A message from Infat...

[Winston]

Is this thread or any other threads on this "subject" needed anymore, strictly speaking?

I can't be the only one with a feeling this is rapidly turning into old news being replaced with the s-word thingie.

[Lefty Scaevola]

It seves as a regulated safty valve, as long as it does not get too hot. From some it is the most interesting subject going on.

[Immortal Wombat]

You can not enforce rules without offending people who feel they should be exempt, or that their buddies should be exempt.

huh?

Sorry, I don't get what your saying.

[Immortal Wombat]

Originally posted by MichaeltheGreat
I'm sure a Klansman doesn't think the term "******" is offensive,

You reckon? He's not just deliberatly using it offensively and not caring about offense it may cause?
Dr Dre seems to use the term quite a bit though.

[Kassiopeia]

Originally posted by Winston
I can't be the only one with a feeling this is rapidly turning into old news being replaced with the s-word thingie.

Edit: Ok, that wasn't too obvious...

[MichaeltheGreat]

Originally posted by Immortal Wombat

huh?

Sorry, I don't get what your saying.

I was referring to your idea: "When we have 3 people left who have not offended anyone or broken any rules, they get to stay mods."

The moment you do your job as mod and enforce a rule, someone's going to be offended. And if you base your choice to enforce the rule on whether you're going to offend someone or not, you're simply not doing the job.

[loinburger]

Originally posted by MichaeltheGreat
Funny thing, though - when you people direct remarks at others, why is it you seem to think that it's your standards of what is offensive, and not theirs, that should be taken into consideration?

In an ethics poll a few months ago, the majority of OTers said that they were moral relativists, i.e., that they could morally do whatever they felt like. If every standard of offensiveness is equal, I might as well use the one that is most convenient, e.g., my own.

[Rogan Josh]

[Note to self: Must use more smilies in my posts]

MtG: Apologies if I caused offense. The first part of my post was meant to be somewhat tongue-in-cheek. Sorry if this was not apparent.

I was trying (obviously unsuccessfully) to make the point that you can't just ban someone because you dislike them or dislike their opinions.

Does anyone really take insults on these boards seriously anyway? Come on, most of us have never even met one another, so who cares if we don't all agree. Anyway, differences of opinion are a healthy thing.

Like I said in a previous thread, I would still buy MtG or Chris62 a pint in the pub if I bumped into them....

I think it is the system of banning which is the problem - it is too much like being told to stand in the corner and face the wall. It singles out one individual for punishment when lots of people have contributed to the problem so it seems unfair to the person banned. Wouldn't it be better to close the thread or delete posts (with explanations) rather than banning (obviously you have to permaban some repeat offenders).

[rah]

Originally posted by Rogan Josh

I think it is the system of banning which is the problem - it is too much like being told to stand in the corner and face the wall. It singles out one individual for punishment when lots of people have contributed to the problem so it seems unfair to the person banned. Wouldn't it be better to close the thread or delete posts (with explanations) rather than banning (obviously you have to permaban some repeat offenders).

I tend to dissagree. There seem to be a lot of followers here. People seem to pile on, just like traffic accidents draw a crowd. Banning everyone would make this place boring, and if you banned everything that really broke the rules, this place would be downright empty. The opposite is that you ban no one. Again, if you banned no one, it would get out of control. So there has to be a middle ground.

I also think that a lot of people like to be singled out. Ego and public forums seem to go hand in hand. One way to be singled out is to push the limits of what is allowed. Most (all, but i'm sure there's one or two really naive people) know when they're pushing the limit. They're trying to. When you do you risk. And after reading what people post at other forums, quite a few people are doing it with the intent to be banned. A badge of honor so to speak.

Our moderators are not perfect. (they're not mind readers) But in general they do a real good job. They let a lot of stuff go until it gets out of hand. When it does, someone gets punished. It may not always seem totally fair but that's the price you pay when you push the limits. It's like speeding, if you going to do it, you must accept that eventually you may get punished. The time they catch you may be when you were barely speeding, and it seems unfair. But you have chosen a driving style that includes exceeding the speed limit, so that's the price you pay.


RAH
And yes, I too would buy a pint or two for those that I may have heated arguements here. (even MarkL, well maybe there are exceptions ) j/k But it would be fun to hear some of the crap spewed here face to face so I could just reach over and smack someone.

