# Is this taking Wilding just a bit too far



## jennyp19 (Jan 3, 2011)

Buyers are camped in our garden over Christmas - MoneySavingExpert.com Forums

Happy New Year folks

Come on, own up who is it?


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## Tony Lee (Jan 3, 2011)

Not me, but that thread is a very good example of absolute misuse of the "thanks" button. The stupider and less useful the comment, the more people hit the thanks button.




> Strangely enough, the buyers were named Jones .... hmm!
> 
> The Following 7 Users Say Thank You to Running On Empty For This Useful Post:





> Keep an eye out for Kings and Shepherds....
> 
> The Following 3 Users Say Thank You to Raksha For This Useful Post:


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## John H (Jan 3, 2011)

Tony Lee said:


> Not me, but that thread is a very good example of absolute misuse of the "thanks" button. The stupider and less useful the comment, the more people hit the thanks button.


 
But don't you want to know how many stupid people there are out there?


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## Firefox (Jan 4, 2011)

Well how about this: 



> They don't have a dog and a peg bag do they?
> 
> The Following 57 Users Say Thank You to poppysarah For This Useful Post:


Yes, chortle, chortle. That was a really useful post worth 57 thanks I'm sure 

That's why they removed the thanks here, it was a joke, gamed to death and had lost it's real purpose. Similar junk you can activate on forums includes "user ratings" which again is gamed to absurdity, usually by a couple of cliquey groups.

Interesting thread though. I think the people complaining about buyers camping for a few days should get a life and be glad they found a buyer. There's plenty of people who can't get a buyer. No matter what people have, they always take it for granted and want to moan 


(Edit: Just noticed OP in the other thread did not know what a Pegbag was !!! Looks like Poppy's little jape was totally lost on them!)


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## Tony Lee (Jan 4, 2011)

> Interesting thread though. I think the people complaining about buyers camping for a few days should get a life and be glad they found a buyer. There's plenty of people who can't get a buyer. No matter what people have, they always take it for granted and want to moan



Yes, I guess the buyers should have phoned ahead, but maybe they didn't have contact details. Regardless of the buyers' minor failing, the sellers are a pretty miserable pair aren't they. I'm surprised they don't rush out and get a penny in the slot lock for their dunny to teach the buyers an even bigger lesson in hospitality.


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## Deleted member 967 (Jan 4, 2011)

Tony Lee said:


> Yes, I guess the buyers should have phoned ahead, but maybe they didn't have contact details. Regardless of the buyers' minor failing, the sellers are a pretty miserable pair aren't they. I'm surprised they don't rush out and get a penny in the slot lock for their dunny to teach the buyers an even bigger lesson in hospitality.


 
It was noticable that they turned up in a caravan.  It later turned into a Motorhome.

The guy gave consent to park.  Then complained not to the caravanner but to the world.


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## John H (Jan 4, 2011)

Mmmm.....you do all realise that the whole thing is a joke, don't you?


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## Tony Lee (Jan 4, 2011)

John H said:


> Mmmm.....you do all realise that the whole thing is a joke, don't you?


 
Darn, our devious plot is exposed. Yes John, it was all set up by the anti-Thanks-button activists. Trouble is some idiots went too far.


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## jennyp19 (Jan 4, 2011)

*Thanks button*

When a thread is that long, people hit the thanks button to find where they have read up to.    Maybe should be called something else - but, hey, who cares, lighten up - New Years Resolution, to not be so grumpy, and think positive.

The saga is still ongoing - True or Not, it made a lot of people laugh & still is.

Maybe the humour of it didn't translate to a lot of people but I think its funny - you could just see it as part of a sit com.


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## Firefox (Jan 4, 2011)

The thread is 22 pages long now.

It' clearly a spoof after you read past the first couple of pages.

They post a picture of the "touring caravan" in their front garden:













http://img820.imageshack.us/f/theclampets.jpg/

Hmmm... their front garden appears to have an 8 foot high chainlink fence with concrete posts and three strands of barbed wire on the top! Perhaps they should have spent a second or two longer getting a more appropriate image from google image search!


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## John H (Jan 4, 2011)

jennyp19 said:


> When a thread is that long, people hit the thanks button to find where they have read up to.    Maybe should be called something else - but, hey, who cares, lighten up - New Years Resolution, to not be so grumpy, and think positive.
> 
> The saga is still ongoing - True or Not, it made a lot of people laugh & still is.
> 
> Maybe the humour of it didn't translate to a lot of people but I think its funny - you could just see it as part of a sit com.


 
If we had a thanks button, I'd press it now! There's no in point getting uptight about something that is so obviously a spoof.


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## jennyp19 (Jan 4, 2011)

John H said:


> If we had a thanks button, I'd press it now! There's no in point getting uptight about something that is so obviously a spoof.



Don't you think its just plain polite to press a thanks button - it gives people an idea whether a post has been read and worth posting anything else - more friendly somehow.


