The platform for this forum is acting up. IT is working on it. The system keeps booting me off but with great difficulty I can publish entries and comments.
Hopefully the tech folks resolve this soon. It's been acting up like this since Friday.
UPDATE: As of Tuesday afternoon the system appears to be functioning normally again.
Naperville Sun Editors,
There are many off-the-shelf "forum" products available in the marketplace that come loaded with all kinds of much more sophisticated tools... both for the owners, moderators, and users. Could someone at the Naperville Sun please explain why this rather rudimentary form of a forum was selected and why it continues to be used when there are so many better choices out there? Can you share with us any plans to change or improve the forum. Real time posting would be a real positive first step.
Thanks for listening!
Thank God for Dave Sinker. He makes me laugh-out-loud. His commentaries almost make the National Enquirerization of the Naperville Sun palatable. Today's comments on having a bonus baby hit home for me. PLEASE keep 'em coming, Dave.
@10:31 PM Anonymous-
I've been trying to get Ted to switch over to real forum software since before this "blog" got popular. ;)
the plagiarism blog has not been updated in a couple of days. Can you post the entries that have been waiting? Thanks
Response:
There are no comments waiting to be published. It's likely many comments made during the past several days were not saved. Sorry.
One advantage to a "real" forum is the ability to limit each member to only one user name. That would eliminate all the anonymous postings, once one user picked that moniker, we would know who was posting, not trying to figure out which one it is every time.
RJ,
The anonymous posters are here to discuss the issues. They are not looking for monikers like you Joe, Ken and TB to give them rises.
Look at what happens to TB. Someone can write a chapter about an issue and mention TB once in passing. TB takes that one sentence in passing about him and writes a book each time defending his honor as if it was virgin white.
I think instead of limiting each user member to one user name, we need to limit each user to posting 3 to 4 times a week as I said a few months ago.
Do you have a clue how tired people are of hearing you, TB, Joe and Ken repeat the same nonsense over and over and over again? That is one reason I have chosen to blog much less...it is tiring dealing with you guys and your egos.
Look at your friend, Ken! He posts that an NPD officer starts at 52K. Everyone in the world knows they start at 59k+. He is going to verify wrong numbers with union heads...lol.. The Naperville Police Web site said he is wrong. That should be enough and he should accept that.
Can't he just say sorry folks I am wrong....I guess the union chief was playing with numbers. He can't even apologize he is wrong and attacks Diana as not credible, lying, fabricating and on and on. Diana shows so much class by posting and disappearing. Obviously, she knows the truth can't be defeated. She does not care about her real reputation being damaged because there are millions of Dianas in the world. Who knows which Diana she is? Many of us suspect it is Tollway Diana but she never said she was that Diana.
I think if you want to help, RJ, you can start discussing the issues Host Ted posts about. You are nowhere as bad as Ken, TB and the old Joe. The new Joe shows some hope by going to the Bailey Rd Shopping Center and encouraging others to go. He sounds like Mother Theresa. A half an hour later the old Joe comes on and say these retailers controlled their own destiny and have to fend for themselves and the city should not give them help. Joe giveth and as soon as he giveth he taketh. Mother Theresa never took back anything she gave away!
Why do you want to know which anonymous is posting? Who cares? No one cares but you guys because you are into your personalties and others personalites. This is not about personalities. It is about tackling our corrupt government that wastes taxpayer money. A government that applied for home rule so it would not be limited to only 5% tax increases. Who would have thought they could have gone to 4 times the limit on the latest tax increase? I almost ripped my real estate tax bill when I got it but my husband grabbed it from me in the nick of time. I was that OUTRAGED!
I never seen any of you 4 trying to help with the tax increase issue. It does not even concern you guys except for the new Joe who mentioned it once regarding pension. I was shocked to read it and actually read it 3 times before I believed it was our old buddy Joe. We like to see more of this kind of stuff from Joe and all you guys.
Don't you 4 guys get tired of fighting the world? Do you guys really think you 4 guys are right and the world is wrong? Look at how Council Man Bob earned the respect of the bloggers. He dose not tackle personalities. He tackles issues. A few days ago he was annoyed with the word Napergatian. Now he understands we have underlying issues that he called "legit" and is willing to talk to us. We respect him and I doubt any Napergatian is going to attack him for having different views.
He comes on as a MAN to help us tackle the issues. He is not about personal recognition, or getting highs, or playing games. He is a serious man who sees we are all genuinely concerned.
I am a Napergatian and I will also be voting for Council Man Bob whether I agree with him or not. He needs to be rewarded for coming out of the closet and discussing issues with us. He does care. He can be changed plus he can change us. He appears to be a very good council man and I regret voting for Doug Krause instead of him. Doug is a great talker around election time but between elections he does little to nothing.
I know the Napergate Man likes CM Doug Krause. But that does not mean that is enough for him to earn our respect. He has to act on the issues that concern us today as well as the issues that concerned the Napergate Man in the past. He just reminds me lately of a guy who goes through the motions as soon as elections are over. I suspect people notice that and that is why he keeps failing in his run for Mayor and State Representative. You can not just work the elections...you have to work between the elections and help the residential and business taxpayer.