[Lefty Scaevola]

Originally posted by Rogan Josh
[Note to self: Must use more smilies in my posts]
Like I said in a previous thread, I would still buy MtG or Chris62 a pint in the pub if I bumped into them....

If we had the courarage of our convictions, we should want to flay our enemies alive, drink their blood, eat their livers, then mutilate their souls.......

.....wait a minute, that is partly why PH was banned.

[Immortal Wombat]

Originally posted by MichaeltheGreat


I was referring to your idea: "When we have 3 people left who have not offended anyone or broken any rules, they get to stay mods."

The moment you do your job as mod and enforce a rule, someone's going to be offended. And if you base your choice to enforce the rule on whether you're going to offend someone or not, you're simply not doing the job.

I meant "offended" as in lost your mod powers by insulting a "mod". It will simply be a game for the first few weeks, perhaps month or so, then once its settled down you can start acting proper mod. Even during the game, rules are rules, and anyone breaking them will lose powers. These can be reinstated if your friends have powers. The most popular people should "win."

[MikeH]

Originally posted by Lefty Scaevola
If we had the courarage of our convictions, we should want to flay our enemies alive, drink their blood, eat their livers, then mutilate their souls.......

You can disagree with someone on principle about something and still get on with them. Some people you can agree with on almost everything and still not like them.

Hating and hurting someone for their beliefs is how you get into crazy situations where you have people blowing each other up.

[Lefty Scaevola]

Originally posted by Alexander's Horse
That bloody MTG is a kill joy. Those 2 threads were classics.
Oh for the days when complaint threads like that ran on and on for days and days.

Must be a lot of masochists around here, to post such complaint threads. The piling on by ferocious blood sucking *checks mirror*, but middling handsome, carrion consumers around here is spectacular, and does indeed, provide some of the best entertainment.

[MichaeltheGreat]

Originally posted by Rogan Josh
[Note to self: Must use more smilies in my posts]

MtG: Apologies if I caused offense. The first part of my post was meant to be somewhat tongue-in-cheek. Sorry if this was not apparent.

I was trying (obviously unsuccessfully) to make the point that you can't just ban someone because you dislike them or dislike their opinions.

Does anyone really take insults on these boards seriously anyway? Come on, most of us have never even met one another, so who cares if we don't all agree. Anyway, differences of opinion are a healthy thing.

Like I said in a previous thread, I would still buy MtG or Chris62 a pint in the pub if I bumped into them....

I think it is the system of banning which is the problem - it is too much like being told to stand in the corner and face the wall. It singles out one individual for punishment when lots of people have contributed to the problem so it seems unfair to the person banned. Wouldn't it be better to close the thread or delete posts (with explanations) rather than banning (obviously you have to permaban some repeat offenders).

No real offense taken, Rogan. That's why I was being flip back with the Val Kilmer line from Tombstone, and I wouldn't mind buying you a pint or two either.

I don't dislike Provost Harrison, and most of the time, I don't dislike Stew - hell, I don't really ever dislike him, he's just a pain in the ass sometimes.

I've also had to ban (because in my view, the job required it), people I genuinely like, including GP for a couple of fairly minor stunts, and George and I have met a couple of times in real life, and he's a great guy.

The problem with the whole Giancarlo business (and yeah, I'm the first to agree he's not "innocent" and he brings down on himself a lot of what has been directed at him) is that it has been on on-going saga for months now.

Ming and I both have deleted threads, talked to posters privately, talked to Giancarlo, banned him, given out small bans and warnings to others, and despite months of that, then someone starts a serious thread, which degenerates into a name calling pissing match when it gets threadjacked.

The thing with taking insults seriously is that yeah, some people do. Obviously I can't be too thin skinned, or I wouldn't have taken this job.

I don't particularly like banning people, but it doesn't phase me, either - I'm permabanned by name and IP from a site I was associated with for a long time, and you know what? I don't care. Life goes on, both on and offline, and there's always ways to keep in contact with people you know.
So having been on the receiving end, it phases me less than it ever did, because it really is no big deal. In the end, none of this is.

[Gatekeeper]

Everyone:

Damn! I just ran out of popcorn and soda! Hang on a bit while I go get refills, will you? Pretty please?

CYBERAmazon