STOP THE EVENT SPAM
Thread started by
Alex Thompson at 01.31.08 - 3:36 pm
Please stop the event spam. It's a usability issue, it makes it harder for new people to find things. Hell, it makes it harder for me to find things.
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Anything not related to the west side...
(shit was that out loud?)
Joe Borfo01.31.08 - 3:41 pm
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STEER PRESSURE, the huge Los Angelopes Tall bike, the CRIMAMINAL Mass title, arguably EAR Pressure, the Superfecta,
aargh pressure - definitely event spam
Here's what I think
- don't make your event titles much taller than is typical
- don't post satellite rides, instead have them added to the event posting
if people don't follow the above then it's hard to see what's upcoming except for Saturday.
Alex Thompson01.31.08 - 3:41 pm
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Don't scratch your butt and then sniff your fingers. Unless you like that kind of thing.
Joe Borfo01.31.08 - 3:43 pm
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Just the opposite Borfinator. My Westside peeps have so successfully lamed the Events that I can't see anything else.
Alex Thompson01.31.08 - 3:44 pm
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is this an Internet Explorer thing? I'm still seeing a bunch of events over there in firefox. you're saying it's blocking the view of other events??
Roadblock01.31.08 - 3:46 pm
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there are a few westsiders that are attention whores. thats for sure.
pacino01.31.08 - 3:49 pm
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for reals. like okay we get that you guys have like 15 rides this weekend that all have almost the same name.
funanu01.31.08 - 3:52 pm
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It's not a technical issue. I'm saying these redundant listings push off real events so we don't see them, and they make the footprint of other events like Race in East LA, Fixed Gear Bike Show, and the Dark Century, minuscule.
Alex Thompson01.31.08 - 3:54 pm
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things look ok on Safari, if that's what you are talking about.
stevo401.31.08 - 3:55 pm
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That's what happens when you're constantly stuck in gridlock and there's no subways to use. You just start getting a little out of control.
skd01.31.08 - 3:55 pm
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Things are getting weird ...
I LIKE IT.
Joe Borfo01.31.08 - 3:56 pm
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If it's an event, it's not spam.
Thread over.
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PC01.31.08 - 4:02 pm
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I wish there were more than one of me.
Then I could go on every ride, show myself pictures, and tell myself how much of an awezzum time I had.
spiraldemon01.31.08 - 4:05 pm
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A M A Z I N G ! ! ! ! 1 1 ! !
NEWB31001.31.08 - 4:05 pm
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Fluffer might accidentally eat himself over and over and it could get really gross.
BAD IDEA JEFF
Joe Borfo01.31.08 - 4:08 pm
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Alright. Have it your way. You guys are undermining the usability of Ridazz, and that will directly contribute to decreased ridership. Self indulgent idiocy.
Alex Thompson01.31.08 - 4:13 pm
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STOP SPAMMING THE "STOP THE EVENT SPAM" THREAD WITH YOUR EVENT SPAM SPAM
PC01.31.08 - 4:13 pm
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I like ride to ride posts. When I was new to this site, I never would've thought to peep the forum for ride posts.
Alex, do you want a ride in the ...
hatehills01.31.08 - 4:20 pm
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Hatehills,
In the old days we would post satellites (ride to ride) in the event listing. It pulls everything together neatly, and it still leaves room for the little rides to get noticed. So it would be like "SMCM blah blah blah, Westwood Satellite blah blah, Culver City satellite blah blah, Venice satellite blah"
Look how forlorn and tiny the Bike the Vote listing looks. Wouldn't it be nice if people would actually have a chance of noticing that?
Alex Thompson01.31.08 - 4:24 pm
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So, basically you're saying that "newbies" are too easily distracted to notice an event sitting there in plain sight in the Upcoming Ridezz column, AND too stupid to click on the "Ride Calendar" link sitting there in plain sight at the top of the page, under the title?