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## James1968 (Jan 4, 2011)

The reference to a 'dog and a peg bag' refers to the fact that Roma Gypsies tend to sell pegs door to door, and the Irish Traveler scum tend to come complete with a dog.
The photo posted on the thread was of the camper whilst it was in the local Police pound, not whilst it was on the home-sellers driveway.


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## James1968 (Jan 4, 2011)

If you think the thread is wierd, try this one for a laugh UPDATED *its done!*Our buyer wants to bury their dead dog in our garden - MoneySavingExpert.com Forums. You need to read it with a Monty Pythonesque style of humour in mind though.


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## Firefox (Jan 5, 2011)

jennyp19 said:


> Don't you think its just plain polite to press a thanks button - it gives people an idea whether a post has been read and worth posting anything else - more friendly somehow.


 
I don't think that is what a thanks button is meant to be for in my humble opinion. If you read a post and like the thread, then add something useful to the thread yourself. It's possible to see how many people have read the thread by looking at the "read" number without using the thanks.

I think the thanks button is supposed to be used to encourage really useful or funny posts from members so it rewards people who post well and generally makes the whole forum more worthwhile. 

Unfortunately it is often used, especially among groups of cliquey forum mates to reward "Haha, I agree, LOL" type posts made by other members of the cliquey group.


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## John H (Jan 5, 2011)

jennyp19 said:


> Don't you think its just plain polite to press a thanks button - it gives people an idea whether a post has been read and worth posting anything else - more friendly somehow.


 
Yes I do - and, as I said above, I cannot understand why some people are getting so agitated over something which doesn't matter - especially since the thread in question is so obviously a spoof. If you don't like the "thanks" button you don't have to use it - so why does it matter if others are using it as a shortcut to saying "I agree with you" ? Even if others are using it as a competition to see who can get the most thanks, I say again, why does it matter?


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## Firefox (Jan 5, 2011)

To answer John, it matters because the concept is to encourage useful and funny posts thus improving the forum.

If the forum fills up with people gaming thanks numbers on "hello" and "LOL, I agree" posts in every section, then the forum becomes unusable. People complain they can't find things amongst pages of garbage posts.


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## John H (Jan 5, 2011)

Firefox said:


> To answer John, it matters because the concept is to encourage useful and funny posts thus improving the forum.
> 
> If the forum fills up with people gaming thanks numbers on "hello" and "LOL, I agree" posts in every section, then the forum becomes unusable. People complain they can't find things amongst pages of garbage posts.


 
1. There is no doubt the thread in question is amusing, so if the thanks button is there to encourage funny posts it has succeeded

2. Not having a thanks button does not mean that you only get sensible contributions! As Jenny said, "lighten up".


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## Firefox (Jan 5, 2011)

Well I'm glad we ditched them in this forum. Best move Phil ever made


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## MSE (Jan 5, 2011)

Firefox said:


> Well how about this:
> 
> Yes, chortle, chortle. That was a really useful post worth 57 thanks I'm sure
> 
> ...


 



Nope!

The 57 thanks were for referring to another forum thread , also about a Mr Jones who was selling his house, which had the buyers bringing their deceased dog along for burial in the vendor's garden. This was another hilarious thread which many of us over on MSE think was written by the same person using a different username.


"James1968

    The reference to a 'dog and a peg bag' refers to the fact that Roma Gypsies tend to sell pegs door to door, and the Irish Traveler scum tend to come complete with a dog.
    The photo posted on the thread was of the camper whilst it was in the local Police pound, not whilst it was on the home-sellers driveway. "

Also nope! (see above)


The chainlink fence in the photo also mentioned here was from the pound, not the poster's garden.



Oh yes, and we had a great laugh about your thread here too .


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## kangooroo (Jan 5, 2011)

Firefox said:


> Interesting thread though. I think the people complaining about buyers camping for a few days should get a life and be glad they found a buyer. There's plenty of people who can't get a buyer.



I've only just found the thread and read through the first half of it then jumped to the end.  I'm assuming (hoping) that it's a well-written spoof to provide some amusement over the Christmas break - and it's succeeded.  A highly imaginative tale - well done to 'Mr Jones'.

But......

If it's not and there is actually any truth in it, then it reads more like a well-contrived scam to me in order to secure a camping spot by posing as potential purchasers before they move onto the next place.  

If this tale were genuine, my first step would be check that the camper-squatters had actually sold a property in Devon (which I doubt very much).  

With the irresponsible (IMO) way the vendors are behaving, if the squatters are scammers, then they could string this out for some time - add in a few more family problems, move a few more family members into the driveway/house and they could have secure accommodation with all facilities laid on and service with a smile for at least a month - and all free of charge.  Also, should anything be stolen from the property, the vendors will almost certainly have no insurance cover.  The squatters have not exchanged contracts, proved they have the funds to purchase the property or indeed made no commitment to purchase it and I feel the vendors are behaving very foolishly.


