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The Banter Page
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If you're wanting to get something off your chest, make general comments about the server, or post lonely hearts ads, then this is the place for you.
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Wise is, afaik, a reputable and reliable source for transferring funds (though I haven't used it). I have used OFX, which I have found to be straightforward and reliable.
signed up
I signed up for OFX, so now I have an account there. I hadn't know of OFX or found it when I was searching.
Maybe not . . .
I got a text saying that they needed me to call to finish setting up my account. So, been waiting for over 10 minutes for them to answer the phone to get me connected with one of the OFX . . . and as I'm typing, they answer. But, I was told that I don't need the account to RECEIVE money, just need to give my bank details to the sender.
Another one
KS - did the latest hurricane Francine cause you any problems?
Thankfully not
[Bis] Thankfully, Francine didn't hit where I live. They thought there would be storms, but all that happened was a bit of rain where I am.
why are contractors so difficult?
I contacted a contractor . . . on September 19th and they came out and I sent them the insurance estimate, but I've not gotten an estimate back for what repairs would cost. It sucks knowing that the contractor I had was constantly lying to me and purposefully taking advantage of me, KNOWING my disabilities and my troubles. She barely finished ANYTHING. Nothing is 100% right in my house.
Hopefully a contractor is coming in about an hour.

In the mean time, I'm watching this guy on TikTok and I like this video. English breaks French with words that seem like they should rhyme.
Best thing seen on the internet today
“I think you’ll find it’s fewer miserables.”
[CdM] .. and fandom of the opera. A game idea perhaps?
Pedantry up with which I shall not put.
I like this idea
Language, Broadway, Language!
So, that means it's should be Buttbuttins, right?
Hahah, you said butt!
I found out . . .
[Simons Mith] Haha! Butt, butt, BUTT of course.

I have Cash Giraffe on my phone, which gets me a few points for playing games and then converts them into rewards. I found out that it pays in Euros, but that Paypal converts foreign currency to USD!
Merry Thing
Happy holidays to those who have 'em, and safety and warmth to those having tricky times. I delight at the Morningverse, still a corner of the internet unspoiled and fun.
Merry Christmas everyone!
Happy 2025 all
It's the 6th already so it looks like we have our feet firmly into 2025 and there's no going back. Good to see you all still here.
We may be all here but are we all there?
[pen] Don't we get 28 days to reconsider? Don't think I want the old year back anyway, but Statues have rights... or something...
[bllamelewis] Try sending it back, see what happens? (I'm just going to hold my nose and go forward...)
Here, but not happy . . .
I'm still dealing with this major contractor fraud and the fact that she put rodents all into my walls and ceiling . . . and they have scratched their way out. It's so bad that they are ALL OVER my bedroom every evening, even jumping on me.
Feb up
[pen] Looks like we're stuck with this year then...
[blamelewis] Hold on a mo... sun's out today! Politics is a bit too gripping for my liking though.
In Belgium we have a national government, only 234 days after the elections and only 1593 days till the next ones. What's gripping in Dutch politics?
Bit nippy out there. Have I missed much?
MCiOS
Anyone else having trouble reaching MCiOS?
It's back
Stand down, no one panic! NO ONE PANIC!!
Notice served
Hello. You've probably seen the note on the front page. After much contemplation and careful reading of the documentation, I have decided that remaining open for play after the UK's Online Safety Act kicks in is more trouble than it's worth. I would appreciate it if you could play out all the games by then - no new games can be started as these ones close. Those with unguessable winning moves, or are otherwise unwinnable, will be won with the standard move. Thanks for all the fun. I will refrain from any political commentary, other than a general comment that it rarely ends well when governments get interested in technology.
Thanks for all the fish
(Not that I wish to imply that I have the wisdom and intellect of a dolphin)