PC01.31.08 - 4:25 pm
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THE BIGGEST CARNIVOROUS RIDES EAT LITTLE VEGAN WEENER RIDES
SKIDMARCUS01.31.08 - 4:28 pm
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WAT
There are options? Not everything is splayed before me? WTF
NEWB31001.31.08 - 4:28 pm
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VEGAN BANANA WEENERS
PC01.31.08 - 4:33 pm
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PC,
Despite your hyperbole (you're better than that) that's sort of what I'm saying. A new person is not likely to come to this page and digg through all the stuff to find these things. That is the very reason for an "Upcoming Ridezz" section - people are not going to go digg through the event listings to figure it out. It's the same reason we have threads AND events - people are not going to dig through innumerable forum posts to figure out where the events are. Roadblock understands this and that's why he set it up that way.
Usability studies back that up by the way. People tend to skim web pages and if they don't find what they're looking for very quickly then they move on.
I sort of thought Ridazz wanted to enable new people to join up. Why force them to work their ass of just to sort out what the fuck is going on.
Alex Thompson01.31.08 - 4:35 pm
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Alex Thompson wrote:
Despite your hyperbole (you're better than that) that's sort of what I'm saying.
If that's what you're saying, it's not hyperbole.
Do you think newbies really care what's going on two weeks from now? If they're really newbies, they're just here to get a feel for what this whole thing is about. And if they already are sufficiently invested in the idea of participating to the point where they do care what's going on two weeks from now, then they've moved beyond the "skimming" stage and will have no trouble finding the information they want by clicking on the "Ride Calendar" link.
Logic. I has it.
PC01.31.08 - 4:44 pm
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139 is overseas right now. please leave a massage.
u r lol-some SKIDMARCUS.
onethirtynine01.31.08 - 4:49 pm
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PC,
No, you're wrong. The web is all about the synthesis of presentation and content. Right now people are fucking up the presentation of events by adding content in a spammy way. Newbies are in part new because they have not developed a commitment. Had they developed one they would have probably already been involved, hence they wouldn't be a newbie. Yes, some people go from zero to involved over night. But take Franz for example, his 2nd ride was a year ago tomorrow. How long did he take to get as involved as he is now. Several months.
Here's one example of how usability is relevant. The same principles apply here on MRidazz . . . if content is buried it will act as a barrier for participation.
http://www.useit.com/alertbox/fancy-formatting.html
Alex Thompson01.31.08 - 4:51 pm
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SKIDMARCUS
01.31.08 - 4:58 pm
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PC, Just Ask Alex to the Valentines Ride already.
Joe Borfo01.31.08 - 4:58 pm
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You should have been an advertising executive in the 1940s, Thompson. "Scientific studies PROVE that consumers respond positively to men in white coats."
Let me present to you two hypothetical newbies, O man of data, and then I'll ask you a question.
Hypothetical Newbie #1: "Hey...these ride listings aren't very consistent. Also, it seems as though some of these people don't take what they're doing very seriously. This bothers me. I am so irritated! Grrr! Disorder! Irreverence! I'm never coming back to this website again!"
Hypothetical Newbie #2: "Um...Fear Pressure? Ear Pressure? STEER Pressure? Ha ha ha! What a fun-loving bunch of scamps these people must be! I must join them in their hijinks, for I too am a person of wackiness!"
Which one would you rather ride with?
PC01.31.08 - 4:59 pm
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i give alex hugs, didn't you start bikerowave with some people? I rather take your advice than a shitload of people who barely want to take the time to help out other people with the rides, etc..
pacino01.31.08 - 5:00 pm
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scamps? hiijinks? I can't take SRSLY now. You didn't include an "86 skidoo!" in there.
NEWB31001.31.08 - 5:01 pm
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Can we create a focus group and post it up on craigslist? We'll have people to come out & look at midnightridazz.com for their first time ever while we evaluate their reactions!! I'd like to get scientific about this! We can hook up heart monitors to see which rides/topics make their hearts beat faster! If their eyes start spinning in different directions and they want to make a focus group for the focus group then maybe knittens is right and spam DOES tastes good w/ eggs and rice! Then we'll all have to buy him scoops.
mixtemotions01.31.08 - 5:02 pm
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Oh, Rich, you're such a card.
