MAGIC NUMBERS

Goliath crows - lays egg!

VERY early this morning Goliath of the GAW News published a post where he crowed that the CCC's thread regarding the Mayoral debate had garnered only 96 views, while his Colisseum (sic) forum boasted 888 views from "interested Clark County voters."  Young Matt Chinn cheered this good news in a comment.

However, within just a few hours the CCC thread had over 1,000 views.  Did that many "interested Clark County voters" come out in droves in the early, early hours of the morning just to view that particular thread?

Not likely.  In fact, I think I know how it was accomplished.

Let me explain:

Last year a certain forum owner bragged repeatedly about her astronomical numbers of views.  Curious, I decided to check my own stats here on the Crazy Neighbor Lady blog.  I checked the stats, then went back to viewing my blog.  I decided to check the stats again, looking more closely at the rise and fall in views as they related to certain posts.  Imagine my surprise when I saw that my own view was now counted.  Just to be sure, I went back to the blog and refreshed the page a few times.  When I returned to the stats screen, sure enough, those views had been counted.  At last I had solved the mystery of the, quite frankly, unbelievable numbers that certain forum owner was claiming.  

As I watched the mounting view numbers on the CCC post this morning, I realized that someone, maybe several someones, knew the secret, as well. Also, it seemed that the same tactic could have been employed to give the impression that hordes of "interested Clark County voters," were swarming the Giant Goliath's Colisseum (sic) forum, as well.

Now, I'm willing to give the big guy the benefit of the doubt and believe that he didn't understand how easily view counts could be manipulated in that way...but Young Matt Chinn?  I couldn't help but believe he was aware of such practices, with his knowledge of all that internet stuff and junk.  I'm not saying Young Matt was manipulating the view counts, just that I think he probably knows that kind of thing happens and that view count numbers can't really be completely trusted...because sometimes numbers DO lie.

UPDATE:  I had originally titled this post Magic Tricks because I didn't see the post on the GAW News site when I returned there the last time this morning...but it's back now.  Perhaps I missed it somehow or some kind of editing process was going on at the time that made it seem like it had disappeared.  Just trying to be honest and fair, in case anyone saw this post in its original form before I amended it. 

Also - I wanted to say that I called Goliath "mule-headed" in my last post because he made a comment himself that (paraphrasing) perhaps he's a little mule-headed sometimes.  Since he'd made that observation himself, I didn't think I was being insulting by using it in a title of a post about him.  It was meant to be humorous, not hateful.

Goliath, "The Mule-Headed," fights the Hydra.

"My God, what have I done?"

Congrats, Goliath - Quite an Achievement!

So, Goliath, I noticed that you never did answer a direct question to you on a recent thread at your forum - are you happy with the quality of conversation on your forum these days?   Or does “QueenNana” answer all of the “uncomfortable” questions for you now, as she did that one? 

I guess since she was thwarted in her attempt last summer to steal all the balls from the male members of the CCC, she had to settle for satisfying herself with the apparently easy theft of yours.

You’ve finally reached the apex, there, big fella:

People have been “outed” (while you were told by the new “queen,” when you objected to such behavior when it was being coyly threatened that it’s, “harmless, unless you carry it too far,” – and promptly thereafter the “outing,” began).

Strong insinuations that border on outright accusations of people having affairs has been tolerated and left to stand for anyone to see, with no regard whatsoever to either the veracity of such claims or the effect the spread of such a nasty rumor might have on innocent people and their loved ones.

People have been repeatedly accused of the vilest of crimes with absolutely no supporting evidence beyond the word of the accuser.

People have been called profane names and threatened with physical violence (which, to your “credit,” you quickly deleted upon discovery, but it happened, nonetheless, and documentation of it exists).

People are routinely told to basically “get lost,” by the new “queen,” and her drones if they object to such dialogue.

And on and on it goes – where it stops – nobody knows.  

You must be absolutely dizzy with delight at how popular your forum has become with a certain large, “flock.”

