I am typing this AFTER all the stuff below...I had no idea I was gonna get that carried away....brace yourself....or just ignore it and don't read it....it is what I had to say.
"That post I questioned was allowed to stay because none of the clones who read it care that you get dissed on this forum. It serves a purpose for some of them, I'm sure. "
How is it POSSIBLE to read minds and assign motives to something which didn't happen? There can be a disagreement about the value & tastefullness of a particular post....these things are not black & white! But why make the subjective leap that NOT deleting it shows some preferential, cliquish behavior? Why would YOU, Peace, assume that there can even be a reasonable test comparing what is NOT done to skipy to what IS done to Shambles or some anonymous troll? I am assuming that since the history of skipy's posts shows no particular hatefulness or troublemaking, it was assumed by those moderators who actually read it!, that it was not serious and was only borderline in being in bad taste.
There are many, many ways to engage in disruptive behavior and to sow dissention in a group....and everyone's notion of what is insulting, combative, rude, unfair, tedious, obscene, silly and generally 'out-of-bounds' can be quite different! A word, by itself, cannot be easily labeled....look at how often 'fuck' is tossed about and NOT taken as a gross insult! Those who have been here for a few years know that Catspaw's language is often 'raw', and I personally have made remarks TO him about it, but in overall context, I don't see him as someone who uses it as a real 'weapon', but mostly as an attention getting device. I wish he'd stick to big fonts & color, but 97% of his 'bad words' are not mean or vindictive...and I'm not sure about the other 3%.
Shambles makes this BIG point that he-- nice, clean, gentle guy that he is, doesn't call people names. Wonderful! But he has managed to 'insult' Joe and several others FAR beyond the naughty, colorful but vague language that Catspaw uses. (What IS a "broke-dick mammaluca", anyway?) The regular use of "Current Chief of the Mudcat Editing Team", in context, conveys far more criticism and contempt than "mamalucca", and along with other choice phrases like "imposed editing" and "silent deletions" suggests that he has no respect for Joe and most of his team. Why is this bitter, continuous, nagging 'better' than a few naughty words uttered only after years of trying reason? I submit that if Shambles were a guest at a party in my house, and persisted in continuous nagging & complaining about how the party was run and suggesting that the whole thing were 'rigged' to allow others freedom while insulting him.....well, I would have invited him to leave WAY before 4-5 years (or hours) had passed!
Once more!!!: I have said before that what Shambles does is similar to what children sometimes do that infuriates their parebts or teachers...they whine, they nag, they prod, they complain...all in a 'reasonable' way, "Mommy, he got a BIGGER piece than me...you ALWAYS give him the best one.."...until something snaps and they get a response that perhaps seems extreme for the current example, but is just the result of testing the envelope once too often!
Folks...almost everyone who has tossed opinions into this debate has virtues and good qualities and can be a valuble member of this strange community...but, being human, they ALL have weaknesses and blind spots. This being the case, there has to be some way of dealing with the problem areas.....and I will say this clearly-- it cannot be run and moderated based on the type of compalaints Shambles makes...nor on cynical and subjective notions of whether Shambles is treated badly because of some subversive plot by some imaginary 'clique' or by "those who like each other"!!!........why do you suppose some members DO like each other and have a basic respect and trust? I know the answer, because ....because I have MET enough of them to KNOW that in spite of differences of opinion and personal idiosyncrasies, they are sane, honest, caring individuals who truly want this place to be as comfortable and welcoming as possible! I will tell those who doubt that I'd BET that you could not spend a few days at some event like the FSGW Getaway and come away still harboring the type of animosity and distrust you seem to now. Disagree on details? Sure...I don't 'agree' with everything or everyone...but I have seen how hard they try. I wish it were easier to 'show' those who doubt.....
Lord! I wish I didn't feel like I have to hit 'send' on this...and I wish I wasn't so damn sure how quickly it will be dismissed as just another bit of blather by "one of the in-group"....