test

[Zeke]

test

[e of pi]

Wow! Birthdays indicator and a rollover of the first post and last post in a thread! Coool!

[Zeke]

Sorry, but I've removed the rollovers ("tooltips," actually). They were making the forum load much, much slower. All I really wanted from that mod was the extra field for topic description, which is of historical significance here. Ask someone who remembers Topic Title.

[e of pi]

Umm, Zeke? What was Topic Title? There. I have. Could someone answer?

[Zeke]

The reason I said to ask someone else is that I'm busy installing mods. Fine, I'll be more specific: Ask Sa'ar.

[e of pi]

Is he on?

[e of pi]

Is he on? Thus I ask you.

[KillerGodMan]

*raises hand* me too?

is it similar to one-by-one story?

[PointyHairedJedi]

Pull up a pew, young 'uns, and let Ole' Pappy Jedi tell you about a crazy time that we'll never see the like of again.

Once upon a time, way back when, a crazy young fella by the name of SimonBob (who is still to be found lurking on LiveJournal to this day, I might add) decided it would be fun to post a what might be termed a meta-thread which obeyed all the forms of a post but had no actual content other than a description of itself. Putting it like that doesn't make a whole lot of sense, so let me show you something along the lines of what he posted:

Topic Title

Post content.

Signature.


It quickly degnerated into posters into merely talking in the third person, but still it proved incredibly popular. It ran, and ran, and more than a hundred pages later Zeke finally stepped in after the thread started causing the board to creak (as it showed no sign of slowing down on its own). Shortly after came the boards' first accidental wiping, and though the body of Topic Title was lost to the ages, the legend still lives on.

It should be noticed that apart from a short memorial thread, no repeat of Topic Title has since been permitted - much like TrekBBS' Longest Thread Ever, it was one of those things that you had to be there for, and any attempt to recreate it would just seem like so much cheap spam.

[PointyHairedJedi]

Oh, and I must say I like the new features Zeke, especially the long awaited return of user titles. For some reason though, when I look at the preview box doodad on the new posts screen I get this big grey expanse appearing on the left of the screen (using Opera, FYI).

EDIT: Do'h, having read the thread more carefully, I'm guessing that those aren't actually supposed to be there any more.

[Sa'ar Chasm]

Fine, I'll be more specific: Ask Sa'ar.

Hah? Who? What?

What Pointy said. Topic Title is before my time, actually. I didn't feel up to reading 83 pages of backtopic after I first joined the fora. I think I posted once or twice towards the end, coining the term "accordionisation" in the process.

[Scooter]

What was Topic Title?
The short version: Topic Title was a thread on an earlier version of the 5M board the consisted not on posts, but descriptions of posts. Example:

"Sarcastic comment about Enterprise continuity."

"Heated defense of Enterprise continuity, with snide comment concerning previous poster's unfortunate choice of footwear."

"Random invocation of Top Hat Man."

aaaand so on, forever.

[PointyHairedJedi]

I like to think that, in some dark alternate reality, Topic Title (suitably adorned with a goatee) is still going strong, and has in fact by this time consumed the rest of the Internet; eventually attaining sentience, the final epic struggle between its' content-free spamminess and the hyper-indexed order of Google will devastate the Earth and reduce what remains of humanity to living in caves who will, in ages to come, tell each other tales of two great and terrible gods waging eternal war across the very heavens themselves. Many further eons forward again, and man will have spread across those very heavens, and still the legend of Topic Title will be told, in some highly distorted but nonetheless recognisable form; they will long ago have stopped believing that it could have ever been true, of course, for what kind of strange and mythical place could have given birth to such a fantastical creation, and what manner of godly beings could have concieved of it?

What? It could happen. ;)

[Gatac]

Expression of disbelief.

Gatac

[danieldoof]

whoah that must have been fun

mhmhmh....maybe I should google it...I could find a cached version of it somewhere huh?

[PointyHairedJedi]

I doubt it - it's been about three/four years (my memory is fuzzy as to exactly how long). The Wayback Machine doesn't cover much, as you can see (http://web.archive.org/web/*/http://3sygma.com/fiveminute/forums).

Expression of disbelief.
:P

[Celeste]

Ahh... memories.

[danieldoof]

I doubt it - it's been about three/four years (my memory is fuzzy as to exactly how long). The Wayback Machine doesn't cover much, as you can see (http://web.archive.org/web/*/http://3sygma.com/fiveminute/forums).


its a shame that nobody rescued it :wink:

[PointyHairedJedi]

Going off on a wild tangent here (gosh!), I have the perfect compliment to your sig, Celeste.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v136/PointyHairedJedi/killkitten.jpg

The symmetry is just perfect. :D

EDIT:
its a shame that nobody rescued it :wink:
Like I said, soon after it was locked, the board data was accidentally wiped (Owen was moving hardware or something). Everything up to that point was irretrieveably gone, unfortunately, though I seem to recall at the time one or two of us thought perhaps it was a conspiracy... :wink:

[Celeste]

Doggies need their teeth cleaned too! :D

[e of pi]

I say restart it. All in favor?

