Lurking
KWR is right. There must be many "lurkers" out there who read our banter but have never offered up any opinions, input, sarcasm, or disagreement.
I did that for a while way back in October/November, but eventually found it impossible to simply read and not add my two cents ...especially with the highly controversial strike being the ONLY topic!
WHO ARE YOU PEOPLE? Let's see some new names...fess up, lurkers!
- avoice's blog
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Everytime someone pops in it is a disaster! I have had my share of the very odd behavior of the following "I have been reading these blogs for a while and I find them (or, "you people") boring, whiny, stupid, etc."
Although to be honest, unless you are participating, the blogs would seem very, well, boring...but I just don't get who the heck could read these if you don't have something to say. Guess there is some humor here. But it would be like listening to a big group of people talking at a party and never uttering a word.
BTW...4th grade algebra can be a B**CH! That nomenclature left my brain a long time ago.
Yeah, I know...won't it be fun?! (Ha!)
Your 4th grader bringing home some advanced math? That beginner stuff is easy. However, I don't even try to help my child w/ Geometry. She's on her own with that one.
Gheeze I feel so freaking stupid when my 5th. and 3rd. grader bring home the math. I went to Seneca Valley and the math these days only happened in high school and back when I went you only had to take one year of math and I did just that. Thank God for cell phones w/calculators. So I am with you hotfire and avoice.
So your kids have cell phones. Ours want them but I have resisted. What are your feelings on the issue?
I think the cell phone thing depends on the age of your children. These days with adding a line for $10 on the Verizon family plan, it's not a huge investment. For me, once the kids hit 7th grade and the after school activities increase, there was more of a need to be in contact for rides, practice end times, etc. I just don't want them getting in trouble for using them in school. When I was a kid we'd use the pay phone to call our parents when we needed a ride. Can you even remember the last time you saw a pay phone anywhere?
My kids got cell phones when they turned 13. According to them, "everyone else had one" and they were the "last kids on earth" to get one!
Many of their friends did indeed receive a phone by the time they were like 10...now that's laughable. At that age, they aren't anywhere that an adult is not present...or at least they shouldn't be. How old are your kids, hotfire?
When did you first have sex? Does it make it right just because everyone else has? And because you might have at that age?
My kids are too young for cell phones, but one is on fourth grade and I see other kids his age with one.
The sex question, that would be getting in the deep end huh? Besides, I waited until I was married...just like everyone else here!
The second part of the "how old were you when you first had sex?" question is "And don't you wish there was someone else there to enjoy it with you?"
All right Angry!! Start a blog on that subject and we're looking at a new worlds record for "reads".
wow, love your new avatar... did you get bored on the course? She looks like 'old sal' at kennywood or wait a minute I know she sounds like her.
Thank you.....Thank you very much !
you start trying to contact your kid on their friends' cell phone, it's time for them to get one.
my post was meaning my cell phone but yes both my kids have cell phones in this day and age I think it's important. My kids can go to a neighbors house or a friend that doesn't live close and when I feel the need I call their phones. I don't have to get into any discussions with other parents. I do not allow any texting at this age and they do understand that. I believe that it's a good tool to have specially if they get into any kind of trouble. My kids also call me if they change locations like friends houses in the neighborhood. For me it's good.
I use the cell phone so I know where the kids are and it gives me peace of mind. My kids are older and do text. I would advise anyone who starts down the texting road to get an unlimited plan. We used to make the kids pay for any texting over their alotted messages, but now the unlimited plans aren't much different in cost. I used to hear horror stories of kids having texting bills in the hundreds of dollars before unlimited came along.
I might be taking that portion of your post a bit out of context, but why is avoiding discussions with your kids friends parents a good thing? I have seen first hand our kids friends being dropped off and picked up without ever meeting the parents (us). They drop and run, and when coming to pickup (after an all nighter) they call from the driveway to have their kid come out. I mean, I would love to meet the parents. I would think they would want to know something about the parents where their child was staying. Great that they completely trust us, and it's not misplaced, but still....
The cell phone, like texting, like IM is taking away a lot of our societal social interaction. And I just don't see that as a good thing.
For the record: I believe cell phones are marvelous conveniences and I can't really imagine not having one (I go back to the original bag-phone mobile phone world). My kids do not have them, even though that is inconvenient for ME many times. When they drive, they will get them. I am the worlds worst parent. They are the only kids over the age of 2 in the entire US that don't have cell phones- just ask them. IM is allowed only in a very structured, limited way. Email is via 'allowed' friends only setttings. Yep, strict.