Congratulations, big guy.  You’ve managed to raise that sleazy, slanderous cesspool called the All Counties Chatter from the dead and have given its “queen” the seat at the head of your table - quite an accomplishment, brave warrior.  It’s a good thing you ignored all those so-called “friends,” who tried to warn you that this kind of thing would inevitably happen.  After all, who cares what kind of irresponsible, reprehensible behavior is taking place on your site – controversy equals views, right?

In all aspects except for banning people, you’ve become the very thing that you have repeatedly expressed such righteous outrage at the CCC for being.  There’s a word that perfectly describes such a person…and I think you know what it is.  But it's not uncommon that a much higher price to pay than originally expected occurs when one chooses to deal with the Devil, is it?

UPDATE:  And now I see that one of the new/old flock has taken the bold step of bringing the thinly-hooded (wink, wink) racist strategy into play (click image to enlarge - but be warned, it's repulsive).

http://goliath-s-colisseum-forum.987000.n3.nabble.com/Clark-County-Chatter-td3307255i40.html

Alas, how far the Mighty Giant's once honorable realm has fallen - straight into the gutter.

Jeepers Creepers!

Someone was creeping around and peeping into the vehicles of attendees at a rally held to protest the recently reported appalling conditions at the Ogle Animal Shelter, apparently hoping to find "evidence" that the rally attendees weren't really animal lovers at all!  A poor, shy dog who becomes anxious and upset around strange people was subjected to the horrifying visage of this "Peeping Thomasina" peeping in at him through the window as he awaited his owner's return to the normally safe and secure confines of their van.  

Fortunately, the van was equipped with a surveillance camera and this creepy peeper was photographed at the exact moment the poor, shy dog was subjected to the trauma of being spied upon by the strangest stranger of them all!  

(click picture to enlarge)

A Fable

"The leopard doesn't change its spots...no matter how many free dye jobs you offer it."

The Scorpion and the Frog

One day, a scorpion looked around at the mountain where he lived and decided that he wanted a change. So he set out on a journey through the forests and hills. He climbed over rocks and under vines and kept going until he reached a river.
The river was wide and swift, and the scorpion stopped to reconsider the situation. He couldn't see any way across. So he ran upriver and then checked downriver, all the while thinking that he might have to turn back.

Suddenly, he saw a frog sitting in the rushes by the bank of the stream on the other side of the river. He decided to ask the frog for help getting across the stream.

"Hellooo Mr. Frog!" called the scorpion across the water, "Would you be so kind as to give me a ride on your back across the river?"

"Well now, Mr. Scorpion! How do I know that if I try to help you, you wont try to kill me?" asked the frog hesitantly.

"Because," the scorpion replied, "If I try to kill you, then I would die too, for you see I cannot swim!"

Now this seemed to make sense to the frog. But he asked. "What about when I get close to the bank? You could still try to kill me and get back to the shore!"

"This is true," agreed the scorpion, "But then I wouldn't be able to get to the other side of the river!"

"Alright then...how do I know you wont just wait till we get to the other side and THEN kill me?" said the frog.

"Ahh...," crooned the scorpion, "Because you see, once you've taken me to the other side of this river, I will be so grateful for your help, that it would hardly be fair to reward you with death, now would it?!"

So the frog agreed to take the scorpion across the river. He swam over to the bank and settled himself near the mud to pick up his passenger. The scorpion crawled onto the frog's back, his sharp claws prickling into the frog's soft hide, and the frog slid into the river. The muddy water swirled around them, but the frog stayed near the surface so the scorpion would not drown. He kicked strongly through the first half of the stream, his flippers paddling wildly against the current.

Halfway across the river, the frog suddenly felt a sharp sting in his back and, out of the corner of his eye, saw the scorpion remove his stinger from the frog's back. A deadening numbness began to creep into his limbs.

"You fool!" croaked the frog, "Now we shall both die! Why on earth did you do that?"

The scorpion shrugged and did a little jig on the drowning frog's back.

"I could not help myself. It is my nature."

Then they both sank into the muddy waters of the swiftly flowing river.