Quatloosian Peerage, a Primer

[Gregg]

Some of you may have noticed that poster ranks for almost everyone is based upon post count. You start out as a "stranger to Shores" or something, at a certain point you become a "Swabby" and others until you reach "Admiral of the Quatlosian Seas". For most people, that's the pinnacle of status here, based entirely upon how many times you pipe in and given automatically by the software.

But if you look closely, you may notice that some of us have unique titles, some are somewhat arcane but most are based upon your demonstrated background or personality. A very few of them have in the past been badges of dishonor, but I'd say that is less than 5, certainly less than 10 in the history of the board. Most of them, though, are given in recognition of the significant contribution a poster has made, its an honor and though the actual title is often tongue in cheek, to be so ennobled is quite a thing. Most of us who have titles, like the real life British Peerage, have had them quite a long time and the roots of them go back to when the board only had a few dozen or a few hundred total members. Of course, for every Duke of Norfolk, there are some Sir Elton John KC, both honors but some more ancient and serious than the others (of course we're all life peers, we haven't as yet made anyone a hereditary peer).

I bring it up because we have recently discussed giving titles to a few new people. As I said, the last time I did it, I think the person who was titled may have taken it as taunting him, and that's the farthest thing from how it was intended.

In the last 10 years its been very rare that we given these esteemed titles, and the last one I think I may have actually pissed off someone who I was trying to endear because the title could be taken as somewhat sarcastic. I assure you, that is not what we're trying to do here. If you get a custom title, consider it an honor and if it's something that you object to, please let us know and we can certainly work with you on that. We're trying to express admiration, though.

I have in the past listed some guidelines for Titles, perhaps in the part of the forum only the help can see, but I can't find it now, it must have been before one of our several purges of data caused by the Great Crash, I, II and III. So here are some of the things about them.


If you have to ask, you're hurting your chances of every getting one.
We may ask if you're OK with it, but you don't get to choose it.
Almost all of them are old original posters and were once the most coveted status symbol.

My own is a pun on "Count the Money" and my background in Finance and Central Banking, which was a lot more recent when I got it. At the time, the whole building cars gig was still a little experimental. You really know me well if you remember me wearing a suit and tie to work, and a very few old friends can even remember when I went over the pond to work/study in the City of London and Covent Garden/Clare Market. Had to flush out the Illuminati Credentials, afterall.

[ManontheClaphamBus]

It is a well understood principle, with honours in the UK, that the potential recipient is contacted in advance and asked if they would be minded to accept, should they be offered.

A significant % decline, for whatever reason.

You would be well advised to operate to the same principle.

[Gregg]

I would also point out that of course, when we started Quatloos was almost exclusively a colonial enterprise, and since we have now developed a very distinct and significant UK contingent, our members who are subjects of the Queen have a slightly different way of looking at this. Y'all have real life knights and dukes and viscounts, and see it quite apart from us savage americans might.

[Gregg]

It is a well understood principle, with honours in the UK, that the potential recipient is contacted in advance and asked if they would be minded to accept, should they be offered.

A significant % decline, for whatever reason.

You would be well advised to operate to the same principle.

Of course, we'll take that under advisement. Its all in fun, afterall.

[longdog]

As a socialist and a republican I couldn't possibly countenance such honours. However if such an honour were thrust upon me by the high ranking Quatlooserati I would carry the indignity with fortitude

[grixit]

Of course, your handle alone looks like a title that might be bestowed on a follower of Greg, who is after all, the one with all the longdogs.

[grixit]

But that doesn't explain how we also ended up with a Double Long.

[Siegfried Shrink]

What an odd topic to start. O/D on Royal Wedding cake?

[longdog]

Of course, your handle alone looks like a title that might be bestowed on a follower of Greg, who is after all, the one with all the longdogs.

No sir... This is a long dog...



Whereas this is a longdog...



To quote Wikipedia...

