plasmoid wrote:But I'm surprised that you can't see your posting style being aggressive.
I see my posting style as pragmatic and to the point. That doesn't mean I can't BE aggressive, it just so happens that in this thread I haven't been. Any time someone disagrees with someone else in a non-conciliatory fashion, they're being aggressive to some degree - they're being confrontational on merit of standing their ground on a topic. Some people feel it is deeply important to try to stroke the other person's ego while doing so, such that the other person doesn't consider themselves to be confronted. I'm just not one of those people.
plasmoid wrote:You've called me an idiot sooo many times. You've called Dode a pile of shit. It seems you just can't/won't separate discussion from repeated personal insult.
In the case of you and dode you're right, I won't separate the two
I have specific past issues with each of you that leads me to go out of my way to add barbs to the discussion, but I do engage in objective discussion even with you two. My goal is always to get to the objective truth... but I don't mind hitting some people I don't like in the kidneys along the way! I mean, we can't be entirely cold and clinical, right? I stand by both descriptors, too, btw
plasmoid wrote:I know you feel it's your right. But that's like a guy who jumps in the pool, takes a dump in the Water, and then tells everyone to f*ck off if they don't like it.
Well - we were enjoying the pool.
That's a poor analogy all-around. Again, it is within your power to not read what I say, or to use the forum's block list to make it not even display what I say. YOU are like someone who knows full well you could solve your own problems, but is of the mindset of "I shouldn't have to". That's a child's mindset. If you can solve your problems without forcing other people to change, then that is absolutely the best path
for everybody. The idea that its better to have someone come in and lay the smack down on people you think are mean is not reason, it's bloodthirst.
plasmoid wrote:Also, you forget that this is not a democracy, but a 'members only' Club. Membership is easy to come by though. It only depends on abiding by certain rules, which we've all accepted. Being unwilling or unable to abide by those rules ought to result in exclusion - and nobody has had any god given right violated by that.
The world is an infinitely deep layering of such sandboxes, plasmoid. You're suggesting this forum exists completely autonomous to the rest of the world.... I'm suggesting it does not. In fact, you're obviously aware that it does not, given the other things you've said in your posting. I genuinely oppose the idea of censorship - of preventing people from speaking their minds, or editing the things they say.. that doesn't mean anyone else is required to abide by my belief. It does mean that I espouse that belief, and that it guides my actions, just as your beliefs will guide yours. When our beliefs come into irreconcilable conflict, then it comes down to who has bigger teeth, more guns, a larger army, etc. People like me are ok with that fact - people like you can't get a handle on it and think it is somehow importantly immoral; its not, it's amoral - it transcends belief (which morality falls under) and is simply an active fact.
plasmoid wrote:Finally, you suggest that banning/exclusion is not a workable solution, because anyone can just set up another account (and another, and another...) to wreak havoc on the boards. AFAIK, I think 5-ish people have ever been banned from these boards. None of them came back to do damage. Maybe some of them came back under a new name to post in an unrecognizable manner. Who knows. So it hasn't happened yet. And I seriously hope I never run into the supremely sad kind of person that would return to a community that didn't want him/her there, just to throw repeated tantrums.
I think people can do worse than set up another account, but that's something everyone can do. My point is, simply, that you stand to create larger problems by using force than you would by NOT doing so, and there's no reason to do it - the system and the community has all the tools it needs to handle things themselves without engaging in acts of force.
plasmoid wrote:PS - while I sympathize with your cursing at the abuse of power, I sounds funny coming from you. You thrown thinly veiled threats at mods, and I suspect a lot of people know how you've used your computers skills to go after someone in the past. So when you say words can't hurt, words can certainly threaten real hurt. Nobody doubts that you could crash this site if you wanted to.
While I do certainly make VERY thinly veiled threats, they are always in response to threats of force made against me. I'm never the person who shifts things from harsh words to harsh actions, I'm simply willing to go there if someone else insists on it. That you find it ironic is simply a lack of understanding of the difference between the type of power we're talking about with moderators, and the type you're talking about me having. I was not entrusted with any power, so I cannot abuse that non-existent trust. That's why we can say a police officer that takes bribes to look the other way is abusing his power and is corrupt, but we don't say those things about Godzilla attacking Tokyo.
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