Lexulous Would Like a Word With You
Playing games online is fun. You get to meet some interesting people. Some like to engage in light banter in the chat window. Some get downright nasty. Meet some of my friends from Lexulous: Loopylinda, Louise63, Buspum, NatalyaB and Jovanix. Aren’t they hilarious?
Lexulous.com
I like playing “Scrabble” online. I get up early and usually devote an hour to it instead of doing something constructive like watching “Torchwood” on Netflix.
I grew up playing board games with friends and family. Monopoly, Checkers, Risk (sounds like an REM song) and, of course, Scrabble.
I’m good with words so I usually win. This drives my family crazy, but I try to be lenient; I’m just that good.
However, in the virtual world, I’m not as good as I think.
Years ago, I got really excited when it became possible to play Scrabble online — with other people! I was living in Virginia and I would play my friend, Randi, in Florida. The Internet connection I had with Adelphia was awful and we would spent most of the time reconnecting.
Scrabble moved around a bit and was found on playsite.com, games.com, pogo.com and then it was gone. I think Hasbro, the owners, yanked it offline in a hissy fit because they weren’t making any money.
There are EIGHT tiles!
There are EIGHT Tiles!
Then, some Scrabble knock-offs came online. Some were really awful and then there was Lexulous. Lexulous is similar to Scrabble, but with some differences, notably there are eight tiles, not seven (imagine Captain Picard from Star Trek saying that: “there ahr eight tiles!”). OK, never mind. And the values are different for the letters.
So, I’ve been playing Lexulous for a thousand years now. You start with 1200 points and team up with random people from around the world (and beyond). I usually find people from Australia, New Zealand, India, Alpha Centauri, and sometimes, like 20 miles away (creeeeepy).
A few years ago, I got my score up to 1977. Wow! Almost gonna break 2000. Then I went on an epic slide. I went down into the 1600s and have been clawing my way back up. I seem stuck in the high 1700s. I win a few then lose a lot, win some, lose more. I feel like Sisyphus pushing that boulder up the hill. Only, he had it easy compared to what I’m going through!
Usually, the people are very pleasant. Sometimes we do not exchange a single word, and sometimes we carry on lengthy conversations. When I get an Australian, I tell them I lived in Sydney and we exchange the “have you gone to…” “did you see the…” sort of stuff.
Dark-Sided
But, there is a dark side. Some of the people on there are just rude, nasty, and out of their freakin’ minds. Just this morning, I was playing “Loopylinda.” All was going well, I won one, she (he or it) won one and then the last game I was behind and I placed my last set of tiles. The system froze. The timer kept running but I couldn’t submit. This happens a lot. So I hit the refresh. Well, that threw the game out. Sorry, not intentional. Loopy will still get the win in three days and the coveted points. But, in the chat window I received the following: “jerk.”
I wrote back that I was locked up and hit refresh. Oh no. I can’t ever play Loopylinda again that’s for sure. Apparently there is a way for people to “censor” you. Sometimes people get all mad at me and then I am censored! Ha! You will never play me again, you, you, meany head!
Lazy Slack Cow
Then, some people just get way carried away. Here’s an exchange I saved from three years ago and had posted on my Facebook page. Get a load of this (Note: some of the language is inappropriate):
September 23, 2012 ·
Played online Scrabble (Lexulous) the other day and had this friendly conversation with my opponent once I started winning: louise63: u did nothing u took all my work
Me: huh?
louise63: u don`t deserve to win lazy slack cow
Me: ok thank you
louise63: you gave back nothing selfish bitch
louise63: go rot
Me: ok. thanks for the feedback.
louise63: f**k off stupid fat cow
louise63: still doing nothing still useing the other person `s work and giving nothing back it`s a game for two people not just you fatso
Me: i’m not fat. but thanks for pointing out my character flaws.
louise63: ha ha your loosing
louise63: you will never WIN another game
Me: oh no! whatever shall i do?
louise63: die bitch
louise63: u r loosing because you are tro slack to think for yoursef you have to take everybody else`s work
What’s up with Louise63? Does she know Loopylinda? Why do they get so mad all the time? This exchange, actually, is not even the worst I’ve gotten!
NatalyaB Hates Me!
UPDATE: On the morning of April 22, I was engaged in a close game with NatalyaB. I ended up winning by two points, but this was after losing the previous game. The screenshot shows Nat’s displeasure with my come-from-behind win. So, today, I engaged in a friendly game with Buspum. Buspum taunted me (see screenshot) and I lost anyway (by 2 points). I thanked him/her/it and bid him/her/it a good day. I expect to get censored at any time because I am so evil.
Filthy Anagrammer
But, I’ll keep playing. I play honestly, even though I’ve been accused of being an “anagrammer.” I don’t know what that is. I think there might be some online system to figure out words or something. If I put down a big-point “bingo” and get like, 103 points, then I get the virtual wagging finger pointed in my face: “Anagrammer! Burn at the stake, anagrammer!” Of course, I rarely get those but my opponents frequently do. But I’m the censored anagrammer. Don’t hang around with me, I’ll steal your vowels.
I Am a Sick Bastard, Apparently
Just another day playing the family-friendly game. Today, I played Jovanix who hails from where I don’t know. The score was pretty close but I won by ten in the end. As a way to congratulate me on my epic win, Jovanix and I had the following exchange (I edited some of the naughty bits but I’m sure you can figure out the actual text):
jovanix: f*cking c*nt
jovanix: beat you
jovanix: unbeleiveble chating
jovanix: f*cking unbeliavble
Me: i won by ten and i have score of 1742. really?
jovanix: you are f*cking sick bstard
jovanix: f*cking sick cheating c*nt
Me: ok if you say so. its only a game keep calm
jovanix: go f*cking die together with all your filks
jovanix: f*cking c*nt
Me: i don’t cheat if i did my score would be much higher
Me: ok have a nice day
jovanix: when you f*cking day
A new exchange!
PerfectStorm: you got to be kidding me (I played ZOUAVES for 77 points)
Me: no. it’s real look it up
PerfectStorm: of course it’s real
PerfectStorm: the game would not allow the word if it wasn’
PerfectStorm: my question is whether YOU knew it
PerfectStorm: or a computer helped you get the word
PerfectStorm: go try it with someone else
Me: yes, I am a history fan so i knew it was
PerfectStorm: sure
Me: fuck you!@
PerfectStorm: awwww
PerfectStorm: true colors are showing huh?
Me: just because i got a good word does not mean i am a cheater you i just happened to get the letters
Me: if i was such a great cheater would my score be 1758?
PerfectStorm: do you mind
PerfectStorm: i’m playing a game
Me: i do mind because i see this all the time just because i happen to get a good word means i am cheating it’s a random game and it is only a game jsus fucking christ
PerfectStorm: if it’s a game, then go play
Me: i ususlly do not respond to this shit but i have just about had it
PerfectStorm: and quit chatting me
Me: i’ll go hide under my dark rock now
PerfectStorm: i have asked you to stop several times now
