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Missing In Action: Members Who've Gone Silent / Haven't Been Seen For Some Time

I've often wondered about how will we know if someone's croaked it? A few on here are getting on a bit now uncle @maximus otter. We should have some preset message system that alerts us so we know that this has happened as opposed to them just having a break or leaving. I haven't figured out how this would work yet though. You lot are brainy, I'm sure you could work something out.
 
Floyd1 said:
I've often wondered about how will we know if someone's croaked it? A few on here are getting on a bit now uncle @maximus otter. We should have some preset message system that alerts us so we know that this has happened as opposed to them just having a break or leaving. I haven't figured out how this would work yet though. You lot are brainy, I'm sure you could work something out.
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A Ouija board would be the most appropriate method.
 
Min Bannister said:
A Ouija board would be the most appropriate method.
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See- I knew you'd have answers.

Seriously though, it does occasionally bother me. Considering I'm probably never going to actually meet anyone on here, it would at least be satisfying to know that the reason they've gone is because they've carked it and not just left. I don't mean that it would be good to know they've died, but just nice to know they've.... well, you get the picture.
 
Floyd1 said:
See- I knew you'd have answers.

Seriously though, it does occasionally bother me. Considering I'm probably never going to actually meet anyone on here, it would at least be satisfying to know that the reason they've gone is because they've carked it and not just left. I don't mean that it would be good to know they've died, but just nice to know they've.... well, you get the picture.
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From my experiences on other forums the only way we really know is if the member has let their family members know their log-in details or stayed logged in & their family members have sent a P.M. to admins & favourite members. (Some of these forums have memorial threads to let them know & memorial signs under the members user-name.) If no-one lets anyone on the forum know, you're not to know.
 
Floyd1 said:
See- I knew you'd have answers.

Seriously though, it does occasionally bother me. Considering I'm probably never going to actually meet anyone on here, it would at least be satisfying to know that the reason they've gone is because they've carked it and not just left. I don't mean that it would be good to know they've died, but just nice to know they've.... well, you get the picture.
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I'm surprised you guys aren't meeting at The Ten Bells Pub!
If I was over there, that's what I'd be doing!
And don't you have Fortean meetings set up periodically?
 
Floyd1 said:
I've often wondered about how will we know if someone's croaked it? A few on here are getting on a bit now uncle @maximus otter. We should have some preset message system that alerts us so we know that this has happened as opposed to them just having a break or leaving. I haven't figured out how this would work yet though. You lot are brainy, I'm sure you could work something out.
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Will Inspector Bread ... Inspector Brown Bread ... please report to Lloyd in the Operations Room..
 
Floyd1 said:
I've often wondered about how will we know if someone's croaked it? A few on here are getting on a bit now uncle @maximus otter. We should have some preset message system that alerts us so we know that this has happened as opposed to them just having a break or leaving. I haven't figured out how this would work yet though. You lot are brainy, I'm sure you could work something out.
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I'll contact you from beyond the grave, hopefully sometime in the next century, though I would have made it to my 130s by then...
 
Floyd1 said:
I've often wondered about how will we know if someone's croaked it? A few on here are getting on a bit now uncle @maximus otter. We should have some preset message system that alerts us so we know that this has happened as opposed to them just having a break or leaving. I haven't figured out how this would work yet though. You lot are brainy, I'm sure you could work something out.
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cycleboy2 said:
I'll contact you from beyond the grave, hopefully sometime in the next century, though I would have made it to my 130s by then...
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I've set up ways to let you lot I am otherwise occupied...

summoned-batman.gif
 
Floyd1 said:
You lot are brainy, I'm sure you could work something out.
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Each of us members could agree to write a note placed inside an envelope next to our 'device', or in our pocket, upon the front of which is inscribed the words "In the event of my death...."
The note should have a list of all the log-on details for all the sites usually visited so that your next-of-kin (or 'the authorities') can notify each site (including this place, of course) of the passing of said member.

Either that or we just assume that if we haven't heard anything from someone for more than a few weeks that we try to contact them, and if no success then we just assume that they're 'pushing up daisies'.
Especially anyone who is really getting well past it.
 
Could I please ask any regular contributors who do unfortunately croak it in the near future, to carry on posting as before. This will give an interesting insight into little understood post-demise existence as well as much-needed kudos to the Forum as a whole.
 
Bad Bungle said:
Could I please ask any regular contributors who do unfortunately croak it in the near future, to carry on posting as before. This will give an interesting insight into little understood post-demise existence as well as much-needed kudos to the Forum as a whole.
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How do you know I haven't and I'm not?
 
Trevp666 said:
Each of us members could agree to write a note placed inside an envelope next to our 'device', or in our pocket, upon the front of which is inscribed the words "In the event of my death...."
The note should have a list of all the log-on details for all the sites usually visited so that your next-of-kin (or 'the authorities') can notify each site (including this place, of course) of the passing of said member.

Either that or we just assume that if we haven't heard anything from someone for more than a few weeks that we try to contact them, and if no success then we just assume that they're 'pushing up daisies'.
Especially anyone who is really getting well past it.
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Don't we have to give an email address upon opening a membership at this site?
I remember that I did - perhaps the missing member can be contacted through that?
And if no reply, at least there was an attempt.
 
I've given the other mods my home contact details and I have theirs (somewhere, I think!).

If one of us keels over, you'll hear about it sooner or later.

Having had one moderator vanish into the ether a number of years back, Stu's keen that we maintain lines of communication for use in emergencies.
 
Ronnie Jersey said:
Don't we have to give an email address upon opening a membership at this site?
I remember that I did - perhaps the missing member can be contacted through that?
And if no reply, at least there was an attempt.
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We do have access to the email addresses used at registration, but we're loth to use them unless there's an apparent emergency.
 
Floyd1 said:
I've often wondered about how will we know if someone's croaked it? ...
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Someone has to notice, and to notice an absence implies the possibly missing / gone person was sufficiently / regularly engaged in the forum's traffic to be expected and missed.

Even then, there's no telling whether someone's silence is ominous or not. People arrive and depart the forum all the time.

Consider the case of member ChesterTheVestDetector, who first arrived in early June 2012 and posted one of the most memorable IHTM stories this forum ever hosted:

Invisible Smoker
https://forums.forteana.org/index.php?threads/invisible-smoker.49099/

Within a very few days of his original posting and interactive responses to our questions, Chester went silent. This was unfortunate, but not unusual. It's common for new members to post something (especially an IHTM incident) and disappear when discussion fades on that one particular topic that seemed to have motivated them to join in the first place. This was such a common occurrence that some members mentioned it in Chester's thread after he went incommunicado.

More than 4 months later one of Chester's close acquaintances joined and posted to notify us Chester had died of Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome (SADS) only 4 days after originally posting his IHTM story. If the acquaintance hadn't invested the effort to join and notify us of his death (and his pleasure at the reception he'd received about his story) we'd never have known.
 
EnolaGaia said:
Someone has to notice, and to notice an absence implies the possibly missing / gone person was sufficiently / regularly engaged in the forum's traffic to be expected and missed.

Even then, there's no telling whether someone's silence is ominous or not. People arrive and depart the forum all the time.

Consider the case of member ChesterTheVestDetector, who first arrived in early June 2012 and posted one of the most memorable IHTM stories this forum ever hosted:

Invisible Smoker
https://forums.forteana.org/index.php?threads/invisible-smoker.49099/

Within a very few days of his original posting and interactive responses to our questions, Chester went silent. This was unfortunate, but not unusual. It's common for new members to post something (especially an IHTM incident) and disappear when discussion fades on that one particular topic that seemed to have motivated them to join in the first place. This was such a common occurrence that some members mentioned it in Chester's thread after he went incommunicado.

More than 4 months later one of Chester's close acquaintances joined and posted to notify us Chester had died of Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome (SADS) only 4 days after originally posting his IHTM story. If the acquaintance hadn't invested the effort to join and notify us of his death (and his pleasure at the reception he'd received about his story) we'd never have known.
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How kind of them to notify you -
I remember what drew me here, it was the 'Ilkley Moor Alien Photo' and the excellent discussion on this forum, and when I saw all the other interesting topics I wanted to stay.
 
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