Discussion of forum political discussions thread Continued--keep it decent

[Jrgh17]

Okay guys... maybe it would be best if we backed off the personal feelings about eachother and continued a polite, reasonable discussion?

 

[diamondlil]

Well, I'll state absolutely that Stephanie consistently tops my 'favourite corn people list'. Dry wit, eclectic humour, and a certain corn I covet badly.
Ok, it's mainly because of Pele, but besides that lovely snake I feel she's someone who's company I enjoy, even through the unlikely medium of a site I joined in terror of losing my favourite corn.

 

[desertanimal]

You want honesty, I gave you true to life honesty.. Heck, you don't make any of my lists, don't give yourself that much credit.. Point blank, you are in not in anyway attractive to me, get over yourself, your not important at all... Thank you for inviting me into a public forum to actually respond your Highness.. *lol*

Tim of T and J

I appreciate your honesty, Tim. It's always my preferred modus operandi.

Don't worry; I wasn't suggesting that I was attractive to you when I joked about making an impression on you. That would be a silly thing to think. I'm sorry if you thought I was implying that.

 

[TandJ]

Don't worry; I wasn't suggesting that I was attractive to you when I joked about making an impression on you. That would be a silly thing to think. I'm sorry if you thought I was implying that.

You know what.. You win.. This is not worth my vaulable time..

Tim of T and J

 

[gwb8568]

WTF.............yeah, please close THIS thread as well. How, (in my 39 years of experience) can people continue to argue about crap like this.

If you want to discuss......let's say......frisbee's, then go to a "frisbee" forum.

If you want to discuss.......let's say.......robot's, then go to a "robot" forum.

I thought this WAS a cornsnake forum, which, entitled people to talk about their snakes. Yeah, there is a "gen-chit-chat" section which will allow people to talk about happenings not dealing with corns............but, WOW.

I can see talking about your "rights".........but, if you want to discuss gay privileges, then go to a gay place. If you want to discuss how George Bush sucks, then to to a political forum. If you want to discuss how much the Dallas Cowboys suck, then go to a sports site. If you want to discuss how much you hate "Galen", then please PM me.

Why does this have to be brought here.........it's a CORN SNAKE site. Take your little games......and go elsehwhere. Anybody that has been here for a while will understand, nothing like THIS will hold it's topic. It WILL become a monster....and WILL get "closed" like the rest of the threads in the past.

Honestly.....no hard feelings to people involved in the topic. I am just telling you, I don't think this thing will last as long as you think it will. Moderators are already pissed off that it has been "moved" and regained strength.......don't think that THEY are not watching.

Steph...........I applaud you. No, I am not a supporter of your "beliefs".
But, I will tell you that you have always been straightforward and honest with yourself...........and I commend you for that. You have a "notch" in my book.

g

 

[tricksterpup]

Consider this my formal "up yours".

Hey now, as the honorable Dr. Buckaroo Banzai once said.

You can check your anatomy all you want, and even though there may be normal variation, when it comes right down to it, this far inside the head it all looks the same. No, no, no, don't tug on that. You never know what it might be attached to.

No wait.. its this
[QUOTE]Hey, hey, hey. Don't be mean. We don't have to be mean because, remember, no matter where you go, there you are. [/QUOTE]

 

[tom e]

What is offending people so much about this thread?

 

[diamondlil]

No idea, Tom. There are so many different topics covered in chit-chat,
General Chit-Chat Forum (18 Viewing)
Discussion about general topics that are really off topic concerning corn snakes, or just about any old chit at all.
So I don't see why civil and level discussion, without profanity, would upset any sensibilities. Whether it's celebrating a religious holiday, a member's birthday, triumphs and low points, this is where the 'chattier' members do that, chat about everything

 

[desertanimal]

What is offending people so much about this thread?

Dunno. :shrugs:

I see your point, Galen, and I agree that if we want to seriously limit the allowable topics of this forum to cornsnakes only, we can, or the powers-that-be can. But that's not what I see in the general chit-chat forum, so I just follow my gut and talk about the same kinds of things other people talk about there--politics, religion, personal life, etc. And, I don't think it's what the forum wants, either, to limit the chit-chat forum to cornsnakes. As Janine pointed out, it's where the chattier of us chat about bike rides and wedding and anniversary trips and our feelings about illegal immigration.

