Hate is a strong word, but I used it for symmetry with the Jeff's post. Yeah, I'm kinda ocd like that. The whole post was partly in jest, but even in its more serious half, I didn't intend it to be just a bitch session. On the funny side, I half expected lists like "jonny, jonny drunk, jonny's complaints, ...", which I'm sure to get now. And possibly on the serious side too.

I hoped there might be one or two things pervading all the serious answers. If it's something we can work to fix, then it's a good thing. Besides, it seems more in line with the philosophy of VS than saying I think such-and-such sucks, and here's the way it ought to be (which I do all too frequently).


I should edit my list above to put eric's thing right at the top. That is probably one of the hardest things to take. Unfortunately, I doubt there's much we can do about that - people move on, flame out, get bored, etc. There's always going to be some turn over in any community, online or in meatspace.

My name came from a 'teen nickname "Smiley" which quickly transmorgrified from "Schmiwy" to "Schmawy" and it stuck, so it's not my birth name but feels like my name nonetheless. Like a lot of people here, this is my first real interaction on the web, and I feel a lot like Kreegrath and Alien_concept that the idea of talking about myself feels unnatural, since I don't do it in real life so why do it here?

Sooo...

I was born in the UK, emigrated to New England in 1973. I'm pretty much a textbook definition of 'Yankee', but my parents were somewhat private people, so my upbringing was in a sense very British. I have always had a deep love of the United States, but have always felt somewhat at odds with it. There is a contingent of citizens here that cannot defend their consciousness from the media. For more information on that topic contact Choggie. Or Quantummushroom for that matter.

My interests lie in anything creative. I spend time doing oil paintings, trying to write songs, designing and building small wooden boats, restoring old 19^thC. houses, and working full time as an industrial designer. Creativity has by definition to me meant "maximizing expression within constraints". That's why I like the Sift so much, because the meat of the project is inherently someone else's work and otherwise grounds for bannination. So I express myself with what I can, and it's proven to be rewarding and fun. I mean, every artist restricts themselves with media, subject matter, style, ect., right?

This is a VERY special place on the internet If you hadn't noticed, and I have sworn to defend it by tooth and nail. If you do anything to jeopardize The Sift you can expect me, and ten others like me, to come after you. We will defend this bastion of decencey on the internet to our last keystroke. I have real relationships with the people here. I cannot abide by those who would say something in thread that they would not say in 'meatspace' or 'in real life'. I maintain that this isn't virtual at all. That's why this place is different. But I don't have to tell that to anyone here.

I'm a bit older than many, and younger than some on The Sift. I've been here from day one, counting lurking. The only other place that felt like this was MeFi. We've got DagMaggot to thank for that cultural infustion, I think. I get very upset when valued members start to feel this is no place for them, and will do whatever I can to make sure they don't leave. I have been harassing senior members lately when they start to feel disenfranchised by The Sift. We owe so much to their efforts, and as much as I feel we can carry the torch of decency for them, I get pretty broken up when they leave.

In conclusion, I have 2 ¹/₂ main principles that guide me in everything I do. The first is Love, the second is Hard Work. What one won't fix the other will, and if you use both look out! The third lesser principle is 'shoot for art', but it's far less important.

In the interest of full disclosure let it be known that I drink, smoke, own and shoot guns, ride motorcyles, climb mountains and sail seas, sew, use a straight razor, think being gay is awesome if you're into it, like paying taxes, and vote.

And I love you all.

They seem too recent in my mind to be my very first comments...

I have always suspected that Sift time is actually longer than "meatspace" time. When I see "published by X 11 months ago" I think no way, that was like two years ago.

I think it's because things change so quickly around here. Anyway, that's not what you were asking about. The search tool is fantastic. I haven't gotten near to experimenting with its full depth. Can it find car keys? Mine are missing.

Sarzy - here is sifty's meatspace avatar getting, well, um, molested by dag. I guess he really turns its crank. uuunnnnhhhh.

That is the most horrifying thing I've ever seen. I'm not sure I'll be able to sleep tonight.

Sarzy - here is sifty's meatspace avatar getting, well, um, molested by dag. I guess he really turns its crank. uuunnnnhhhh.

The vote seems to be unanimous in the negative. I say no to drugs, and ignoring buttons too. As long as were in Cyberspace, I don't like the idea of people ignoring others stupidity. Because when they get off the computer and go back to Meatspace they still have to listen to others stupidity.