PC01.31.08 - 5:02 pm
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SPAM does taste good with Eggs & Rice... It even tastes better with Teriyaki Chicken.
the reverend dak01.31.08 - 5:09 pm
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Hypothetical Noob #3: "Man, this shit looks awesome but I work 60 hours weeks and some girl invited me over to her place to get it on and I don't feel like I have time to sort out what's what right now. I'll check out later."
Months later, he sees a ride and remembers that he planned to get involved.
PC, I encounter people like this all the time. It's easy to figure out when SMCM is, but when we started sending emails again I got former ride regulars emailing me saying "oh, I forgot about the ride" or "oh, I thought it wasn't happening anymore". Same with Bikerowave. People think we folded because we don't send out announcements and our website isn't regularly updated.
So that's my experience as organizer: People forget, they need consistent reminders. The less plainly things are presented the less people will get involved.
If you want to restrict Ridazz to spare time having go getters only then your argument is sufficient, don't consider it any more deeply. If you want to pick up people who are busy, over committed, in high demand, or not web savvy, then this is an issue.
Alex Thompson01.31.08 - 5:10 pm
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the info is there. If you really want to go, then you will.
Joe Borfo01.31.08 - 5:12 pm
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Midnight Ridazz went from eight people to almost a thousand with no website at all. We're not selling paper towels here.
PC01.31.08 - 5:15 pm
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Borfo,
Some people sort of want to go. Then they go, and after a great experience they decide they want to go a lot. Then you can put this shit behind DES encryption and they'll break it just to find out when the next ride is.
If you think the issue is unimportant then say that, but don't oversimplify the situation so that you're mental model of the situation is nothing like reality.
Alex Thompson01.31.08 - 5:17 pm
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man,i think i better start drinking again cause now im really realizing how stupid some of you guys are.this must be what cityhobglobin feels like on a daily basis.fuck this clear thinking.
mandingo01.31.08 - 5:21 pm
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Fight! Fight!
But seriously tho. Spam, eggs & rice is awesome. You're not supposed to eat SPAM straight, which is most people's mistake. You should cut it with some rice, or bread (in a spammich). It's fucking tasty.
... oh, but seriously still. This was started by a single incident. The spam for the SPAMtacular Saturday is the result of so many events on the same day that has become one-big-event. and the satelite rides, and the parody rides, etc, clouds up the day, but just that day really. Yes, there are 2 or 3 announced rides that day don't fit in the SPAMvolous day in the westside(tm). But they're niche enough that the people going to those are already commited.
We're not going to see this often, let's not be so reactionary over an single incident. It's good it has been brought to light, this time, because I bet because of this post alone, people are going to be hesitant posting another Satellite ride or Combo Ride.
The Reverend has spoken enough today.
the reverend dak01.31.08 - 5:23 pm
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oh, i get it. You didn't mean "STOP THE EVENT SPAM."
you meant, "STOP THE EVENT. SPAM!"
as in, "please, stop this event. we need another thread to argue about stuff. start spammin complaints!"
or did you mean, "STOP THE EVENTS, PAM." now i agree that there are lots of events, some of which should be stopped immediately. there's all kinds of events in other continents i'd really like to stop. i applaud your efforts to stop these horrific events; but Alex Thompson, I only have one question...
WHO IS PAM?
SKIDMARCUS
01.31.08 - 5:24 pm
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Alex doesn't like the system, so he's voicing his opinion.
And I might agree with him. However, I don't think you need to tell people what they should or shouldn't do.
Joe Borfo01.31.08 - 5:27 pm
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Borfo,
I think I wrote "Please stop" and then politely explained why I felt it was a problem. I dunno, go check the top of the thread.
Alex Thompson01.31.08 - 5:31 pm
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So then "Pam" is into politeness?
"PAM",
please tell us who you are.
