The "Eternal" Starcat Thread - A Personal View

[flakyjakey]

Personally I had hoped this thread would by now have disappeared off the immediate radar, but I don’t know if many others feel the same and now it seems too late for it to die a dignified death. When I returned to PM Forums I took a good look at it, and I’m glad I didn’t post. The OP seems thought-disordered, as if the originator was very drunk, on heavy drugs (prescription or otherwise) or worse, mentally ill. The other possibility was that starcat is a very clever attention-seeking troll.
A highly respected Forums member sent me a PM suggesting the seemingly eternal starcat thread adds value by allowing members to let off steam in all sorts of irrelevant ways. I’m all in favour of the concept, but if starcat was mentally disturbed in some way he has now been hounded off the Forums. If he is a troll he is now being given the BIGGEST CONTINUOUS rush, and will be crowing to all his troglodyte buddies!! Neither outcome IMO brings PM Forums any reputational benefit.
I have since looked at starcat’s 21 other OPs – the first, three months ago, suggests him to be in his mid-50s. The others are mostly comments on tobacco blends (albeit with a bizarre style, increasingly so recently; perhaps indicating a deteriorating mental state?) In my view these factors do not support troll-like behaviour. I may be wrong, but I lean toward the former possibility, particularly after his last post on his “H&H Sierra Nevada” thread 5 days ago where he sounds ill, paranoid, even deranged. If there is an experienced clinical psychologist or psychiatrist on-Forum their views on this apparent deterioration over three months would be very welcome.
This minor rant is not intended to be accusatory or sanctimonious; indeed I wonder if there might well be some value in a new “letting-off-steam” sticky thread, which could serve the same purpose? Maybe such a thread could incorporate all ‘no-holds-barred’ banter (I’d like that!!), and any OP with a cryptic title could be electronically banished there; like starcat, forever to be ridiculed !!! LOL
Just my two penn’orth……….

 

[klause]

Flakey, thanks for writing this.
You managed to verbalise the disquiet I have been feeling about the whole thing - much appreciated.
All you say is spot on.

 

[flakyjakey]

Thanks klause, in my opinion it's not what we are about.

 

[flakyjakey]

warren, if I was a 'caring' ex-policeman I would not be proud of such catalysis

 

[flakyjakey]

@cosmic, it is a great pity that you do not see that starcat, poor deluded human that he is/was might have been ridiculed/vilified through no fault of his own?

 

[sfsteves]

Having read all of the OPs made by "starcat" I believe the poster is a woman, not a man ... and, in all likelihood, a woman who doesn't smoke a pipe at all, but is an attention-seeking troll ...
Also, I believe the style of writing is not a product of derangement, but is a deliberate affectation ...

 

[papipeguy]

Man, this is another FUBAR I missed. I've been tied up the past couple of months with family health issues. How do I find the OP's for this person? I need to catch up.

 

[sfsteves]

papipeguy asked:

How do I find the OP's for this person?

See "The Most Overrated Pipe Maker In The Known Universe" and other mewlings from "starcat" ...

 

[flakyjakey]

@steves, a valid hypothesis, but one which I don't believe is credible to apply over a three-month period, and for the final post to be as it is. As I have said, I would be interested in the opinion of an experienced psychiatrist/clinical psychologist on the matter.
To be frank, I am puzzled why my carefully expressed personal view is arousing so much interest.

 

[sfsteves]

flayjakey ... I have a great deal of respect for you and find your opinion an interesting one ... I like my theory better, but must admit, your hypothesis IS a well-thought out alternative explanation for the extremely odd posts we've seen from the feline one ...

 

[warren]

flaky: Not being aware of what you do or did for a living, I wouldn't think of trying to describe the humor of the people who deal human behavior and the results of that behavior day in and day out. Let's just say those who do not see it would never understand.
I suspect you and I are miles apart in how we view basic human behavior.

 

[papipeguy]

OK, now I remember reading that OP. I ignored it for what is was, or was not. However, it was provocative enough to generate over 1,200 postings to date.......whatever that might mean. I guess I'm still lost.

 

[flakyjakey]

@sfsteves, we agree. I am not locked into my own hypothesis, you could be right and if you are I will hold up my hand. But we may have done a disservice to a damaged person (man or woman) for fun. I would rather believe it is a VERY clever troll that has been royally taking the piss, but in all honesty I'm not at all sure.
I should probably leave it at that - I don't want to lose whatever friends I may have here.

 

[flakyjakey]

@warren, I have been a front-line physician for thirty-five years. I am not a psychiatrist, but have learned to 'read the psychological runes'. I have no axe to grind here, and I value the forums, but I was personally uncomfortable with that thread - nothing personal against you, or anyone else.

 

[rickpal14]

+1 sam!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[flakyjakey]

@sam, if you read carefully what I posted, that is exactly what I was proposing - a thread where members can 'let their hair down', make irrelevant posts, be outrageous etc etc. I just don't think such a potentially useful thread should be based on the vilification of poor startrek, whoever he/she is!!
Give such a thread another name and I will join in, with gusto!! lol

 

[cosmicfolklore]

+1 Sam, having a "room" or thread to knock each other about in jest, puns, and tongue-in-cheekiness is just another way to bring us closer. How can that be bad? As far as Starcat goes, who cares? If she is a troll, then she is not a terrible troll trying to crash the forum, sell us life insurance, or anything, and even before the second page, the OP became moot anyways. Just fun. I'm really sorry if someone doesn't like it. I would advise staying away from it, if it bothers you. Heck, I don't read most of the threads on here, ha ha.

 

[sfsteves]

flakeyjakey suggested:

Give such a thread another name and I will join in, with gusto!!

Were that to happen, there is only one name that would be appropriate ... I can't remember who suggested it, but whoever it was should be given credit for the idea ...



The Island Of Misfit Toys

 

[flakyjakey]

@sfsteves, Brilliant!! As a mstifi myself, I'll go for that - outrageous posts, cussing, blasphemies, risking excommunication - count me in.

 

[warren]

Flaky: I'm not taking it personal. I understand that we see things from different angles.
I think a permanent thread for craziness would miss the point of the star cat thread. The entire response was spontaneous with, I admit, a bit of malice at the start and absolutely no fore-thought. It was that spontaneity that made it so much fun. Just action, reaction and on and on into total inanity.
A special place for such behavior would never result in the kind of craziness that occurred. I seriously doubt, once that particular thread disappears, that another similar thread will not occur for a long time. Timing, personalities, spring fever, the stars, etc., just combined to make it happen.