Over 16,525,939 people are on fubar.
What are you waiting for?
Some things piss me off.
If you're human, some things piss you off, too. I'm human. I know. Let's ignore the "Owl" tag for a moment.
Sitting here at this computer, I deal with all types of people. Some of them are really cool, and I'm glad they're here; they make all the sludge I wade through a little less crappy. However, once or twice in a while, someone says something... does something... passively or actively. That "something" that they do pushes me closer and closer to the boiling point.
I try to be good about setting status messages to let people know what I'm doing and whether or not I'm around to help.
I work nights (with respect to Central US time). I no longer have that job where I was allowed to surf to Fubar during downtime. Fubar.com still gets blocked by many content filters. So, I'll set a status before I leave ("I'm at work") or when I get back ("I'm asleep"). And then, when I'm available, I'll log in and see that my shoutbox is overflowing with "This person is pimp-slapping my friend even though they've blocked each other! What will YOU do to stop it?" and "Are you here? I need you to approve my salute!" and "Why are you ignoring me?"
It's amazing how much faster response times would be if the members would go into the support lounge and find an active bouncer - someone who is there and actively answering questions. And, even if there are no bouncers available, there are other volunteers and trainees (yellow text, normal-colored names) that can answer questions, too.
By the way... "Approve my salute" is NOT an emergency situation. Wait your turn.
Ever since Facebook, the "Like" link has been a sign showing that people choose to endorse a particular comment, picture, or fan page. The "Like" button has made its way here and I'm not a big fan.
When you push the "Like" button in a member's tooltip, it will result in a bar tab entry saying "(your name here) likes you!". I'm not the most likeable person on the planet, and I get these things spamming my bar tab every time I change my status. Usually, they come from people who never speak to me. If you never speak to me, how can you like me?
The first time I was "liked," it was by some girl who lives in my old neighborhood. She pretended to like me, and then when things got close to serious, she would cuss me out as if I actually did something to her. So, when she created her new account (probably to circumvent my block) and "liked" me again, I responded in kind... by blocking her.
Because it's NSFW, that's why.
I've already written at least two blogs on the subject. By now, enough of you know not to put your genitals up as your primary picture. Not enough of you know that body paint IS NOT clothing. Even less of you know that having your legs spread in underwear is still flaggable, even though the cooch is covered. What still amazes me, however (and I've been bouncing here since late 2007) is that the excuse "but that red user's default picture is worse! Why are you flagging mine?" still lives.
Remember when I made the reference to the cop giving you a speeding ticket for 75 in a 55, despite the guy nearby doing 105? You were BOTH speeding. You were BOTH breaking the law. He just caught YOU.
If you think someone else's photo is NSFW, report it. Otherwise, quit whining. And, if you fall back on "I'm not a rat, I don't report photos," then you're part of the problem and not the solution, and I have no sympathy for you.
As an aside: Fubar.com is a little less strict lately on what passes for "safe for work." That swimsuit pic you wanted to post as your primary? The shot of you with your surfboard, your board shorts, and your bare chest (if you're a guy)? Well, if you're at the beach or in your pool, go for it. If you're in your office or sitting in your living room, then don't whine to me. The key: your outfit has to be appropriate for the environment you're in.
This seems like an approprite segue to...
Let's get one thing straight: there is no such animal when it comes to reported pictures.
Salute photos? Absolutely. We DO approve them. The fact that you got that 50,000-point bonus for uploading your first one is proof.
However, when I see a photo reported that looks borderline, then I go to examine the picture and the photo caption says "bouncer approved," I get annoyed. Why? Well, *I* didn't approve it. I didn't say "I'm Owl and I approve this photo." We didn't endorse your breasts it in any way. Sure, it may be "safe-for-work" and we may have overturned another bouncer's mark if we felt it was marked mistakenly, but that doesn't mean "approval."
Those people who like to set that caption have usually done so because the picture has been flagged several times (not just reported - actually flagged, which means another bouncer *didn't approve*). Instead of thinking, "you know, multiple people have reported this photo; maybe there's something wrong," they put this caption up as if it will protect them in the future. Guess what? Usually, the opposite happens. There are smart-asses out there who wlil report this photo *solely because* our aspiring model said *we* approved it. And what if the bouncer who flagged it the first time decides to flag it again?
You know the one I mean. Look in the marquee long enough and you'll see it. She's looking up at you, whlie you practically look down her shirt. All that cleavage... "But my face is in the shot! You can't mark it NSFW!" Well, technically, I can, but I don't always. Why? Because sometimes the nitpicking isn't worth it. There are members here whose sole existence on the site hinges on riding that line, or seeing how far they can push the envelope without getting into trouble.
In the interest of saving my sanity and keeping my blood pressure under control, I let those pass unless many, many people report it. This keeps things in perspective for me; maybe I'm over-sensitive to it, but if it's offending others, then maybe I'm not wrong.
