We always used to enforce a "no religion, no politics" rule here.  For quite a while now, that has been pretty relaxed and threads that would have been shot on site have been allowed to go on for several pages until they die of natural causes.

The main reason for this (at least in my case), was the constant requests being made to be allowed a greater number of topics and the complaints I received from all sides when I closed them.  However, recent events have had a few people surfacing and say that in effect they would like to return to the old system.  Some people have also commented on the fact that I seem to be around less lately and that I "come and go".  While I am around less that I have been in the past, you shouldn't mistake a lack of activity for absence.  I manage to take a look at least 4-5 times a week, and have just been letting a lot of topics slide these days as it seemed that was the way people wanted it.

So, really what I'm asking is do you want the old rules to be properly enforced again?  This will of course require some people to change their posting habits (some moderators included).

I just read this back and it sounds really bitchy, but that really isn't the way it's meant.  It's a genuine question bourne out of concern for the way things might be going.

Frankly, I think it may be a good idea. "Give an inch, take a mile" seems to be the theme. Pretty much every thread we have now is, and flame for saying this if you want, about attacking the US government in one way or the other. Now, don't get me wrong, I've got issues with plenty of the government myself, but enough is enough. And any attempt to pin all the blame for threads going sour on one person (and you all know who I mean) isn't right, either. There's plenty of blame to go around, and we all know it.

Quote (HRH @ July 10 2006, 3:32 pm)

This will of course require some people to change their posting habits (some moderators included).

Hmmmm!  I wonder which mod you're referring to... hehehe!  

Quote (sandman_qc @ July 10 2006, 8:38 pm)

Quote (HRH @ July 10 2006, 3:32 pm) This will of course require some people to change their posting habits (some moderators included). Hmmmm!  I wonder which mod you're referring to... hehehe!

Geez, I just couldn't say.

Quote (Captain Seavey @ July 10 2006, 3:37 pm)

about attacking the US government in one way or the other.

I don't see it as attacking the US government but questionning some of there decisions.  But some people take it bad even if it's just an observation.  Then it turns into a flame war.

The US being the dominant country it is in the world, financially and politicaly wise, it's normal for everybody to question some actions. Like I said, I don't see it as an attack on our part...  Then again, so many people from so many different cultures means we are bound to disagree on some issues...

And with due respect, Dys did turn some valid observations/comments into personnal matters...

I dunno.  I do appreciate some amount of freedom, and in a perfect world, we'd all know each other enough and be mature enough to not have so many problems.  But it's not a perfect world...

In short, I have nothing to add to the conversation, but I wanted to post anyway.

Well, thanks for your input....  

I understand the desire to question the US government, I do it plenty myself. But as of late, that's almost all we see around here. Its pretty much all the same arguments, all the same points, rehashed over and over...it just gets old after a while.

Hey, thanks man!

Meh... storm in a tea cup.  The threads ran their course and the community "self-corrected".

I tossed a few posts into those threads but only when I saw those discussions degrading to personal insults and arrogant dismissals of the postings of others.  Dysfunctional draped himself in a "mayrter for the right and the blessed US of A" outfit but he appeared to be incapable of engaging in discussion about those beliefs without insulting or sarcasm.  Perhaps he was passionate about his opinions but, IMO, if these discussions degraded to where they did - he instigated it and did very little to calm things down.  

To be fair - some of the responses were just as "from the hip" but I think our history here shows that we've been able to have these arguments, stir up a dust storm of dissenting views, let the dust settle and move on.  In doing so we get to know each other better and even have a clearer view of our own opinions.  It's good stuff.

I will not engage in a point by point discussion and parade of evidence of the above.  THis is my read of the recent posts.  Read the posts yourself and make your own decisions.

That brings me to what I mean by "self-correcting" above?  If those discussions got to the point where you felt you had to "leave"  then maybe leaving for a bit of fresh air and a different persepctive on what this place is and who the members are, is a good idea.  

It's a community with people from all over the world.  When you meet them and they have different opinions and persepctives than you, it's always a good idea to listen and try and understand where those opinions come from... rather than just assume that they don't understand you and need to be corrected.  If you don't, it's a missed opportunity.

Business as usual I say.

Cheers,

Pork