by Peter Wimsey
Member since:
October 31, 2006

Farewell To Clever & Amusing Tags

January 30, 2008 01:07 AM EST
views: 122 | rating: 9.4/10 (15 votes) | comments: 66

They are mostly gone; they are all doomed. 

 No  more buried insults, bon mots, or hidden barbs.

 In order to prevent one's articles from being linked to random rubbish, one must reduce, remove, and 'sanitize" the tags that adorn the articles.

 By using"Wimsey Cult" or "Wimsey Collection", I have succeeded in linking only to my own articles.

I found that other tags of which I was fond, "you disagree-you are removed", "approved by a real paid lawyer", "newly-copyrighted by me", yield objectionable links.

That these "improvements" only reduce an author's autonomy and exercise of  judgement  baffles me.  

  
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Comments: 66

Sandy (Site Psychic™) Knauer Jan 30, 2008, 1:09am EST
This is going to kill the creative tags group. Damn. I used that one often.
Peter Wimsey Jan 30, 2008, 1:18am EST
I hate to see all the "inside jokes" and subtle reminders disappear.
Sandy (Site Psychic™) Knauer Jan 30, 2008, 1:26am EST
Peter, I have faith in the creativity of our friends. I think we can handle the challenge and keep the inside jokes alive.
Dannielle S. Jan 30, 2008, 6:34am EST
Peter, some of us have worked out a few "personal" -- but Thoughtful -- tags that we add to our articles. I was going to leave a list here, but I'm thinking it makes better sense to email them to you.

Unfortunately, the *title* of the article is also used by the Random Linking Graffiti Bot they installed with this last upgrade.

I'm thinking "upgrade" doesn't mean what we think it means.
Peter Wimsey Jan 30, 2008, 8:47am EST
Sandy, I toddled off to bed before reading your second comment.

I agree, of course.

It does not mean the end of creativity and humor -just not in the ways we have seen it before.

I look forward to hearing about Dannielle's ideas.

Lyndon, you read Habermas?
Kris M. Jan 30, 2008, 9:03am EST
I used a snarky tag (although I forget what it was) last night along with a selection of personal tags and it worked out OK. So far. As of 9 a.m. on Wednesday January 30, anyway.
I'm about to try my own set of tags. If I can get all 6 linked articles linked only to me, I'll dance the happy dance.

And then still take down some stuff.
Sheryl O. Jan 30, 2008, 9:40am EST
Seems as the world becomes more automated and "user-friendly", the less creative and imaginative it has become. Or, as Sandy points out, the more you have to work to be creative and imaginative. We are becoming an amorphous blob in many respects......individuality has once again become out of fashion.
Peter Wimsey Jan 30, 2008, 9:58am EST
Kris, I just saw your article on "Thoughtful" tags. Hilarious.

Sorry I missed the fun.

I have had success with my own tags, but I miss the ability to ad-lib humorous remarks in tags.

Now, one has to test each word for potential "relationships".

It is the loss of spontaneous fun that I mourn.
Peter Wimsey Jan 30, 2008, 9:59am EST
I hope it works, Ina.

The laborious process of re-tagging has worked for me so far.


You are right, Sheryl. Creativity becomes "more work".
Kathleen ♥ L. Jan 30, 2008, 11:02am EST
I either don't use the 'right' tags, or my articles are so infrequent that I appear to mostly link to my own articles. I will miss the fun tags that many of you use. I have hopes that some of the ideas I've seen mentioned may thwart the "Big Brother Bots" so as to avoid the need to 'sanitize' ones articles of potentially harmful tags.
*sigh* Only time will tell
Wilma M. Jan 30, 2008, 12:31pm EST
I'll miss your creative tags.

Be sure and voice your complaints over this latest "upgrade". Not that it will help as several people are quite enthusiastic about it.

Here's a link to an article to voice your dissatisfaction: Voice Complaints Here
Stephanie B. Jan 30, 2008, 1:12pm EST
I am now faced with renaming all of my articles to something completely confusing rather than have them defaced with unwanted "related articles" since changing tags has not been helpful - they pulled generic words from the title to "relate".

*Sigh* I might take up drinking or just take off all my content.
I welcome randomly selected related articles to my stuff. I'm off to write an article right now.
Sandy, I think this a gauntlet for the creative tags group. We will kick this "upgrade's" ass.
Peter Wimsey Jan 30, 2008, 2:08pm EST
Kathleen, I have often added sarcastic or "over-the-top" references in the tags to my polemics.
Not so much in the vintage cards.

Unfortunately, every reference to" Bush", "war crimes", "axis of evil", etc. now links one to all sorts of objectionable material.

Thanks, Wilma.

I will try to find a way to thwart the bots.
Peter Wimsey Jan 30, 2008, 2:09pm EST
Stephanie, by altering my tags alone, I was able to thwart the bots.

