Civility (aka the "We Will Crush Your Balls" edict).
Gentlemen,
I suspect that more than few of us went to Sunday School as boys, and as such, we should be reasonably familiar with the principle of treating others as you would have them treat you. Even if you never stepped foot in Sunday School, the truths here are pretty self-evident.
We're having a problem around here lately. It's not the spiraling downfall in post quality. It's not the influx of new members who don't yet seem to understand what we're all about. It's not the general rise in white noise. It's not the resurgence in tin-foil hat conspiracy posts. It's not the fellows that have been posting increasingly goofy rifles in the home build section. It's not even the emergence of guys who happen to have particularly strong opinions about the current administration or the latest push for gun control legislation in whatever form.
The problem we're having lies with the otherwise peaceable folks who seem to think that their fellow members no longer deserve a measure of basic respect if/when the opinions of said members diverge from their own dearly-held beliefs (on whatever the topic). We've been very clear on the fact that bitter debates, personal attacks, name calling and baiting will not be tolerated, but apparently the message has grown stale with age. Kindly allow me to freshen it up slightly in the interest of maintaining the peace around here.
If you disagree with a point another member has made, you may freely engage his facts or issues and make your points. If you belittle him as an individual in the process, or otherwise imply that he is intellectually-deficient in some way, we will crush your balls.
If you call another member a name in a manner that is in any way interpreted as hostile or sarcastic (because sarcasm is a huge accelerant -- if not the most volatile of them all), your balls will be summarily-crushed.
If you get into a heated debate with another member that even slightly resembles an open argument (or is laced with the aforementioned sarcasm), go ahead and slap 'em up on the table, because we're going to crush them.
If you direct profanity at another member with even mild ill intent, kindly drop trou. Your balls? Yeah, we're crushing them.
If you happen to think that your position(s) and/or belief(s) on a matter are so sacred as to create immediate offense if/when you encounter someone who might feel differently, do not respond to them. If you do, you will almost surely project an air of ire and intolerance. At that point, you may consider your balls as good as crushed.
I could go on, but I believe the point has been gently made. The staff has been instructed to be on watch for this kind of behavior, and to root it out without a lot of discussion; especially in the near-term. If you happen to wade into those waters anyway, and you happen to have balls ... well, you know the rest. Please take it like a man, and avoid the grousing and protests.
Clear, brothers? Let's make an active effort to "be at peace with all men," and put away any personal gripes we may have against another member. If that approach leads you to take one on the chin when you did nothing to deserve it, let us know and we will take whatever action is necessary to restore tranquilly. Hint: your tormenter's balls, and the crushing thereof, will almost certainly be involved.
This is a professional resource: let us have no more of this sixth-grade crap.
Please and thank you.
AC
Re: Civility (aka the "We Will Crush Your Balls" edict).
What's with the obsession with other members' balls?
Re: Civility (aka the "We Will Crush Your Balls" edict).
Quote:
Originally Posted by
munch520
ETA: I browse many media outlets and usually watch 2-3 (even CNN) to get my news. I like to get it from all biases. Given that, I enjoy I GD for getting news as well; primarily since we are all like-minded and the productive discussion that can ensue. That said, I don't think I'd be for nuking GD.
Agreed. There is too much positive benefit to close GD. At the end of the day most of us can either agree or agree to disagree.
This thread brings to mind two old and extremely simple principles.
- Don't get your underwear in a bunch.
- Don't poke a sleeping bear.
I don't say that to be lecturing anybody but because I've had to learn those the hard way.
Civility (aka the "We Will Crush Your Balls" edict).
Quote:
Originally Posted by
tb-av
You get one guy that decides his or her often narrowly on topic opinion needs to be woven towards several otherwise casual observers. Then when someone like AC or other admin takes the time they don't have in their schedule to browse a thread they see 5 people in a pissing match over who knows what then lock the thread.
That's pretty much what happens, and to be perfectly honest about this, I always feel like a prick when I have to lock a thread. As you say, though, it is often hard for a mod to wade in to a heated debate and have any idea where it really started to go off of the rails, or who should bear the blame.
Part of that is because, with very few exceptions, I don't know -- or can't remember -- which member(s) have difficulty getting along with which other member(s). So, when you see Joey Bagadonutz show up and rain on your thread, and you already loathe the guy because you went toe-to-toe in a 2008 discussion about which way the free end of a roll of toilet paper should hang, well ... you're going to get spun-up in a hurry, whereas I don't know any of that history, and the whole thing just looks like a senseless brawl to me.
That's in large part why I'm asking folks to just clear the books, settle the accounts, and try to let go of whatever histories you might have with another member -- for whatever reason. If that is A Bridge Too Far, as SteyrAUG has pointed out, there is always the "ignore" button.
AC
Civility (aka the "We Will Crush Your Balls" edict).
Quote:
Originally Posted by
morbidbattlecry
Does this go for senior members? I've been treated in a way that is not so great buy some senior members of this site.
Don't confuse a "senior" member with a "civil" member. ;)
Re: Civility (aka the "We Will Crush Your Balls" edict).
Quote:
Originally Posted by
An Undocumented Worker
I can understand the desire to get to the root cause of a flare up, but they don't happen without people throwing fuel on the fire. At another forum I frequent, they have a points system. 21 points and you go on vacation till enough points expire to get you under the limit. Swear filter dodges, personal attacks all have various point values, along with the much loved "tool" points for acting like a tool. Some points don't ever expire, such as those for racist comments which equal 9 points.
So it seems it would be much simpler to point all of those involved and let them selfregulate. The blatant repeat instigators will inturn end up on vacation or banned, while those who just typically fuel the fire will stop bringing so much fuel with em.
I fully understand this is your forum and want to run it as you see fit, but I'm just pointing out what works elsewhere.
So on this other forum a person could call someone, say the N word twice and not get booted? Is it the DemocraticUnderground? Caught you.
No I think moderation here is pretty simple and effective. Some people just like to fight to their bitter end and that will most likely never change.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
Re: Civility (aka the "We Will Crush Your Balls" edict).
Quote:
Originally Posted by
An Undocumented Worker
If a person is willing to spout off racist swill twice, they'll f up and do it again and get the boot.
Lately it seems like it's been a bunch of children running around tearing down the house while the babysitter is sitting on the couch watching tv and yapping on the phone with her stoner boyfriend. The occasional idle yell of STFU to the kids goes unheard.
Chief says there are tools in the toolbox, albeit a bit rusty; it seems like it's time to shine em up.
The report post link seems to be working. Maybe it was what helped clean up this thread.