Here's something fun to ponder

[littlebeast13]

More partly, it was being overwhelmed by the chatter. I didn't like the signal-to-noise ratio, having a somewhat different opinion about gratuitous posts, at the time. And I only had dial-up at home.

And to think, that ratio was much higher back in those days. And your delurking coincided with the rise of the Verbose Class, which was the start of the spiral of that ratio downward....

lb13

[MarleysGh0st]

And to think, that ratio was much higher back in those days. And your delurking coincided with the rise of the Verbose Class, which was the start of the spiral of that ratio downward....

There may have been more on-topic posts, but a lot more off-topic ones, too. Isn't that when Sprots racked up her 15.7 billion post lead on me?

[earendel]

(And what's even weirder is Marley signed up with ABC for something else, and didn't come to the Bored until months later).

Not quite, oh Bored Historian. I registered this handle for the Bored (sometime around May 2000, IIRC) but then I lurked for months before my first post in December, after playing my one and only Round 2 phone game. But the registration wasn't for anything else!

Well, I'm sure there's a good reason you had to register to lurk, but I can't think of what that would be.....

So, would you have ever come out to play if you hadn't gotten that R2? Inquiring _TPTB_'s want to know.....

lb13

I don't think it was necessary to register to read posts back in the day - I recall reading posts in February 2000 (after my first R2 callback). I actually thought that I had registered and posted then, but according to the sacred texts, my registration was in May.

[littlebeast13]

And to think, that ratio was much higher back in those days. And your delurking coincided with the rise of the Verbose Class, which was the start of the spiral of that ratio downward....

There may have been more on-topic posts, but a lot more off-topic ones, too. Isn't that when Sprots racked up her 15.7 billion post lead on me?

What I said was the ratio of on topic to off topic was much higher in 2000 than it was now. I would doubt the ratio was ever higher than 1:1, but it was higher. And as I said, rigth around the time you did delurk was when that ratio really began to go in the toilet....

And Sprots built up her lead in 2002-04. You picked the wrong time to peak, because even PSM's rate on this Bored is chump change compared to some of the Love Boat posting rates.....

lb13

[littlebeast13]

Not quite, oh Bored Historian. I registered this handle for the Bored (sometime around May 2000, IIRC) but then I lurked for months before my first post in December, after playing my one and only Round 2 phone game. But the registration wasn't for anything else!

Well, I'm sure there's a good reason you had to register to lurk, but I can't think of what that would be.....

So, would you have ever come out to play if you hadn't gotten that R2? Inquiring _TPTB_'s want to know.....

lb13

I don't think it was necessary to register to read posts back in the day - I recall reading posts in February 2000 (after my first R2 callback). I actually thought that I had registered and posted then, but according to the sacred texts, my registration was in May.

It wasn't necessary. I never logged on until I posted my first message.

lb13

[Here's Fanny!]

So, would you have ever come out to play if you hadn't gotten that R2? Inquiring _TPTB_'s want to know.....

lb13

The more things change, the more they stay the same. Back then, people showed up after finding out about the phone game or posted after making the call or getting the R2. The last couple years they show up after getting an audition and post after they have the audition or get a card.

I personally showed up only because I was looking for an R2 answer (I think it was answered by reading a post, I don't even remember the question now). By that I don't mean an answer to an R2 answer, but about R2 itself.

I was a little leery of message boards and chat rooms because, as I recall, my only previous attempt at communication with strangers on the internet was when I was searching for Thomas Kinkade jigsaw puzzles and somehow ended up in a lesbian chat room. I found out what PMs were real quick, I had about 20 pop up windows within 30 seconds of hitting the room. About 2 seconds after that, I ascertained the purpose of the room. Ha!

You know, I think I remember the question I had now! I had only played two R1s and gotten the callback both times so I just assumed that if you got all the questions right, you got a callback. Then I played a third time and didn't get a callback, so I was searching to find out if it was common not to get one.

I also didn't realize you could keep playing after getting the callback, so I had only played the phone game three times during the first two weeks of game dates. The first time I called I had no idea what was going on, so I didn't even have anything to write on. I think I still made it to Q3 before totally blowing it. Ha!

