Toning it down a bit

[jimnyc]

There's been quite a bit of bad blood on the board lately. The controversy is good, the topics generally good, and its made for good debates.

But too many threads are evolving into nothing that resembles the original posts. Fighting, name calling, vulgarity, accusations...

I'm just asking everyone to take a breath of fresh air! We're all mostly happy, healthy and have the ability to get on this board and share our views on any number of subjects. We take a lot for granted. With all the bad crap in this world I just don't see a point in losing any sleep over things that happen on a message board.

I've come to know so many of you and have made many friends. I can assure you that I like you all a lot better when the debates are aggressive, yet mature. There is sarcasm, but it's tempered. We post like adults, but remember that children can access this board, as well as parents and grandparents.

So while I still encourage an 'adult based debate' board, I don't want things to get out of hand. When we moderate more aggressively, we get in hot water and accused of censorship. When we rarely intervene, things tend to spiral out of control. There has to be a fine line, and that's where the members come in. We're all adults and I think we know right where that line is. Let's please try to stay behind it and make this place better for all of us.

[Baron Von Esslingen]

I'll give it a shot, Jim.

[nevadamedic]

Do you want us to tone it down in the steel cage as well? We can still fight and argue with people if we keep it clean right?

[Mr. P]

There's been quite a bit of bad blood on the board lately. The controversy is good, the topics generally good, and its made for good debates.

But too many threads are evolving into nothing that resembles the original posts. Fighting, name calling, vulgarity, accusations...

I'm just asking everyone to take a breath of fresh air! We're all mostly happy, healthy and have the ability to get on this board and share our views on any number of subjects. We take a lot for granted. With all the bad crap in this world I just don't see a point in losing any sleep over things that happen on a message board.

I've come to know so many of you and have made many friends. I can assure you that I like you all a lot better when the debates are aggressive, yet mature. There is sarcasm, but it's tempered. We post like adults, but remember that children can access this board, as well as parents and grandparents.

So while I still encourage an 'adult based debate' board, I don't want things to get out of hand. When we moderate more aggressively, we get in hot water and accused of censorship. When we rarely intervene, things tend to spiral out of control. There has to be a fine line, and that's where the members come in. We're all adults and I think we know right where that line is. Let's please try to stay behind it and make this place better for all of us.

It's a nice social experiment, Jim. IMO. But you're asking for the impossible.
In life we function within the rules/Laws or face the consequents. Some never follow the rules. Even as adults we know there are enforcers, Police, courts, etc. to rid society of those who do not wanna behave. They're there for good reason.

It must be the same in cyber space, maybe more so because folk don't come face to face, and there is no peer pressure, the only consequents faced are the rules and enforcement.
Without rules or enforcement you have zip here..and anarchy. You can ask everyone to be nice till the cows come home and it ain't gonna work. IMO

The fact is, there must be rules that ARE enforced for good reason, not whim, I've seen too much whim in the last few days..

Free speech is great but...don't yell fire in a theater.

I know you know this stuff..I just wanted to toss my 2 cents in..

Raise the bar.

*Yes, I'm guilty of being less than civil sometimes*

[darin]

It's a nice social experiment, Jim. IMO. But you're asking for the impossible.
In life we function within the rules/Laws or face the consequents. Some never follow the rules. Even as adults we know there are enforcers, Police, courts, etc. to rid society of those who do not wanna behave. They're there for good reason.

It must be the same in cyber space, maybe more so because folk don't come face to face, and there is no peer pressure, the only consequents faced are the rules and enforcement.
Without rules or enforcement you have zip here..and anarchy. You can ask everyone to be nice till the cows come home and it ain't gonna work. IMO

The fact is, there must be rules that ARE enforced for good reason, not whim, I've seen too much whim in the last few days..

Free speech is great but...don't yell fire in a theater.

I know you know this stuff..I just wanted to toss my 2 cents in..

Raise the bar.

*Yes, I'm guilty of being less than civil sometimes*

The Mazda forums on which I participate are NEVER as vulgar and nasty as here.

It can be done - they do it through pressure from the mods/admins and 'few questions-asked' banned. In fact, I was banned once for this gem:

"I hate it when mods on ANY forum get on power-trips and wear their rank on their sleeve"

Reason? "Attacking" the mods on the forum.

DP isn't going to be like that - we think the membership here will LOVE a board free of blatant bullshit; a board where heated discussions happen - but the heat STOPS at thread's end. It's SO annoying to have frustrations between users bleed into EVERY NEW THREAD...know what i mean?

[Mr. P]

The Mazda forums on which I participate are NEVER as vulgar and nasty as here.

