting up on their travels. Fine if that is the way you feel about your interaction here.
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
Ha ha ha, I just posted some comments on another thread and thought, "I wonder who I'm answering?", so I looked at a profile. Then I thought, "hang on a mo, have I anything on my profile?". Oops!, there was nothing. "Ah well, not to worry, who cares?", thought I. I put some stuff there anyway just for the sake of it and then I came to read this thread.
Blimey!, "..who cares?" Seems like lots of you, innit? *hee hee*
I think I'll go back and update mine again. I forget to mention all the other things I'm interested in, I've studied, am studying and am about to study - and how devastatingly handsome and damned clever I am too! *heh heh heh*
Well, now, anyone from Manchester and the surrounding area will probably have guessed my identity now - so much for anonymity! See you on thursday down the "Jollies".Mine's a Guinness, thanks.
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Yeah, Zina, I remember reading that thread and wondered if Will had worked on mine. I just love its sound. Well done to all the people at the Bozeman factory. It's nice to think that another of our members may have a place in my instrument's history.
For the record it's a spruce top, maple back and sides, mahogany neck with a walnut veneer facing on the head.
See how this is mushrooming? Earlier, there was nothing. Now, even my Mandolin has a profile!
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
Now see how productive this whole thread is?
Jack suggests a board for our instruments, I like the idea and, true to the spirit of this thread, I check his profile, find a link, download one of my favourite reels and find myself playing along with someone I've never met! Excellent!
Bit of a rascal, though, aren't you, Jack? You caught me out, first time, with Eel in the Sink. I've never played it in G before. Blessed relief when you changed it to A. Nice touch.
Now, could we have a profile for the eel, please? You know, species, thickness, length, did you boil or fry it? - that sort of thing.
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Dow, Dow, Dow - there aren't 3 of you really? Well I for one vote you one of the funniest (ie give a laugh) geezers on this board, and your profile (sorry, I mean Encyclopaedia Andersonnia) is interesting, although it took me 3 months to read it from beginning to end. The updated bits about the Anglo concertina are just hilarious (and pure wicked too!!
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LOL -- I have a feeling the *eel has long since become someone's meal and isn't available for measurement.
==============================================
*Warning: If you mention things like "thickness, length" in a post about instruments you're likely to draw comments from the pervs on the board.
==============================================
Yes, that's part of the magic of the music -- having something in common with folks you've never met. And the magic of the internet? Interacting with people you've never met all around the globe
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
Jim - I'll explain what's going on with Dow regarding his attitude towards Anglo concertinas.
Dow and myself both have a background in classical music in our early development, and we both played the piano during that period. The difference came when we were confronted with the concertina as a keyboard instrument to play tunes on. Dow didn't have both instruments in front of him to compare and make a better-informed decision, and he invested time and money in his Britbox. I, on the other hand, had both available and had the opportunity to realize that the sound that would be appropriate for ITM was in the Anglo system. Dow is now stuck with his Britbox and is too proud -- and stubborn -- to acknowledge his error... so he's now reduced to being a bitter old codger. He knows deep down inside that he should switch, but it would mean he'd have to admit the fault in his original judgment. He also has invested vast parts of his ego in defending his beloved Britbox. I think, as Dow's friends, we should tolerate his rants and just nod and make him feel safe and secure. Only then will he ever have the slightest possibility of recovering from this tragic dilemma and muster the courage to make a positive change to an instrument that will in the end truly satisfy his musical needs -- the Anglo concertina.
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
Thank you all for an enjoyable read. I will see what I can do about my profile, though I am sure no one has checked on it. Interesting way to spell "PBBBTTTHHH" or whatever that was. Thanks again. Mary Ann
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Oh, those are fighting words, Jack, and I'm looking forward to seeing what smart*ssery Mark will come up for an answer to that. Bets that he completely ignores you? ;)
Mary Ann, if you figure out a better way to spell a raspberry, let me know!
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I'm probably too late for anyone to read, but personally, I think you find out more about contributors from their comments, which are often spontaneous, than from their carefully thought out, personal descriptions.
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I dunno about you guys, but I've embarassed myself once or twice by responding to one of those "how do I do such-and-such" questions, assuming I was talking to a complete novice, trying to be helpful, only to realize I'm speaking to some old fart with forty years of experience.
In reality I give advice to less experienced players and ask advice from players way better than me, generally speaking. These days I try to remember to check the profile before I shoot my mouth off, but it's still impossible to get a clear picture. You're all a bunch of liars. Some of you have been playing at sessions every week for twenty years and say something like " I play a bit of fiddle now and then." You know who you are.
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
Kerri,
You forgot to mention that the established players in a session welcome advice to the effect that they are playing a tune incorrectly or a wrong version. Helps to break the ice.
I'm waiting for the day someone comes to your session and looks crestfallen at their lack of welcome, Ker, because they followed all the directions carefully on your bio! *snicker*
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OK John, I've fixed it up a bit, just for you. Don't worry Zina, there are plenty of people already following my philosophy without any direction from me!