As a sidenote, Kristi was watching the FAMILY channel earlier tonight. What was on? "Steel Magnolias." If my research was right, this movie came out in 1989 and is rated PG. I was cooking dinner during the part where they joked about gay children, gay men, track lighting, and being named "Rick or Steve," and then joked about people "being high" and smoking everything in sight. 1989. PG. I found that juxtaposed with this very ironic.

 

[Roy Munson]

Dean, if you want to take my every comment personally, that's entirely up to you. You have obviously chosen to do so, and I won't try to stop you. My very existence seems to irritate you and, to be quite honest, I haven't lost any sleep over that fact.

But, for what it's worth, you are doing a wonderful job in making it abundantly clear that it is a worse offense on this forum to annoy a moderator than to actually offend people. You seem proud of that, but I find it a bit sad.

Consider this my formal "up yours".

I like the edit (the bolded part). Such refinement-- so cultured. This is ten times worse than George's offense, which is why I'll see you in 30 days-- or not. I'll try not to lose much sleep over your absence... :laugh:

What will the oppressed and downtrodden do without their voice? You've really let them down! :rofl: But at least you'll have your "Martyr to the Megalomaniacal Moderator" merit badge. :grin01:

 

[JoannaD]

As a sidenote, Kristi was watching the FAMILY channel earlier tonight. What was on? "Steel Magnolias." If my research was right, this movie came out in 1989 and is rated PG. I was cooking dinner during the part where they joked about gay children, gay men, track lighting, and being named "Rick or Steve," and then joked about people "being high" and smoking everything in sight. 1989. PG. I found that juxtaposed with this very ironic.

We are a big movie watching family and laugh at what was PG in the 70's and 80's vs the late 90's and now. I would say our society is much more liberal now and yet the ratings on the movies are stricter. We watch movies with our kids (7, 9, 11) that contain profanity and mild sexual reference. We try to avoid violence but it does come up. They are going to hear these things so why not hear it with us so we can explain it if they need an explanation. We love the music of Fiona Apple and the kids are now accustomed to yelling bleep when she is about to swear.

As to children on the web - well my kids are not allowed on the web unless there is an adult in the room and they are only allowed on children's sites or school related sites. If a 10 year old is on the forum then I hope a parent is there with them since you can not police a site like this constantly and people do not know how to police themselves. I would not allow my kids on this site unless I was with them to learn about reptile care. Quite frankly I do not want them "speaking" to strangers.

My children are animal lovers and would be much more traumatized by the site of some of the hunting shots than discussions about breasts, tattoos, or homosexuality. Quite frankly, they would not understand those discussions or not have the patience to read them! The hunters should be allowed to post there pictures - I will look after my kids and myself!

We get the newspaper each morning and if they get to it first and notice a disturbing photo or headline then it becomes a point of discussion. I will admit if a particularly devastating photo of war or violence is on the cover then I will try to put that where they will not look at it. We discuss issues of war and hate since my parents are Holocaust survivors but they do not need to see the gory details.

Sorry for the rambling but I have read so much about why we should watch what we are writing because of children I felt I needed to say something. Perhaps we should watch what we are writing for the sake of civility and respect for ourselves and one another.

 

[tyflier]

Well..this topic went WAY downhill...FAST...and I can't quite figure out why...:shrugs:

What happened that made everyone so darn angry? What happened that everyone feels the attacks either ARE personal or NEED to be personal?:shrugs:

What happened to a polite discussion and difference of opinion...the free exchange of ideas while maintaining mutual respect?:shrugs:

I fear that cabin fever has taken hold much earlier than at first anticipated...

 

[Jrgh17]

Well..this topic went WAY downhill...FAST...and I can't quite figure out why...:shrugs:

What happened that made everyone so darn angry? What happened that everyone feels the attacks either ARE personal or NEED to be personal?:shrugs:

What happened to a polite discussion and difference of opinion...the free exchange of ideas while maintaining mutual respect?:shrugs:

No idea. I was under the impression that we could hold a discussion without this. :shrugs: I'm gonna go play with my snakes.

