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View Full Version : Thread derailing, flaming & the cage forum



jimnyc
10-26-2008, 07:45 AM
This has been a rough week for the board regarding personal attacks and good discussions being ruined. Quite frankly, I don't see a whole lot of innocent parties. While some attacks are much more personal and vile than others, lesser flaming also contributes to otherwise decent threads being ruined.

What one might consider a very minor personal statement could still lead to things progressing to worse and worse. A small personal attack is like opening Pandora's box and the evil and vile statements tend to ooze out through the door.

Although not a rule by any means, I have asked many to please stop using a certain members first name, and to address this person by his screen name. This has not happened. I have asked some to take the higher road in their responses, even if what they're replying to was a flame. This has not happened. I have asked members to place others on ignore if those members lead them to make statements that would even make me blush. This has not happened.

I made it clear a long time ago that the use of the C word on this board will not be tolerated. I made it clear within the past few weeks that using terms such as "See you next Tuesday" or other ways of bypassing the boards filter system will not be tolerated. 3 members were banned as a result, 1 liberal and 2 conservative, so please spare me the claims of bias. While my statements were generally directed towards members using this word towards other members, I would prefer it not be on my board at all, not even if innocently placed in threads via pictures to make a political statement. There are quite a few women on this board, liberals and conservatives alike, that I have an immense amount of respect and admiration for. They have been nothing short of completely kind and friendly towards me, some have befriended me, and they have all been set back and disgusted by the free use of this word. Out of respect to them, there will be zero tolerance on this word. Use it in any way, shape or form and you will be logged off for 48hrs. There will be no discussion as to my tolerance level of this word.

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Going forth, I am asking members to please leave *personal* attacks outside of the threads. Sure, flame away at one another about politics and one anothers beliefs. Make fun of their candidate, make fun of their opinions, poke at them about what you may perceive as a silly response. Nothing is off limits - EXCEPT for disrupting the threads by bypassing the topic of discussion and turning the threads into personal attacks. If you're in the midst of a heated debate and feel the need to get a tad personal - take it to the cage and start a thread there. I'll give you all the freedom to state what you want inside the cage, so long as the C word isn't used and family members aren't brought into the discussion out of the blue.

I'm not pointing fingers at anyone specifically by this announcement. Some made disgusting comments in the past few weeks. Some made mild personal comments. Many participated as a whole.

So please, keep the gutter talk in the cage and lets try and keep the political threads to jousting about what they were meant for - politics.

Have a question or concern, shoot me a PM and I will happily address any of your concerns.