SKIDMARCUS01.31.08 - 5:33 pm
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00010101001010101010101010100111110001001001010101010
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Pluggable authentication modules or PAM are a mechanism to integrate multiple low-level authentication schemes into a high-level application programming interface (API), which allows for programs that rely on authentication to be written independently of the underlying authentication scheme. PAM was first proposed by Sun Microsystems in an Open Software Foundation Request for Comments (RFC) dated October, 1995. It was adopted as the authentication framework of the Common Desktop Environment. As a stand-alone infrastructure, PAM first appeared from an open-source, Linux-PAM, development in Red Hat Linux 3.0.4 in August of 1996. PAM is currently supported in the AIX operating system, FreeBSD, HP-UX, Linux, Mac OS X, NetBSD and Solaris. PAM was later standardized as part of the X/Open UNIX standardization process, resulting in the X/Open Single Sign-on (XSSO) standard.The pluggable nature of PAM is one reason for using dynamic linking of system binaries. However, this necessitates the availability of a recovery mechanism in case a problem develops in the linker or shared libraries; for example both NetBSD and FreeBSD supply a /rescue directory containing statically linked versions of important system binaries. As the XSSO standard differs from both the original RFC, Linux and Sun APIs, and also from most other implementations, PAM implementations do not all operate in the same manner. For this and other reasons, OpenBSD has chosen to adopt BSD Authentication, an alternative authentication framework which originated from BSD/OS.
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0100101010101010101010010101010010101010101001010
mixtemotions01.31.08 - 5:34 pm
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OK, this is what Alex T is getting at, I think.
There are 12 "events" on SPAMurday. Eight of those events are essentially, for all purposes, for the SAME event. In there are four, legit events, that getting buried in the spam. Honestly, it's not cool that it's happening. We should be a be a bit courteous.
We're NICE people, remember.
the reverend dak01.31.08 - 5:38 pm
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in response to Borfo. "However, I don't think you need to tell people what they should or shouldn't do. "
so everyone should just do whatever they please? even if it fucks shit up on the Midnight Ridazz site? peace in anarchy? just curious.
pacino01.31.08 - 5:48 pm
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P eace
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A narchy
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M arcus
I am the one known as "P.A.M.".
SKIDMARCUS01.31.08 - 5:56 pm
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I think Alex has made a valid point. This site can be fucked with in a lot of annoying ways by people who think messing ith html is k3wl and indicative of their status as kr4d doomst3rz of the 4p0clyps3.
For everyone it just looks like you guys are pissing in the well you drink from.
ubrayj0201.31.08 - 6:26 pm
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This site is beginning to need Moderators to clean up all the shit that is getting posted in the events list.
It is mind numbing.
LizardQueen01.31.08 - 6:35 pm
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THIS IS WHEN I REACH FOR MY REVOLVER!!!!!
User101.31.08 - 6:52 pm
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I don't think it's that ridiculous. if this gets stupid, it gets stupid. let it run it's course. That's what we did with MR in general... and guess what, here you are!
Ride on...
the reverend dak01.31.08 - 6:54 pm
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I LUV THIS JOB AND ALL OF U.
AND IM GONNA PLAY TOO!!!
bentstrider01.31.08 - 7:06 pm
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REPENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
toweliesbong01.31.08 - 7:21 pm
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If we are going to talk about the usability of the site and clean interface design, the last place I'd start is in some humourous ride-to-ride postings, which are specific to one day and hardly evidence of some inevitable backslide into a text based BBS from my childhood.
- For starters, 4 columns of content is excessive.
- The recent forum section is displayed right next to the list of threads on the forum page, completely redundantly
- The content in an iframe with scrollbars thing is just incredibly annoying. I have a widescreen laptop, so the entire frame doesn't fit in the window, so the page has a vertical scrollbar and the iframe has a vertical scrollbar (and sometimes I get double horizontal ones, too, depending upon window size). If I scroll using trackpad gestures, when the inner scrollbar reaches top or bottom, the outer scrollbar moves, which is incredibly annoying when I'm trying to read while I scroll. There's absolutely no need for the inner iframe - just let the content make the page longer, for heaven's sake. Its actually one of the most singularly unusable forum environments I've used (lafixed, being one of the few that is worse). Sorry, roadblock. No offense meant, but it bugs me cause even though I know its quirks, I still get tripped up by it all the time when scrolling via trackpad gestures.
