because I have it on very good authority that Inicky does quite of bit of that kind of drinking.
as for political parties, they are all that way. Want to see a party that won't tolerate the least bit of dissent, try the Libertarians. For a party that is supposed to represent the "individual" they certainly don't support individualism. Which is a shame as they have some very good ideas, with some rather kooky ones as well.
Before I begin on a diatribe, I want to make it clear that I have no favourites here. I have no dog in any fight be it politically or religiously - that is not the reason for this post.
You've been given a very long leash on this board as far as discussion goes, and there are times where on occasion, certain members have been taking advantage of that long leash. I don't care if you feel the need to call each other idiots repeatedly - you'll do that regardless of what I say - but we would ask you to please stick to the topics at hand when doing so, rather than making every last thread solely a personal and bitter attack on those with opposing views to your own. Going forward, if your post is nothing but an attack with no merit to the discussion, it will be removed. If you feel the need to insult your fellow members without contributing to the discussion at all, send a PM and bash away to your heart's content. This board is no longer the place to do so.
We are all adults here, and there are people who would very much like to discuss the topics of this board in a more civilised manner - or failing that, one that at least exceeds that of the playground. Back your posts that you are presenting as fact with sources, and make it clear that your posts that are purely opinion are just that. As the header for the board says, this is the place for members who want to discuss and debate, not petulantly insult each other. We are all capable to a man (and woman) of being better; so let's all aim to be better, please.
I belong to a number of other sites that conduct some kind of communal interests and every one over the years has gotten rid of their version of P&R for exactly the same reasons as you're stated
Thank You. It's too bad it has come to this, but it does seem necessary.
I used to post here with some regularity. Not much anymore. It pretty much has become a two boy show here................and funny how the main guilty parties have had no comment here. Interesting.
For some this new policy will make this board a place to actually discuss topics. I had determined to avoid posting and responding to some of the worst offenders who have been hurling insults on almost every post. Well reasoned debate is what I'm after, but I'm somewhat pessimistic that this will work and the reason is that the online "culture" is awash in insults and accusations so I do think that TER is going to find itself battling a trend that has found its way into almost every online debate. It's that anonymous factor that strips away civility that is needed in an actual face to face debate (or you can get a fist in the face).
That said, I support this change.
You've been given a very long leash on this board as far as discussion goes, and there are times where on occasion, certain members have been taking advantage of that long leash. I don't care if you feel the need to call each other idiots repeatedly - you'll do that regardless of what I say - but we would ask you to please stick to the topics at hand when doing so, rather than making every last thread solely a personal and bitter attack on those with opposing views to your own. Going forward, if your post is nothing but an attack with no merit to the discussion, it will be removed. If you feel the need to insult your fellow members without contributing to the discussion at all, send a PM and bash away to your heart's content. This board is no longer the place to do so.
We are all adults here, and there are people who would very much like to discuss the topics of this board in a more civilised manner - or failing that, one that at least exceeds that of the playground. Back your posts that you are presenting as fact with sources, and make it clear that your posts that are purely opinion are just that. As the header for the board says, this is the place for members who want to discuss and debate, not petulantly insult each other. We are all capable to a man (and woman) of being better; so let's all aim to be better, please.
First of all, this has been a moderated board for a couple of years, so for management to complain about the tone of posts is more than a bit silly. If you don't like what someone's saying, just ashcan their post.
That said, the kind of "debate" that goes on here is a joke and it's why I stopped posting here except on rare occasions. I've only encountered a tiny number of people whose minds are open enough to actually reconsider their opinions.
Personally, I'd have gone the opposite direction and just unmoderated the entire board to let the monkeys fling their poo freely.
But as I said, good luck. In any case, I don't plan to start posting here again.
-- Modified on 3/25/2015 9:55:12 AM
That said, the kind of "debate" that goes on here is a joke and it's why I stopped posting here except on rare occasions. I've only encountered a tiny number of people whose minds are open enough to actually reconsider their opinions.
Personally, I'd have gone the opposite direction and just unmoderated the entire board to let the monkeys fling their poo freely.
But as I said, good luck. In any case, I don't plan to start posting here again.
-- Modified on 3/25/2015 9:55:12 AM
It's full of comments about "tone" and "insults." Sure, you also mentioned the question of content, but tone also took up at least half of what you were commenting on. For you to then assert that "The tone of the posts is not the issue" is laughable.
Please go back and read what you wrote.
Please go back and read what you wrote.
I hope your plan works, but doubt I'll be posting here much.
-- Modified on 3/25/2015 11:25:24 AM
Speaking as the last "Unpaid" moderator of this board, I wish you luck, but I predict you will either tire of pulling 75% of the posts made here, end up moderating 50% of the posters, or simply give up trying to make this place anything even close to civil and either end up simply letting it go back to the way it was or closing the board completely.
Don't feel bad though, DocGonzo, BenDover and I all reached the same conclusion after trying to ride herd on this place. I predict you will do the same in short order, especially with us coming into another election cycle. I do sincerely wish you luck however. The endless "you're an idiot" "No, you're an idiot" type threads are a bit tedious and do tend to drown out what little intelligent conversation that tries to take hold here. You certainly have my vote (not that you asked for it) if you plan on pruning the threads where the likes of nuguy on the right and bigguy on the left do nothing but exchange weak insults. Witty insults are one thing, but there is nothing witty about some of these exchanges.
In short, good luck, you are going to need it.
Speaking of people whose minds are open.
