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This blog tries to be
a home for those who enjoyed posting
on the old BBC Word of Mouth Message board
— and anybody else with an interest in language.

If you want to start a new discussion, please do one of the following:

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or
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Wednesday 23 March 2011

Welcome to Word-of-Mouthers

Welcome to devotees of the soon to be defunct Word of Mouth Message Board

I have no idea whether this will work, but I'll give it a try.

Let me know what you'd like to talk about and I'll see if I can organise it as a discussion. I'll be the host, which is actually not something I look forward to. It could be a disaster or it could be fun.

Post your suggestions to this thread.

To do this you don't have to become a follower, but you do have to establish an identity. You can read the blog at any time, but you have to sign in before you can post.

I'll start by choosing one of your suggestions to create a thread that we all can contribute to. If that works, I'll start some more threads. I've never done this before, so I don't promise to make a success of it  but let's try.

If you're totally new to this environment, try this:

  1. Click on the heading to the thread
  2. Type a few characters in the box
  3. Select as profile Google Account
  4. Click Preview
This should get you into a screen where you can create an identity. 


Once you've done this you'll be able to Sign In any time by clicking the button in the top right-hand corner. 


Remember to sign in before you start composing your replies. If, however, you forget to do this, the trick is: 
  1. Copy the whole reply Be careful not to delete it
  2. Sign in
  3. Return to the blog and start a new reply
  4. Paste in the reply
  5. If necessary, restore any lost formatting
A similar operation will allow you to remove typos or make other corrections.
  1. Copy the whole reply — Be careful not to delete it
  2. Start a new posting
  3. Paste in the reply
  4. If necessary, restore any lost formatting
  5. Publish the corrected version
  6. Click the little dustbin icon below the uncorrected version.
This will leave the message This posting has been removed by the author — which I'll delete when I see it. 

25 comments:

  1. Hello, David. Please ignore the "8". It's a remnant of my address. Looking forward to seeing how this works.

    I don't know why this is Anonymous: I'm Brian Duncan, but with a gratuitous "8"

    ReplyDelete
  2. A site dedicated to communication; could it be called a commune?
    Discuss?
    Actually, 'Commune' is not a bad name for the site.
    What think you?

    ReplyDelete
  3. Brian

    Click on your name and look for the EDIT PROFILE button. Click on this look for Display Name in the section headed Identity. Delete the 8

    At least that's what works with the profile that I obtained.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thanks, David. As you see, I'm me again. Trouble is, I can't think of anything to say.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Google has other plans, Brian.

    It seems you're stuck with brianduncan8.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I managed it - I think.

    Now I can't think of anything to say either.

    ReplyDelete
  7. You did, Jean. Welcome!

    The last time I looked at the ex-Radio4 site, it was the same there. Everybody's too concerned with navigating to sites to have any time to spare to think of a topic. No doubt it will change.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Brian, you may not have lost your 8, but you have acquired an image!

    I'm toying with the idea of becoming a follower of myself, which would allow me to contact you more directly. I'm not committing myself right now, but I haven't ruled it out entirely.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Its the admin that thinks up of a topic to discuss on exradio4 forum

    ReplyDelete
  10. Is that a good thing or a bad thing, Laptop?

    ReplyDelete
  11. Hi David. I've returned from greener vistas (my allotment) to discover that the dastardly deed has been done and my chums at WOM are out on their ear. Well done on coming to the rescue! And now that I'm following you on blogger I'll get a prompt at my blog whenever you do a new post. So lot's of bad news - but not all bad.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Hi Mal. Welcome, and many thanks for posting on the Language and the State thread!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Hello David, so glad I've found you. I wouldn't have if I hadn't had the WoM board on bookmark and saw the link Jean posted (thanks Jean!). I'd more or less given up on the WoM board anyway so I can't be too distressed that it has disappeared, and think it is only fitting that Mimi disappears with it! I'm a bit busy at the moment with Spanish revision (halfway through the GCSE exams) and preparing for a trip to Valencia for 5 days with my daughter, leaving on Saturday, but I'll be looking in even if I'm not posting. And I can't tell you how delighted I am to be able to see what you look like - very similar to how I had imagined, funnily enough. Will try to return the favour but it might take me a while to do this! Lovely to see Jean, Brian and Mal here too.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Hi Maddie/Mimi!

    Welcome on Board! Any suggestions for a topic?

    ReplyDelete
  15. Do you get the impression that we're missing the trolls? Does it need some idiot to post something outrageous to get us going? Maybe we're just tired.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Buenos dias, David. Actualmente, Mimi esta muerte (RIP - LOL!).
    Sorry, I'll switch to English now.
    I'm liking the thread on email etiquette but don't have time to post on that now - hopefully come back to that later or before I vanish to Valencia! I also haven't had time to listen to WoM so I should do that first really :-). Can't resist the odd smiley - you know me.
    Some observations while I'm here - time tags on messages seem to be out, not that it matters greatly, I'm just letting you all know I am not an insomniac posting in the early hours!
    Title of the blog fits the purpose but it could do with being a bit, er, snappier. I wouldn't suggest that you change it for the moment while there is the chance that other former WoMbods might find you. Jean - where's the Nickster? Please bring him here if you can, I'm sure you must have ways of communicating with him via Proboards.
    Topics for discussion - ah well, I did toy with a few ideas for WoM before I decided it wasn't worth it because it would get trashed by Johnny (and no, Brian, I am definitely NOT missing the trolls, how lovely to be in a safe haven!).
    As I can now truly be myself, I might post a few outrageous things from time to time ...

    ReplyDelete
  17. David, you'll probably also have noticed that your Followers have disappeared - I should be on there too when you get it back because I put it on my Profile earlier today (hey, I'm finding this quite easy so far!).

    ReplyDelete
  18. Maddie, the followers come and go as I switch from screen to screen. You're not among them yet — unless you're an anonymous 'virtual presence'.

    Yes, the Present Perfect Narrative got out of hand. It wasn't nearly so sprawling when I was composing it. Then when I switched to Preview there were so many horrendous technical problems that I couldn't think critically. If i do another thread like that, I'll use links rather than pasting quotes from other sites.

    I never intended to make OP's like that and the Language and the State thread. But nobody has yet offered a suggestion.

    There is another forum you can reach by clicking here. It also had a very slow start, but it seems to be picking up. Some joker has made me 'global moderator' without consulting me.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Aqua flits about here and there, Maddie - I've sent him a message.

    ReplyDelete
  20. David thanks for the subtle link to the other place, not sure if I'll join - mainly because my time on forums/blogs is seriously limited! Especially right now - sorry, just logged on to upload the photo really.

    Jean, thanks for passing on the message - nothing changes hey, floats like a butterfly stings like a bee ...can I attract him with some sugary nectar?

    ReplyDelete
  21. David, thank you for the link of 13th April. I don't think I'll join, though. The forum in question has too many of the worst aspects - or do I mean aspects that bring out the worst in me? - of the old "WOM" board.

    ReplyDelete
  22. David, thank you for the blog. The title is nothing but perfect. Language itself started like this - word of mouth. I'm new here. it's a shame I didn't find time to log in before.

    ReplyDelete
  23. This blog doesn't seem to have been used for 8 years now. Does that mean it is defunct? We were wondering about David's contributions on Zetaboard's word of mouth.

    ReplyDelete