It's too bad

[Gonz]

The Real World was started as a place where people could post news stories & discuss them. It was, from the beginning, a place where all ideas were allowed to be voiced & then slammed for their stupidity. There was to be no censorship. The only limit was not to get personal. Belittle the facts & opinions but nor the bearer.

It worked, for awhile. The lead-up to the war created a gulf. We lost people because they were unwilling or unable to accept ideas that they disagreed with. Instead of presenting opposing arguments, they decided it was better to hold their opinions or to belittle to presenter. To make as if the argument was beneath them. Instead of disproviong an idea, they condemmed the whole notion. Still, the RW had its moments.

Unfortunately, it's now become a playground where a few find it easier to re-phrase than to outwit. Where some find contempt in anyone holding an ideology & prefer to be derisive than to participate in debate. Where others give facts but present little soul or wit, giving no life to long, boring tirades.

After nearly seven years, I believe that, for the first time, I'd be willing to not stand in the way of the RW being shuttered. It has lost its meaning & it's heart.

A sad day.

 

[2minkey]

it would be different, gonz, if so many of the original postings were not simply aimed at furthering political agendas prefabricated and utterly inflexible. folks get tired of that, and either post things like "this is ideological blather" (one of my favorites) or simply leave, like SnP, who actually had something interesting to say.

there's really no point in any discussion because the original posters (and their tribal brethren) are not truly interested in back-and-forth discussion. they are not willing to consider other points of view.

perhaps, for a change, folks should try to resist the urge to post stuff that is just more "support for my (their) pet viewpoint."

so, less of one more instance of a muslim or two blowing something up that obviously means they are all krazy terrorists intent on the destruction of, well, everything (yawn).

 

[GrandCaravanSE]

The Real World was started as a place where people could post news stories & discuss them. It was, from the beginning, a place where all ideas were allowed to be voiced & then slammed for their stupidity. There was to be no censorship. The only limit was not to get personal. Belittle the facts & opinions but nor the bearer.

It worked, for awhile. The lead-up to the war created a gulf. We lost people because they were unwilling or unable to accept ideas that they disagreed with. Instead of presenting opposing arguments, they decided it was better to hold their opinions or to belittle to presenter. To make as if the argument was beneath them. Instead of disproviong an idea, they condemmed the whole notion. Still, the RW had its moments.

Unfortunately, it's now become a playground where a few find it easier to re-phrase than to outwit. Where some find contempt in anyone holding an ideology & prefer to be derisive than to participate in debate. Where others give facts but present little soul or wit, giving no life to long, boring tirades.

After nearly seven years, I believe that, for the first time, I'd be willing to not stand in the way of the RW being shuttered. It has lost its meaning & it's heart.

A sad day.

Don't you mean "I say good day sir"

 

[MrBishop]

Happens to teh best palces... perhaps a rework instead of a shut-down.

I'm pretty sure that I've got an ARC welder around here somewhere.

 

[GrandCaravanSE]

Happens to teh best palces... perhaps a rework instead of a shut-down.

I'm pretty sure that I've got an ARC welder around here somewhere.

LOL, ARC Welder!!!

 

[catocom]

aw gonz, get you some good dark bourbon.
It'll be alright.

 

[paul_valaru]

Ah hell, we ALL ruined it.

 

[MrBishop]

LOL, ARC Welder!!!

 

[Gonz]

aw gonz, get you some good dark bourbon.
It'll be alright.

Can you imagine the tirade of me on bourbon right now?

 

[GrandCaravanSE]

see look it is fixxd, now no moar whinning!!!

 

[jimpeel]

The fact is that the fault does not lie with the posters. The fault lies with the mods who refuse to expel the provocateurs. Everyone knows who they are, including themselves, and everyone, except them, is tired of their snappy one-liners, ad hom attacks, and their inability to form a cognizant thought that even sounds like structured debate.

The repetitive comebacks of the same ol' same ol' with nothing sensible attached have caused some of us to do what the mods simply won't -- put them on permanent ignore.

Those who exist here for no other reason than pot stirring and provocation of others need to be expelled with extreme prejudice. Let them stay in the other rooms where wry humor, one-liners, provocative input, and insipid thought processes are welcomed and revered; but throw them out of where the real debates take place. They cannot handle the real world so place them off limits until they prove they can rejoin the forum and actually participate in the discussions in a productive manner.

Closing the entire forum is like grade school thinking wherein one kid is bad so the entire class must stay after school and put their heads down on their desks. That kind of thinking is the very type of thinking that needs to be purged from the entire board.

Just my .02.

Do what you please.

There are lots of other boards out there.

 

[Gonz]

The fault lies with the mods who refuse to expel the provocateurs.

Pot.

Kettle.

Black.

There was to be no censorship.

