On 13/02/2024 7:39 p.m., Tom Beecher wrote:
Except we aren't really "post-pandemic" despite the claims that we are.
"post-pandemic" the way that I used it was to mean "after the COVID lockdowns, with close to normal travel gatherings".
It certainly wasn't intended to be commentary on the current state of COVID, if it's referred to as 'pandemic' or 'endemic' , etc. Nor does that sort of convo really belong anywhere near this list.
Understood that you may have not meant it as commentary. Just knowing about how words shape people's thoughts there are those who hear that phrase as an "all clear" even if it wasn't meant to be in your case. Some who use the phrase do mean it that way, and the parroting of it re-enforces the agenda of those who do. (Even if that wasn't your intent.) Words have meaning, sometimes beyond the initially obvious. It's a bit like I find it annoying that the Firewall/NAT boxes sold for home use to share an IP address get called "routers". Yes, they do technically route packets but the fact that they are called routers means that when you search (your favorite search engine here) for "router" because you want something that will announce your IP block to the internet (or even a static route to an upstream) the search gets polluted with a bazillion of the NAT/firewall boxes that won't do what you want to get done. There is a reason I make a point of calling them "NAT/Firewall" devices to avoid confusion, unfortunately this still leaves no unambiguous way to refer to "routers that aren't NAT/Firewall only devices" that a search engine can understand. (This has since been alleviated for me now that MikroTik has become my "go to" brand but it makes things tricky for new people who are looking all over for something that will get the job done while still stretching the budget.) The intent of my post was simply to bring some insight into why some people aren't showing up to events from the "COVID aware" perspective. Even if it's not visible who is missing, there are people missing for this reason. If COVID really was truly over all these people _would_ be back, it's not just inertia keeping people from coming back, it's the continuing problem that's keeping them from coming back. How long this will be the case depends on what happens in society at large. My post wasn't meant to target you in particular, I was meaning to reply before that but it seemed like the best spot to reply to encompass what had been said so far. -- Glen A. Pearce gap@ve4.ca Network Manager, Webmaster, Bookkeeper, Fashion Model and Shipping Clerk. Very Eager 4 Tees http://www.ve4.ca ARIN Handle VET-17