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Well, BT, I read your wonderfully sucinct, recently updated profile. While I can sympathize with your "less moving parts - no more children" lament, I'm not sure a profile really needs to be that detailed!
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Oh what fun discovering that people have been talking behind your back whilst you've been asleep. And all stupid stuff as well... god haven't you seen the light yet with your hornpipes Jack? The reason you think you've got them right is because you play reels nicely, and you're playing hornpipes as slow reels, so of course they're going sound nice, because that's all Irish hornpipes are, just boring crappy slow reels - perfect stuff to play on your anglo. One day you'll graduate onto proper hornpipes that were written by people who actually knew what they should sound like and how you're supposed to dance to them. As for the rubbish about anglos being superior, britbox players are made of tougher stuff than to be bothered by all that.
Entering information about yourself in your profile
Entering information about yourself in your profile
Why not? Perhaps some folks like to seem mysterious, or maybe they like appearing suspicious? Maybe they want us to think they're someone incognito like, uh... Matt Molloy. I wonder why some folks don't include anything about themselves in their profile. When I meet someone at a pub I enjoy getting to know where they're from, how they got interested in ITM etc. Why not here... what's up with that? Discuss
# Posted on December 31st 2004 by Phantom Button
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
I couldn't agree more, Jack! Many's the time someone has written something that I really liked, and I thought "who is this interesting and intelligent person?" so I checked their profile and ........ nothing.
And after all, Jack, if it wasn't for your profile I would still be believing that you are really Seamus Tansy writing under as assumed name.
# Posted on December 31st 2004 by kris
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
Maybe some people just don't know what to say when they set up the profile initially and then never get around to it later. It is really annoying however. Perhaps a public flogging would be in order? If only we could find them however
# Posted on December 31st 2004 by No Cause For Alarm
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
I'll just paste in my little bit from the Pariah thread : about profiles - I agree entirely with Danny (Rab). It's bad form to opine strongly, while at the same time hiding behind a cloak of anonymity. Definitely not good form, in my opinion. I mean, putting something in your profile doesn't mean you have to identify yourself, like publishing your real name and zip code! It's just nice to have an idea who you are talking / listening to.
Jim
# Posted on December 31st 2004 by Worldfiddler
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
OK,OK! Hands up.I'll admit i'm a culprit.i honestly meant to but never got around to it.i tend not to look up profiles so i didn't realise that it was important to a lot of yez.Anyway it's up there now & i'm wearing sackcloth for the next week.
# Posted on December 31st 2004 by cunnla
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
Rab C has complained about people who haven’t given information about themselves in their profile posting opinionated material on this website. Notwithstanding that in his own inimitable way he might have started a bandwagon here, this is really a non-issue, or at best a minor issue. The opinions are either valid or not, and I trust members are mature and intelligent enough to make that assessment for themselves. I fear I might be one of the people Rab C is referring to here, as I haven’t put anything in my profile and as I have on rare occasions – though only when absolutely necessary to provide an indispensable item of information or edification to other members – made some humble and meagre contributions to ongoing discussions. As these morsels of wisdom were gleaned from years of experience, reflection and reading, I was hoping they might be appreciated and utilised by members to their own advantage. I am disappointed, therefore, that they are not appreciated for what they are. As for my not giving any information in my profile, that is a deliberate decision that I made for specific reasons to do with my immediate, and I hope temporary, circumstances that I cannot divulge. I’m not being capriciously coy or evasive here, and I hope I will be excused for this. So let’s not start chewing each other up over this.
# Posted on December 31st 2004 by An Goban Saor
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
I like to know a bit about people. As a result of reading one members's profile, I Emailed them off line regarding something not relating to ITM and we have been sending Emails back and forth every couple of days for months now and hope to meet up later next year.
# Posted on December 31st 2004 by Tarrantella
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
I disagree, Phonz.. while your profile doesn't need to reveal exactly who you are in meatspace, it's a gesture of good faith to give at least a general idea who you are.
Even if it's just a few notes on what instrument you play. Otherwise you're not playing fair, no matter how erudite you appear. This is a real community, after all - not just a collection of abstract (though perfectly valid) opinions.
Go on, tell us about yourself. We already know you're not a 2nd year philosophy student!
# Posted on December 31st 2004 by Q
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
When you meet someone, you don't proffer an extended soliloque about yourself, such stuff just gets known through the course os conversation. my profile is merely my real name. If anyone wants to find me, they know where I am.
# Posted on December 31st 2004 by llig leahcim
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
There's little to no consequences to posting online, no matter how abrasive or opinionated or even hateful the post, if no one knows who you are or anything about you. It's more an issue of trust and responsibility to me. I tend to trust and respect people who post more if I know that they've put their real selves and identities on the line, not just some e-identity that can say whatever it likes with no consequences. Sure, a person could lie through their e-teeth, but we tend to find them out one way or another anyway, just like in meatspace. Still, faster this way.