Thanks, rab, for building and maintaining this site for so long.
Seconded
😢
🙏
Thirded
Thanks, Rab, it's been a great place to be. I shall miss it.
Digital Pitchforks
Sincere thanks, Rab. I will miss this site.
A quarter century is a good run. I'm extremely grateful too. Shall we try... Discord or somewhere?
This has been a splendid place. It will be missed. Thank you Rab.
Noooooo
Aw darn. Has it been 25 years? Thanks so much rab for all the efforts. The place will indeed be missed.
All the twos
22 it is.
22
Still think of this as the new place! :)
I coulda swore
If Rab hadn't said 22 I would have pegged the site at 25. I started posting to OMC in '99 and could swear MC5 was "a thing" then. Another win for Mr Brain.
Shame
The law of unexpected consequences strikes again. It was nice while it lasted.
[rab] Thank you for all the years of fun.
Farewell
[rab] I've not been a great contributor to this site sticking mainly to MCiOS and before that Orange but have occasionally posted here. Regardless of that, it's a damned shame that you feel forced to shut the site due to the Act, and I am sorry to see that the site will close.
So, we'll just be left with MCiOS - let's hope we can avoid that having a similar fate.
Let me agree with Blob that this is not just a tragedy. It is a catastrophe.
Given that the last day of operation is the ides of March, Maybe we could try writing a Julius Caesar parody to bid it farewell?
Yon Online Safety Act has a lean and hungry look...
The online safety act may look like a nuisance, but it might do some good here. Many liberals have been arguing for years for better pun controls.
Will miss this.
[rab] Thanks so much for hosting this place! I will miss coming here to play games! I've not found any other places like this.
Grat attack
Thanks all for your kindness and understanding. I remind you that MCiOS will remain in orbit, so plenty of fun still to be had. At least, for now.
Well...
[rab] Mmm, I'm still considering that. I've been following certain analysts and commentators on the subject of the UK OSA for a while, and I've already made a few changes to help limit abuse potential, against the possibility of remaining online -- for example, IMG tags are now no longer supported, though ones posted in the past will still work. Yes, my exposure is less than yours, as A) it's not hosted in the UK, but that carries little weight: in practice, entire European governments are hosted largely in the US; and B) I am not a UK subject. Nevertheless it's not a simple matter and I'm still watching the issue closely before deciding which way to jump. I'll have more to say over there in due course as the picture develops, but I thought I ought to respond to you there.
Thanks Dan. I agree with your comments particularly around the lack of technical solutions for proactive automated moderation.
MCiOS
[rab] MCiOS? Google thinks I want MCIPS or Military Criminal Investigative Organizations.
MC in Outer Space
spam filter
[rab] Darn, I can't get past the Spam filter despite putting answers in the little field under the main one.
filter
Are you using a capital at the start? Just the surname.
[blamelewis] It's not case sensitive and uses a 'contains' test rather than an 'equals'. For example, if "Potato" were one of the accepted responses, "59g gmlXs!poTAtowiBBle88" would work just fine.
[Dan] good to know! But how did you know my password?? ;)
I've just read OfCom's allegedly helpful page for small site owners and I have to say I can't say I blame rab for his decision. Both onerous and vague at the same time.

That said, some friends of mine have been promising, re the OSA, that we'd see a huge wave of site closures off the back of it, and I have to say that not many so far have been publicised. Perhaps, like this one, they're going uncounted or unreported, but it is interesting that a lot of services have apparently decided to make a go of it.

Things like this remind me of other legislation that was meant to curtail exploitation or cavalier profiteering by "the big guys" but which do get applied to small voluntary efforts with chilling effects on certain activities. Examples from the past would be copyright, child performance licensing, minimum wage (especially when volunteer roles become overly regimented and start to fall into the scope of employment), disclosure and barring (not because it's a bad idea but because in practice large backlogs occur) and various bits of health and safety. This seems to be the latest example in that it's understandable why the legislation exists even when it has dumb effects in the wrong places. A lot of people have been harmed by the way social media are misused by some, and you have to have some sort of enforcement backstop to that when people can operate anonymously and therefore beyond the reach of enforcement against them as individuals. Conversely, the anon internet has had significant social benefits for people whose interests, personalities or way-of-seeing-the-world fall outside the mainstream, because we're less likely to make satisfactory social connections in our immediate geographic community. But do people like that need anonymity? Not always, but I can think of several scenarios where it helps, especially given that online bullying, and harrassment that crosses over into the real world, are among the real harms I mentioned above. Interesting times.
By instinct and long habit, I didn't mention that the potential bad actors against anonymous minority groups might also include governments. Having grown up in a country where the government tends to do more of its harms through mistakes than through intention, I guess I've always had a lot of faith that authorities would ultimately want to see fair treatment. That faith is beginning to be profoundly shaken.
[Bad Actors]
I think it is prudent to assume that at any given time, it is 100% certain that /some/ governments will always be members of the list of bad actors. That has to be taken into account at a fundamental design level.
Got it!
[blame lewis] It FINALLY let me post. I figured it was the same password as here.
In case life overtakes me and I don't get to post here again just to reiterate massive thanks and respect to rab for creating and maintaining this place. Having posted this I'll probably be back every day until the shutdown :)
[blame] Agreed! Thank you so much to rab for many years of Little Pleasures. (and footnote to above, given today's announcement of the abolition of NHS England I wonder how far behind OfCom might be...)
The End is Nigh
Oh goodness, it's galloping up, isn't it? Do please drop me an email, anyone who cares to: simon_smith&zen,co,uk, after making the necessary adjustments Huuuge thanks to rab; I'm gonna miss this place a lot
Taking this opportunity to say Goodbye to this site and express my shock, horror, amazement, astonishment, surprise, anger, sadness, thankfulness, and custard. And a merry Christmas to you all.
Special Years
It's been a blast. I've laughed and been impressed in equal measure. Thanks dear Rab x
Say It Ain't So
Tom, Tom, Lend me your grey mare
I wanna go back to Whitticome Fair
With Bill and Jan, Peter and Dan
Harry and Pete, on the moors we'll meet
All down along out along lee
All down along out along lee
For he's a jolly good fellow
rab, thank you for over 2 decades of selfless hospitality. We can never repay you <3
Thanks, rab, for keeping this playground open for us all, all these years. It has been a part of my life.
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