[littlebeast13]

You know, I think I remember the question I had now! I had only played two R1s and gotten the callback both times so I just assumed that if you got all the questions right, you got a callback. Then I played a third time and didn't get a callback, so I was searching to find out if it was common not to get one.

Sure, run salt in some old wounds....

I think I need to bring back another of my old friends, one who the Morlocks actually used to bug the Lifeboat..... BRB....

lb13

[Ofer37]

You know, I think I remember the question I had now! I had only played two R1s and gotten the callback both times so I just assumed that if you got all the questions right, you got a callback. Then I played a third time and didn't get a callback, so I was searching to find out if it was common not to get one.

It's not common lady, believe me! My record speaks for itself....

And just ask my good friend KT....

[Here's Fanny!]

You know, I think I remember the question I had now! I had only played two R1s and gotten the callback both times so I just assumed that if you got all the questions right, you got a callback. Then I played a third time and didn't get a callback, so I was searching to find out if it was common not to get one.

Sure, run salt in some old wounds....

I think I need to bring back another of my old friends, one who the Morlocks actually used to bug the Lifeboat..... BRB....

lb13

Aw damn, I didn't even think that it mattered anymore. Don't anybody let Marley see that! Would it help to know that I got 5 right on one of them and didn't get called (I got 4 on the other one).

I didn't even understand at the time just how lucky I was. The next 9 months or so of no callbacks made me realize it. Besides, if I had played every night of those first few rounds with no callbacks, I probably would have lost interest and stopped playing and never would have looked for info and never found the go board. (Although I'm sure some think that would be a good thing, ha!)

[littlebeast13]

Aw damn, I didn't even think that it mattered anymore. Don't anybody let Marley see that! Would it help to know that I got 5 right on one of them and didn't get called (I got 4 on the other one).

I'm not bitter or anything. It didn't really start bothering me until a bunch of the longtime Ofers started getting callbacks towards the end of the phone game and I still sat R2-less....

And that's one thing Marley can't grumble about since he did get his shot at it.....

lb13

[MarleysGh0st]

Aw damn, I didn't even think that it mattered anymore. Don't anybody let Marley see that!

Too late.

Would it help to know that I got 5 right on one of them and didn't get called (I got 4 on the other one).

I got all five right, too. That was a damn long evening, waiting for the phone call that never came...

[MarleysGh0st]

I'm not bitter or anything. It didn't really start bothering me until a bunch of the longtime Ofers started getting callbacks towards the end of the phone game and I still sat R2-less....

And that's one thing Marley can't grumble about since he did get his shot at it.....

Excuse me? How did you get your all-expense-paid trip to Seat #9, then?

[Here's Fanny!]

Aw damn, I didn't even think that it mattered anymore. Don't anybody let Marley see that! Would it help to know that I got 5 right on one of them and didn't get called (I got 4 on the other one).

I'm not bitter or anything. It didn't really start bothering me until a bunch of the longtime Ofers started getting callbacks towards the end of the phone game and I still sat R2-less....

And that's one thing Marley can't grumble about since he did get his shot at it.....

lb13

Since you're not bitter and Marley can't grumble, my next 2 callbacks were on consecutive days (by that time, I'd found out that you could still keep playing even after you'd received a callback, it just couldn't be for the same date). I was basically playing for funsies because what are the freaking odds? The second time they called, I thought they were just confirming the first one.

[Here's Fanny!]

I'm not bitter or anything. It didn't really start bothering me until a bunch of the longtime Ofers started getting callbacks towards the end of the phone game and I still sat R2-less....

And that's one thing Marley can't grumble about since he did get his shot at it.....

Excuse me? How did you get your all-expense-paid trip to Seat #9, then?

His sparkling audition personality and winning smile?

[littlebeast13]

I'm not bitter or anything. It didn't really start bothering me until a bunch of the longtime Ofers started getting callbacks towards the end of the phone game and I still sat R2-less....

And that's one thing Marley can't grumble about since he did get his shot at it.....

Excuse me? How did you get your all-expense-paid trip to Seat #9, then?

Not via an R2, that's for sure!

