The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #72785 Message #1264621
Posted By: The Shambles
05-Sep-04 - 05:42 AM
Thread Name: BS: Poll - Stop Flaming and Abusive posting
Subject: RE: BS: Poll - Stop Flaming and Abusive posting
Good morning. It would be nice if a few more people who take the time and trouble to post, actually addressed the points and answered the questions....
The ingenous reason Joe Offer gives for not deleting Catspaws (admitted) personal attack in this thread, is as follows...
Well, Shambles, I suppose you have a point there, if you want to get all legalistic. But generally, if a post is primarily a disagreement of ideas, that's one thing. If it's strictly an ad hominem (personal) attack, that's another thing. The personal attacks get deleted. If it's a personal attack that's mixed in with something that's mostly a discussion of ideas, then it gets messy. And then we have to use a bit of judgment.
AND
"I don't make value judgments on stuff like that. If it's an attack and somebody calls it to my attention, I'm obligated to delete it. Sorry. -Joe Offer- "
The extraordinary fact is that above judgement, comment and the deletion - was from the music forum and was imposed upon a contributed SONG!
kat says:
There's nothing worse than a self-appointed crusader of a non-existent cause.
I really suspect there is a lot worse but......Others can judge for themselves whether the 'cause' is non- existent or not.
One of the less offensive things that Joe has called me recently, is a 'self-appointed busybody'! We probably agree on this, at least. Although the word, volunteer has a more respectable sound to it. Now one could talk about the kettle calling the pot black but we won't go there. It is less the point that I am a SAB that Joe objects to but more the nature of where I choose to stick my nose.
For I would contest that the whole forum is currently being encouraged to be SABs. Encouraged to judge the worth of other's postings and to generally mind everyone else's business. To post and request that judgement is passed on the worth of the contributions of others and that editing action is imposed, based on this judgement.
Joe has little problem with these SABs. In fact these constantly complaining sad souls are encouraged to complain about others and not thought of as being SABs but the very people who he is volunteering to serve. The rest of the posters who do not need to watch others or constanly complain about them and who just get on with posting are not really very much considered, until they are reported as 'out of line'.
However, 'self appointed busybody' only becomes a term of abuse to Joe when the business that I am minding, is what Joe considers to be his. Those that volunteer to judge the worth of others on our forum, do not appear to take kindly to being scrutinised and judged in turn. One of the claims is that 'we are not on trial here'!
Well if not our volunteers – who is on trial here? Perhaps no one should be...However, the way Joe appears to see it, those who are here to be judged obviously?
Real court judges in society – (whether they actually achieve his or not) – are supposed to be subject to a higher scrutiny and willingly accept this as part of their privileged position.
Encourage me to mind my own business by all means but why not at the same time take steps to encourage everybody to do this by setting a more positive example?