Please Stop The Personal Attacks

Debora · Joined: Mar 28, 2004 Posts: 1769 Location: Iowa

The bickering back and forth in this forum has to stop. I have spent my morning deleting and fixing posts all over the place due to complaints in my inbox. I just hope those of you who are regulars to this forum will step back, take a look at your posting habbits, and remember that this is a DEBATING forum, not a place to take out your personal frustrations on each other.

As I stated Before:
Several threads within PGeeks have begun to spiral downward to personal attacks....and by that I mean truly personal attacks not just opnions about certain posts..... Because this is not what LG is about, please stay on topic, and refrain from such. If you have a problem with a particular post or poster, please report the post instead of slamming them personally in the actual forum. The offending post will be looked into by one or more mods and decisions will be made as to whether to delete it or not. But it is not instant so please also be patient.

We encourage active debate, but personal, truly personal attacks will not be tolerated, just remember to keep on topic and debate the posts....NOT the poster personally...

I will continue to delete posts that are personal attacks against our members.... if your actual point gets deleted in the process then so be it. I know no other way to stop this nonsence.

Thanks.....

jeber · Joined: Dec 19, 2002 Posts: 4198 Location: The Village

Recently, we had several issues regarding this forum, relating mostly to the use of provoking avatars and impolite terms used to describe other people.

I remind you, this forum was established to give you a place to carry on discussions and debates on issues related to politics, religion and the effects of the Internet on our daily lives. It was never intended to be, nor shall we allow it to become, a bully-pulpit for any single philosophy, be it leftwing or rightwing.

AdmiralJustin has said quite well in the Forum Announcements what our stance is on avatars. Avatars are meant to be your "face" in this textual environment. If you wish to be thought a facist, bigot or moron, and use an avatar that presents you as such, don't be surprised at the reactions you get. You're free to use whatever avatar you wish within our guidelines. Any avatar that's not PG-13, is obscene or otherwise outside the guidelines set down by AdmiralJustin should not be used.

We do have a word-filter on the entire forum. The banned words are for the most part obscenities. One is a racial slur. We cannot possibly ban every word someone might find offensive. So I would ask you to carefully choose your words when posting. Use common sense. You can make your point without offending other members. Remember, this forum has members from many different nations, cultural backgrounds and personal persuasions. They all deserve respect, even if you disagree with their opinions.

KEvron · Joined: Jul 06, 2005 Posts: 297

we might also refrain from making insulting and dismissive comments about millions of our fellow americans. while i've been the target of contempt for my use of "chimp" and "chimpco", in reference to the pResident and his admin (who are NOT members of this forum), these same critics freely cast disparaging remarks about all liberals and democrats. many in this forum (including myself) label themselves as such, thus they become the targets of these comments. sweeping comments such as these are tantamount to bigotry, and have no place in this forum.

oldwolves · Joined: Sep 03, 2004 Posts: 1360

Part of the problem seems also to be those who refer to other posters comments as "dubious" or their opinions as "absurd". These comments are allowed and some people might think that the person using these phrases are vulgar and immature. So if the usual profanities are deleted then shouldn't self serving opinions of other members such as those above be deleted too? When I respond to this name calling I am censored even though I don't use name calling. Perhaps my humor and constructive criticism is overtly obvious, however, I would think that the post that started with the name calling should be removed too.
Let's be fair. I understand that some on this forum are incapable of returning witty repartee without calling names and they need to have the administrators to bail them out. But please remind those that use the above phrases that if they wish to antagonize in lieu of debate that they will be censored more often.

Freedom

tony7914 · Joined: Dec 24, 2004 Posts: 4961 Location: Peru Indiana

mommabear · Joined: Feb 20, 2003 Posts: 6317

tony7914 · Joined: Dec 24, 2004 Posts: 4961 Location: Peru Indiana

mommabear · Joined: Feb 20, 2003 Posts: 6317

tony7914 · Joined: Dec 24, 2004 Posts: 4961 Location: Peru Indiana

oldwolves · Joined: Sep 03, 2004 Posts: 1360

This is from the the brittish Blog "the Daily Mail".
It's how some brittish schools are handling a similar issue.
Maybe we can all learn through this. :whistling:

You can use the f-word in class (but only five times)
09:58am 29th August 2005

A secondary school is to allow pupils to swear at teachers - as long as they don't do so more than five times in a lesson. A running tally of how many times the f-word has been used will be kept on the board. If a class goes over the limit, they will be 'spoken' to at the end of the lesson.
The astonishing policy, which the school says will improve the behaviour of pupils, was condemned by parents' groups and MPs yesterday. They warned it would backfire.