- there's no protection from malicious or accidental html usage, which is actually pretty fun when people are well behaved or misbehave in an impish and benign manner, like the spammy ride posts, but which could easily be used to render the entire site unusable, if I were partiularly malicious
- The recent gallery section shows the same gallery over and over again instead of doing "select distinct" to limit each gallery to a single entry.
- The iframe with content="auto" to genrate scrollbars doesn't function on many mobile devices, including iPhone, kindle, and blackberry. You can only see the content that is visble in the frame, as those devices will not place scrollbars within the content of a page - only on its outer edges.
- silly ride titles are the least of the usability problems on the site, and personally, I think they're all kinds of funny.
I really don't see the funky ride titles as a problem. The existence of 800 rides on Saturday may be a tad confusing to someone looking to join us for the very first time, but they'll figure it out, i part because Dan posted the superfecta ride which ties it all together quite nicely.
I'm pretty new around here, and it is the playful silliness which brought me in, and certainly doesn't drive me away. I'm a big boy. I'll figure it out.
--sam
ideasculptor01.31.08 - 7:32 pm
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What's next?
We gonna start requesting "air-traffic control" for the multi-ride days?
I could just picture my ass doing exactly that in place of being able to be down there.
"Angelopes 2-3, redirect to StormFunder 1-1niner via, < insert LA streetname > to < insert another streetname > ."
Something to that extent.
bentstrider01.31.08 - 7:42 pm
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Steer Pressure canceled due to lack of interest.
Leetard01.31.08 - 8:24 pm
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Old age and dorky squareness are totally different.
skano01.31.08 - 8:57 pm
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just kidding Alex...T
skano01.31.08 - 9:01 pm
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I saw the large font and flashy colors and thought it meant that those rides were more legitimate, interesting, and fun than the others.
Was I wrong?
Ms. Stephanie01.31.08 - 9:18 pm
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Sorry alex,I guess I'll cancel my "enlarge your penis"ride I had planned for this weekend
Little Evil Eddy01.31.08 - 11:13 pm
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You guys are having too much fun. Please stop it. Midnight Ridazz is....
Serious.
Business.
PC02.1.08 - 3:47 am
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Sorry, guys, but it's out of my hands now. I can no more stop these events than you could stop the tide from rising and falling, or the moon from waxing and waning. I loosed them upon the world, and it is up to you to embrace them or destroy them, as you see fit.
Peer Pressure, Fear Pressure, Steer Pressure, Fixed Gear Pressure, Norman Lear Pressure--they are yours now. All yours.
God help us all.
PAM02.1.08 - 4:30 am
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Did i mention i like Celery? ...and game shows.
stevo402.1.08 - 7:02 am
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Forgive me for thinking like a software engineer, but this sounds like an opportunity to add a feature to the ride posting page. When posting a ride, there should be a drop down box listing all the existing rides, where you could specify if the ride you are posting is a satellite ride, then which one is it. Then in the Upcoming Ridezz listing, all satellite rides could be filtered out, but if a ride has satellites, we could indicate that by having a + on the listing which you could click to expand it, since a list no longer copes with our shit, and everything is obviously a tree-like data structure.
geek out.
ephemerae02.1.08 - 8:46 am
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Once again, Captain Obvious of the U.S.S. Omnipotent comes to the rescue.
Sec. Of Def. Strider commends you for your efforts.
bentstrider10.3.08 - 12:46 am
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Wow, the code for this board needs some work. Can you post javascript in the comments I wonder?
mullingitover10.3.08 - 8:24 pm
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+1 ijunes
take that flyer down!!! its fuckin up the site.
funanu10.28.08 - 2:26 pm
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-->
Ridazz Roulette!
This sounds like a job for....... ?
I'm totally freaking out. 
FINE. BE THAT WAY.
Pam Dawber?
.....
