IMHO: Use of the QUESTION-MARK Emoji, WITHOUT Attribution, is the very worst abuse of the system.

On 6/6/2026 at 3:37 PM, johnnybgood said:

Maybe posters can just learn to argue their point

An Internet forum is an online discussion platform where people can hold conversations

It is only the immature, or children, as you put it who need to argue and win. At school we didn't all belong to the Debating Society; we didn't need that to develop critical thinking.

4 hours ago, VocalNeal said:

we didn't need that to develop critical thinking

Yes, IMHO, "critical thinking" is the very worst kind.

Critical Thinking should be banished from Public Schools, and all schools, actually.

Let's just slurp the AI pablum being every-increasingly fed to us, day by day, year by year.

Also, most importantly: Many was NEVER created to have a brain.

God never wanted Man to have a brain.

This was His only mistake.

So, from this, we can infer that God is not perfect.

To Josephbloggs...

Fm Gamma

You have asked for clarification of my comment....

ALSO....

While the forum has improved by finally showing the name of the person, YOU, using the question mark, a major problem remains. Knowing your identity is helpful to me, but your use of a simple symbol still fails to explain exactly why you are confused. Without written words pointing out the specific problem in the text, the author, ME, has zero information to fix it for you. To actually receive clarification, you must write a sentence explaining exactly what you do not understand.

Are you able to pinpoint exactly what you find UNCLEAR?

IF you can...I will do my best.

But, if you DO NOT KNOW what is unclear, then I cannot help you further.

Do you understand this dilemma, Khun Joseph?

I am here and willing to help you if I possibly can.

Fortunately, now, the TV forum helps me to identify you, the confused one, so that I can respond more constructively.

Please provide more information about your confusion.

Thank you.

Best regards,

Gamma

IMPORTANT NOTE: There is a very wellknown quote that is going around on TV::: It goes like this....

I CAN EXPLAIN IT TO YOU...but....

I CANNOT UNDERSTAND IT FOR YOU....

Have you ever read this on TV??????

Edited June 7Jun 7 by GammaGlobulin

6 minutes ago, GammaGlobulin said:

To Josephbloggs...

Fm Gamma

You have asked for clarification of my comment....

ALSO....

While the forum has improved by finally showing the name of the person, YOU, using the question mark, a major problem remains. Knowing your identity is helpful to me, but your use of a simple symbol still fails to explain exactly why you are confused. Without written words pointing out the specific problem in the text, the author, ME, has zero information to fix it for you. To actually receive clarification, you must write a sentence explaining exactly what you do not understand.

Are you able to pinpoint exactly what you find UNCLEAR?

IF you can...I will do my best.

But, if you DO NOT KNOW what is unclear, then I cannot help you further.

Do you understand this dilemma, Joseph?

I am here and willing to help you if I possibly can.

Fortunately, now, the TV forum helps me to identify you, the confused one, so that I can respond more constructively.

Please provide more information about your confusion.

Thank you.

Best regards,

Gamma

You said "IMHO: Use of the QUESTION-MARK Emoji, WITHOUT Attribution, is the very worst abuse of the system." What did you expect to happen?

And you failed to explain why it was the very worst abuse.

It is funny that it riles you so much.

28 minutes ago, GammaGlobulin said:

God never wanted Man to have a brain.

This was His only mistake.

Who is he? Where does he hang out? What does he do on the weekends?

1 minute ago, josephbloggs said:

You said "IMHO: Use of the QUESTION-MARK Emoji, WITHOUT Attribution, is the very worst abuse of the system." What did you expect to happen?

And you failed to explain why it was the very worst abuse.

It is funny that it riles you so much.

I am NOT riled, in the least.

All authors love feedback.

However, when feedback contains ZERO INFORMATION, then we are at a loss how to help our readers.

You used a symbol, a single emoji, without explaining the reason(s) you are confused, or are unclear.

Now that you have used plain English, it is up to the author to help you understand what should have been obvious from the beginning.

The worst abuse is to criticize an author without informing the author exactly what you find to be objectionable.

You provided ZERO information when you used the QuestionMark Emoji.