Parents were advised of the plan, which comes into effect when term starts next week, in a letter from the Weavers School in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire.

Have your say » Assistant headmaster Richard White said the policy was aimed at 15 and 16-year-olds in two classes which are considered troublesome.

'Tolerate but not condone'

"Within each lesson the teacher will initially tolerate (although not condone) the use of the f-word (or derivatives) five times and these will be tallied on the board so all students can see the running score," he wrote in the letter

"Over this number the class will be spoken to by the teacher at the end of the lesson."

Parents called the rule 'wholly irresponsible and ludicrous'.

"This appears to be a misguided attempt to speak to kids on their own level," said the father of one pupil.

Should have do's and don'ts

Nick Seaton, chairman of the Campaign for Real Education, said: "In these sort of situations teachers should be setting clear principles of 'do and don't'.

"They should not be compromising in an apparent attempt to please the pupils. This will send out completely the wrong message.

"Youngsters will play up to this and ensure they use their five goes, demeaning the authority of the teacher."

Tory MP Ann Widdecombe said the policy was based on 'Alice in Wonderland reasoning'.

"What next?" she asked. "Do we allow people to speed five times or burgle five times? You don't improve something by allowing it, you improve something by discouraging it."

'Praise postcards'

The 1,130-pupil school, which was criticised as 'not effective' by Ofsted inspectors last November, also plans to send 'praise postcards' to the parents of children who do not swear and who turn up on time for lessons.

Headmaster Alan Large said he had received no complaints about the policy. "The reality is that the fword is part of these young adults' everyday language," he said.

"As a temporary policy we are giving them a bit of leeway, but want them to think about the way they talk and how they might do better."

END

Freedom

Gary66 · Joined: Sep 01, 2005 Posts: 8353

If posts and threads are going to be indiscriminately deleted/ closed without notice or warning then what is the point. Some of these posts are closed for no reason. One way to reduce antagonism is not to over moderate a forum. Particularly a Political forum . :hmm:

Debora · Joined: Mar 28, 2004 Posts: 1769 Location: Iowa

Post are not indiscriminately deleted or closed..... but when posts are made not do debate a topic but to cause nothing but an argument that is not nor will it ever be tolerated here. The PG forum is over moderated for a reason..... It has to be....... Those of us who are moderating it do so under the direction of the owner of the forum and no one else. Those rules are as they have always been and I don't see them changing.

They are done without warning however, in the PG forum and that has been a long standing item. See the pinned threads in the forum if you need a refresher.

Gary66 · Joined: Sep 01, 2005 Posts: 8353

It would also be nice if Moderators and or Admins returned a PM when they get one. Some items I personally do not like to discuss in the open Forum. And if a Members thread is going to be closed or a post deleted is it that much to ask for a simple PM as to Why?

Debora · Joined: Mar 28, 2004 Posts: 1769 Location: Iowa

It is posted in the forum description that when rules are violated there are no warnings given, posts and or threads will be closed, taken down, edited as deemed necessary without a personal message each and every time.

Gary66 · Joined: Sep 01, 2005 Posts: 8353

Yes but when I send a PM to an Admin or any Moderator I expect a reply.

jeber · Joined: Dec 19, 2002 Posts: 4198 Location: The Village

We have lives, too.
We try to respond to every PM we get every day from members with legitimate questions about board functions and the like, but speaking for myself, I don't feel obliged to defend my actions when they are not only in full compliance of forum rules but are also in keeping with policies already posted in the forums.
Political Geeks is too often host to flame baits and personal attacks. All who post there should be aware those posts and threads will be deleted as soon as they're noticed, without warning.
The only way to avoid this is to follow the rules and guidelines as posted.

tony7914 · Joined: Dec 24, 2004 Posts: 4961 Location: Peru Indiana

clhenry · Posted: Tue Mar 14, 2006 3:44 pm Post subject:

Why do we have a mod responding to posts now trying to edge other members on now?? Sure seems like the only intent is to get them to say something so they can be banned. Is that now the job of Mod. or adm?

Gary66 · Joined: Sep 01, 2005 Posts: 8353

Debora · Joined: Mar 28, 2004 Posts: 1769 Location: Iowa

Not at all, was only trying to lighten the mood, but it didn't come off very well via my keyboard.... as I posted there: I guess humor isn't always welcome..... I apologize and will remove the posts.... I was actually trying for clarification but my sarcasm didn't flow well online.......i do apologize....geez....tough croud