If I have to change the titles, I will start deleting content.
Peter Wimsey Jan 30, 2008, 2:10pm EST
Nippy, some of the random selections are inspired, and I have left them for the time being.

I was linked to Sandy and to Dannielle by the bots.

Kitchen Mage, I will contribute in any way I can do.
Stephanie B. Jan 30, 2008, 4:23pm EST
You must have more unique titles. Will continue to work on existing articles until I pull out all my hair to see what can be salvaged. Last night was an exercise in futility.
Peter Wimsey Jan 30, 2008, 6:04pm EST
All the vintage card articles are linked to others in my series of antique postcards.

My political and gather-focused articles are the ones that are linked inappropriately.
David S. Jan 30, 2008, 7:51pm EST
I'm new to Gather and so don't know what I'm missing, I guess.
Peter Wimsey Jan 30, 2008, 8:00pm EST
Marilee, I do suffer from periodic bouts of insomnia.

I have learned not to fret and obsess, but to try and continue doing relaxing things.

David, you are witnessing a very vocal display of dis[pleasure at new "features" added to the Gather site.

When you get to know some of the shady players active on this site, you will understand completely why some writers do not want to have their works liked to these characters.
G. M. Lupo Jan 30, 2008, 10:56pm EST
So far, I've been lucky in that all my articles have been linked to other articles of mine. I haven't played around with the tags to see what might happen. There's also a great opportunity for mischief with this new system. Someone creates an article on gay rights, but tags it "republican" "bush" "right wing" "christian". It's sure to show up in relation to a lot of interesting articles.
Sandy (Site Psychic™) Knauer Jan 30, 2008, 11:01pm EST
Kitchen Mage, I intend to continue using creative tags. I'll just have to be more creative to make sure they are also appropriate, so others won't be offended if my articles show up on their lists. I think we can do this.

I'm not nearly as upset (yet) as others seem to be. I don't like where they've placed the links, and I understand there can and will be problems. For the most part, what I've seen so far hasn't been horrible. I found a few new people through links on my page, and people have found some of my old articles.

And I managed to get myself on THE CHIVE's article for a few minutes tonight. That was fun.
Peter Wimsey Jan 30, 2008, 11:22pm EST
The only positive result for me was that I found an old article by janna that i had not seen (it was her first).

Otherwise, I have been linked to plagiarists, imbeciles, christo-fascists, and a few good folks.
The AntiChrist, Esq Jan 30, 2008, 11:27pm EST
Thank God Gather came up with another way to shut down creative expression! I mean, really, it was getting totally out of hand! We can't have all this intelligent thought flying around here without any controls! They have now made it exactly as America should be, where you can read only what you want and then find other stuff just like it to read some more. This exercises our eyes through the process of 'reading' without ever threatening to challenge our minds to extend beyond stuff the reinforces what we already believe and whether or not we're running out of Cheetos.

I'm going to go have some Victory Gin.
Peter Wimsey Jan 30, 2008, 11:40pm EST
Yes, yes, some "Victory Gin".

John, "freedom fries" are so last year. We love the French once more.
The AntiChrist, Esq Jan 30, 2008, 11:41pm EST
It won't last. The French will see to it. They're not happy unless they're despised.
The AntiChrist, Esq Jan 31, 2008, 1:02am EST
I have a confession to make:

I've never tasted Gin in my life.
Stephanie B. Jan 31, 2008, 1:23am EST
Yay, I have managed to tame the savage "related to" nasties. Now I can go to sleep without drinking to oblivion (which is frowned on for us pregnant folk) or deleting all my content. Sorry, gather, you'll have to try something else.
Peter Wimsey Jan 31, 2008, 1:39am EST
Never a smooth gin and tonic on a hot day?

I weep for the lost generation.
Peter Wimsey Jan 31, 2008, 1:40am EST
Congratulations, Stephanie.

I am glad that you didn't have to pluck yourself bald.
Aniko     Jan 31, 2008, 3:25am EST
I've decided to practice Totally Thoughtful Tagging.
Peter Wimsey Jan 31, 2008, 7:59am EST
The 3T Way, Aniko?

Is this a new cult?
Aniko     Jan 31, 2008, 12:01pm EST
Not a cult--more like a positive motivational tagging success method. So far it has helped me to be related to myself, but if my connections used the tag "totally thoughtful tagging", we could all be related.

(I also used hedgehogs and a couple of others, but they didn't work by themselves.)
"a positive motivational tagging success method."

