@pmarin IRKs, you recruit them with IRKs.

Or was that scare them away?

@blaineg fantastic idea! I’d volunteer if I got an IRK for doing so…

@blaineg @haydesigner Sounds like you may have just volunteered anyway.

@pmarin as any forum moderator (likely an unpaid intern or volunteer) can attest: community (and literacy) is a dying art. Urban humans are living faster and their attention spans are waning (not to mention time continues to be a premium when all other costs are factored).

@pakopako back in the late 80s- and 90s we had our networked systems (Sun Microsystems, R.I.P) at work or lines from home. We had an official “forum” — I think that was the program name. This is when I first learned that 1 or 2 toxic individuals can taint the juice, as it were. So it had to just get turned off by I.T. Now 30 years later with lawsuits and stuff, no surprise that most companies shut down all their internal stuff like that, and often blocked access to outside social media (which mostly didn’t even exist at that time)

@blaineg @haydesigner @extramedium @jouest @dave

IRKs, you recruit them with IRKs.

What about a free irk for goats? That would be goats who actually didn’t ghost their position. We used to get meh goat statues (except that stopped and many who were supposed to get it never did, in fact I think meh sent a bunch of statues to someone who was going to send them out but never did; at least I never got mine).

The goat thread was key in building and maintaining community some years back. How about taking a shot of continuing that? And using that to help rebuild our community? It could be a custom irk based on the person, the job they did, and the junk sitting around in the warehouse. Or a random one that they might have to blame (or unblame) the next goat for.

Yes?

You’re already a fun-sized mammal, @Pony.

@haydesigner Not sure if flattered or insulted…

@Pony
…and that comment alone proves you’d make a great goat!

@haydesigner @Pony I don’t know if you followed the story last week, but remember the runaway Zebra in Texas? It took several days to find it. People reported it in their residential neighborhood. No judgement on your body, but a local news report had someone at a house saying “It looked like a @pony with a big booty”

@haydesigner @pmarin @Pony So as a former GOAT, I had an Awesome time being the GOAT . Just ask. You would have Fun!

EVERYTHING IS AWESOME!

@Pony I didn’t want to be goat and got drafted. Escaped it for 2 years. Then someone posted neighborhood election signs on all the threads. I even posted a meh forged signature death certificate in the middle of that and still got drafted. I did my job and it was entertaining. I probably wasn’t the best goat out there but I didn’t ghost it either. You may have just signed your own goat certificate.

@Pony how have you NEVER been goat?!?!? This doesn’t seem possible!

@yeppers I was made into the goat without my knowledge. Or avatar change apparently.

The capra hircus will tar and feather clove and horn anyone.

@G1
That’s very appropriate.

@chienfou yes it does, I had a Whale of a time when I was the GOAT!

@chienfou @mycya4me You Orca appreciate the honor. Maybe even a big Blue whale as in the emoji you picked. For SFW reasons won’t bring up the sperm whale.

@chienfou @pmarin HAHAHA I do believe you also had a Whale of a time also during you time as the Goat!

@tinamarie1974 We might be able to bribe the ones who did get drafted to not be a ghost goat if we brought back the goat trophies or gave them an irk whose quality depending on the job they did. Calling @extramedium @jouest @dave

@dave @ExtraMedium @jouest @Kidsandliz thats like giving kids participation trophies.

@dave @ExtraMedium @jouest @tinamarie1974 Exactly. And meh started it with the goat trophies years ago.

@dave @ExtraMedium @jouest @Kidsandliz and then they stopped…

@dave @ExtraMedium @jouest @tinamarie1974 Yup. And they could start back up if they felt like it. Or not. It’s their decision obviously. jonT is the one who started it and it may or may not have stopped after he left? I can’t remember anymore.

@dave @ExtraMedium @jouest @Kidsandliz that was before my time so unsure.

@user94988313 excellent! I’d say you are now nominated! Not knowing is part of the fun. Also the random username. Are you a bot?

@user94988313 Once upon a time, in the ages before the IRK, it was decided by the merry mob on these forums that an Official Scapegoat Whose Duty Is To Receive The Blame For Everything should be designated on a periodic basis. (This was before my time; I merely recount the Lore as received.) In the beginning was the Fukubukuro, and it was Meh. Then it became the Fukobukuro, and it was still Meh. And then the Fuko also was no more, and became the IRK. But the tradition of the Goat endured regardless. Part of the Goat’s job is to take the blame for the IRKs that stink (and they can be many!) but they may also be given the Unblame for things that go right, such as when an IRK contains precisely the Ninja Foodie multicooker that the recipient had been trying to justify splurging on. Some Goats have livened things up by posting bits of information about a subject they love, some have snarked their way through the month, ISTR that one made haiku, but at no time has a Goat actually been required to do anything at all. The office of Goat is purely faux-ceremonious, as befits occasions that are seldom grand and never formal. It’s appreciated when the goat can respond amusingly. During my tenure, I tried, but others were much better at it; I consider my performance to have barely rated a “meh”. Some have ghosted their way through, posting nothing at all. Everything was still The Goat’s Fault, but the Goat simply ignored it. It is in support of not having that as a frequent result that I have posted this thread.

