More Critting Needed, Critical: Too many uncritting critters Options

[Guest_Jox_*]

Ok, not quite critical but take a look, anyway..

I've noticed that Lori's popped into a couple of threads to remind us that those particular ones are for critting and the submissions were going considerably off track.

She is right.

I am as guilty as anyone so I think I may be able to suggest what was happening. On one thread a collaborative poem was set up and thus people kept adding. On another we did discuss the work but it rather changed into a few people chatting about Shakespeare's Greatest Hits.

So, in neither case, was anyone being in the least awkward or unhelpful; we simply wandered off the path.

I actually had to ask Alan to pop into Socrates to see one of my works (thanks, again, Alan) because too few people are there. I think, perhaps, we need to get about and do some serious critting - it will benefit us all. Sure, banter is fine and there are forums for that. Moreover, the crit forums will never stick rigidly to critting. However, there is much critting to be done and we do let people down if we don't all "get stuck in". After all, that is why most of us came to MM in the first place - to learn and improve.

Here endeth this evening's lesson. You may now boogie to Shakespeare's Greatest Hits with Bacon on Sax and Chris Marlow on glockenspiel. (Watch out for Webster with too many symbols!)

Signed, One of The Guilty Ones!

[Guest_Jox_*]

Hi Sylvia,

This tracking problem is...

(I am putting my tin hat and protective long-johns on)...

because you're a lady!

No, no insults about not understanding - don't think I'm sexist (hope not - well I might be pleading for my life here).

What I mean is, that at the bottom of all main posting windows are three questions... 1 enable emoticons, 2. signature, 3 enable racking. On mine, at least the top two are activated by default.

Now, it seems to me that the ladies on here (and on other boards) are the ones who use emoticons most. I very seldom use them so I almost always de-select "enable emoticons" because, if I don't, various combinations of brackets etc turn into those damn similey things. In the same sweep I turn on tracking. So my remembering to activate tracking depends on my remembering to de-activate emoticons.

So tracking problems are a gender issue! QED.

OK, if anybody wants me I'm... hiding.

James.