That was all I ever wanted out of the phone game.... one friggin' R2!

lb13

[gsabc]

Aw damn, I didn't even think that it mattered anymore. Don't anybody let Marley see that! Would it help to know that I got 5 right on one of them and didn't get called (I got 4 on the other one).

I'm not bitter or anything. It didn't really start bothering me until a bunch of the longtime Ofers started getting callbacks towards the end of the phone game and I still sat R2-less....

And that's one thing Marley can't grumble about since he did get his shot at it.....

lb13

How many of us Ofers are still around? Me, KT, lb, the Big Kahuna (infrequently) ... who else?

Should I drag out some of my callback songs?

[littlebeast13]

I'm not bitter or anything. It didn't really start bothering me until a bunch of the longtime Ofers started getting callbacks towards the end of the phone game and I still sat R2-less....

And that's one thing Marley can't grumble about since he did get his shot at it.....

Excuse me? How did you get your all-expense-paid trip to Seat #9, then?

His sparkling audition personality and winning smile?

I wasn't sparkling or smiling. I did that audition after working all night and going about 20 hours without sleep.....

They picked me anyway..... it was good to be only 25 years old.....

lb13

[Wierd Al Yankovic]

Should I drag out some of my callback songs?

You bring yours.... I'll bring mine!



Hello Happy Fred my friend
I got to talk to you again
I got three questions that were easy
They said they'd call me between noon and three
And my visions of being in the Hot Seat was
Killed because
I got the sound of silence

Restless emotions are in store
When I go on this three hour tour
'Neath the buzz of the fluorescent light
I try to work, but I'm just too uptight
When my ears were stabbed by my cell phone ringing fierce
Just Lovie Pierce
Teasing my sound of silence

And I turned on the message Bored
And everyone's affections poured
Newbies getting called came by steady
Folks who had five Round 2's already
People dancing happily, while I just sit and stare
Oh how they dared
Disturb my sound of silence

"Fools," said I, "do you not know
How long I've tried out for this show
One hundred times I have been OTC
One hundred times I emerged unhappy"
KT told me, I was now in the Emerald Club
Aye, the rub
From the months of silence

So I got down and bowed and prayed
To the phone game god I made
I got my paper and I played again
Zipped through the questions easily, and then
Happy Fred said, "I must be available tomorrow from noon to three"
'nother OTC
To bring me the sounds of silence

Flashback Friday - 2/20/04

[gsabc]

Should I drag out some of my callback songs?

You bring yours.... I'll bring mine!

Fair enough!

(To the tune of "But Not For Me" by the Gershwins, from "Girl Crazy")

It’s calls for everyone, but not for me.
I’ve gotten through Round One. Called back? Not me.
I sit here every day when ABC could say
“You’re in Round Two today!” I’d shout with glee.

The phones ring all around, but no, not mine.
I jump each time I hear them. Still not mine.
The time it ticks on down, I’m wearing such a frown,
Those calls are not for me.

Why do I do this to myself, I say?
Watch Lady Luck smile on another’s day?
It’s gotten frustrating to read happy postings
From someone else’s singular foray.

It started out so well, but now no call.
It’s three o’clock, I’m gonna smack the wall.
Again I’ve wasted time. Unhappy camper, I’m.
Once more no calls for me.

posted October 26, 2000

[tlynn78]

I'm an O'fer, as well. I can't remember how many round one's I got through, although I know I passed 80. I remember the first time I got all five right on round 1, I fully expected to get a call inviting me to the show. Ah, the freshness of ignorance.

Don't get those two in a room together. Havoc will ensue

We've already been in a room together, and I don't remember any havocness. And that's all I'm saying...

No shoe will be safe.....

Well, that's true enough.

Quick, somebody, save the limes!!!

Hey! The lines are safe as long as there is no tequila.

t.

[Wierd Al Yankovic]

Close the office door, turn on the Motorola
Pour myself a cup of Fukola
And sweat and pace as nervous as can be
Watch the second hand and the blood starts pumpin'
Waiting for the ring that starts me jumpin'
That's folks like me on the clock from noon to three

Waitin' Noon to 3, what a way to spend a lunchtime
Barely gettin' by, when it's coming down to crunch time
Fred just used by mind, and he never gave me credit
It's enough to drive you crazy if you let it

Noon to 3, Just a small drop in the ocean
You would think that I deserve the Round 2 promotion
Want to move ahead, but Davies won't seem to let me
I swear sometimes that man is out to get me!

