Nothing like setting a good example.

And this is nothing like setting a good example.

Actually Ron, you seem to be a lot more offended than many women I know who also might suggest your comment is a bit chauvinistic. Sounds like something said by a real asshole portal for the discharge of semi-digested biological waste.

Spaw

Are you still a volunteer then - Pat?

Guest Frank said:

Joe Offer's idea is great.

>"It's still true that the very best way to deal with flames and abuse is to ignore them, to act as if offensive posts were invisible. That 'discipline of silence' doesn't seem to happen around here as often as it should."<

That's precisely what I do and when someone irrationally flames me, I tend to disregard any other post that they may have. I skip right over it as if they weren't there. Eventually I begin to find out who the reasonable people are and respond to them. This includes almost everybody on Mudcat.

Yes it is a great idea - if only this example WAS actually set and encouraged. If the 'reasonable' people were set a better example, and our volunters followed Frank's example and actually did practice what they preach and simply ignored the insults and did not respond in kind - it would finally be a start to ensure that we did not have to keep having this debate.

Joe Offer in this post:

That's what I mean, Martin. You have a lot to say that's valuable. It's the combative stuff that doesn't work here. We need a certain amount of civil behavior for this place to function as a forum of ideas. The name calling and insults distract from all that, and result in chaos instead of discussion.

I think it's safe to say that every insult posted posted on the Internet is multiplied tenfold by the recipient, who then magnifies and returns the insult. Then the whole thing stops being fun.

So far so good - then.......

That's why I deleted Martin's insults before Ron got a chance to respond and continue the cycle. It has nothing to do with obscenity or foul language or any of that prudish stuff - animosity is the problem. I'd really rather not have to waste my time deleting any of this nonsense, but the atmosphere has been downright nasty around here lately.

Sigh.....Are Catspaw's (and Joe's own) insults and personal attacks to be deleted too? I suspect not....Please get a grip.