Besides, I've made some very VERY good friends on this site, and it's a faster process if I know who I'm dealing with upfront.
# Posted on December 31st 2004 by Zina Lee
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
If there's one thing that really annoys me it's people who don't use their real names online
And (shock, horror) I agree with MG that people's posts on here say a lot more about them than their profiles ...
# Posted on December 31st 2004 by Just a person
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
... and as phonsie said, people may have perfectly good reasons for *not* revealing information in their profiles, or their real names. I personally have had a massive kicking in cyberspace under my real name (and hope I gave as good as I got). It's not very hard for someone who knows me to figure out who I am from my profile and posts. But I'd rather those who have seen my name in other contexts didn't rush to judgement ... so I don't use it here
# Posted on December 31st 2004 by Just a person
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
Sorry, Q, Zina, and others, you'll have to trust me on this. I mean it when I say there are compelling and legitimate reasons for my not disclosing my full identity right now. I think it was Paul Newman who said, "A man who has no enemies has no character". I like to think that's the reason I have more than my fair share of enemies in meatspace at the moment. Because of my present circumstances there are some people who I know would be delighted to pick up on some of the "wild and whirling words" I might use in cyberspace and use them against me. And I would agree with you, Michael, in that many of you will have learned a lot about me in any case from my various offerings on this site.
# Posted on December 31st 2004 by An Goban Saor
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
And you too, Orson.
# Posted on December 31st 2004 by An Goban Saor
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
LOL Orson! And all the Cartes with you! Phonsie, sorry, I wasn't trying to point a finger at anyone. It doesn't mean that I *don't* trust or respect people or their opinions for *not* using their real names, of course, only that I tend to trust and respect either more or not rather *quicker*, y'see.
# Posted on December 31st 2004 by Zina Lee
P.S.
And you'll note there's nothing but a lot of lies in my profile, after all. Amusing lies, not written by me, either, but lies nonetheless. ;)
# Posted on December 31st 2004 by Zina Lee
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
Many of us live in societies that, at every turn, want to know more increasingly personal information when we transact business. In some places we're photographed or surveilled on every corner, at many building entrances and at the urinal and toilet. At some stores if we want to buy a pair of socks they want us to verify our phone numbers! And many of us, like precious little lambs, trot right along with this bullying. It doesn't surprise me that this pernicious snooping ethos has now invaded recreation.
This site has been created in an intelligent, efficient, thoughtful and respectful way. email addresses aren't sent up for the world to see and mishandle. Exhibitionist are free to display themselves in all their presumed grandeur; jokers get a stage; gasbags are given generous expansion chambers and introverts have space to communicate without being bothered.
I use this site because it's about the music. I disclose the instruments I play because I want any interested person to have an idea how I might approach ornamentation and phrasing. I list the players who influence me to give an idea of the types and styles I enjoy and maybe to attract interaction with people of similar interests. I put tunes in the tunebook with the idea that people will understand something about me through the content and perhaps will want to learn those tunes, as I would learn theirs, for a type of connection. It's a pleasant fantasy.
If I write in my profile that I've been a welder, a bailbond enforcement agent, a psychiatric crisis interventionist, a cake decorating, mountain climbing, ski diving, neurosurgerying, gene encoding, philandering EMT ballerina; all, part, or none of it might be true. It depends on my degree of neediness or sociopathy and my skill in converting those conditions into a form that others curiosity, snoopiness or gulliblity will ingest. So what?
What matters to me on this site is the music. And the profiteroles. And the Humpback Titanias.
# Posted on December 31st 2004 by joesmith
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
So you're calling me a bully? *smirk* Let's put it this way. If someone asks for information, but doesn't give us any idea of how long they've been playing, what they play, or whatever, then it's very hard to offer good advice for them at an appropriate level or possibly to avoid inadvertently insulting them.
# Posted on December 31st 2004 by Zina Lee
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
Zina
You could keep asking them.
If someone enters a music forum with the idea of receiving help but fails to provide the details in the profile feature to receive that help, their organizational skills regarding the process are flawed and the process will be labyrinthine for them. My view is that what their real name is, how many free dives they've made; whether they prefer boxers or briefs, brie or cheez whiz, live in a packing crate or a castle is not relevant unless, of course, they must supply that information to receive help and satisfy curiosity standards.
# Posted on December 31st 2004 by joesmith
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
In my case, I think my current username is more informative than my real name, as I think I am the only caprine who posts on this site. 'Billy' could be anyone.
# Posted on December 31st 2004 by ragaman
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
Oh I give up. I've just put some stuff in my profile box. Are ye happy now.
# Posted on December 31st 2004 by An Goban Saor
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
Not *relevant* -- well, I suppose if you see this site as only a way to get or pass on informatiion, perhaps. And as for flawed skills or whatever -- well, not everyone thinks of that stuff or realizes it might be good to provide that kind of information. Should I then decide that they're too numbskulled for me to help, or not try to make things a little less labyrinthian for them? Nah. I'd have never gotten very far myself if that'd been the case, because there can't have been anyone more numbskulled then me when I first started out, though I had enough enthusiasm for anybody.