This does NOTHING other than stir up nebulous negativity, and this is why it is an abuse of the proper way to provide feedback to the author.

Still: It is admirable that TV has now changed a bit to identify and show the users of the QuestionMark Emoji reaction symbol.

This is the only way for authors improve, through feedback from readers.

When you identify exactly what is confusing you, then the author can decide if he/she wishes to take the time to elucidate further in order to try to resolve your confustion.

I never reply to ThumbsDown or ThumbsUp, or any other kinds of emoji.

However, when you use the QuestionMark emoji, then I feel more motivated to reply to people like you.

Hope this is clear.

I CAN EXPLAIN IT TO YOU...but....

I CANNOT UNDERSTAND IT FOR YOU....

Have you ever read this on TV??????

Who said this....

On TV?

Any guesses?

And, this is so true, too.....!

Dear Folks....

Let us attack this issue of CLARITY from a MUSICAL PERSPECTIVE....Shall we????

Let us say that you hear a diminished 7th chord.....along the way.....

And, let us say that you think this chord is not clear...

What do YOU do?

Do you immediately resort to posting a QuestionMark Emoji on our TV Forum?

Or, why not just investigate what is wrong with YOU that you are not able to appreciate this BEAUTIFUL chord?

Or, here is another interesting Musical Example....

What about if you are listening to CSTNY, and you suddenly happen upon lyrics that puzzle you?

Do you POST ON TV the fact that you think these lyrics are.....UNCLEAR...thus exposing your lack of curiosity, and perhaps stupidity and ignorance?

Why would YOU wish to do such a foolish thing????

For example: You might hear the stanza.....

BIG BIRDS FLYING ACROSS THE SKY.....

In your blessed ignorance, you do immediately think of the Sesame Character....BIG BIRD and mistakenly believe that this makes no sense?

Or, are you an adult?

And, when you see the stanza: BIG BIRDS ACROSS THE SKY......

You try to use your brain, instead of relying on your infantile/child mind?

Do you need everything to be clear like pablum, or clear like mud?

If you do not take charge of your own brain, and try to investigate for yourselves that which is not immediately apparent, then....you...folks....will....

Remain like children.

Please do NOT rely on TV Authors to do your thinking for you, by posting some ambiguous QUESTION-MARK emoji.

Thank you, Folks.

We authors are just too busy to cater to your ignorance and explain every little thing.

And now, let us listen to CSNY, sing about Big Birds flying across the sky....

What image does such a line evoke in your pea brain, I do wonder.....

https://youtu.be/Um9ciR4yajU?list=RDUm9ciR4yajU

Edited June 7Jun 7 by GammaGlobulin

For some very UNCLEAR reason, this Big Bird song would not upload to the TV Server....

So, here it is, which is added due to the failure of the server, and not my failure....

https://youtu.be/Um9ciR4yajU?list=RDUm9ciR4yajU

NOTE: I really should be saying....HOPELESS, HOPELESS, HOPELESS, instead of helpless.....considering the state of the TV Server, at this time. This is just the way it is. And, so....

DEAL WITH IT.....

I guess.

Edited June 7Jun 7 by GammaGlobulin

Big Birds Flying Across the Sky......

One of the greatest lyrics for young adults, IMHO.

But.....WHAT....WHAT.....does this really mean?????

Should we ask for more CLARITY.....?????

Trying to ask for perfect clarity only diminishes the lyrics, and the music.

Life is not CLEAR

Life is not FAIR, either.

Just deal with it.

Please do not send me any more QuestionMark Emoji...because.....

YOU are the one who needs to make sense of the world, for yourself, and by yourself.

I cannot find CLARITY....FOR you....

Clarity is an unatainable JOURNEY......Folks.....!!!!

Old man lying by the side of the road

With the lorries rolling by.....

As buildings scrape the sky.....

What does this MEAN......???

Should we send a QuestionMark Emoji to Neil Young?

Do you think?

The ambiguity in these lyrics are just too ambiguous for you?

Then, should you Gmail a QuestionMark Emoji to somebody, or other?

Dead man lying by the side of the road

With daylight in his eyes....

But, what might this really MEAN.....?

Why is it not more......CLEAR....we wonder.....on this TV Forum......