 

[snakewispera snr]

First I read about a problem in the chat room concerning *adult* behavior. Next we had the abuse thread, where George got banned and Dale done a runner. Now its the "lets behave like adults"thread and Jens banned.
Whats up, full moon? or cabin fever?
I think it's best you leave the heavy political stuff alone in the future,
and we all just talk about snakes and snakey things, and bikes and puppies

MIKE

 

[desertanimal]

First I read about a problem in the chat room concerning *adult* behavior. Next we had the abuse thread, where George got banned and Dale done a runner. Now its the "lets behave like adults"thread and Jens banned.
Whats up, full moon? or cabin fever?
I think it's best you leave the heavy political stuff alone in the future,
and we all just talk about snakes and snakey things, and bikes and puppies

MIKE

If by "you," you mean "me," I'll do that. I'll do that as soon as Paradox gets told not to start anymore threads about religion (which was passionately discussed), and CornyNoob gets told not to post her feelings about illegal immigrants and whether they deserve the right to get drivers' licenses (which spurred a heated discussion longer than my thread has so far), and Zach gets told not to post anymore threads asking the forum to think about its actions and to remember that graphic sexual talk isn't welcome here (because my oh my, that one got heated), and Calavik gets told not to post anymore threads asking for member pictures (because that one got wayyyy out of hand for a while and certainly wasn't at all about snakes and snakey things, or bikes and puppies, and is the spark that got us all the way here). As soon as everyone else on the entire forum feels compelled to live by your admonition of sticking to snakes and snakey things and bikes and puppies, I will, too. Until then, I'll post what I think it important to discuss, just as they do.

Incidentally, I'd like it to be remembered that I didn't START this whole debate--I was talking about something else and was just giving an example which I didn't think would be at all problematic and wasn't trying to turn the conversation toward the topic of my example--it was just an example. I never delved into whether it is or isn't appropriate to talk about gay rights or gay stuff until I was told to take a conversation (which wasn't even about gay rights, but an example of word choice, which was what we were already talking about for the heteros) off the boards. That's what started the debate. I didn't wake up yesterday and say to myself, "Self? What can I post about today that will ruffle everyone's feathers?" Actually, I woke up thinking, "I'm glad tyflier gets why "I'd hit that" is degrading to women. I'm glad we resolved that," and was shocked by the response I and others had gotten to our casual discussion of word choice using an example that turned out to bother some. Yes, I pursued this "heavy political stuff," but I didn't make the heavy political statement that began it.

In fact, my record will show that I do not tend to start heavy political discussions. To be honest, I find them tiring, and I'm glad this one has reached its natural fizzling out point, as Nanci presaged it would. But I will pursue them doggedly once they've started, if I think they are important, and if I think I have something of value to add--knowledge, experience, thoughts, whatever. And no I won't leave alone what has already started and be silent about my opinions, because no one else here is expected to be silent about his or hers. And especially for me with SOME topics, being silent would be self-defeating, and I'm not a fan of that. In this case, what you think is best and what I think is best are not aligned. So, we will have to agree to disagree.

Jen and George getting themselves banned had nothing to do with Zach's or my threads. Jen and George getting themselves banned had to do with them antagonizing a moderator, which was not the topic of either thread.

 

[tyflier]

I certainly hope people can understand where desertanimal is coming from. As one of the "reasons" this topic was started, I have to say that I really don't understand what has gotten people so durn heated. I see members that flew off the handle at desertanimal for a reason that was either sent in PM, or...I don't know what. I certainly didn't and still don't see ANYthing in this topic that should have sparked such a heated outburst. I think there are some things going on that are not being stated that need to be worked on...but I won't name names or attempt to insinuate who or what I think that should be. This isn't the place. But I will say that there are obviously some personal issues that are causative of some severe over-reactions.

I cannot blame Stephanie for standing up for herself. I cannot fault her for defending her right to be here, and to speak her mind on any subject from her personal point of view just as every other member has the right to do. And I certainly do not think it is HER fault that people have reacted the way they did to this topic because, quite frankly, I cannot find anything in any of her posts that is antagonistic, inflammatory or derogatory towards anyone else...but she was certainly replied to in that manner...:shrugs:.

I always thought this place was a forum where people, regardless of age, had learned to discuss and disagree with respect towards one another, and without allowing personal antagonism to play a large role. I distinctly remember reading, time and again...Debate the topic, not the person. I think that one, short phrase should be stickied to the top of the general chit-chat forum, because...I would hate to see people NOT posting about things which make them passionate. Without passion, this forum would take a sharp nosedive, and the sould of the place would slowly but surely leave...seeking other outlets for release.