I don't think anyone's asking about info as to boxers/briefs, although "Maryanne or Ginger" might be of some use.
# Posted on December 31st 2004 by Zina Lee
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
LOL -- cross posted -- Phonsie, yer hilarious.
# Posted on December 31st 2004 by Zina Lee
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
I'm on both sides of this question, which I guess puts me on the fence. I can understand the desire for privacy; I haven't put my full name in my profile, or the name of my town, because my husband is a writer who pokes into the odder crevices of history --- and you would NOT believe the letters he gets. He gets nice notes from fans, but he also gets the most screamingly lunatic stuff you can imagine. (Will, do you get nutso letters too?) I've come in for collateral craziness in a few cases, and don't care for any more.
On the other hand, I agree that it's nice to put in something about your ties to the music, what instrument you play, etc. Having made friends on this site due to material I put in my profile, I appreciate the benefits thereof, which also inclines me in favor of putting something down.
In the end, though, I think it has to be the individual's choice. How's *that* for a controversial statement?
MG, you're not quite alone! (And I think that gives you a clue as to where my birthday falls in the year.) ;)
# Posted on December 31st 2004 by sara g
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
Yes, Mountain Goat, though not in an astrological sense, you're a man (have I inferred the gender right from the "Billy" reference?) after my own heart, being inclined to get up to the ould bit of bucklepping from time to time. You wouldn't be one of the Macgillycuddies from Moll's Gap by any chance? A happy New Year to yourself, Zina, Fiddlemouse and all others with whom I have engaged in sapient and not so sapient dialectics here this past while.
# Posted on December 31st 2004 by An Goban Saor
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
Kris, I just read your profile and all I have to say is that you obviously are just milking the tits of a bull.
hahahaha
# Posted on December 31st 2004 by Phantom Button
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
I didn't know it was considered bad form to be anonymous,honestly, I'm just shy, and the internet is scary sometimes. Didn't mean to offend, sorry!
# Posted on December 31st 2004 by swearbox
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
...but I think I'm gonna change my name to Swearbox while I'm here. Cause that is a way cooler name, and I was thinking of my old swearbox the other day and how many good swears were in it.
# Posted on December 31st 2004 by swearbox
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
There's nothing lacking in your profile paddywack.
# Posted on December 31st 2004 by Phantom Button
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
uh, I mean, swearbox.
# Posted on December 31st 2004 by Phantom Button
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
cause I just put it up through Catholic guilt, you know, the same Catholic guilt that causes me to swear.
Swearbox (nee Paddywhack)
# Posted on December 31st 2004 by swearbox
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
Thanks Phonsie! I am now very happy. Could be because of the many glasses of whatever I've had to drink over the past few hours, but at least there are lots of words in your profile now. Quantity counts, damnit
P.S.
*hic*
# Posted on January 1st 2005 by Q
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
Phonsie,
Happy New Year!
Mark
# Posted on January 1st 2005 by Ottery
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
I agree! It's disappointing when I try to find out more about a member only to find that all they put in their profile is something like "I play fiddle. Hi."
DULL!!!!!
Happy New Years,
Armand
# Posted on January 1st 2005 by fiddlinviolinin
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
I play fiddle. Hi
# Posted on January 1st 2005 by Just a person
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
Zina, I wasn't calling you anything. You are responsible for your own inferences. Your generosity of knowledge and experience is obvious to all and apppreciated by me. In the light of your remark about understanding a person's length of time playing of I've overcome my reticence and modified my profile.
# Posted on January 1st 2005 by joesmith
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
People who don't post anything in their profiles are failing to take advantage of an excellent opportunity to spout offensive, controversial, disrespectful, scandalous and irreverent remarks without being ganged up on. Think of the soap-box potential, people!
# Posted on January 1st 2005 by Kerri Brown
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
Well!!
# Posted on January 1st 2005 by Ottery
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
Yes Larsheen, you're right -- you do learn a lot about people from their discussion submissions.
# Posted on January 1st 2005 by Phantom Button
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
Personally, I'm terribly disappointed by the lack of taking me up on the "Maryanne or Ginger" question. I think it'd be very useful to know how a person stands on this important issue, and would tell me everything I need to know about whether someone's opinion on this stuff is valid or not, because of course that's all I exist for here on this forum, to make judgements on other people. But perhaps that's just my arrogance, self-righteousness and rigidity of belief talking!
*smirk*
Happy New Year, everybody! May the new year be much better than the last.
# Posted on January 1st 2005 by Zina Lee
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
We've just experienced the worst natural disaster in living memory... perhaps ever. Well over 100,000 souls washed away in Asia. Not to mention all the other horrors around the world due to greed, coruption, and immorality. I don't have a very rosie prospect for the future of the world at this jucture I'm afraid.
# Posted on January 1st 2005 by Phantom Button
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
Jack, relax. Damn, you’re right, but that’s why we play. Celebrate life. Push back the evil. Lose yourself if only for a while in the beauty of a well turned tune. Life is suffering, but there is beauty, too, and we must not give in to ugliness.
# Posted on January 1st 2005 by fidkid
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
It's true, things are pretty bad. Me, I have been all but unemployed for months now due to The Big O (outsourcing makes more money for my company to hire execs you see) and the tragedy in Asia is much on my mind. Sometimes it's hard to see a reason for getting up in the morning.
But music can get you through just about anything. I think 2005 has to be better. Hang in there!
# Posted on January 2nd 2005 by swearbox
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
The music IS my refuge.
# Posted on January 2nd 2005 by Phantom Button
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
Jack I think you should put a bit more in your profile. In fact, I think everyone should put a bit more in their profiles. *sits back and looks smug::
# Posted on January 2nd 2005 by Dow
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
I've only EVER seen comment about lack of profile information in situations--like this time--when a poster obviously wanted to attack another poster on the basis of what or who they were, rather than on the basis of what it was they'd said.
In my book, that's ad hominem.
# Posted on January 2nd 2005 by s1m0n
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
Not necessarily s1m0n. Sometimes it's nice to know if someone has the experience to back up their opinion -- before attacking them, or whether they're probably just parroting somebody else -- before attacking them... ;)
Mark, you're just trying to justify the novel your bio keeps turning into. :-p
# Posted on January 2nd 2005 by Zina Lee
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
What are you on about, s1m0n? I didn't start this thread to attack anyone.
# Posted on January 2nd 2005 by Phantom Button
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
What was that Zeens? Sorry, I don't speak to people who don't have enough in their bio. Come back to me another day when you've made more of an effort.
*Sits back and looks smug*
*Gasps suddenly and looks at watch*
*Rushes off to have a shower*
*Goes to regular Sunday session*
# Posted on January 2nd 2005 by Dow
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
I make up for it in comments, Mark. ;)
# Posted on January 2nd 2005 by Zina Lee
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
My mistake; I had confused the authors of this post in the Planxty thread (from Rab Nesbit) which appeared right after one of yours.
"Who are you Bard?
You're giving out big opinions yet we know nothing about you. I wish for godsake new people would put something in their bio. "
When I read the above, that's a dead givaway that Mr. Nesbit had checked out the Original poster's profile hoping to find something to use in support of his position, and was frustrated that he'd failed.
I leapt to a conclusion that this was the inspiration of the current thread. Am I incorrect?
# Posted on January 2nd 2005 by s1m0n
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
s1m0n, for a long time I have looked at people's profiles to get a better idea of who I was talking to only to be disappointed when there was little or nothing there. Also, when folks make comments that are provocative, I look at their profiles in hopes of getting an insight as to why they might say something like that. It's true that I was reminded of this in the Planxty thread, but you're way off in you're presumption about my motive for starting this thread.
# Posted on January 2nd 2005 by Phantom Button
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
Mark, I added an extra space in da profile...... does that help? :D
-Padraig
# Posted on January 2nd 2005 by Pádraig
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
I don't think anybody is looking for DNA results in the profile, just info about the where your from, perhaps age group, what your playing, your level of skill, and simple things like this would be a great help.
# Posted on January 2nd 2005 by compaqjohn
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
Pbbbbthhht to you, Jimmy Troy! Heh. John's quite right -- and I forgot about age range -- I suppose I will make certain allowances for and feel more protective of our young'uns, frankly, and I may offer a different sort of advice to a, say 13 year old than what I'd offer to a 54 year old. (Sorry, guys, I know that sounds condescending, but you'll have to forgive me, it's my advanced years talking.
# Posted on January 2nd 2005 by Zina Lee
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
It doesn't sound condescending at all. What kind of offer are you making? *raising eyebrows*
# Posted on January 2nd 2005 by Phantom Button
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
Sometime in the near future I will be giving out my NIDN
(National Identification Number) which is wired into the
HSS (Homeland Security System) and Big Brother can line you out right down to the library books I checked out last week.
Maybe by then I'll just change my name to a symbol or something more traditional
®
# Posted on January 2nd 2005 by Ray Mariani
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
I want to learn more about whoreinthenettles...
# Posted on January 2nd 2005 by Sunnybear
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
*splutter* An offer of advice, Jack, you evil man! LOL -- getchermind outta the gutter...!
# Posted on January 2nd 2005 by Zina Lee
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
Those of you who have made an issue of this, why don't you simply admit that the only reason you'd like to see personal infomation about a poster, is curiosity. Nothing more and nothing less. That's the reason I look at somebody's profile. And I regard that as perfectly natural and normal. I would agree with s1m0n that comments submitted are valuable or not, as the case may be, in their own right. A comment that may appear provocative should be assessed on its merits, not by reference to the person who made it. Anything else is ad hominem.
# Posted on January 2nd 2005 by An Goban Saor
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
PS, and Jack, one other point about the term "provocative" that you used. Are not all comments provocative, in the sense that they are intended to provoke a response? Otherwise we would keep them to ourselves.
# Posted on January 2nd 2005 by An Goban Saor
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
Phonsie -- Ad hominem indeed, but sometimes I'll have a response that isn't appropriate for the person posting the comment. For example, there have been times where I wrote out a response and at the last minute checked the profile only to find out I was addressing a 13-year-old girl who has recently taken up the fiddle. In these cases I've tempered my response to suit the individual. As for postings that are obviously from adults; sometimes it makes a big difference to find out that someone who considers themselves to be an authority on session etiquette and tune interpretation is someone living in *Alberque, New Mexico who just took up the whistle last year, plays in a Celtic new-aged renaissance rock band and has seen the Chieftains twice.
*This description is in no way shape or form intended to resemble anyone in particular. I'm sure there are great musicians living in Alberque -- I just selected that name at random because I liked the sound of it.
# Posted on January 2nd 2005 by Phantom Button
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
Fair point.
# Posted on January 2nd 2005 by An Goban Saor
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
Jack,
The following from http://www.decidio.com/local-businesses/musicians-albuquerque-new%20mexico-s49.html
QUOTE
Listing of Albuquerque Musicians
Musicians in Albuquerque, New Mexico
Sorry, we cannot recommend any musicians in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
UNQUOTE
# Posted on January 3rd 2005 by BarryM
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
okay okay okay
my middle names are : Joseph Patrick
and i'm the same age as 'fiddlemouse', but give me a bit of date with the rest . . .
# Posted on January 3rd 2005 by lisaniska
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
What could be useful is a section in the bio that automatically lists any changes in a member's screen-name.
Trevor
# Posted on January 3rd 2005 by lazyhound
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
Wow, I stand corrected -- I guess there are no musicians in Albuquerque, New Mexico. But I remember one year at Lark Camp when a fellow showed up in my concertina class who played concertina very well. He was picking up everything fast, and one day I noticed something odd about his fingering. Turns out his concertina was upside-down. His explanation was that he sent away for the concertina and when it arrived he opened the box and pulled it out and started learning to play it himself -- he didn't know it was upside-down. His name was Jack, anyone ever heard of him? He was from Albuquerque, New Mexico.
# Posted on January 3rd 2005 by Phantom Button
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
LOL, Jack. Let's hope Alberquerque Jack doesn't go on to teach at workshops
Trevor
# Posted on January 3rd 2005 by lazyhound
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
There are people in some jobs and professions where it can be distinctly inadvisable for them to reveal their identity to all and sundry. Teaching, professionals in the social services, medicine, law, and security are a few examples.
Trevor
# Posted on January 3rd 2005 by lazyhound
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
*sigh* You guys. You *so* love picking things to death. Is it so hard to agree that a little information, such as relative age and experience, and perhaps the general area in which one lives, would be a good thing to put in your bio? ;) Sheeeeesh.
Send little bunnies to tromp all over your head, yeah right. *smirk*
# Posted on January 3rd 2005 by Zina Lee
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
All I'm ever interested in is a person’s approximate age and an idea of the their experience. I don’t necessarily expect their real name and occupation or any information that has nothing to do with the music. I'm not interested in anyone's GPS coordinates, but what country and town they're in can add insight sometimes. And it’s nice to know what they play etc. That’s not too much is it? After all, no one expects a Spanish Inquisition... do they?
# Posted on January 3rd 2005 by Phantom Button
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
I'm with you Jack, on this one. As you said previously, you may not know whether you're talking to Frankie Gavin or a 12-year old beginner whistle player, and unless they put at least a few words on their bio, you don't know how to respond to some statement they made.
But more than that. It's all very well looking up the Sessions section for sessions if you're abroad or in another town, looking to play out during your visit. But what about you try contacting the person who posted a particular session, but they no longer go there, are not the leader, etc., or conversely, they *do* go to, or run, a sesh but don't want to post it here. Or what if you play an unusual instrument, maybe eg, the hapsichord (and before any of ye whippersnappers start up, listen to the Bothy Band), but might feel slightly reticent about starting up an Hapsichord thread, you'd maybe prefer to email another 'chordist.
I've given out in the past about this not putting even a few words up about yourself. Right now I'm rather bemused about other aspects of this site, so I expect my postings will dwindle to a trickle in future.
# Posted on January 3rd 2005 by Alf Tupper
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
Oh great Danny... so you're going to leave me all alone with all these weirdos now?
# Posted on January 3rd 2005 by Phantom Button
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
Was it my fault? What did I say this time?
# Posted on January 3rd 2005 by Dow
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
You know, most people here couldn't give a monkey's as to the exact indentity of the members and I personally would perfer not to know anybody by name, or have their email. But if memebers what to know something in relation to Irish Music and expect users of this site to freely provide info then it is good sense to give some generals and stop acting like gobsh*ts. I personally will not answer a thread in the future from a member with an empty or rubbish profile and I would encouage other members to do the same.
# Posted on January 3rd 2005 by compaqjohn
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
Don't worry Jim, Dow's profile is harmless. I have to admit though, when I first looked there -- it scared me.
# Posted on January 3rd 2005 by Phantom Button
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
I can only say that I respect anyone's privacy but...
It is nice to know who said what and the thing that ties together the things that are posted by individuals here is, for me, their profile. I use it a bit like a peg to hang the clothes (their postings) on. This makes it easier to avoid misunderstandings also.
Without the geographic location of posters there is little likelihood of people meeting up on their travels. Fine if that is the way you feel about your interaction here.
# Posted on January 3rd 2005 by Donough
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
ok, I have updated mine.
Wonderfully succinct, I thinct
# Posted on January 3rd 2005 by bt
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
Bob, Bob, Bob... it reads like page one of an FBI file on you. But it's fine actually considering there's a link to your web site.
# Posted on January 3rd 2005 by Phantom Button
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
It's worth it just for the acronym "VSO"! ;)
# Posted on January 3rd 2005 by Zina Lee
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
Ha ha ha, I just posted some comments on another thread and thought, "I wonder who I'm answering?", so I looked at a profile. Then I thought, "hang on a mo, have I anything on my profile?". Oops!, there was nothing. "Ah well, not to worry, who cares?", thought I. I put some stuff there anyway just for the sake of it and then I came to read this thread.
Blimey!, "..who cares?" Seems like lots of you, innit? *hee hee*
I think I'll go back and update mine again. I forget to mention all the other things I'm interested in, I've studied, am studying and am about to study - and how devastatingly handsome and damned clever I am too! *heh heh heh*
Well, now, anyone from Manchester and the surrounding area will probably have guessed my identity now - so much for anonymity! See you on thursday down the "Jollies".Mine's a Guinness, thanks.
# Posted on January 3rd 2005 by Gael Force
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
GF, your pic shows you playing a 1984 Flatiron -- did you know that Our Will probably helped to make that instrument? http://thesession.org/discussions/display.php/427
# Posted on January 3rd 2005 by Zina Lee
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
Ahhh... the profile magic at work.
# Posted on January 3rd 2005 by Phantom Button
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
Yeah, Zina, I remember reading that thread and wondered if Will had worked on mine. I just love its sound. Well done to all the people at the Bozeman factory. It's nice to think that another of our members may have a place in my instrument's history.
For the record it's a spruce top, maple back and sides, mahogany neck with a walnut veneer facing on the head.
See how this is mushrooming? Earlier, there was nothing. Now, even my Mandolin has a profile!
# Posted on January 3rd 2005 by Gael Force
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
Maybe some of our instruments can start a message board of their own.
# Posted on January 3rd 2005 by Phantom Button
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
Now see how productive this whole thread is?
Jack suggests a board for our instruments, I like the idea and, true to the spirit of this thread, I check his profile, find a link, download one of my favourite reels and find myself playing along with someone I've never met! Excellent!
Bit of a rascal, though, aren't you, Jack? You caught me out, first time, with Eel in the Sink. I've never played it in G before. Blessed relief when you changed it to A. Nice touch.
Now, could we have a profile for the eel, please? You know, species, thickness, length, did you boil or fry it? - that sort of thing.
# Posted on January 3rd 2005 by Gael Force
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
Dow, Dow, Dow - there aren't 3 of you really? Well I for one vote you one of the funniest (ie give a laugh) geezers on this board, and your profile (sorry, I mean Encyclopaedia Andersonnia) is interesting, although it took me 3 months to read it from beginning to end. The updated bits about the Anglo concertina are just hilarious (and pure wicked too!!
Jim
# Posted on January 3rd 2005 by Worldfiddler
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
LOL -- I have a feeling the *eel has long since become someone's meal and isn't available for measurement.
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*Warning: If you mention things like "thickness, length" in a post about instruments you're likely to draw comments from the pervs on the board.
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Yes, that's part of the magic of the music -- having something in common with folks you've never met. And the magic of the internet? Interacting with people you've never met all around the globe
# Posted on January 3rd 2005 by Phantom Button
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
Jim - I'll explain what's going on with Dow regarding his attitude towards Anglo concertinas.
Dow and myself both have a background in classical music in our early development, and we both played the piano during that period. The difference came when we were confronted with the concertina as a keyboard instrument to play tunes on. Dow didn't have both instruments in front of him to compare and make a better-informed decision, and he invested time and money in his Britbox. I, on the other hand, had both available and had the opportunity to realize that the sound that would be appropriate for ITM was in the Anglo system. Dow is now stuck with his Britbox and is too proud -- and stubborn -- to acknowledge his error... so he's now reduced to being a bitter old codger. He knows deep down inside that he should switch, but it would mean he'd have to admit the fault in his original judgment. He also has invested vast parts of his ego in defending his beloved Britbox. I think, as Dow's friends, we should tolerate his rants and just nod and make him feel safe and secure. Only then will he ever have the slightest possibility of recovering from this tragic dilemma and muster the courage to make a positive change to an instrument that will in the end truly satisfy his musical needs -- the Anglo concertina.
