@scottalanmiller said:
Given that the value of a community is... Community, private groups rapidly undermine that in many ways.
I still respect the hidden rant ability, but the culture in certain groups have become negative. Some people became overly aggressive in some regards, some became annoyed, and like the administration and moderation group, there is a power struggle. Long timers say we do it one way, new people say we do it another. The secrecy became a parasite.
I'm trying to learn Linux, and occasionally get stuck in ruts where I don't exactly have all the time in the world. But when I do have the time, I'm playing with OpenSUSE and Linux Mint right now, reading a few Linux books, and poking around. Its honestly something I find very amusing and very fun to do.
My question is in regards to these ruts I get stuck in, don't exactly have time to read but I still want to learn. I do have a few cisco audio books, but for the life of me, I can't find a Linux audio book outside the realm of "this is the story of Linus Torvalds and Richard Stallman". Not exactly what I'm interested in. I want a few instructional, maybe "for idiots" books just read out loud. I have an hour drive too and from work, I would love to just sit and listen to Linux stuff.
@Minion-Queen said:
I really dislike the secret groups and am happy to see some of that not be here on ML.
They became parasitic.
@Nic said:
@PSX_Defector said:
The question to present to any new person has to be a vulgar response.
Much like the standard pickup line I use "Nice shoes, wanna [f***]?"
Did...did you just refrain from using the f-word?
looks like not by choice 
edited by Addie.
@scottalanmiller said:
I hated the secret groups over there and had my account removed from them. I appreciate the goal that they had but not what it became. Very cliquy indeed. It didn't end up being a healthy thing.
Lots of bad came from that and continues to.
I agree completely. Shameful and hurtful things were said about people who didn't have access to "the cool club", and it was outright disgusting. Truth be told I encouraged someone to try their hardest to get into that group, knowing what had been said about him, I wanted him to know and see what everyone had said. It was very off putting, and very shameful indeed.
Now as for the ranting in silence aspect, that was literally the only thing I liked it for. Its far from that now.
@Carnival-Boy said:
Does Mango Lassi intend to have secret groups for high ability members then? Sounds a bit cliquey to me.
I don't think so, its one of the things I think people hated. I know of three commonly accessed groups that are either invite only, or ability prohibited. Only one of them is really 100% acceptable and that's the administration and moderation private group, discussing what would be the best option of attack on thing A or thing B. The other two groups were mainly you were active and proved you were capable of being in the elite group of silence, or the other group that had almost no rules and you can do anything in an elite group of silence. They are in fact very cliquey though.
But why access these groups if they are so cliquey? They were hidden from the rest of the internet, I could say what I wanted when I wanted. Some people would trash talk other users, where I spent time venting about work. Its nice to be able to rant with a group of your peers without it being public facing like facebook. But there is still a clique limitation.
Hide from the world and rant in peace? Will attract those who just want to be "cool"
As many of you know, a website many of us used has had secret groups that certain levels and abilities had to be reached to obtain access. In these top secret groups they had private chat rooms, maybe for testing purposes if its a good idea, which is what I think it was. And it was a huge hit, we loved it. There were a handful of us who used it every day to discuss in real time IT related things, bacon things, waffles, or whatever was on our minds.
It was fantastic, it helped me learn faster, it helped me get the steam off my brain faster, it was pretty gosh darn awesome. Why am I posting here you ask? Turns out they decided it was a better idea and use of their resources to remove that feature and transfer everything over to irc chat which is a much inferior product, but looks like its cheaper as well. One more reason, for me to step back from them and head more in this direction.
Mango, I wasn't a huge fan of you at first, but the tides are changing. If you guys were capable of stealing my boy IRJ, I think you're starting to get me more as well.
I held myself back from posting over here due to the fact I was in the midst of talking about other employment, I didn't want to condemn myself by saying anything I shouldn't have over here.
Seeing as my attempts went disrespectfully discouraged over there, my voice will echo their pages less and less.
If anyone looking for someone in the baltimore - washington area 
I'm your boy.
If anyone is looking to relocate someone to Texas or North Carolina I'm your boy.
it just comes off as such an insult though. I don't know how else to say it,
@scottalanmiller said:
That's awful. I'm sorry. I've been there too. I once relocated to Manhattan (from Rochester) and was told after I has moved that they had changed their minds. They didn't even tell me not to report to work! I showed up for my first day and they "changed their minds."
Companies can be pretty unethical sometimes. Especially small ones, I've found.
It's not right. Professionally why pump someone up? Why tell someone the grass is greener, the sun is shining brighter and I'm the chosen one to join. Just to smash everything I was hoping for? Fact is I ain't helping anymore. Over the past 2 years I've helped enough, and now I'm being asked to continue to help for free? That's a joke.
I'm so far beyond irate Nic. It feels like an insult. Pump up my hopes and drop me like a bad habit? Unacceptable.
I know this isn't appropriate for this thread, but I need to clear my mind, and I need to rant, if its misplaced feel free to move it to the appropriate topic receptacle.
I recently was talking to the Vice President of a well known company, he made an effort to contact me, after our first chat on the phone I was told I was perfect for a job, and the proper channels would be put in place for me to interview and have documentation on file. We had a few conversations before the interview was made, which took roughly a month. I felt good, I was in, I just needed a documented interview.
The interview went swell, my interviewer and I kind of bullsh** with one another, he said he already knew me well enough that he felt weird asking me the questions.
Ok so in my mind I have this job, this is awesome. One week after the interview, I'm nervous and anxious. Two weeks after the interview I'm nervous so I contact my interviewer, he tells me I'm pretty rock solid and not to worry. I'm in right? In my mind I'm in. Its been a month and a half since I started talking about this new job, moving to another state, I'm excited. Three weeks after the interview, no word.... four weeks after the interview.... no word.... so I contact the VP... he comes off as a bit distant, makes an effort to get me contacted via my interviewer. We have a small chat and I'm told "don't keep your hopes up"....
Let me get this straight, two [moderated] months ago I had a new job lined up, two [moderated] months I'm good to go, two [moderated] months goes by and I'm to not keep my hopes up?
Now I'm beyond nervous, what the [moderated] is going on? My fiancee and I were under the impression we were moving, we were under the impression we had a new job, I WAS PRETTY MUCH GUARANTEED A [moderated] JOB!!
I got my email today from the VP... "we found someone more qualified", "we thought you were what we wanted"... [moderated] bullshit.... 8 god damn weeks, 2 [moderated] months of my life I was forced to SIT AND WAIT for a new job that I was told was mine.... the fact it took that long to [screw] me over is shocking, its far from professional, and its outright disgusting and leaves me pissed.... beyond pissed out right annoyed to no end. My [moderated] future was banking on it, my [moderated] future was told to me, what I was told, and what I get are very [moderated] different.
@FiyaFly no worries I'm here, just trying to gather my thoughts, got my invite today 
Hello everyone, my name is Ryan, some people know me as RAM. just saying hello.