Those who are elected Goat will have a live, upright Goat icon next to their username instead of whatever icon would otherwise have been present. Emeritus Goats have an upside-down Goat (a “dead goat”) in honor of their service, unless they request restoration of a special icon like a moderator’s kit bag (rare) or the blood-droplet of those eligible for the Ink for IRK deal.

I’m sure that I’ve omitted vitally important points for whose absence I will be summarily berated in the responses (along with a raucous TL;DR chorus), but those are the bits that came to mind.

@pmarin @user94988313 Well, even bots are eligible, because @mediocrebot has been the goat in the past. It wasn’t awesome though.

KRULL! A SKULL! BRETT HULL! AWESOME!

@Kyeh @mediocrebot @pmarin @user94988313

PS, do not tell the staff what G.O.A.T really stands for. They’ve never figured it out

@user94988313 @werehatrack @kyeh @pmarin. I would add that the Fukubukuro was so far from meh. It was glorious, although I narry snagged one or two. They were fsntastic and folks received all kinds of things. Pallets of product, giant gumball machine, etc. It was a fun time, ah thr good ole days when the form was popping with lots of interesting, active people.

@Kyeh @tinamarie1974 @user94988313 @werehatrack so are you saying those of us still here (alive?) are either no longer interesting or active?

@Kyeh @pmarin @user94988313 @werehatrack hey now, I hope you know better!!! I was only saying I think there were MORE active folks in here. We seem to be dwindling a bit.

you’re an all-star

@pmarin @user94988313 @werehatrack
@tinamarie1974 Trying to make us (relative) newbies jealous ? I do wish I’d been here for the glorious reign of Mistress Goat!

@Kyeh @pmarin @user94988313 @werehatrack IDK, I hear she wielded her whip freely

@pmarin @tinamarie1974 @user94988313 @werehatrack
I bet it was fun, though!

@Kyeh @pmarin @tinamarie1974 @user94988313 @werehatrack
Blame the Goat.

@Kyeh @pmarin @tinamarie1974 @user94988313 @werehatrack I’m still active! Interesting! Hip!

@Kyeh @pakopako @pmarin @user94988313 @werehatrack

@Kyeh @pakopako @pmarin @tinamarie1974
As for ME, I’m

… still active! Interesting! Hip (replacement)!

@chienfou @Kyeh @pakopako @pmarin so will you be hip-per once it is replaced

@Kyeh @pakopako @pmarin @tinamarie1974
BTDT great improvement!

@mikey Mmmm… chocolate… oh, wait…

@ItalianScallion @mikey

Fingers crossed AI is never trained on 2 Girls 1 Cup because scat hallucinations sound pretty awful.

@ItalianScallion @mikey
/giphy squatty potty

@mikey @pakopako

@ItalianScallion @pakopako You had to go there. Sigh.

@werehatrack Hey, all I was doing was trying put a positive spin, a happy face, etc. on the gastrointestinal anatomy lesson @pakopako gave us!

@ItalianScallion @werehatrack took me half a dozen tries to get anywhere close to that particular animation

@pakopako I really had to think about whether or not I wanted to click on the like star for that comment.

@capnjb I asked my cats, but they ignored me.

@capnjb Well @CharlieDoggo has been the Goat so it would not be unheard of. She would just need to create an account.

@werehatrack Of course they did. They would rather be Contra dancing.

@capnjb @CharlieDoggo @werehatrack @yakkoTDI he was and was constantly stealing my phone to post or beg for treats! Be prepared if your doggo wants to join in. As long as he doesnt realize he can make purchases with his account

@capnjb @CharlieDoggo @tinamarie1974 @werehatrack @yakkoTDI Le Bark?

@capnjb @CharlieDoggo @Luna_Doggo @tinamarie1974 @werehatrack @yakkoTDI We need Snoopy!

@Luna_Doggo
Bienvenu(e) du chienfou ouaf ouaf…

@capnjb your time as goat was rather spectacular. I love reading those posts.

@sillyheathen Yeah, I pretty much have no verbal filter anymore I can’t find a record of it in my medical bills, but I’m pretty sure it was removed somewhere along the way.

@pakopako
You can turn them on?
Why would you??

@chienfou @pakopako

@chienfou they were on by default for me

@mycya4me Unless you’re @CharlieDoggo or @Luna_Doggo …

@mycya4me And Stroopwafels, best by 2023. Probably still fine. Remember, place over hot coffee or tea, or microwave for 5-10 sec.

@CharlieDoggo @Luna_Doggo @xobzoo Of course. But I am wondering how they will stand up to the Cats here!

@mycya4me @pmarin In my never ending effort to organize this place, I found a nearly full box of stroopwafels just a few days ago!

@Kyeh @pmarin You are so VERY Lucky! That is to find that box of stroopwafels. Have FUN! BTW I don’t want any!

@mycya4me @pmarin
Awww … you SURE?!?

@Kyeh @mycya4me @pmarin that is a LOT of SW’s

@mycya4me @pmarin @tinamarie1974 (Blush)

@Kyeh @pmarin I am VERY Sure! Not even my Cat would want them!