A Longdog is a crossbreed between two sighthounds. They are distinct from the Lurcher which is a cross between a sighthound breed and a non-sighthound breed (usually a herding breed, gun dog or a terrier). The Longdog is an attempt to create a better coursing dog, and is not expected to have the working qualities of a good Lurcher, although a few come close.

Whilst I am a great fan of the Dachshund, particularly since my neighbour recently acquired an adorable puppy of this noble breed, I'm a sighthound man to the core. Currently two working stock (but purely pet) whippets, a greyhound and a smooth saluki.

[AndyK]

But that doesn't explain how we also ended up with a Double Long.

It's a counterbalance to the sovereigns' Double Wides.

[AndyK]

As a direct affront to all our English (as opposed to American) speaking members:

Purveyour Of The Unshourn Ewe

[Gregg]

What an odd topic to start. O/D on Royal Wedding cake?

It actually came up among the Moderators in the part of the forum most members can't see. The instant case involves the Canada Forum, but since the last time I suggested someone turned out the way it did I thought I'd try to explain it. There are at least 5 posters who have been mentioned, and some of them post mostly in the UK Forum.

[SteveUK]

Well, it would be rude not to accept a peerage if on offer. I quite fancy Baron in honour of BDW. It's got a nice ring to it, and I reckon quatloos credentials carry more weight than the embassy of the house of ward.

[grixit]

Whereas this is a longdog...



To quote Wikipedia...

A Longdog is a crossbreed between two sighthounds. They are distinct from the Lurcher which is a cross between a sighthound breed and a non-sighthound breed (usually a herding breed, gun dog or a terrier). The Longdog is an attempt to create a better coursing dog, and is not expected to have the working qualities of a good Lurcher, although a few come close.

Ah, i see. It is long but on the other axis.

[longdog]

Ah, i see. It is long but on the other axis.

Indeed.

[NYGman]

Ah, i see. It is long but on the other axis.

Indeed.

Would it not be more correct to call it a talldog then? Long is typically a descriptor used for length, while tall is more in line with height.

Although knowing how English rules can be, I am guessing it isn't named after the height, but more likely they were used by longshoreman and derived their name from that. What ever it is, my guess is it isn't a reference to the animals height.

[King Lud]

I think it might have got the name due to the the length of its legs. Could be wrong though.

[longdog]

Longdogs are long in the body for dogs of their weight but the long legs make things look more proportioned. If you think about it whippet is not that much different in shape to a dachshund it just has longer legs.

To be honest I don't know why longdogs are called longdogs other than to distinguish them from lurchers and pure bred sighthounds... They had to call them something I suppose.

[SoLongCeylon]

If you have to ask, you're hurting your chances of every getting one.
We may ask if you're OK with it, but you don't get to choose it.

Will making repeated donations lead to the proposal of getting a title being received sooner than it otherwise would have done?

[Burnaby49]

In the last 10 years its been very rare that we given these esteemed titles, and the last one I think I may have actually pissed off someone who I was trying to endear because the title could be taken as somewhat sarcastic. I assure you, that is not what we're trying to do here. If you get a custom title, consider it an honor and if it's something that you object to, please let us know and we can certainly work with you on that. We're trying to express admiration, though.

We've had a long draught between flurries of titles. Donald Netolitzky was very recently awarded one, not (as far as I'm aware) for his Quatloos postings, which are at the moment few, but for his tireless efforts as a scourge of Canadian Freemen. He did this through his numerous scholarly publications on the topic and because of his employment as a lawyer at the Alberta Court of Queen's Bench, the home of the notorious ACJ Rooke and Meads v. Meads. He gets huge street creds for working in the belly of the beast, the most aggressive anti-Freeman court in Canada.

Prior to that (apart from Gregg's lone outlier) we have to go way back to mid 2014 when Hilfskreuzer Möwe and I had ours bestowed on us. Möwe promptly disappeared shortly thereafter and has not returned.

In any case the management may start reviving the custom. No currently posting Brit has a title although by sheer volume alone you guys overwhelm the postings. I had no choice in mine and, notwithstanding your ancient and venerated customs, I see no reason why any of you should have a choice in yours.