It can be done - they do it through pressure from the mods/admins and 'few questions-asked' banned. In fact, I was banned once for this gem:

"I hate it when mods on ANY forum get on power-trips and wear their rank on their sleeve"

Reason? "Attacking" the mods on the forum.

DP isn't going to be like that - we think the membership here will LOVE a board free of blatant bullshit; a board where heated discussions happen - but the heat STOPS at thread's end. It's SO annoying to have frustrations between users bleed into EVERY NEW THREAD...know what i mean?

Sure I know what you mean, and if it bleeds they should go.

[nevadamedic]

The Mazda forums on which I participate are NEVER as vulgar and nasty as here.

It can be done - they do it through pressure from the mods/admins and 'few questions-asked' banned. In fact, I was banned once for this gem:

"I hate it when mods on ANY forum get on power-trips and wear their rank on their sleeve"

Reason? "Attacking" the mods on the forum.

DP isn't going to be like that - we think the membership here will LOVE a board free of blatant bullshit; a board where heated discussions happen - but the heat STOPS at thread's end. It's SO annoying to have frustrations between users bleed into EVERY NEW THREAD...know what i mean?

Why cant there be a specific Steel Cage Thread for diffusing problems so when porblems spill over to new threads mods can mak them go there?

[nevadamedic]

The Mazda forums on which I participate are NEVER as vulgar and nasty as here.

It can be done - they do it through pressure from the mods/admins and 'few questions-asked' banned. In fact, I was banned once for this gem:

"I hate it when mods on ANY forum get on power-trips and wear their rank on their sleeve"

Reason? "Attacking" the mods on the forum.

DP isn't going to be like that - we think the membership here will LOVE a board free of blatant bullshit; a board where heated discussions happen - but the heat STOPS at thread's end. It's SO annoying to have frustrations between users bleed into EVERY NEW THREAD...know what i mean?

I dont mind it when the threads get heated and an occasional word or two will come out out but there are a couple of users whos everyother word is vulgar and profanity and that is uncalled for.

[darin]

Why cant there be a specific Steel Cage Thread for diffusing problems so when problems spill over to new threads mods can make them go there?

Things haven't stayed there. Tis MUCH better to tell members to CONTROL themselves than to make allowances for their behavior.

[nevadamedic]

Things haven't stayed theres? Tis MUCH better to tell members to CONTROL themselves than to make allowances for their behavior.

But why not give them a place to squash their beefs, Pale did it with Doni and their personal attacks havent come back into all different threads, so I think it could work with everyone else as well, just my opinion though.

[darin]

They both have full-use of the Private Message Feature if they REALLY want to mend fences. What's been happening is one guy trying to make the other look like a fool - it's one-ups-man-ship. It's not problem-solving. Guys like you just must like to sit back and watch the fireworks.

[Kathianne]

Several are singing my song. Seriously, there can be something inbetween my ideas and a free for all. For the most part, seems you are working towards it. I know the problems with my take, only those that can stick to a topic and express themselves with minimal vulgarities survive. Then there is the opposite end of the spectrum, which is really flaming and slamming. Either extreme is not in the board interest. IMO.

[TheSage]

It's a nice social experiment, Jim. IMO. But you're asking for the impossible.
In life we function within the rules/Laws or face the consequents. Some never follow the rules. Even as adults we know there are enforcers, Police, courts, etc. to rid society of those who do not wanna behave. They're there for good reason.

It must be the same in cyber space, maybe more so because folk don't come face to face, and there is no peer pressure, the only consequents faced are the rules and enforcement.
Without rules or enforcement you have zip here..and anarchy. You can ask everyone to be nice till the cows come home and it ain't gonna work. IMO

The fact is, there must be rules that ARE enforced for good reason, not whim, I've seen too much whim in the last few days..

Free speech is great but...don't yell fire in a theater.

I know you know this stuff..I just wanted to toss my 2 cents in..

Raise the bar.

*Yes, I'm guilty of being less than civil sometimes*

Damn p, when did you become such a little suckup? lol.

[TheSage]

It precisely because you've eliminated the steel cage that frustration bleeds over into other threads. Please think, board management.

And the nicey nice feeling totally disspates when mods play favorites and abuse their power. The culture of tyranny and abuse starts at the top.

[darin]

It precisely because you've eliminated the steel cage that frustration bleeds over into other threads. Please think, board management.

It's people with no self-control. Has nothing to do with the Steel Cage. The problem is not with what we allow or not allow - it's with a handful of users who lack the maturity and self-discipline to keep from turning threads into bullshit.

And the nicey nice feeling totally disspates when mods play favorites and abuse their power. The culture of tyranny and abuse starts at the top.

If you don't stop from trying to turn this thread into bullshit (I've had to delete three of your other "replies") you'll have plenty of time off to think about learning to control yourself.