Fred lets you dream just to watch it shatter
You're just a step on Lloyd Braun's ladder
But you got hopes he'll never take away
You're in the same boat with a lotta BB's
Hopin' for the day your call'll come please
And the silence will end and you'll get your chance to play

Waitin' Noon to 3, what a way to spend a lunchtime
Barely gettin' by, when it's coming down to crunch time
Fred just used by mind, and he never gave me credit
It's enough to drive you crazy if you let it

Noon to 3, Just a small drop in the ocean
You would think that I deserve the Round 2 promotion
Want to move ahead, but Davies won't seem to let me
I swear sometimes that man is out to get me!

Flashback Friday - 3/19/04

[Wierd Al Yankovic]

Of course, you had to get past Round 1 first....


Maybe I could cry all night
But that ain't getting me nowhere
I studied everything I possibly could
I thought that I knew everything

I play the phone game every night
And that'll never change as long as it's here
The adrenaline is piling up inside
As Fred goes through his normal spiel

I wrote them down and I worked them out
I tried to show them just how much I know
I got the first two right without a doubt
But then my fingers just went wrong
And I pushed button five instead of four
Now all I can do is rue the chance I blew

I knew one (I knew one)
I knew two (I knew two)
But on question three my fingers went askew
Now I'm so sad (I'm so sad)
Cause two out of three's too bad
Now I'm so mad (I'm so mad)
Cause two out of three's too bad

I knew that Spokane was north of Pebble Beach
I knew "Lorenzo's Oil" came after "Wall Street"
And then I heard her say most recent, but my mind hit the rocks
Because I put the Coupe de Ville as being introduced before the Cracker Jack box

I can't win (I can't win), I can't ever get that last question right
No matter how I try
I've never been able, to get a callback
Cause I just never get the shot

There's only one round one that I ever passed
And that was so many months ago
And I was so excited, but they just broke my heart
They never called me back, ooh I know

Well I remember when I called in on a stormy night
And they tossed me a bunch of softball Q's
And though I pleaded and I begged the power not to go out
It went dark before I chose my tape date
And it keeps on killing me
It keeps on killing me
It just keeps on killing me

I knew one (I knew one)
I knew two (I knew two)
But on question three I didn't have a clue
Now I'm so sad (I'm so sad)
Cause two out of three's too bad

I knew one (I knew one)
I knew two (I knew two)
But on question three I got Marble Mouth's doodoo
Now I'm so sad (I'm so sad)
Cause two out of three's too bad

Maybe I could cry all night
But that ain't getting me nowhere

The original Flashback Friday - 9/19/03

[MarleysGh0st]

I'm an O'fer, as well.

Well, technically, perhaps, but I'd think you'd have to turn in your membership card once you sit in the Hot Seat.

[Wierd Al Yankovic]

But alas.....



You remember those ninety-five Round 1 tries
When you called our old hotline here at Millionaire
It was still October and the whole Bored was quite surprised
To find out we were going on an audition tear

You were posting with the boys right here
When KT told you that the end was near
He said, "Oh no! The party is over, for shame!"
Well we did not think you guys would be so flamed
But we're never going back to the old phone game

Diversity crawling up to our door
Soon we're gonna have our crew down in New Orleans
We can't stand it, selecting like we did before
All those lawyers and teachers made for boring scenes

Well you just can't seem to let it go
We're closing our phone bank in Mexico
You said oh no, our players will get worse you claim
But we just think that those MAWGs are much too lame
So we're never going back to the old phone game

California tumbles into the sea
That'll be the day we go back to the phone game
Tried to warn you there's no use emailing me
But still you sent me all your <grumble>®'s, just the same

Well you'll thank us one day and you'll confess
That you shoulda listened to SSS
He said, "Oh no, the phone game won't give you your fame"
And though prime time BAM got canned, we're not to blame
Cause we're never bringing back the old phone game

Flashback Friday - 12/12/03

[MarleysGh0st]

And though prime time BAM got canned, we're not to blame
Cause we're never bringing back the old phone game

<grumble>®