[Zeke]

No! It had its day, and now that day is done. We don't want to make a Galactica 1980 here.

OR DO WE?

By the way, the reason I brought it up in connection with topic descriptions is that its title was Topic Title and its description was Topic Description. When I closed the original thread and started the 50-post commemoratory thread, I called it Funeral For a Topic Title, with the description -- of course -- Funeral For a Topic Description.

[e of pi]

Formal, yet lighthearted, protest against oppresive forum leaders.

[Gatac]

Cautious vote of support, with an eye toward plausible deniability in the future.

Gatac

[PointyHairedJedi]

No! It had its day, and now that day is done. We don't want to make a Galactica 1980 here.

OR DO WE?
No. No, we really don't.

[e of pi]

Carefully oriented personal plea of support.

[KillerGodMan]

agreement

[Scooter]

agreement
expression of growing dismay

[Sa'ar Chasm]

I knew this was going to happen.

I mean, uh, smug unverifiable statement indicating preknowledge.

[Alexia]

Expression of disagreement.

I wasn't involved in the first one, but it was mentioned a LOT back in my early posting days. And I mean a LOT. Seriously, did you guys not have any better topics to discus :wink:

Seriously though, it seemed like it was a lot of fun, but what's done is done. Start a new fun thread. Then, in years to come, some other n00b will be talking about it :mrgreen:

[PointyHairedJedi]

Hopefully this time without the two intervening board crashes. :wink:

[whoiam]

Stop tempting fate

[PointyHairedJedi]

MWAHAHAHAHAH! Try and stop me! :twisted:

*Tempts fate*


*Tempts fate some more*


*Gets hit by a piano falling out of the sky*


I'm not sure what hurts more - the piano crushing my body, or the horrible cliché. Hah, at least it wasn't something really stupid, like an anvil.


*An anvil falls too*


...I probably deserved that.

[whoiam]

You did. Trust me on this one.

[Andy Taylor]

Aah, good old days! :D

Topic Title was sooooooooo evil. Wasn't it where everyone boosted their post count to the point where we discovered we could change our user titles ourselves? I think that's what caused the last apocalypse.

[PointyHairedJedi]

Holy cow! I haven't seen you around in an age, it seems like.

[danieldoof]

yeah I bet the member titles get everyone out of his hole in the ground huh? :wink:

[Anonymous]

double holy cow! You're in Leek, AT? That's practically right next door to me!

[PointyHairedJedi]

Do'oh, that was me. Stupid shift key, stop sticking!

[Andy Taylor]

Ah, I did wonder if you were nearby. Should I be worried? :shock:

It was site policy once for everyone to be from Canada, so I guess this is our revenge?

[whoiam]

No... our revenge is when we lure Zeke to move to England by offering him a controlling stake in a pie factory on the condition that he gains british citizenship :twisted:

[e of pi]

Indication of agreement.

[Sa'ar Chasm]

You're in Leek, AT?

According to his flag, he's in Antigua (or possibly Barbuda).

See, this is why nobody ever wants to play Trivial Pursuit with me.

[Opium]

Fine, I'll be more specific: Ask Sa'ar.

Hah? Who? What?

What Pointy said. Topic Title is before my time, actually. I didn't feel up to reading 83 pages of backtopic after I first joined the fora. I think I posted once or twice towards the end, coining the term "accordionisation" in the process.

Topic Title was a little before my time too (I think I came just right during or after its death) Now we have plenty of fun threads that have, in a sense, taken the place of Topic Title, but it's fun to goad people on to asking for it back :twisted:

Expression of disagreement.

I wasn't involved in the first one, but it was mentioned a LOT back in my early posting days. And I mean a LOT. Seriously, did you guys not have any better topics to discus

Seriously though, it seemed like it was a lot of fun, but what's done is done. Start a new fun thread. Then, in years to come, some other n00b will be talking about it

The problem is, we have fun threads. But the legend of Topic Title lives on, because it's dead. Like Elvis.

The question is: would bring back Topic Title be like bringing back Elvis, or would it be like bringing back a bunch of cheesy Vegas Elvis impersonators?

[Sa'ar Chasm]

The question is: would bring back Topic Title be like bringing back Elvis, or would it be like bringing back a bunch of cheesy Vegas Elvis impersonators?

Zombie Elvis has potential.

Hunka hunka burnin' braaaaaaiiiiiiiins.

[PointyHairedJedi]

Ah, I did wonder if you were nearby. Should I be worried? :shock:
No no, of course not. It might perhaps be prudent to invest in a nuclear fallout shelter though. Y'know, just in case anything should happen.

[Andy Taylor]

Eep.

