See, and all of the rest of us think we are right too. That's why we sometimes don't play well together.
Actually, I like playing with Jason and I think my posts in response to his demonstrate it. I'd just appreciate it if he would stop singing a certain song which is inconsistent with the programming here.
Dang, I hope you don't go and call for a group hug. if you do I'm leaving.Originally Posted by Shades of Gray
Actually, I like playing with Jason and I think my posts in response to his demonstrate it. I'd just appreciate it if he would stop singing a certain song which is inconsistent with the programming here.
Don't count on it! I ain't hugging no stinking hikers.
Besides, that would involve a public display of affection and I haven't even met most of you.
This seems to be a big point brought up multiple times in this thread, that WB exists solely as a place for an exchange of info on the AT. Many seem to express the opinion that anything (and I mean anything) other than a strict sharing of info is unnecessary and therefore should never be posted, whether it be offensive or not. While WB does seem to be a great atmosphere in which to exchange info, just scroll up to the top banner and you'll see it described as "A community of AT enthusiasts," not "an online AT fact book." To me that means we should be able to discuss whatever we want (within legal and civil bounds, of course) that might be applicable to such a community...even if it's wildly irrelevant, sarcastic, or downright funny.JOTW, you still don't get it about discussing such issues here, trolling or neither contributing anything useful where people seeking to prepare themselves for A.T. hikes are looking for information, not to spend their lives in the wading pool.
From the "about WB" section of this very site:
"One person does not own WhiteBlaze. Everyone on this site shares a piece of it." Shouldn't we all get an opinion on how things are moderated, then, or exactly what topics we can/should discuss? To me, that freedom is what makes the AT so great.
Sometimes trolls and people who fail to read or comprehend the thread should be ignored, other times they ought to be engaged directly. Still other times, it is better to let someone else respond and install one's broadband service instead.
There's no doubt about that. None whatsoever...
......and thus this thread devolved into personal attacks too. Blah.
Actually I'm amazed that this thread has had the legs that it has. It struck me as being like the Seinfeld Show...much to do about nothing. WB was what it was and is what it is. Now as before if your not happy with it there are other places to go and other things to do. To me WB is like picking a scab...you know you shouldn't...but what the heck.
I think it would help if we could edit our posts. There are times that I think certain situations could be avoided, due to a change of heart. I do realize that if I donate I can have that privilige. Why is that, anyway?
Let's see if we can figure it out. Running a site like this costs money. Do you suppose selling the ability to edit is simply to provide an incentive to get people to help pay the bills?
Weary
not really.
In your case.
That's my dog, Echo. He's a fine young dog.
I still don't get it, if you don't want to read it, DON'T CLICK ON IT. And saying you have to "weed" through stuff is the lamest excuse out there because If you don't subscribe to the forum then you won't be "weeding" through anything. It's pure laziness and people just wanting to whine about something, it must be in their DNA. You have a forum where people can say what they want, and they go in there KNOWING that anything goes, so they have nothing to cry about if they don't like what is said. There is no moderation needed unless something absolutely ridiculous like a threat against someone's life or anything to that effect is mentioned. People try to make the arguement that it will spill into the other forums but this a rare occurence, and that's when the mods need to do their jobs. It's pretty sad this even has to be discussed really...
I agree with you Jason on many topics.... and this one I agree as well, although I didn't know the old WB and would have probably fit in great.
But the mods do keep a lot of things in check and will be more than willing to talk to you about ways to "avert" pissing them off. So I'm gonna have to go with Jack and say try and work it out... Alligator has always been real nice to me even when I was on moderated status, and for those of you that don't know... moderated status sucks. Thats my 1 cent. (not allowed to post my other 1 cent or I would have given my full 2 cents)
I'm glad for the moderators, they have a really tough job. I moderated a Yahoo group site and it was really tough stuff. I don't wish to be in their shoes. And then you have to deal with people flaming you for trying to keep a site from dissolving into chaos and fellow hikers getting trampled.
Several hikers on the trail last year - when I told them I was on White Blaze -complained that WB was too hostile. Now we have a great, informative site for hikers that want to hike the AT and other trails. If people want something else, buy a site and set up flame wars. We are a culture that loves sensationlism. When the tabloid fight is gone, the fun is perceived to be gone. WB shouldn't be about sensationalism. Or fighting. It should be hikers helping hikers and the trails we love.
What is all this "First Amendment" and "freedom of speech" talk? Newspapers are the traditional upholders of the First Amendment, and I'd really like to see any one of you get a letter to the editor published in your local paper that contains hateful speech, personal attacks or that mentions illegal activities. Good luck with that.
If you want true freedom of speech, you need to start your own publication or website.
Many years ago, at a paper I worked for, a local guy kept writing columns that the editor thought were irresponsible, so he banned him from the paper. The guy went and started his own rag. The stuff he prints is deplorable, and I'm shocked he hasn't had his butt sued off (though a lot of it is rather funny and entertaining). But, he still prints that rag, years and years later. And he is still banned from the "regular" newspaper. THAT is freedom of speech.
I agree that being over-moderated is rather distasteful. I don't like it either. It seems to simply be a case of a few bad apples ruining it for the rest of us.
I'ts not lame. We don't all live our lives through forums. I'll have an interest in a particular topic. I'll go to work and when I come home and want to catch up on that topic, I find there is now 10 full pages of comments mostly petty cheap shots at each other that have nothing to do with the topic at hand. I have to "weed" thru the cheap shots just to get to the meat of the topic. It's time consuming. I'm all for a separate forum for "off-topic" conversation, but in my experience someone has to push the envelope and filter back into dedicated topics for off-topic remarks. No matter where you set the boundaries, someone will always push it for the sake of pushing it.
Sounds like the latest presidential debate. Sounds like America. Just like us to have the Freedom Of Speech... and to not allow it at the same time. Consistency is key, either way. I post a lot of crap that gets deleted, and you know what it probably should... as I have said before, Opinions are like A******* everyone has one. they all stink. And there is millions of them.
In case anyone wondered why I didn't enter this thread earlier. I was hiking.
In my opinion, it is not a case of a few bad apples ruining it for the rest of us, but a failure of moderators and administrators to clamp down on sensible enforcement of the basic rules that they post, and then closing down entire forums, such as politics, when their neglect becomes an obvious problem.
Weary
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