Anikó! You're a Positive Motivational Success Guru! This is much like being a Success Wisdom Guru. We should exchange notes.
Aniko     Jan 31, 2008, 12:28pm EST
Oh yes. But I don't promise to bring out anyone's brilliance or guarantee that only good things come to you if you think good thoughts, so it's probably not enough for a book to be featured and ooh-aahed over on Gather.
Peter Wimsey Jan 31, 2008, 1:19pm EST
If it makes ludicrous claims about the body's Ph balance, it is guaranteed at least one fawning review.
Aniko     Jan 31, 2008, 2:46pm EST
Only if you include that by doing something as simple as putting lemon in your water you can cure and prevent every single disease from cancer to Alzheimer's. (Best if it makes wrinkles and cellulite go away too.)
You guys are just too negative. Don't you realize that negativitousness kills positivitousness? And then you're left with diddly squat. This makes for grouchy personalities who disagree with me. But we know what their problem is. HIGH pH. (Or is it low pH?)
Wurdzgurl !!! Jan 31, 2008, 3:01pm EST
I'm all for positiveness.
But what about positivitudinousness, my sweet?
Aniko     Jan 31, 2008, 3:24pm EST
I don't know what you're talking about. I asked and expert for a definition of negativitudinousness and positivitudinousness, and I didn't get one (or I was too stupid to understand the one I got), so unfortunately I'm still lost.
Anikó we success wisdom gurus can't be bound by the contents of any dictionary. By the time a word has entered the dictionarly we've already wrung out all useful meaning and have moved on to the next. After negativitudinousness and positivitudinousness I'm thinking of combining the concepts in negapositivitudinosity and posinegativitudinosity. I'm not sure what I'll have them mean yet, though. But that's not the important part. What's important is that they impress the hell out of the yahoos and get them to buy my books.
Aniko     Jan 31, 2008, 4:37pm EST
It'd better be clear which of them is the good one though. People don't buy these unless the dichotomy is clear: some foods/thoughts/activities wear the black hat and the ones in the white hat come and kick their asses. All the problems the world has ever had should be fixed at once.
Peter Wimsey Jan 31, 2008, 9:08pm EST
"All the problems the world has ever had should be fixed at once."

And they will be, Aniko, when the world stops eating the crap apples of negativitudinousness.
G. M. Lupo Jan 31, 2008, 10:05pm EST
If you can't fix all the problems at once, it's not worth fixing any of them.
Stephanie B. Feb 1, 2008, 12:47am EST
Refresh my memory... When was the last time they "improved" the site when we said, "Oh, thank God thats fixed," or "Whew, that's better." Perhaps it was before my time.
CC Miranda the artrat (or am i?) Feb 1, 2008, 12:52am EST
that stinks. or not, maybe i'll just start making up my own words and then it won't link to anyone. or just put down other gather member's names so it links to them instead just to keep people on their toes.

or maybe i just ought to go to bed and forget all about it by morning.
Peter Wimsey Feb 1, 2008, 2:41am EST
"...maybe i just ought to go to bed and forget all about it by morning. "

There you go, CC.

You are developing an attitude of positivitudinousness.
Peter Wimsey Feb 1, 2008, 2:42am EST
Refresh my memory... When was the last time they "improved" the site when we said, "Oh, thank God thats fixed,"

Well, for me it was the day I realized I could "remove" any content with which i disagreed.
G. M. Lupo Feb 2, 2008, 12:27am EST
For me it was having one of my stories related to one of those "name things that start with s" games.
Peter Wimsey Feb 2, 2008, 1:09am EST
"For me it was having one of my stories related to one of those "name things that start with s" games. "

that must have been a heady day, Matt.

But, my latest thrill came on the day I realized I could copy right from Wikipedia.
Aniko     Feb 2, 2008, 1:35am EST
I'm happy if I'm allowed to comment without having to sign in every five minutes.
Peter Wimsey Feb 2, 2008, 1:44am EST
What is with this repeated disconnection?

I thought it might be due to the fact that I have been leaving typos all over my comments.
Lisa D. Feb 2, 2008, 1:48am EST
"Anikó! You're a Positive Motivational Success Guru! This is much like being a Success Wisdom Guru. We should exchange notes."

This can't possibly be. The two of you spell too well for that.
Lisa D. Feb 2, 2008, 1:51am EST
Ha! I just realized that I was being negative. But then, I said something positive about the two of you and that cancels out my negative!
Aniko     Feb 2, 2008, 2:05am EST
Isn't negative times positive still negative? But then, as said, the expert did not explain what he meant by negativity, so I came to the conclusion that it's whatever the reader doesn't like, which has the advantage of no one (except really negative people) disagreeing with you. So I'm learning, Lisa--once I have the vacuousness down, I'm sure I can work on the spelling.
Aniko     Feb 2, 2008, 2:05am EST
as I said.
Peter Wimsey Feb 2, 2008, 5:27am EST
..."once I have the vacuousness down, I'm sure I can work on the spelling. "

What an excellent Life Lesson, Aniko!

If we focus on the essentials, we are sure to be successful, at least on Gather.

I enjoyed your conversation with lisa.
James s F. Feb 2, 2008, 9:28pm EST
I am Dereck Obomba and I approved this article.
Peter Wimsey Feb 3, 2008, 4:37am EST
Thanks, Dereck Obomba.

I am desperate for approval.

I once met your sister, La Bamba.

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