dogsmilk wrote:
As I have made clear, I regard the real issue here as concerning some as yet unidentified person with mod access performing a ridiculous action which was nothing to do with any rules. Should this kind of action persist, there is a danger the forum would become one that operates according to personal favouritism or else where action is defined according to who chooses to complain the most, creating a kind of whinger’s charter.
We have both known what we think of each other for literally years and have nevertheless managed to co-exist here relatively amicably. I see no reason for that not to continue.
However, we are both of course both honour bound to participate in any community mandated deathmatch.
I would – in a sincere and non confrontational way – urge you to have a good think about how eager you can be to control what people say (this is not the first manifestation of this kind of behaviour by any means), particularly given the kind of comments you are apt to make about the behaviour of governments and the media. As above, so below.
I have not seen anyone disrespecting the people who founded the forum. I find this comment perplexing to say the least.
Though you do raise a pertinent issue.
If we respect someone in one specific regard, it does not follow we must therefore respect them in all things. I would tend to think the people who started the forum would be mortified if they thought this therefore meant they operated from a hallowed position of assumed respect that set them above mere patrons. This would certainly make a mockery of the purported ‘community’ focus. There has been much recent animosity around DG –he has not, AFAIK, at any point claimed because he was pivotal to creating SZ he commands inherent respect. Which, I’d say, lends him more respect than if he did go round thinking that.
This is quite boring for everyone else, and it's boring for me. I just wanted to correct you on something. I haven't got anything against you personally. I will happily ignore you from now on, as I have attempted to before. I believe I made that quite clear in my previous post. I would prefer it if you ignore me, instead of following me around attempting to belittle me. But it's entirely up to you what you choose to do.
On the front page of the site it says the following:
Our community is all about free speech where people can discuss or disagree on any topic, all in a pleasant atmosphere of mutual respect.
People can judge whether or not you contribute to that 'atmosphere of mututal respect'. I don't think that you do, but I will ignore that, but any attacks on me personally, particularly when they're off-topic and in a thread I started will be reported and I trust that the mods will delete them.
There will be no attacks nor personal remarks towards you from me, I can assure you.
My only reason for being here is to talk to the people I consider my friends and post some relevant information. I don't mind people disagreeing with me, that's absolutely their right. I will not accept being personally attacked, and that's not for my benefit, as, trust me, being a writer on the Internet, I get abuse literally every day. It doesn't have the remotest impact on me, no more than a fly buzzing past my ear. But I do believe in principle that the site should be kept respectful, as that was the whole point for setting it up! If it doesn't possess that quality, we might as well all have stayed on the DIF, or go back there. I was going to quit Internet forums completely for this reason, because I found them increasingly puerile, but I was invited by several people to be here. When people don't want me to be here, I will just leave. As I said, there won't be any throwing my toys out of the pram, I will just leave.
If I wanted to have any control over what happened then I would become a moderator. I have always stated that I don't want to do this, and I respect the people that have put time into it., without whom we wouldn't have a forum. I won't hold my breath waiting for any of the people that persistently whinge about the moderation to run, set-up or fund a forum, because they wouldn't have the wherewithal, self-sacrifice or maturity to do it.
I am definitely of the view that the people that moderate the site deserve more respect, instead of constant accusations, abuse and childish namecalling. Obviously some people don't agree with me, but there you go, that's life. You've made it explicitly clear in your post that you don't like me. That's fine, that's your right. I don't feel any animosity towards you whatsoever, but if you don't like me then I would respectfully suggest that you ignore me! As I say, I will ignore you from now on. I'm very happy with my life at the moment, and petty squabbles on the Internet hold no value for me, and are not a worthwhile usage of my time. I think you should seriously consider whether they are a worthwhile usage of your time.