Someone said earlier that off-topic discussions should be taken to other forum boards. Religious topics to religion boards. Political topics to political boards. Sexuality topics to sexuality boards, etc. This forum is a community, above anything else that it might be. I consider several people on this forum to me "friends", even though we haven't ever met in person. I feel like I know these people at least to a certain extent. Given the opportunity to meet in person, I would immediately feel an aquaintencship because we have already done the "getting to know you" phase of friendship developement. The reason for that is BECAUSE of these topics, not in spite of. It is topics like these and the ones listed above that we are able to get a glimpse at someone from a different perspective, where we can learn something about them as a person...who they are, WHY they are who they are. I, personally, would hate to see that go away, even if I don't always like what I learn about someone. I don't view this as merely a "cornsnake forum". I see this place as a humanity forum, where all different people from all different places come together to share a common passion, and to become friends.

Some people choose not to participate in the more "lively" debate topics, and that is fine. Some people choose to ONLY participate in the lively debate topics, and that, too, is fine. But it is my opinion that if we start to disallow people the ability to exchange these types of ideas along with the cornsnake stuff, we are going to lose a huge part of what makes this such a strong community. There are places that limit the topics of discussion to strictly what the forum is for. Those places are not lvely, not fun, and not friendly. There is no feeling of community and there is no feeling of "friendship", because there is no opportunity to get to know each other on a more personal level. I would HATE to lose that aspect of this place. It is one of my favorite places BECAUSE of this aspect...not in spite of it.

I guess my point is simply this...there have been many, many topics that have touched on subjects just as "touchy", if not more so, than human sexuality and orientation, and they have maintained a semblence of respect and understanding throughout, for the most part. I see no GOOD reason why topics such as this should be disallowed, and I see no GOOD reason why people cannot maintain those same sensibilities and respect in THIS topic as they have in the others.

I truly hope that future discussions can be conducted without such strongly personal antagonism and anger, regardless of whether the topic has an opinion from a homosexual, a heterosexual, an African-American, a Hindu, or any other person that feels they have a right to state their mind in a respectful manner...because every single one of us does, no matter who we are when we turn off the computer.

[Forrest Gump voice]And that's all I have to say about that...[/Forrest Gump]

 

[desertanimal]

I see members that flew off the handle at desertanimal for a reason that was either sent in PM, or...I don't know what. I certainly didn't and still don't see ANYthing in this topic that should have sparked such a heated outburst.

Just for the sake of clarification, nope, I never sent any PMs (or emails, or reps), so it wasn't that. I've kept my thoughts here for all to see.

 

[Dreqqus]

Like tyflier, and desertanimal(sorry terrible with real names), I can't really see what event occurred that triggered the animosity in this thread. The only posts I have seen that might be slightly inflammatory were texastailfeathers, and they were fairly directed. I just can't seem to grasp the reasons for this sudden aggression. :shrugs:

 

[Dreqqus]

One thing I have noticed is the increase of advertisements that may be of sexual nature. Over the last couple of days their were 2 that caught my attention, one claiming to be the world's first(or was it best?)gay bodybuilding website, and one just a few moments ago, stating that it had the world's largest "Naughty, and Nice," personals site. I know that we need advertisements to keep the site up and running, but these 2 caught me as somehow wrong, especially the images in the body-building one, and while we're at it the swimsuit model that appears --------> sometimes, fits the same build.

 

[zwyatt]

One thing I have noticed is the increase of advertisements that may be of sexual nature. Over the last couple of days their were 2 that caught my attention, one claiming to be the world's first(or was it best?)gay bodybuilding website, and one just a few moments ago, stating that it had the world's largest "Naughty, and Nice," personals site. I know that we need advertisements to keep the site up and running, but these 2 caught me as somehow wrong, especially the images in the body-building one, and while we're at it the swimsuit model that appears --------> sometimes, fits the same build.

Well, the swimsuit shows up a lot. However, depending on what threads you were reading, I believe the google ads change based on words used in the threads themselves. Maybe I'm wrong. If you use Gmail, there are 'advertisements' that correspond to keywords in the emails. Anytime I get an email from my mom, there's a link to "best gift ideas for mom" or some such thing. So, if you were reading either of the two recent controversial threads, that's probably why those unusual ads were showing up...maybe...:shrugs: