To register or not for the Monitor
It's not often that the Monitor adopts a serious, "and what time do you call this, young man?" face, but this is just a note to highlight one important change in Monitor housekeeping; and one equally important retention of the status quo.
Thanks to an upgrade of the software behind the Monitor, readers submitting comments using the COMMENTS button underneath entries (scroll down to the bottom of this one, and you'll see an example) must now register with the ´óÏó´«Ã½ before doing so.
But, and this is an important but... anyone writing a letter using the form at the top, right of this page, does NOT have to register. In other words, contributors to the Your Letters page just carry on as you were.
Why the need for registration for comments? Here's the spiel. You can register by clicking on the COMMENTS button at the bottom of this entry. Go on, give it a go. It doesn't bite. Why not leave a message just to let the Monitor feel loved.
There, that wasn't so bad.
Comment number 1.
At 17th Apr 2008, Candace9839 wrote:Right! That wasn't too bad. Registered and ready to post. Life without the Monitor each day? Perish the thought!
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Comment number 2.
At 17th Apr 2008, DisgustedOfMitcham2 wrote:Monitor, you know we love you! But happy to remind you if you're having an insecure moment.
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Comment number 3.
At 17th Apr 2008, PhilWal0 wrote:Re: the create-an-account process. I noticed the sentence "Once you have told us your date of birth, you will need to email us if you want to change it." How is this possible? Has the Monitor discovered the fountain of eternal youth?
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Comment number 4.
At 17th Apr 2008, DustinThyme wrote:Does anyone really want the Caption Comp back ?!
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Comment number 5.
At 17th Apr 2008, maidenengland wrote:We all love you, Monitor, but do not know if you are a boy-monitor, a girl-monitor or a team of monitors. (I assume you are not monitor lizards, but could be wrong...)
I think we should have a collective noun for a group of monitors. Gaggle? Herd? Flock?
Cheers,
Carol from Portugal
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Comment number 6.
At 17th Apr 2008, PhilWal0 wrote:DustinThyme: Yes. Yes, I do.
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Comment number 7.
At 17th Apr 2008, nowaytheyareallgone wrote:First time I've registered for this kind of thing. I was amazed at how many of the, what I thought unique, handles I cooked up had already been taken!
Where's that interrobang when you need it?!
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Comment number 8.
At 17th Apr 2008, JohnMassivHeed wrote:Not many comments thus far: does no one love MM? Or, more likely, has everyone left work and gone home...?
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Comment number 9.
At 17th Apr 2008, DavidDeeMoz wrote:Oh, all right, Giles. But I hope this will free up some of your time to write the occasional Adwatch? And, of course, reinstate the Caption Competition with magnificent prizes - I gather Broadcasting House has a stock of honey spoons!
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Comment number 10.
At 17th Apr 2008, rogueslr wrote:Does this mean the end of the 502 errors? Looking forward to having something to comment on, Punorama? Caption Competition? Maybe a Lunchtime Bonus Question?
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Comment number 11.
At 17th Apr 2008, Helenepitpony wrote:You do realise that asking Monitor regulars to register will mean that some of them adopt remarkably silly user names, possibly involving a regional stereotype?
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Comment number 12.
At 17th Apr 2008, pinkfloydareace wrote:How many attempts of choosing an ID for me? This name was the 10th attempt.
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Comment number 13.
At 17th Apr 2008, pinkfloydareace wrote:Why is the ´óÏó´«Ã½ clock on GMT not BST? I am sending this at 9:25pm and the ´óÏó´«Ã½ said I posted this at 8:25pm
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Comment number 14.
At 17th Apr 2008, sarahtrieste wrote:What benefit? If no Caption Competition, Punorama or lbq who's going to comment?
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Comment number 15.
At 18th Apr 2008, stigmondo wrote:For reasons I can’t quite remember, I registered a ´óÏó´«Ã½ ‘comments’ identity thing ages ago (*they* wouldn’t let me use the shorthand though). So, to those who ask why they might have been beaten to the username, it appears we are now conjoined with the 606 users, trillions of them. I’ve been there, God help us.
Incidentally, DavidDeeMoz, I’ve got one of those BH honey spoons. I’d trade it for the reappearance of the Caption Comp though..
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Comment number 16.
At 18th Apr 2008, Unicross wrote:All done, but please hurry up and bring a 'proper' caption competition back!
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Comment number 17.
At 18th Apr 2008, embraboy wrote:I think the collective noun for monitor must be multitude - a multitude of monitors - no?
I must echo the other requests to bring the caption comp back!
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Comment number 18.
At 18th Apr 2008, christianjimmy wrote:But what?! (hah see, i think it looks ok to use a question mark and exclamation mark together) do we now get no letters because Monitor is too busy wrestling with the new system? where are the letters? we need our daily demonstration of MM's ability as a compiler/editor.
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Comment number 19.
At 18th Apr 2008, janetmia wrote:Stigmondo? - Stig, is that you, and will there be Stigmondo's wife ? Or Stigwife Mondo?
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Comment number 20.
At 18th Apr 2008, Tattooed_Mummy wrote:I was already registered - as a forum user. so it was totally painless. Hope you are feeling loved MM.
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Comment number 21.
At 18th Apr 2008, Bas-London wrote:The collective noun for a group of monitors: A Magazine of course!
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Comment number 22.
At 18th Apr 2008, MattTokyo wrote:If this was a comment to the Caption Competition which isn't - and therefore certainly it can't be - it might read:
I'll get off your foot if you stop kissing me.
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Comment number 23.
At 18th Apr 2008, Starling wrote:Testing!
Is this going to be the dullest comments thread ever?
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Comment number 24.
At 18th Apr 2008, Lucy Jones wrote:Luv'n'hugz to PM, MM and all the gang.