And bringing back Topic Title would be like a Take That reunion. Exciting at first because of all the nostalgia, then you remember why you haven't missed it in the time it's been gone. :twisted:

[Chancellor Valium]

;)


I do, however, have a plan to retrieve the topic. It is said that the internet is stored in it's entirety somewhere secret. So...It then makes sense that that person has a copy of everything on the internet. So...All that needs to be done is to find the guy who pushes the bunny, a-- I mean, button and hey pressfrom, Bobs your auntie. And if that doesn't work, we can always go annoy the Prophets ;)

Alternatively, we can track down everyone who posted in it, and force them to recreate every post posted, under hypnosis. Difficult, nigh on impossible in fact, but hey, trying to do it could be fun...

edith: Going through geocaching.com, guess how many finds there were to do with username: Zeke?

[Celeste]

Oh my god. Andy Taylor. Welcome back, dude! :D

[PointyHairedJedi]

If SimonBob or MPQ turns up now I'm going to have a heart-attack, I swear.

[e of pi]

Booo! :)

[PointyHairedJedi]

Ah-ha, nice try, but they had less cybernetic implants than you do.

[e of pi]

Implants? What implants? (Arm prothetic falls off) *shifty eyes*

Excuse me for a second.

[PointyHairedJedi]

Sheesh, I thought all Borg drones kept a roll of duct tape on them at all times? It's what makes them phaser resistant, you know. Yes siree. Invisible Borg duct tape.

[e of pi]

We do. But it takes a second to use it.

[PointyHairedJedi]

Youd think that, given that the Borg have assimilated both velcro and duct-tape, they'd have conquered at least the galaxy by now. :P

[e of pi]

We have. Just not in your pathetic little timeline.

[PointyHairedJedi]

Not if me and my TARDIS have something to say about it.

[e of pi]

Oh yeah? Not if you're DEAD!

*raises arm with built-in disruptor*

[PointyHairedJedi]

...In reflection, I didn't think that through nearly as thoroughly as I perhaps should have. Therefore, in the name of prudence, I think I should run awaaaaay!

*Scarpers*

[e of pi]

*opens fire*

Eat phased energy!

[Sa'ar Chasm]

*raises arm with built-in disruptor*

That's a gumball machine!

[e of pi]

Huh?

[Sa'ar Chasm]

Sorry, wrong online community. Carry on.

[PointyHairedJedi]

After a while, you just learn not to ask.

*Continues running*

[Chancellor Valium]

*opens fire*

Eat phased energy!

re-materialises e of pi on board the starship "Zero Wing Carrier"

How Are You, Gentleborg?

[Andy Taylor]

OMG, Celeste - hiya love! *waves profusely* 8)

[mudshark]

*gives Andy a wave*

:D

Hey, long time, no see. Thought you were in Wales?

[Zeke]

You're thinking of Jonah.

[PointyHairedJedi]

Bad Zeke! Bad! :x

[Andy Taylor]

:lol:

I was, then I wasn't. (Then was, wasn't, was, and wasn't for the final time.)

Loooooooong story. It's been a little rough. :D

[Scooter]

You're thinking of Jonah.
grooooan


:D

[Chancellor Valium]

You're thinking of Jonah.
grooooan


:D

Is that even worth a groan? It hurts my eyes.

[PointyHairedJedi]

You can still see? My entire occipital lobe is now a runny grey mush leaking out through my ears, and my cerebral cortex isn't far behind.

[Celeste]

Clean up in asile five.

[NeoMatrix]

Man, why is it always aisle 5? I am tired of cleaning up that aisle

[Chancellor Valium]

Man, why is it always aisle 5? I am tired of cleaning up that aisle

Aisle Four is for marriages, and aisle 6 is where Zuke is hiding, but we're not supposed to know that...

[PointyHairedJedi]

But there's like a huge assed sign that says "Kitchen & Cleaning Products; Zuke's Evil Lair". Did no-one think to point out to him that that might be a slight giveaway?

[e of pi]

To be honest, we think the fumes from the cleaning products has something to do with it.

[whoiam]

Man, why is it always aisle 5? I am tired of cleaning up that aisle

Aisle Four is for marriages, and aisle 6 is where Zuke is hiding, but we're not supposed to know that...
from Magical Trevor 2: "Look at the mess... in Aisle 2... Aisle 2, where we saw the Ragu... so much Ragu!"

[Sa'ar Chasm]

To be honest, we think the fumes from the cleaning products has something to do with it.

Let me tell you about fumes...

Nothing clears a chem lab faster than saying "You guys might want to stand over there" while choking.

[PointyHairedJedi]

Saying "Can anyone smell almonds, or is it just me?" would also do the trick.

[Chancellor Valium]

But there's like a huge assed sign that says "Kitchen & Cleaning Products; Zuke's Evil Lair". Did no-one think to point out to him that that might be a slight giveaway?

Yeah, but who ever reads those signs?

[mudshark]

Exactly.

No one.

[e of pi]

I do.

[Chancellor Valium]

I do.

Yes, but you're a confused Borg Drone. You probably also watch daytime TV :P

[NeoMatrix]

Caution sign seen on every Borg Ship:

Assimulating Daytime Soap Opera Actors may cause malfunctions. Assimulate at your own risk.

[Chancellor Valium]

One well-known symptom is misspelling "assimilate" :P

[e of pi]

Heh. And actually, I don't.