What is happening?

[Azalin]

I'm a bit puzzled at why some people take online discussions *so* seriously, to the point of having their day to day life being influenced by them. At the end of the day, it's just a bunch of words in a virtual environment. If you want to have a real, serious discussion, go in a real pub or in your living room. Anyway, that's how I see it, and I agree with James, I wouldn't bother with a forum either if there were so many rules.

Thanks to Dale, by the way, for hosting this site, it's often very useful and it doesn't cost much

[Cubitt]

I have moderated a discussion board, and I have had the experience of having to deal with real flamers - foul language and the whole nine yards of truly unacceptable behavior. Since this is not my board and since I am not a moderator here (and not volunteering, btw), I will not criticize. Instead, I will offer my own observations of what to expect from a free-wheeling forum.

Most threads fade out on their own. If they are controversial, expect them to get contentious and off-topic at the slightest provocation. These conditions are pretty much self-governing unless there's a flamer on the loose. I've never seen that happen here - this board just doesn't attract that kind of crowd. I think there's a world of difference between being contentious - even obnoxious - and being truly disrespectful - or worse - crude. I've never taken a dislike to anyone who has posted in the Proct forum, and I have been as active there as most.

If the Proct forum comes back, I will be an active participant, but if it doesn't, that's okay. My personal thanks to Dale for having made it available at all. I learned alot from it, and it gave me a place to not only air my views, but to see how they sat with the terrific members of our flute-playin' community.

Cheers.

[gonzo914]

I still like my old idea (also put forth by whoever it is that has the puking clown avatar whose name escapes me right now but who originated the idea of calling it Proctologee) of making the Proct forum a premium feature that can only be accessed by the payment of a small honorarium. You could also charge for the Interfaith Cafe, and of course, with a platinum membership, a subscriber could get both, plus all the flange posts he or she could stand.

And of course you would want a Singles Matchmaking forum, and maybe one for the married folk who want to raise a little hell but avoid a commitment.

[emmline]

That would be Caj.

[jsluder]

I still like my old idea (also put forth by whoever it is that has the puking clown avatar whose name escapes me right now but who originated the idea of calling it Proctologee) of making the Proct forum a premium feature that can only be accessed by the payment of a small honorarium.

They could name it "Gonzo PROCTology: Subjective Controversy with Style and Grit."

[SteveShaw]

As this is a metadiscussion thread that has been let off the leash, and as I have yet to be banned, I don't see why I shouldn't wade in with my clumsy two-and-fourpence. 'Tis this. The absence of Proct together with the institution of a heavily-defended and micro-managed religion forum has sent the board off in an entirely undesirable direction. The last couple of days surely gives the lie to the hope that less moderation will ensue from this rickety setup. You'll just have to keep banning dissidents (atheists, in other words) in dribs and drabs as they stick their ugly heads above the parapet in order to achieve that, and that will just cause mucho disillusionment. There is plenty more to life, of course.

[Denny]

you say that like it's a bad thing....

[Coffee]

My Mom wasn't so musically inclined. She just always said, "People in Hell want ice water."

oooOOOOooo.....I like that one!!

Please let me know if your children come up with a successful retort, my brothers and I never dared.

If memory serves me right, in both classical and celtic mythos "hell" is actually quite cool...

[jsluder]

you say that like it's a bad thing....

Saw that on a bumper-sticker once. Well, actually it said, "You say I'm a b*tch like it's a bad thing." I didn't tailgate.

[izzarina]

Saw that on a bumper-sticker once. Well, actually it said, "You say I'm a b*tch like it's a bad thing." I didn't tailgate.

I love that one ...and I actually almost bought it for my car, but then I remembered that Mr Izz drives it more than I do....

[mutepointe]

My Mom wasn't so musically inclined. She just always said, "People in Hell want ice water."

oooOOOOooo.....I like that one!!

Please let me know if your children come up with a successful retort, my brothers and I never dared.

If memory serves me right, in both classical and celtic mythos "hell" is actually quite cool...

We're talking Catholic Hell here but my Mom would have still wiped the smile off you face with that retort.

[Cork]

As this is a metadiscussion thread that has been let off the leash, and as I have yet to be banned, I don't see why I shouldn't wade in with my clumsy two-and-fourpence. 'Tis this. The absence of Proct together with the institution of a heavily-defended and micro-managed religion forum has sent the board off in an entirely undesirable direction. The last couple of days surely gives the lie to the hope that less moderation will ensue from this rickety setup. You'll just have to keep banning dissidents (atheists, in other words) in dribs and drabs as they stick their ugly heads above the parapet in order to achieve that, and that will just cause mucho disillusionment. There is plenty more to life, of course.

Try making a blanket statement, such as, "I don't believe in religion, at all."

Perhaps that could succinctly state that you're an atheist.

Or, do you simply prefer to argue?

[SteveShaw]

As this is a metadiscussion thread that has been let off the leash, and as I have yet to be banned, I don't see why I shouldn't wade in with my clumsy two-and-fourpence. 'Tis this. The absence of Proct together with the institution of a heavily-defended and micro-managed religion forum has sent the board off in an entirely undesirable direction. The last couple of days surely gives the lie to the hope that less moderation will ensue from this rickety setup. You'll just have to keep banning dissidents (atheists, in other words) in dribs and drabs as they stick their ugly heads above the parapet in order to achieve that, and that will just cause mucho disillusionment. There is plenty more to life, of course.

Try making a blanket statement, such as, "I don't believe in religion, at all."

Perhaps that could succinctly state that you're an atheist.

Or, do you simply prefer to argue?

If anyone around here can explain to me what this post means, it probably isn't worth telling me anyway.

[izzarina]

[
We're talking Catholic Hell here but my Mom would have still wiped the smile off you face with that retort.

Off my face? Whatever for?

I didn't know there were different hells. Do we get to pick when we die? I want the one with ice cream. Or does that kind of defeat the purpose?

[Lorenzo]

I have moderated a discussion board, and I have had the experience of having to deal with real flamers - foul language and the whole nine yards of truly unacceptable behavior. Since this is not my board and since I am not a moderator here (and not volunteering, btw), I will not criticize. Instead, I will offer my own observations of what to expect from a free-wheeling forum.

Most threads fade out on their own. If they are controversial, expect them to get contentious and off-topic at the slightest provocation. These conditions are pretty much self-governing unless there's a flamer on the loose. I've never seen that happen here - this board just doesn't attract that kind of crowd. I think there's a world of difference between being contentious - even obnoxious - and being truly disrespectful - or worse - crude. I've never taken a dislike to anyone who has posted in the Proct forum, and I have been as active there as most.

Good post. And this is why it's important that everyone have a free voice in controversial discussions because some have been around the world a few more times than others and offer a more complete experience.

It has never been bad around here (compared to what?). You should join some of the religious-political boards I belong to where serious sh*t flies. Many are suing each other for defamation (per se). I think up to this point just under 100 million dollars have gone to a few law firms who are all too excited to subpoena certain posters ISP. BTW, did you know that's illegal in some states?

-back to lurk mode