Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Politics : Just the Facts, Ma'am: A Compendium of Liberal Fiction -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Lazarus_Long who wrote (32460)	4/16/2005 4:26:40 AM
From: Sully-	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 90947

Laz, my main point was that message boards are not about free speech. Hell, if they were, then you only need one thread for the entire globe to use. We both know that is completely unfeasible. That's why there are millions of threads worldwide. The whole idea about topic specific threads is to keep a vast majority of the discussion on topic. And it is up to thread moderators to decide if other guidelines are to be enforced (IE., civil, reality based discourse, whether or not unsubstantiated opinions are welcome, etc.). "You TRIED having a quality conversation with either (redfish or AS)? It's a waste of time." Been there, done that. Got the T-shirt. I completely agree. So why allow those types of folks to dominate a thread & ruin it? Their BS is not about free speech. "The fish simply doesn't make sense. All AS wants to do is accuse every conservative of being gay or a lesbian. Some conversation." Exactly! So why should their ilk be allowed to repeatedly dominate a thread in clear violation of established thread standards? They add nothing to civil, reality based discourse. Not a damned thing! "I'd believe your screed about "free speech" if it weren't for all the armored pillboxes around here. Mostly moderation these days is used to exclude facts and opinions that differ from the threads. When I see THAT change, I'll grant your point." What others do to unfairly stifle all dissenting views & create a groupthink cult has absolutely nothing to do with those who judiciously enforce established guidelines in order to appropriately advance the furtherance of civil, reality based discourse. Since when are the examples set by the extremists grounds for throwing the baby out with the bath water? If this were a perfect world, there'd be no need for this discussion. But it's not perfect. The best we can do is to stay above the fray & do our best to set an example that makes a mockery of those who stifle all dissenting POV's. As far as I'm concerned, those who refuse to adhere to established thread standards should be warned, then suspended temporarily a number of times, then banned permanently when it becomes obvious that they could care less about guidelines & they are a detriment to the thread. "Ever notice all the threads where off-topic is not a problem as long as you have the same political POV as the moderator? Or where guidelines are enforced against those who disagree politically with the moderator, but not if they agree?" Again, citing prime examples of extreme abuse proves nothing. Does that mean that you have no right to monitor your thread to keep it from being ruined by a bunch of rabble rousers? "I take it you think AS should have been left banned?" How many times has AS violated clearly established thread guidelines? At what point is it obvious that AS has no intention of following them? Are you willing to allow AS an exemption to thread guidelines, but enforce them for others? Given AS' propensity for prolific posting habits; how long before your thread is about nothing but AS & his BS?

To: Lazarus_Long who wrote (32460)	4/16/2005 5:09:53 AM
From: Sully-	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 90947

"I take it you think AS should have been left banned?" I'll leave it up to you to decide. Here's something that helps make the point I tried to make in earlier posts on the subject. In a 13 minute period, AS posted the following on one thread........ Message 21235072 Message 21235076 Message 21235077 Message 21235080 Message 21235081 Message 21235088 Message 21235096 That's just 13 minutes worth of posting some of the most vile, slanderous & absolute BS on SI. Imagine what this thread would become if AS decided to flood the zone here?