I still say that with some training and guidence you could becone a pretty good "righty"
Thank You
2015 = 2
I see myself as more of a pragmatist, and am conservative about some things and liberal about others. I equally dislike idiots on both sides of the spectrum and will happily flame them at will, though I guess that's about to get harder, lol.
That said, the problem I have with this board is similar to my issue with things in general: people bring all their prejudices to any debate and aren't really open to having their minds changed. So the debate seems pretty pointless.
I, personally, have been known to change my mind. For example, over the past year I have switched to be in favor of my personal right to own a hand gun.
...the righty Kool-Aid. You see he says "training," not education, enlightenment and persuasion. Republicans want drones who can't think for themselves. They brook no dissent - you have to follow(me) the party line on EVERY issue or they'll doubt your loyalty to the party. Big tent indeed!
because I have it on very good authority that Inicky does quite of bit of that kind of drinking.
as for political parties, they are all that way. Want to see a party that won't tolerate the least bit of dissent, try the Libertarians. For a party that is supposed to represent the "individual" they certainly don't support individualism. Which is a shame as they have some very good ideas, with some rather kooky ones as well.
And I can't tolerate it unless drunk.
Sixteen posts under your handle in thirty days. Not my idea of rare.
In your defense, five of your sixteen comments were on this thread, hoping to clarify the Higher power was not directing their scorn at you .
I've cut down my participation on this board since the stupid factor replaced
Priapus by ten fold.
He was fun to bait, his replacement is oblivious to anything except his own views.
Not speaking ill of your posts, at least you aren't overly repetitive, though your
idea of rare is overcooked. 
That said, the kind of "debate" that goes on here is a joke and it's why I stopped posting here except on rare occasions. I've only encountered a tiny number of people whose minds are open enough to actually reconsider their opinions.
Personally, I'd have gone the opposite direction and just unmoderated the entire board to let the monkeys fling their poo freely.
But as I said, good luck. In any case, I don't plan to start posting here again.
-- Modified on 3/25/2015 9:55:12 AM
after tying to find something contradictory in my posting level. I'm actually surprised I posted 11 times so far this month on other subjects. Please go back and do further research on my posting frequency so far this year. I am fascinated to know, but do not have the time, as I am doing far better things: fucking off on Jaco beach, where I also fuck Central American hookers. It is time-consuming.
For many years, this board was my "home board" not just on TER, but on the web. Going back to its inception, there was always acrimony and occasional viciousness, but there were also long and insightful commentaries by a variety of people.
There was the occasional unabashed racist (funtime69 and Tallslim26 come to mind) but even they at least tried to craft a comment relevant to their position, odious as it might be. And yes, my arguments with Xiaominglover1 when it came to matters involving Israel were quite extensive over the years and occasionally devolved into name-calling. But there was always some depth to the content and an effort at presenting a point of view, and not the boorish 1-liner trolling so prevalent today. It's driven many otherwise insightful posters to look elsewhere for political or religious based commentary and exchange of pov.
I rarely bother to even lurk on this board anymore, occasionally taking a peek or posting a comment when I feel so inclined. But not often. I saw no point in saying anything when it could be virtually assured there would be vulgar hate spewed in my direction by one or more of the current crop of resident trolls and haters.
There was a time when an OP would have thousands of page views before the thread worked its way down to page 2. Now, If 100 people read a comment, its a surprise. I attribute this degradation directly to the gutter level of verbal sewage and hate-mongering that has overwhelmed to the point very few substantial threads exist anymore, and even those are interrupted or hijacked by one of the "polarized" who hide behind their anonymity and seem incapable of any form of rational expression.
Once upon a time, this board was moderated, albeit more of a shadow moderation (I had full mod powers on this board during my tenure as Moderator, though I rarely exercised my prerogative because there was no viable need to.)
I applaud TER's decision to clamp down on the ugliness that has infected this board. I would very much like to see a return to civilized exchanges outnumbering the 1-liner trolls. It might tempt me to rejoin the conversation with substance instead of occasionally getting fed up with the inanities of those who contribute nothing but ignorance and stupidity while trying to shout down the other side.
Let's hope the haters, trolls, and fringe elements take heed. I doubt they will, and you will eventually be left with no choice but to remove this board altogether. But one can hope for improvement. It surely can't get much worse than it has.
Let's hope the haters, trolls, and fringe elements take heed. I doubt they will, and you will eventually be left with no choice but to remove this board altogether. But one can hope for improvement. It surely can't get much worse than it has.
I applaud your efforts, but remain skeptical about your chances. Quite frankly things were better when this was technically an unmoderated board. Like Doc I had full mod powers here, but rarely did any actual moderating except to enforce a couple of the "Major" rules, like using multiple aliases in a single thread, or other forms of "talking to oneself"
I hope that you take a similar approach and only remove the "No, You are a doodoo head" type posts. I agree that even that small step will clear up a lot of bandwidth for some actual conversation, but the fact remains that many, or even most people here don't want conversation, they just want to insult the "other side"
LIke Doc, I wish you luck, but like Inicky, I am highly skeptical.
So, if you recall, I started a thread that had about a dozen of my aliases calling each other rude names. You moderated me, you bastard! Oops! Sorry! I just called you a bad name! I hope that's OK.
This is the lamest thing I've ever heard.
You, on the other hand, remain permanently stuck in "Lame.
I've never came here/anywhere to have a conversation with myself.
... and my name is not Billy Bob.
It also sounds like a big job for you. I think many of us could help out by not responding to the violators. The more we respond, the more they are encouraged to continue their behavior, and perhaps the more sifting and sorting out you have to do. No sense it us making your job any harder. 