The Napergate Man could have gotten frustrated endorsing all these candidates only to see them turn into RUBBER STAMPS! It is easy to be a RUBBER STAMP! It takes a lot to INQUIRE and SEEK answers! Thankfully CM BOB is providing a great example to the others who may hopefully join him one day.
If CM Krause is not going to step forward like Councilman Bob and talk to us, I see no use in him. Council members need to be communicators. CM Bob is here to test the waters and I urge everyone to treat him with the utmost repect. If we do, maybe the other council members will also come talk to us and take all the pressure off CM Bob.
It is not fair that one CM has to put all this pressure on his shoulders. But we all certainly appreciate all he has done for us and continues to do for us. Thank you Councilman Bob very much!!!
RJ,
Just a thought... if everyone was "anonymous" and no one was "RJ" or "blogger fan" or "Eli Hodapp" or anything else it would force everyone to actually read and comprehend what was written in each post without being prejudiced by seeing who wrote it before they read the post. Each post could be numbered sequentially from the start for a reference point if other posters felt a need to refer to other's comments.
May also cut down on a lot of the silly personal attacks and raise the quality of the conversations too!
Maryann, what did your typical cult attack post have to do with the subject posted?
I, too, would like to see a more user friendly, real time forum. I suspect that the bosses here are happy with this inexpensive one, so it will probably never change.
Maybe we could save 5400 dollar a week day or $70,200 dollars for the summer quarter. This is really a salary issue and not a gas savings issue. It is like one blogger said a "head fake" to throw the residents off.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Ken,
It sounds like you are a little bitter that the Naperville Sun wisely turned you down for the MODERATOR position. They would not even take you for NOTHING! Your chances for employment at the Naperville Sun would be not 0 but below 0 if you asked for compensation. Last time I check you have to have some reading comprehension skills to work at the Naperville Sun.
As far as Maryann, she did a great job responding to "By RJ on June 17, 2008 5:38 PM " with a very good argument. It was about "monikers" like yourself. She was not talking about MONKEYS which would have been off topic.
I think the point she was trying to make to some DENSE people that this Blog Site is about the issues that Host Ted raises and not the personalities and their egos. The blog site is not about giving rises to those who can not get them in real life.
I think she wrote the letter to RJ, but it was also meant for you, TB and Joe.
Joe is so selfish that he decided because he is in District 204, he does not want to help the Bailey Rd plaza since it is apparently in District 203.
Don't worry, Joe! If the plaza was not taxing you in the first place, any real estate tax rebates to the plaza would not affect you! Dah!
Take all your money with you to the grave, Joe! Latch it on to a belt around your body and hopefully it will end up in Heaven with you...or maybe it will end up somewhere else with you!
"I think if you want to help, RJ, you can start discussing the issues Host Ted posts about"
I'm game Maryann, but that would mean you and your ilk would have to do the same.
No more dragging Police OT, pensions and salary onto every thread having to do with the city. Jim tried, to no avail to stop the infestation, just about every topic turned into a vendetta against the NPD.
If you are going to demand individuals be limited to 3-4 posts per week, why stop there? Why not put a 100 word limit on each post. If someone can't make their point in 100 words, all they are doing is wasting bandwidth. People tend to skim over poorly written redundant pieces that drag on and on and never really making a point.
RJ,
Non one is dragging issues in.
It is all related.
If you talk about high taxes, they are related to "Police OT, pensions and salary" as you say.
Many threads have been about pensions and that relates back to those outrageous POLICE pensions.
High gasoline prices relates back to excess police driving.
Police OT contributes significantly to 20% tax increases.
School cops working downtown when not needed instead of relieving officers with massive OT just makes the situation worse on the taxpayers.
It is really all related RJ, and you are not going to get your buddies in the NPD off that easiy from their wasteful ways and bad habits..they are not exempt from watching the ALMIGHTY DOLLAR as we do.
Paying them such high starting salaries is the foundation that leads to all the other messes you described.
_________________________________________________________________
PS. TB came clean and admitted his brother is a fireman. We understand his bias, even though we don't accept it.
Now who of your relatives works for the NPD that you feel such strong passion that paying 20% increases in annual tax increases is no big deal. Could you, yourself be that Naperville Cop trying to protect your high salary, pension, benefits, and OT at taxpayer expense! It would be very logical due to your extreme PASSION on this subject! Some one who stands to lose so much would fight with the PASSION you are showing.
Most of the rest of us are motivated to reduce our tax bills. We don't want just the police to watch it but all city departments...including fire fighters who nobody hates for any reason. It is about taxes and not hatred for POLICE as you would like us to believe...your thoughts are figments of your sick imagination!
Some of you had better check your tax bills. The vast majority, well over 70%, is for schools. Notice how I didn't say "education". Education of high school students doesn't require a $100+ million building to take place. Only 11-12% of your taxes go for city services, so there is no way the city is causing a 20% increases in your tax bill.