I thought this response was appropriate under the blog topic of Lurking :)
I thought the same thing when I read that. It's SO important to know the parents of your children's friends.
The only exception is if you already know the parents well...then it would be "easier" to call your child on their cell instead of the home phone of the friend they are visiting. Being a woman, a "short" conversation is never "short".
I thought might be in play, hence the 'context'. However, I personally prefer to still talk to the parents when I'm picking my kids up. Might there be something they want to tell me, but they don't feel comfortable picking up the phone and calling. Or read the body language to know if a 'problem' occurred, etc. And I don't hesitate to ask if my child caused any problems. My daughter will tell me everything everybody said (well mostly) or did at a gathering, but my son- English eludes him, so I count on the personal contact with the parents to raise any little flags. Again, as you referenced, if the parents are already close friends, they'll most likely let it be known if there is anything you should know about, but then I still like to have even a moment or two discussion with my friends. That's usually enough time to trade a ribbing or two.
But indeed there have been those times when it would have been more comfortable to not have to disengage from a longer conversation.
My daughter came home at the begining of the school year and wanted help with her calculus homework. She reassured me that it was OK because she had notes to help "us" figure it out. I laughed, apologized for not knowing what she was doing and suggested she call her older brother who is away at school. My last calculus was in college and I swear it wasn't like they are learning now. Good luck 'cause it doesn't take long at all before you're clueless on the math homework.
Both of my kids received a cell phone at 13 while they were up at the high school campus. It does make it easier to correspond with after school activities up there.
I often wonder if there really are that many people viewing the blog or if it's just the same dozen or so people viewing it 20 times each. It's amazing to me the amount of time that some of us (myself included at times) spend on this blog.
Have you figured out how to see who else is on the blog at the same time? I always like to do that just to see. It's usually only 4-6 people at a time. According to the site, 8 bloggers are on right now (9:41 PM) - concerned parent, chanel, rhertzer, svparenttwochildren, avoice, BLOG HOG, lucious, Titan Lee and two unregistered viewers.
Cheers!
How could you tell who was logged on?
*
you ARE Batman! (Ha!)
I always thought those currently logged on would be listed on p.1 of members. Am I close?
If I am working from home, I usually log on and minimize this page. Work a while, check in, work a while, check in.
This site was built using an open source application call Drupal. My firm also uses this from time to time, so I'm familiar with the back-end pages.
To view who's online at any given time you can go to the following address:
http://www.yourcranberry.com/admin
This is where the site admin usually logs in to manage the site. If you look in the left column, you will see new members and who's online right now.
Now you know!
Thanks for the info. I keep myself logged into this site all the time on my main computer. I guess I'm just basically lazy. I'm really not on here 24/7.
If the system is setup correctly, it only shows who is actually on the site right now, not who is logged in. It also records how long it has been since you logged in last.
I just checked the admin link ... no problem getting there ... but I've been gone for several hours -- logged out, logged off, cookies deleted, etc... but right now, before I logged in just now, I went to the Cran admin site & it had me listed as (still) logged on.... any idea why? Just curious, nothing more.
Thanks - Faith
ditto ... no here 24/7 but just "basically lazy" :=)
I just logged on and decided to check I am the only member and they have 7 guest logged in. Those 7 are the ones that just read and don't want to post.
1. math..don't know how that started in this particular thread but...up until calculus it is easy pickin's. the only problem i have is i get very sick of having to be a home-school teacher. the outstanding teachers at SV somehow....i'm not going there.
2. cell phones. i was once of the mind-set that if i did not have it as a kid why is it NECESSARY to have now. most technology is intended in some manner or another to make things easier to do (not always the case, just most). the cell phone is that for sure. my two sons 12 and 14 both have their own and my 5, 7 year olds know how to use their brothers and pester their parents when the phones are just sitting around (damn funny actually when i pick up that phone and it is my 5 yo telling me that his 14 yo brother is teasing him). the phones do help with keeping track of things but what i really like is that they can contact me any time they need help or feel awkward about asking for someone elses phone because they need me to get them out of a situation they do not want to be in. bottom line, i think the entire thing is good. if your kid is using it in school, she/he is probably doing other things they shold'nt as well so teach them to respect the school rules and all will be well.
3. batman...LOVE that avatar, i'm jealous.
4. lurkers, i agree that a lot of the reads are actually us. but there is no doubt there is a "silent majority" (reagan) that just keeps mum for some reason.
I don't go to an original blog over and over again, but does responding to a comment under a blog count as a read of that original blog? If so, then I can see the reads being high. But really, this lurking blog already has over 350 reads. That cannot be all of us just responding to comments.
it can't be just all of us but i bet a lot of those hits are from us. like you asked, everytime you comment or just open the page up, it is a read. so if you do what i do...just look for new comments, then each time you open that thread it is a read. someone else said it before, i generally just leave the thing minimized and check it every so often. I read it a lot though at lunch.
I posted about this already but all one “seems” to have to do to test this out, is to hit the refresh key on your computer & each time you do, the # of reads 4 the blog your in, appears to have its # of rds incr by 1. Since I do not have access to the actual code used to track # of reads, there probably is no *real* way of knowing ... but if #of reads associated w/ a blog is based solely on number of 'refreshes'... a blogger probably wouldn’t know w/ any certainty what the real scoop is ... plus there is a YOUR_fill-in-name-of-town ... all over the country, yes?
~Faith
PS If someone on the blogs is in the know, pls. feel free to correct - luscious knew about the admin site so he might & others are whizzes at this stuff.
I'm a lurker. I find all the blogs very entertaining. The reason why i rarely post is because someone has already said what i thought. When i have something to say, i'll post. Keep it up. The blogs are interesting. Thank you
unlimited texting ... I'll show you our cell bill; it was that commercial; ... & meeting friends' parents is an absolute & we do it in person ... a brief 1 on 1 & you can tell if all the parents are on (basically) the same page ... Verizon, yes one can add a line for $10; here’s my advice so you don’t have to “take the field trip yourself”: my better 1/2 took our daughter last fall to renew our 2 yr & rtn’d with a 3rd line; I was *so* not pleased. We tried it a month & well there is no such thing as unlimited txting. We now use it as more of “walkie-talkie” so to speak …. Has worked very well – it does *not* go to school. The principal at HMS said yes they allow them but they (are supposed) to go into their lockers during the school day ... & it is true a high % of HMS stdts have them (75+ %) ... Verizon provides an online to view detailed bills so you can see who all those cell #'s might be coming in/out, the when’s & where’s... there are also separate call details to match w/ the detailed bills ... even when the last call was made ... these are all the “availables”; I am *not* suggesting all parents ‘track’ as the usual thing ... but the txting, IM’ing, logging onto via wireless internet while at school & posting on myspaces, facebook, etc ... is done, has taken place, etc… So if you do give your stdt a cell, chk carefully what you are signing up for …. When we eliminated *all* but calls in & out (& also who had a Verizon cell) this solved the huge bill problem. Cells, like much today are both good & bad in many ways; & that doesn’t even touch on the social interaction issue that was posted about.
~Faith
PS Did anyone catch on the news, that a study concluded that too much txt'ing may indicate mental illness ... please ... here's an unfunded study ... anyone doing anything TOO much indicates a problem, issue, whatever; not necessarily any kind of illness ... we love labels along w/ our cell phones, wireless, etc… as my Italian great-grandmother always said, “Tutto nella moderazione” ... “Everything in moderation.” Not rocket science but hey what do I know.
We went to unlimited texting and haven't had any problems with it. They can text to any network and there is no additional fee. What problems did you encounter? We haven't had any. I see a huge difference in texting between my youngest and oldest two. The older ones didn't go through high school during the texting craze and don't use it a lot, but do use it. The youngest texts a lot, it seems to be the means of communication the younger kids use. She has a lot of different kids she communicates with and is a well adjusted kid. I can see where excessive texting might cause problems for some, but mental illness? First I've heard of that one.
We also are on unlimited txting which has been so beneficial. Most of the kids text instead of actually talking on the phone. Since we went to unlimited, we have had no extra hidden charges. We are also with Verizon, we do have to watch the shared minutes, but most of our contacts have verizon. I might have that mental illness, I am a obsessive txter.
We've had the unlimited plan for close to a year and it's been great, no more texting bill hassles with the kids and we have seen no hidden charges. The kids don't talk to each other anymore, their definition of talking is an IM conversation or text messaging back and forth. If I happen to be the driver that picks up a carful of kids, every single kid pulls out the cell phone and checks their messages and replies. It's crazy. I only do a few hundred texts a month, but the kids make it into the thousands in a month's time.
My husband is telling me that our daughter switch from txt'ing 2IM’ing & that he was told by Verizon that if one has unlimited txt’ing, the ability to IM (send data - text, IM’s, etc.)... one can’t just have the capability to text. So my guess is that your kids are not IM’ing but only txt'ing & that is a *good* thing as Martha Stewart would say!
~Faith
PS I think that these researchers should work on something more substantive :=)
Do you mean IM'ing through the cell phone? I know it can be done, just have never tried. What's the difference between IM'ing and texting if you are using a phone? Either way they are trying to type a message with those little keys--T9 word is a great help in my book. Oh well, ours use the phone for texting and computer for IM'ing.
I’m sorry if my post confused you. The difference between texting & IM’ing is not WHAT one is sending (because data = a text msg = data = an IM = data) it is HOW &/or the WAY the data is packaged & then subsequently sent to its final destination… sort of like sending a book 4th class vs. overnight. Txts are sent cell phone 2 cell phone via faster/cheaper technology (ex. SIP) so my guess is that is why Verizon (& other carriers) offer unlimited txting at a low cost; but packaging & sending data packets such as IM’s is more expensive because of WHERE the data is ending up. Remember IM’s are off to the internet via the Superinformation highway; an IM is sent to screen_name@aol.com & gets there making use of all sorts of routes & the s/w to make sure it gets there … & concerned parent I am fairly certain in attempting to explain this I’m probably making it worse …. & I have made you confused concerned parent :=)
Verizon either turns ON the capability to send/receive data of any kind *or* turns OFF the capability … so w/ unlimited txting comes the capability to send/receive any kind of data … there are cell settings to fine tune but it was easier just to disable data because keeping unlimited txting meant the door remained opened for NONunlimited & expensive data coming in/out (IM’s, pictures, etc..) … the 3rd cell was added during the 5 week strike last fall & it was very useful to be in contact... But the new “toy” coupled w/ all of her friends w/ their own cells, computers, etc... It just got off track … we’ll try again in a year … we lived, we learned….
~Faith
PS Any network gurus out there feel free to correct my errors … I realize the analogies fall woefully short
Wow, you should work for Verizon, so you could explain any questions I have on my bill...lol
They'd never hire me because I would explain *everything* - do you get my meaning? I have helped older people in the Cran V store when I could hear the sales rep telling them real untruths ... I know I'd want someone to help my grandparents under similar circumstances.
I know what you're saying. If you ever have a technical prob with a cell and go to the cran verz location, you log in and then your name pops up on the monitor. You look to see how many ppl are in front of you and then try to figure out who your tech person is going be. I then pray for the one I want( I think we all know their faces) There are some techs who will give you a new phone immediately, (even if they know the phone was dropped or got wet or got 'snapped in half out of anger' ...my kid did this) and then there are the ones who say I'm sorry not under warranty, you need to go see the sales ppl...ugghh I DREAD going to the cran verz store..it is at least a definate one hour or more out of my day off, no matter what you need to have resolved. And could they put some chairs in that large unused space? It would make the looooong wait so much more tolerable..
& still I feel your pain :=)
We have never used the IM through the phone thing--limited it to just texting. Luckily, we haven't had the problem of the kids being sent IM data through the phone. I am assuming you also have to pay to receive the data as well? The pix messages are included in the unlimited texting.
Since we had never used our cells for anything other than phone calls & the occasional txt to one another, it wasn’t until she starting doing a LOT of txting, that we got the unlimited txt'ing … then the IM’s started … & we just called it to a halt … I don't think she knew the diff ... but live & learn, right?
My guess is pix msgs are included in unlimited txt'ing only if it is btwn cells; the pict sent/rcv’d has to be on a cell & sent to a cell. If a pict goes from cell to myspace, photobucket; or visa versa, I bet it is categorized outside of cell 2 cell & thus outside of unlimited & not –free- ….
I know my daughter and her friends take a lot of cell phone pictures and I've heard them talk about sending them to a website so they can access them, but not sure if there is a charge for that?? We really haven't encountered hidden charges since we went to unlimited, but I really don't want to stumble across unknown charges by accident.
I heard a clip on the news today about kids being diagnosed as obsessive texters from the mental illness profession. I didn't hear the whole story though. Interesting, all the teenagers I know might fall in that obsessed category!! The way they communicate sure is interesting these days.
Perhaps I'll peek at Verizon's current options. It could be that Verizon's struck a 'deal' w/ photobucket or facebook...
~Faith
PS Yes, saw the clip too, @ obsessive texters wrt mental illness; labels, labels everywhere; ‘everything in moderation’ ... it applied 100 yrs ago & will apply 100 yrs from now...