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## Firefox (Jan 6, 2011)

I read the first few posts and assumed it was genuine. After all, they do have a Money Savers Arms forum for jokes and stories etc, so I guessed the other forums were for genuine money saving expert type advice and ideas.

But after reading a couple of pages or so it was an obvious spoof with later pictures of false teeth and campervan pictures lifted from image searches when it was supposed to be a "touring caravan" earlier on in the thread 

I'm surprised the mods hadn't moved it to their joke forum long ago


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## kangooroo (Jan 6, 2011)

I think the thread is written by someone with a vivid imagination which he clearly enjoys expressing - and does so rather well. 

There are a few dubious anomalies - a shower in a VW campervan together with a saniflo loo with macerator (not a porta potti!)..???!!  The VW pic was supposedly taken in the police compound but there was no snow on the vehicle - yet I'm sure it was snowing that night in his area.  

Also I think 'Mr Jones' slipped a little by implying he doesn't have property contents insurance - that doesn't ring true on a MSE forum.

I'm ploughing through the 'dead dog' thread now which is very similar and written in a very similar style.  It's all very amusing and compelling reading.  I've done little else this evening!


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## Firefox (Jan 6, 2011)

Oh yes, they've certainly got some imagination. Latest picture is some stock photo of rubbish piled up outside a house 

Interesting to see also that the Money Saving Expert heavyweights are also arguing among themselves when the thanks button should be used here:

Thanking Etiquette - MoneySavingExpert.com Forums

And OMG, one of them has 90,000 posts since Aug 2005 

I thought we were bad... but talk about spending your life on a forum!!


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## kangooroo (Jan 6, 2011)

Firefox said:


> I thought we were bad... but talk about spending your life on a forum!!


 
Guilty as charged, but it is a fun way to waste far too much time!


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## kangooroo (Jan 6, 2011)

Firefox said:


> Interesting to see also that the Money Saving Expert heavyweights are also arguing among themselves when the thanks button should be used here:
> 
> Thanking Etiquette - MoneySavingExpert.com Forums



PS  *Thanks*... for the link! 
(Sorry - couldn't resist )


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## Firefox (Jan 6, 2011)

No probs 

You're allowed to thank me for that one, because the post had some content and was even vaguely on topic!


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## kangooroo (Jan 6, 2011)

Just finished the dead dog thread now including post #532 and suddenly, from post #2, the driveway campers thread falls into context and place.  I'll say no more - I don't want to ruin it for anyone stumbling upon it by chance and missing out on the enjoyment I've had in reading through it.

Again, very well done to 'Mr Jones'!


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## I Love MSE 2 (Jan 6, 2011)

Firefox said:


> *Interesting to see also that the Money Saving Expert heavyweights are also arguing among themselves when the thanks button should be used here:
> *
> Thanking Etiquette - MoneySavingExpert.com Forums
> 
> ...



Hello from the MSE forums.  Interesting that you should post a link to that thread, as when I was reading through this one (after following a link on the buyers camped in garden thread) I thought how well you would get on with Quote (original poster).  

I'm pretty sure one of the posters from the Arms has over 1 million thanks 
And for the record, I'm almost certain the the Jones family were the buyers with the dead dog and the bag for life.  One thing's for sure I certainly don't want to keep up with the Jones's, their life is way too hectic.


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## jennyp19 (Jan 6, 2011)

I Love MSE 2 said:


> Hello from the MSE forums.  Interesting that you should post a link to that thread, as when I was reading through this one (after following a link on the buyers camped in garden thread) I thought how well you would get on with Quote (original poster).
> 
> I'm pretty sure one of the posters from the Arms has over 1 million thanks
> And for the record, I'm almost certain the the Jones family were the buyers with the dead dog and the bag for life.  One thing's for sure I certainly don't want to keep up with the Jones's, their life is way too hectic.


 
The name of the poster is Lakshmi  (Thanked 2,985,084 Times in 88,599 Posts)  she posts loads and loads of competitions on the competition forum, for everyone to enter free.  
That forum has enabled me to win loads of stuff over the past 3 years - guilty as charged, I spend ages on MSE.  
The site is not just about the moneysaving, although it does help, and it has been a lifeline to a lot of people.  I first came across it when I was wanting to claim back extortionate bank charges my daughter had racked up and the help was brilliant.

Pleased some of you enjoyed the OP.  at least it got people talking !!!!


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## defitzi (Jan 7, 2011)

*thanks but no thanks*




so thank you one and all but the Facebook  like would seem to be the answer     just a click and people can express their agreement, thanks, pleasure  tghanks or what have you regarding posts -or you can make a comment quite easily.

I still thing being able to say thanks -to people who have assisted with a reply or information-is worthwhile...courteous and pleasant.


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## Fleming (Jan 7, 2011)

I miss the thank-you button to thank you for this hilarious threat


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