I'm Famous!

[Clockwork John]

Mr. Rogers was a Presbyterian minister who was known to wear a Clergy tartan tie on occasion.

T.

He was also a Marine sniper, which is why he became a minister (guilty conscience), and has lots of tatoos, which is why he always wore long sleeves.

[davedove]

He was also a Marine sniper, which is why he became a minister (guilty conscience), and has lots of tatoos, which is why he always wore long sleeves.

That is a false rumor, much like the one about Captain Kangaroo. Fred Rogers never served in the military.

[James MacMillan]

James, you're not REALLY famous until you have people throwing rose petals before you.

I sure don't see that happening any time soon. The next time that I predict roses being thrown in my direction will be when I am in the ground, and then not often...........

[DrewO]

(2) I wonder just how many lurkers we have that just never get involved?

I was a lurker here for a long time before I joined and while I'm a member now, I generally only check in every few days and log in only when I'm making a comment.

[Gàidhlig]

It's too bad there isn't a way we can get lurkers to say hi without becoming users (and ceasing to be lurkers).

However, to say "hi" causes them to cease to be lurkers. The whole point of lurking is to not be noticed, and not chime in on conversation. Even if we change their nicknames from Lurker to "non-talker", the typing of "hi" would still negate this title. There could be a number of reasons a person becomes a lurker. Social anxiety, Forumaphobia (Fear of typing in a public online discussion forum), or really bad spelling. However with our mistery guest in this situation, I feel his lurking is caused by the facts that he doesn't own a kilt, doesn't want a kilt, and just likes to read the site. If the man doesn't have an opinion or a care, why should he be typing.
Now, that being said...the "An open letter to all forum visitors" thread would tell me that it would be a far better thing if we could get certain members to become lurkers.

[Jock Scot]

If bad spelling is a worry for the "lurkers",then they should cease to worry forthwith.I rely on the fact that British English spelling is not the same as US English Spelling!Has no one noticed my poor spelling yet?No?Great I have not been rumbled yet!More likely though,is that everyone is too polite to say anything.

[Howard Clark]

We do not often get accused of being too polite. ;)

All internet fora have lurkers, sometimes many more than participants. It is the way it is.

[macwilkin]

He was also a Marine sniper, which is why he became a minister (guilty conscience), and has lots of tatoos, which is why he always wore long sleeves.

Consult snopes.com, or your local reference librarian before making a statement like that -- as Dave mentioned, this is a classic urban legend -- a variant has the late John Denver as either a sniper or a Navy SEAL.

T.

[Clockwork John]

I stand corrected.

[Coinneach]

Ron, Jay, you are both one step away from the long sleeve green sweater vest:

At the risk of being accused of being a member of the SVP (the Sweater Vest Police), once you put long sleeves on it, doesn't it cease being a sweater vest? Do we need to call the SAL (the Sweater Anti-defamation League)?