The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #65255 Message #1084568
Posted By: GUEST
02-Jan-04 - 10:56 AM
Thread Name: BS: Guest Postings
Subject: RE: BS: Guest Postings
You know, the Mudcat status quo looks very much like a right wing, neo-con presidential administration I've heard about...
Amos labels anyone who disagrees with or crticize the status quo as "extremists"...
Big Mick acts like Max's Karl Rove advisor.
And I'm sorry but, although Jeri is usually very level headed and reasonable, she also has this McCarthyite streak that is about a mile wide.
The desire on the part of the defenders of the Mudcat status quo to arbitrarily sanitize this web site of so-called personal attacks (while personally attacking anyone who disagrees with them in a very nasty manner, as Shambles has pointed out) and "out" anonymous posters, doesn't do much for the ambiance around here. As another guest pointed out, all this petty personal squabbling truly does get in the way of decent conversations.
And again, I'm sorry, but I have a real problem with the hypocrisy of making nasty, personal attacks on people whom are deemed "not nice" to the friends of the Mudcat elite. That is REALLY what this all boils down to. Petty tyranny over personal loyalties.
I mean, Big Mick can't even distinguish between the criticisms of Jon Freeman and Shambles. Those perfectly legitimate criticisms, made in genuine attempts to make Mudcat a better place, not a worse one, are not indistinguishable. The concerns each of them expressed were quite different. Yet they have both been painted with the same broad, black brush. And in Jon Freeman's case, tarred and feathered to boot.
At the root of much of the forum angst is the demonization of those who choose to use the guest log-in without filling in the from blank. As many have noted in the past, this is a very easy thing to either 1) change and require something be typed into the 'from' line before posting is allowed, or; 2) police and filter out truly offensive material.
But the offensive posting and personal attacks posted engaged in by so many members makes #2 a moot point here. It works really well in most moderated forums, but not here.
So we are left with this bad taste in our mouths, guests and members alike, about the way the arbitrary, unbalanced, unfair, and bigoted way this forum is run. Now, a few posters choose to go the bootlicker route, and will do anything to stay on the good side of the clones. The majority of posters here just shut up and take it. And a few of us choose neither of the above options, and pick and choose the battles we fight here, as we would do anywhere we encounter this level of dysfunctionalism in our communities, online or off.
One thing I do agree with. It isn't going to change, as long as Max owns the server, and the current crop of clones remain in charge. To be sure, there is no other online folk music forum I have encountered that has this level of ill will towards the people who use the forum, either occassionally or regularly.