Are you able to tolerate a bit of ambiguity in your life, Sir?

The REAL question is:

ARE YOU GRADUATED......????

Please listen to this song, and then send me a QuestionMark Emoji if you STILL do not understand the meaning....

The meaning of LIFE, I mean......

But FIRST...

Are you experienced?

And, what does Hendrix mean by some sort of .....

MEASLY LITTLE WORLD, of yours......???

Do you know?

Please do not let your measly little world affect the rest of us on TV.

If you do not understand....then....

Get out and LIVE,.....

Thank you.

Gamma

Note: Attend a few dynamite unis and listen to some weird profs profess to you things which you might not know.....etc, etc., etc.,......

Edited June 7Jun 7 by GammaGlobulin

At the risk of revealing my age, I was shocked to learn that the eggplant was not an emoji for those of us who like Baba ghanoush. Just to be clear, the question mark is "WTF" right?

23 hours ago, GammaGlobulin said:

It would be interesting to break this down further into

laptop

desktop

mobile

Also

by operating system would be important

For this purpose, assuming that we're discussing Windows, there is no distinction between laptop and desktop. Both use same OS, both have keyboard and mouse or pad so aside from screen size, the operation is the same. Similarly with Apple devices

It might make more sense to break it down into 4 categories thus:

1 Windows desktop or laptop

2 Mac desktop or Macbook

2 Android phone or tablet

4 iPhone or iPad

Edited June 8Jun 8 by VBF

12 minutes ago, VBF said:

For this purpose, assuming that we're discussing Windows, there is no distinction between laptop and desktop. Both use same OS, both have keyboard and mouse or pad so aside from screen size, the operation is the same. Similarly with Apple devices

It might make more sense to break it down into 4 categories thus:

1 Windows desktop or laptop

2 Mac desktop or Macbook

2 Android phone or tablet

4 iPhone or iPad

Actually, for any website, such as TV, there is a vast amount of data, termed Analytics, that records metrics such as OS, platform, size of screen, and much more.

This data is required in order to optimize the site for the users of said website.

As for me, I am more interested in what OS TV members are using.

Just out of curiosity.

I would like to know what percent of TV members are using Linux and Android.

That is all......

On 6/5/2026 at 7:02 AM, rocketboy2 said:

Bring back the red thumbs down.

And show who did it.

The reaction emojis are not anonymous, easy to see who applied them.

1 hour ago, Liverpool Lou said:

The reaction emojis are not anonymous, easy to see who applied them.

Bu they were anonymous when the post you quoted was made on Friday 5th June.

On 6/6/2026 at 4:39 PM, CharlieH said:

70% pc 30% mobile

How about flashing the meaning of the emoji when you pick one on mobile devices for those of us not stuck in their condo all day? At least if it's not what we intended we could change it.

Edited June 9Jun 9 by gargamon

1 hour ago, gargamon said:

How about flashing the meaning of the emoji when you pick one on mobile devices for those of us not stuck in their condo all day? At least if it's not what we intended we could change it.

I do not care about this, so much.

It only takes me about two or three weeks to memorize the meaning of 5 emoji.

BUT, I am now SO HAPPY that the emoji are no longer anonymous.

Why?

Because, if members know that their names will be attached to each emoji, then they will be far more careful and judicious in their use.

This will improve the tenor of the site.

And, strangely enough, I have already experienced having one negative emoji removed by the poster, very soon after the idenity of the poster was shown.

This is a VAST IMPROVEMENT.

Naturally, even though one might know the identity of emoji givers, one SHOULD NOT REACT.

It is the freedom of any forum reader to post an emoji.

There were always be negative feedback, no matter what the topic, and no matter what the comment.

This cannot be avoided.

However, it helps to know the intellectual level of the member who posted the emoji, or the reaction.

We can easily discount feedback from fools, once we know who they are.

Also, we can identify those who abuse the system through over-using negative emoji, or through ganging up on some author that, for any reason, any illogical reason, some member might not like.

Some members, unfortunately, are very vindictave.

It is good to know who they are.

We can discount their contributions, when we are able to identify them, and know when they have blessed us with one of their contributions.