If you read the thread, it is play. Dew is teasing and people are doing it in turn.
Dew likes it because it makes people click on his link and he is trying to keep the thread going.
The Professor is at a conference and not getting notice about ths thread, and I don’t want to move it to free for all because then it could get totally out of hand without my being able to do anything about it. (moderation doesn’t work there).
So here it stays as long as it is harmless.