 

[Inkara1]

The fact is that the fault does not lie with the posters. The fault lies with the mods who refuse to expel the provocateurs. Everyone knows who they are, including themselves, and everyone, except them, is tired of their snappy one-liners, ad hom attacks, and their inability to form a cognizant thought that even sounds like structured debate.

The repetitive comebacks of the same ol' same ol' with nothing sensible attached have caused some of us to do what the mods simply won't -- put them on permanent ignore.

Those who exist here for no other reason than pot stirring and provocation of others need to be expelled with extreme prejudice. Let them stay in the other rooms where wry humor, one-liners, provocative input, and insipid thought processes are welcomed and revered; but throw them out of where the real debates take place. They cannot handle the real world so place them off limits until they prove they can rejoin the forum and actually participate in the discussions in a productive manner.

Closing the entire forum is like grade school thinking wherein one kid is bad so the entire class must stay after school and put their heads down on their desks. That kind of thinking is the very type of thinking that needs to be purged from the entire board.

Just my .02.

Do what you please.

There are lots of other boards out there.

Looked at yourself in the mirror lately?

 

[Dave]

Instead of presenting opposing arguments, they decided it was better to hold their opinions or to belittle to presenter. To make as if the argument was beneath them. Instead of disproviong an idea, they condemmed the whole notion.

Or people realized just how completely inflexible some of the members here were and how quickly they got jumped on for not agreeing with certain ideas.

The fact is that the fault does not lie with the posters. The fault lies with the mods who refuse to expel the provocateurs. Everyone knows who they are, including themselves, and everyone, except them, is tired of their snappy one-liners, ad hom attacks, and their inability to form a cognizant thought that even sounds like structured debate.

Lately, thats pretty much everyone that posts in here regularly.
If they post something that the opposition doesn't like, they are accused of not making solid debate points or start demanding links to back up their points. Nobody is allowed to have an opinion on anything unless they can parrot some other source.

Once the mods start expelling people then it will be a case of one side saying they are doing it because they don't like their point of view. Maybe threads should be locked or outright deleted if they start getting into prolonged pissing contests (see "constitutional crisis" thread for an example). It will take awhile to get the point across but eventually people will start recognizing what makes a good thread vs the typical BS of late.

 

[2minkey]

Looked at yourself in the mirror lately?

probably to squeeze some blackheads on his nose.

 

[jimpeel]

Pot.

Kettle.

Black.

There was to be no censorship.

Expelling the disruptive is not censorship. Censorship is removing their posts. There was never anything said that bad behavior and boorishness would be tolerated. All that was said was that the forum would be open to all of the things that are discouraged on other forums.

Subjects unsuitable for polite company. Politics, Religion, Abortion and other highly charged topics. Personal attacks will not be tolerated. (yet they are) However, it does get ugly. It can get personal. Don't say you weren't warned.

Anything there that says "We will tolerate your ad homs and your provocation of others"? Anything that says "We will tolerate your spamlike repetitive responses"?

I have tried to start good debatable threads and they always descend into a clown show and it is always the same provocateurs who send it there. "Uh-huh!", "Nuh-uh!" over and over ad nauseum. What a wonderful debating style that is.

Everyone here is tired of unsubstantiated claims which include no links, citations, or evidence. At least they could try; but they simply don't.

References which include documented facts are dismissed for no other reason than the source or person which cites them.

Do what you please.

There are lots of other boards out there.

 

[jimpeel]

Looked at yourself in the mirror lately?

Yeah. I have been provoked to the point of going on rants that got me scolded by the mods. I subsequently placed the people on ignore and I simply don't respond to them any longer.

Do I respond in like form when provoked? Hell yes. So sue me.

 

[jimpeel]

probably to squeeze some blackheads on his nose.

Need any more examples of what I'm talking about? I'm sure more are coming.

 

[jimpeel]

The Real World was started as a place where people could post news stories & discuss them.

I just posted a legitimate news story for discussion. Let's see how long it takes for it to descend into the pit; and who takes it there.

Here is the link: http://www.otcentral.com/forum/showthread.php?t=27735

 

[spike]

Looked at yourself in the mirror lately?

No shit, it's like he just described himself.

Yeah. I have been provoked to the point of going on rants that got me scolded by the mods.

No Jim, it's because you consistently insulted other members, tossed out ad homs, and trolled. You being "provoked" was simply your arguments being shot down. This angers so much that you either need to insult or must act like you put people on ignore if you can't throw a tantrum.

And then you STILL try to throw out lame insults like repitively trying to announce to everyone everytime you get a chance "I put them on ignore because they suck", "I put them on ignore because they suck", "I put them on ignore because they suck", "I put them on ignore becuase they suck".

Kinda kills the entire definition of "ignore" while still making you look childish doesn't it?

Geezus man.