Anonymous,
People are not stupid! When they say their city of Naperville real estate tax bill went up 20%, they are strictly talking about the city of Naperville. Not the entire REAL ESTATE TAX BILL!
On my tax bill city of Naperville was up 21.42%
School District 203 went up 3.78%. I find that acceptable!
The forest preserve of Dupage actually went DOWN 2.72%. Kudos to them!
The pension fund of Dupage actually went DOWN .0023%.
The Dupage Airport Authority was DOWN .0042%.
Lisle Township Pension Fund was DOWN 12.28%. Great Kudos to them!
Everyone of my categories except the City of Naperville was either down a little or up slightly.
Apparently the mansions being added throughout the town are bringing taxes down in all categories except in the City of Naperville. Only WASTE could explain the City of Naperville's unique predicament on our TAX BILLS!
This is an indication our City Council and City Manager are doing a terrible job managing our City Affairs.
Please look at your bill more closely anonymous...look at the line that says City of Naperville...you will see last year and this year.
Compute your percentage and you will shocked.
If everyone of the components of our real estate tax bills were as bad as Naperville, all of our homes would be in FORECLOSURE!
Thank God only Naperville is really screwed up for all the reasons mentioned on Ted's Threads in the last year and a half.
You must be a newcomer who is not up on your READING! If you follow Ted's Threads, you will be able to follow the MONEY TRAIL!
Norma, if the issue is not personalities, why do you and your fellow cult members keep bashing RJ, TB, Joe, and me? I am more than happy to debate the issue du jour, but that does not mean I am going to let keyboard rambos like you insult or intimidate me. I use my name so people know I am not afraid to take a stand on an issue, and know what that stand is. I don't hide behind an anonymouse nom de plume as those who are to afraid to go against the crowd do.
By the way, Norma, I am not bitter that my generous offer of help to Ted was turned down. I was really afraid that he would accept an offer made in jest, and then I would have to not only read the insane conspiracy posts on the topics I am interested in, but also on the many topics that do not interest me. I don't know how Ted keeps his sanity considering some of the drivel he has to read and 'approve' here. Kudos to him; I would need a big supply of rum to make it through each day reading some of the completely idiotic posts that appear here.
Ken,
Did you ever think since you are by far the number one poster on Ted's Threads and you simply repeat yourself day and night about this Napergate Cult and its numerous conspiratorial members, that Host Ted needs one bottle of 1.75 liter rum daily just to read your repetitious posts day after day.
Take a break and take it easy on the SUBMIT button on TED's THREADS!
They are not toy buttons!
We all don't want to know everyone of your single thoughts. Are you capable of keeping one thought to yourself, Ken? Just one time!
If Host Ted did not have to read your umpteen posts a day, he might have had time for a front page article exposing police and firemen runaway pensions.
Give the man a chance to breathe. How much RUM can he possibly consume in one day?
And who is to believe you did not really want the MODERATOR JOB!
I bet you drank 2 large bottles of rum mixed with 2 large bottles of vodka after Host Ted published your rejection publicly.
Next time when you apply for a job do it in person and privately. That way the whole world won't know you got rejected. How embarrassing to be rejected publicly? Maybe it gave you a rise since you are a UNIQUE CHARACTER. You seem like the type of guy would would rather be publicly flogged with 100 bamboo lashes than spend a week in jail.
And you call others Keyboard Rambos for using their first or last names. I happen to be using my last name. You are using a very common first name...are you saying you are not a Keyboard Rambo.
Maybe you should use your real first and last name so you can isolate yourself from all these Keyboard Rambos. I noticed many retailers in that Maplebrook Plaza on Bailey Road used their full real names. Are they also Keyboard Rambos because they disagree with you? Are they up to some conspiracy because they would like some greatly needed and well deserved compensation?
Anyway, thanks Host Ted for not hiring him!
He would have deleted all letters except for Joe's, TB's, RJ's and his. It would have been a 4 MAN CIRCUS SHOW with so much praise for one another that it would have created HYSTERICAL LAUGHTER!!!
Response from Ted:
I only drink beer and tequila.
Actually, Beilen, I have kept many thoughts to myself. You should try it, as many of your thoughts fit the post profile I mentioned.
You seem to have missed the point on the keyboard rambos. They don't use any name as they are afraid to have anyone identify their thoughts and tie them back to them. I use my real first name but not my last because I have seen what cult members do to those who disagree with them. I don't fit the keyboard rambo personality because I have offered many times to meet in person with people who have called me a liar and prove them wrong. That offer is extended to you too. Looking forward to meeting you. How much is that bet on my alcohol consumption?
I rarely post to get a rise as I am often accused of here. I will freely admit that the post offering my services for moderator was done for that purpose. As I said in that post, I knew since I was not an employee of the Sun, the offer would be turned down, but it was quite amusing to see the predictable reactions of the cult members. By the way, Beilen, I am not the one calling for banning of posters like the cult. I would have the ability to moderate fairly, unlike you and your fellow cult members.
Ted, I don't do tequila, but would be glad to meet you for a beer some night. Maybe you could have a live blogger's meet at Jimmy's some night, and we can all get to know each other.