This is all just growing pains really, when the forum was smaller it was easier to self moderate. Weāve grown a lot, quickly, and itās taking some time to settle down.
Nobody has to put up with any of it, honestly, any one of us is free to not open a thread, not address a statement we donāt like, or simply not log in at all.
By coming out in the āopenā with some things, it may very well help the forum family find a happy medium, thatās all.
One things for certain, all the bickering and drama is not relaxing, regardless of where itās coming from or who started it.
That popcorn button could have gotten quite the workout of late, been plenty of appropriate places for it unfortunately!
LOL! Shake Harder!
Joking aside, if we ever exchange anything by mail, Iāll be sure to include one in the box.
On a trip to Central America once, got hooked on white chocolate covered coffee beans. Sounds gross but theyāre delicious and Iām not even a big chocolate or coffee fan. They only ship them certain times of the year though because the heat melts them into a blob while on its way to its destination. Now that Iām reminded Iām going to be wanting some all summer!
It seems easy to forget that we all, each and every one of us, has the Right to Free Speech. You can prove that for yourself: Without committing Assault or applying any other unsolicited Force, get any other person to stop talking.
Even governments canāt do it, no matter how despotic. All they can do is punish what they donāt like, and that just leads to bloodshed ā usually the Despotās, historically speaking.
Itās also easy to forget that speech is ALL there is on the Internet. You can prove that too! Iām calling you an A-hole. Now punch your monitor hard enough to bloody my nose. How did that feel? Didnāt bother me a bit.
The trick is understanding that by rejoicing in another personās exercise of their Free Speech Right, you actually bolster and reinforce your own Free Speech Right by so doing.
Now you just have to understand that there is NO LAW that says you have to LISTEN.
Back to your regularly scheduled ā¦ whatever that was.
Freedom of expression comes with responsibilities as well. Trolling could be considered incitement to riot. Besides which, in the context of this forum, itās not a right but a privilege. Chocolate covered expressly beans are awesomely delicious but unfortunately have an adverse affect on my personality so I canāt bean and post. Snickers I can handle.
ā¦ except on a forum like this. There are forum rules that override free speech. That is perfectly compatible with the First Amendment here in the USA.
Possibly. Although on closer look at the actual wording we are asked to Please avoid such topics, on the basis that they are known to create argument. He does not say it is cause for a ban, such as spamming. Anyone is, of course, free to say what they wish and deal with the consequences. And freedom of speech does not mean there will not be consequences, regardless of what people think. Donāt believe me? Tell the truth when a woman asks if those jeans make her butt look bigā¦ just saying.
Point being, this is sb56637ās house, and his wishes are that we get along in his place. So if you wish to hang out at sb56637ās, you abide by sb56637ās house rules. That is simply the way it is, and if you come to my house you will deal with similar rules. No profanity, no smoking, no obnoxious behavior, no drinking alcohol. sb56637 might ban you for breaking his rules. It might go far worse for breaking house rules in my houseā¦ So is this Sanction, or is it getting along in public? You are free to say or do what you wish at work, you might not keep your job if you are not wise. You are free to say or do as you wish in any public place, you might have to deal with the Police if you are not wise, it is not really any different here. But our police are not named Norm nor do they run around deleting our posts at will.
Of main concern is that never do a single persons rights over-ride another personās rights, and decency must prevail as we are in mixed company and there are, more often than not, children present.
Anyone that would riot because they read something from an Internet troll, probably belongs in jail.
Iām pretty sure that for speech to be considered illegal, it also has to pass a āreasonablenessā test.
i.e., Just because a nut-case might riot, isnāt enough for the speech to be considered illegal. It would have to cause a reasonable person to riot.
For example, shouting āfire!!!ā in a crowded theatre might be considered illegal. But shouting, āzombie attack!!!ā in a crowded theatre would not, even if a couple of nuts started to panic.
JK, of course. I make an excellent target sometimes. Use me. I sometimes even encourage it, since I can ātake itā better than most. E.g. I know I have a tendency to really p*ss off ācard-carryingā authoritarians just by speaking.
The follow-up comments all seem to prove my point, though, since even in the āfire in a crowded theaterā rule doesnāt stop someone from shouting āfireā, it only threatens them with punishment for doing so. I hate to think of what might happen to someone ātalking to the screenā encouraging the hero to discharge his/her weaponā¦ (If anybody is interested, that also proves the fatal, fundamental flaw in the concept of Democracy (talking about Social Structure, not Politics) ā even if everybody in the theater agrees that it is appropriate to stomp their neighbors into the rotting jujubes on the floor & pack the nearest exit in blind panic, doesnāt make any of them right.)
Not that Iām trying to prove anything to this lot, but maybe now SB56637ās āOne-Button Solutionā will make more senseā¦ (And why only you can see your own Rudeness Meter!)
(EDIT: well, I canāt actually see my own Rudeness Meter, but maybe thatās because Iām such a sweet, thoroughly-loved guy. ROTFLOLPIMP!! Yeah, right.)
And Iāll go back to lurking again with one reminder: I thought the title of this thread used to mention not feeding the trolls. From the old dial-up BBS days, through ānewsgroupsā until this moment, that still seems to be the fastest, most effective way of getting the troll to leave on his own. (BTW, are there female trolls? IDK & donāt really care, it just seems rare.) You canāt blame a dog for being a dog, but that doesnāt mean you have to feed it.