# Posted on January 3rd 2005 by Phantom Button
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
Oh, I forgot to mention -- Dow's hornpipes would finally sound right too -- if he switched to an Anglo.
# Posted on January 3rd 2005 by Phantom Button
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
Thank you all for an enjoyable read. I will see what I can do about my profile, though I am sure no one has checked on it. Interesting way to spell "PBBBTTTHHH" or whatever that was. Thanks again. Mary Ann
# Posted on January 3rd 2005 by beacheroo
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
Oh, those are fighting words, Jack, and I'm looking forward to seeing what smart*ssery Mark will come up for an answer to that. Bets that he completely ignores you? ;)
Mary Ann, if you figure out a better way to spell a raspberry, let me know!
# Posted on January 3rd 2005 by Zina Lee
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
Tee Hee Hee
# Posted on January 3rd 2005 by Phantom Button
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
LOL Jack! Just you wait till Dow Dow Dow wakes up!
Jim
# Posted on January 4th 2005 by Worldfiddler
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
G'morning Dow :-]
# Posted on January 4th 2005 by Phantom Button
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
Hahahahahaha
# Posted on January 4th 2005 by Phantom Button
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
I'm probably too late for anyone to read, but personally, I think you find out more about contributors from their comments, which are often spontaneous, than from their carefully thought out, personal descriptions.
# Posted on January 4th 2005 by Cath
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
I dunno about you guys, but I've embarassed myself once or twice by responding to one of those "how do I do such-and-such" questions, assuming I was talking to a complete novice, trying to be helpful, only to realize I'm speaking to some old fart with forty years of experience.
In reality I give advice to less experienced players and ask advice from players way better than me, generally speaking. These days I try to remember to check the profile before I shoot my mouth off, but it's still impossible to get a clear picture. You're all a bunch of liars. Some of you have been playing at sessions every week for twenty years and say something like " I play a bit of fiddle now and then." You know who you are.
# Posted on January 4th 2005 by Kerri Brown
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
Love the profile Kerri !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
# Posted on January 4th 2005 by Cath
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
Kerri,
You forgot to mention that the established players in a session welcome advice to the effect that they are playing a tune incorrectly or a wrong version. Helps to break the ice.
# Posted on January 4th 2005 by Johannes J
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
Sorry, sorry - it was a fine way to spell a "raspberry" I was admiring it, truly. Mary Ann (not Ginger)
# Posted on January 4th 2005 by beacheroo
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
LOL -- No, really, Mary Ann, "Pbbbbbbbthhhhhht" takes way too long to type! ;)
# Posted on January 4th 2005 by Zina Lee
P.S.
I'm waiting for the day someone comes to your session and looks crestfallen at their lack of welcome, Ker, because they followed all the directions carefully on your bio! *snicker*
# Posted on January 4th 2005 by Zina Lee
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
OK John, I've fixed it up a bit, just for you. Don't worry Zina, there are plenty of people already following my philosophy without any direction from me!
# Posted on January 4th 2005 by Kerri Brown
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
My favorite bit is the "There's only six different holes, so it's tough to screw up." hehehehe
# Posted on January 4th 2005 by Zina Lee
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
Well Rab C, I'm with you there. Though I don't know if it's for the same reason(s).
# Posted on January 5th 2005 by An Goban Saor
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
Well, BT, I read your wonderfully sucinct, recently updated profile. While I can sympathize with your "less moving parts - no more children" lament, I'm not sure a profile really needs to be that detailed!
# Posted on January 5th 2005 by BarryM
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
Oh what fun discovering that people have been talking behind your back whilst you've been asleep. And all stupid stuff as well... god haven't you seen the light yet with your hornpipes Jack? The reason you think you've got them right is because you play reels nicely, and you're playing hornpipes as slow reels, so of course they're going sound nice, because that's all Irish hornpipes are, just boring crappy slow reels - perfect stuff to play on your anglo. One day you'll graduate onto proper hornpipes that were written by people who actually knew what they should sound like and how you're supposed to dance to them. As for the rubbish about anglos being superior, britbox players are made of tougher stuff than to be bothered by all that.
# Posted on January 5th 2005 by Dow
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
zzzzZZZZZzzzzzZZZZZzzzzzzZZZZzzzzzz
# Posted on January 5th 2005 by Phantom Button
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
So were you still wanting a copy of that CD Jack?!
# Posted on January 5th 2005 by Dow
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
No, I won't go there.
# Posted on January 5th 2005 by An Goban Saor
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
So the Raspberry was the shortened version. I thought there was supposed to be a lot of spit! My profile is updated anyway.
# Posted on January 5th 2005 by beacheroo
Re: Entering information about yourself in your profile
it's all perfectly true . . .
why should i lie?
why should i ''by the by''?
# Posted on January 6th 2005 by lisaniska