Crikey, this is beginning to feel a little Web 2.0. Should I be missing out more vowels?
Lucy Jones, Manchester
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Comment number 25.
At 18th Apr 2008, wotnocaptioncomp wrote:Can't believe no-one has taken this user name!
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Comment number 26.
At 18th Apr 2008, AngleseyJonsi wrote:Ok ..that's the register called ...Present Sir!
Can we have Punorama, Cap Comp an' stuff back now please?
My good friend Periwinkle Throbgusset (pronounced Thrussay) may well drop by from time to time too ... ;-)
Tiffin anyone?
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Comment number 27.
At 18th Apr 2008, skittledog wrote:Ooh look at that... I think I registered for h2g2, a long time ago. How did a title become part of my username?
Anyway, of course we love you, even if you're becoming more mainstream internetty and less cosy teashoppy (I don't know why, I've always seen the Monitor like that).
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Comment number 28.
At 18th Apr 2008, allybongo71 wrote:Rights *and* responsibilities? Blimey, what will the 'I know my rights' brigade make of that?
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Comment number 29.
At 18th Apr 2008, gaia wrote:oooh, that's clever, i'm a member of the bbc food boards, and my membership is carried over. Now if only my work could provide clever systems like that!
we all appreciate you montior, in fact, i'm making chocolate brownies this weekend - would you like me to save you one?
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Comment number 30.
At 18th Apr 2008, davidjamestate wrote:That was painless, I can use my 606 login! Bonus!
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Comment number 31.
At 18th Apr 2008, nigelmccc wrote:I bet you DO publish this! If I'm wrong, of course, nobody will ever know!
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Comment number 32.
At 18th Apr 2008, PhilWal0 wrote:There's usually no letters on a Thursday (or at least late ones). Hopefully there'll be a big bumper bag for us today.
With my Cap Comp entry in.
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Comment number 33.
At 18th Apr 2008, nuttycow wrote:Ah ha - my psydonym returns... but who am I?
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Comment number 34.
At 18th Apr 2008, skittledog wrote:There used to be letters on a Thursday. It's only in the last three weeks (I think) that it's become a definite trend of absence. I want to know what the Monitorettes are getting up to on Thursday afternoons.
(Incidentally, why does this entry still show Comments (0) on the main Monitor page?)
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Comment number 35.
At 18th Apr 2008, Tattooed_Mummy wrote:is it just me or is it not so much fun knowing that what you write WILL get published? I rather enjoy the suspense....
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Comment number 36.
At 18th Apr 2008, nuttycow wrote:Damn. Pseudonym may have returned... my spelling ability hasn't!
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Comment number 37.
At 18th Apr 2008, AngleseyJonsi wrote:Re: 35 ...isn't it much more satisfying knowing that what you've written is being read then knowingly ignored by such luminaries as we have signed up hereabouts?
I'd also like to think that they use expressions such as Pish! Tush! and Pshaw! liberally when doing so.
Kind of makes it all worthwhile.
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Comment number 38.
At 18th Apr 2008, sudonymph wrote:Hello All. This is my first time. Haven't a clue what to write.
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Comment number 39.
At 18th Apr 2008, gaia wrote:Tush!
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Comment number 40.
At 18th Apr 2008, Lucy Jones wrote:Reactively moderated eh...
Does that mean we can submit subversive material that might lurk about for a bit before getting deleted?
Erm, in that case I declare myself as the kind of person who puts the teabag and the milk in the mug before pouring the hot water in. And I take the used teabag out with my fingers.
If the mods see "Comments (0)" then they might think there's no modding to do, which has got to be good news.
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Comment number 41.
At 18th Apr 2008, chookgate wrote:All you people who's names had been used - are you sure it wasn't you that used them perhaps by registering with Have Your Say?
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Comment number 42.
At 18th Apr 2008, Rhiannan_Kay wrote:PM you remind me of a needy facebook/myspacer groveling for comments, even without the promise of a comment back I will post... but only because I like you.
Happy now?!
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Comment number 43.
At 18th Apr 2008, gazardo wrote:I am impressed to find that when I became a Citizen of the Country of Lovely at the urging of the Prime Minister for Life , Danny Wallace , I also found myself able to say Hello to Monitor too. Which is nice.
I hope the feeling of being Loved by at least 40 ( slightly) odd souls is helping.
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Comment number 44.
At 18th Apr 2008, artisticmichelleb wrote:When I created my account, the clever little computer actually suggested this name for me. It freaked me out no end that it actually knew I was artistic, and I had visions of HAL running the ´óÏó´«Ã½....
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Comment number 45.
At 18th Apr 2008, coodymow wrote:it worked Yippee !!
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Comment number 46.
At 18th Apr 2008, AngleseyJonsi wrote:I don't know ...what does it mean?
Eccles cake anyone?
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Comment number 47.
At 18th Apr 2008, AinyAiny wrote:Why did the answer to my secret question have to have 6 letters? My first pet's name was really short and I had to use another question. I can't remember what I wrote as my answer now!!
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Comment number 48.
At 18th Apr 2008, OriginalNickyStu wrote:Happy to register to post comments, but where's the uplifting sense of validation in having your letter picked from the masses for publication by our old friend Monitor?
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Comment number 49.
At 18th Apr 2008, pernickitywitch wrote:Woohoo - now, where do I pledge my allegiance??
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Comment number 50.
At 19th Apr 2008, littleDickie wrote:MM, PM, Bunty and all;
I can think of a Right Shower of Monitors but are we dealing with thinkers or do'ers?
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Comment number 51.
At 24th Apr 2008, Tattooed_Mummy wrote:Surprise - the comments links have vanished from the letters page.....the world is a gloomier place - glad I managed to sneak back in here - anyone else here today?
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