|
|
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 2,605
Carpal Tunnel
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 2,605 |
Jackie, you're quite right that this is the same "old ground" you so eloquently re-introduced in your "personal plea" thread. The recent events may make it all the more important that for our political threads, we all be re-sensitized to the concerns you expressed there.
I too have no objection, in these extraordinary times, to "political" posts as such. I pray they be expressed with civility that brings us together, not with a vehemence that drives us apart.
TEd, I personally have had no problem with your posts, probably because in large part I happen to agree with them. But I fear that some of my own posts may have been so expressed as to offend at least some others on the board. and for that I too apologize.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 1,981
Pooh-Bah
|
|
Pooh-Bah
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 1,981 |
TEd, I personally have had no problem with your posts, probably because at least some part I happen to disagree with them.
.. but then if you can't have a good argument with friends, then who can you argue with ...
From what I've been reading in the US and world press there are plenty of conflicting views in there now, I don't feel personally responsible for pointing out a few points of view from other parts of the world any more.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613 |
I don't feel personally responsible for pointing out a few points of view from other parts of the world any more.
Thanks, Jo. :-) Love you!
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 4,757
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 4,757 |
2 brief points, Keiva:
1. My suggestion was a simple, practical issue of housekeeping - I suggested we keep threads below a 100 postings for quicker access.
2. I would suggest everything talked of by so many people here is intrinsically bound into the weft and warp of language; but if you don't like my views, you can avoid the thread entirely, or you can deal with it. Censorship is not an option in your power, thank goodness.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 2,661
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 2,661 |
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 5,400
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 5,400 |
There have been opinions very contrary to mine expressed, but a situation of this magnitude does tend to cause an equally large reaction.
i have tried to be open and listen, and rather than disagree, or comment, to simple voice my own opinion, in a neutral way.
i see peoples reactions growning out of there experiences. since we each have unique experiences, each opinion, is valuable. my contributions, i hope, do for others, as their opinions do for me.. give me a glimpse of a different way of thinking, which i can consider, explore, accept or reject.
but just hearing the opinions, even if i ultimately reject the perspective, is valuable.
i do believe the pen is a mighty septor than the sword, the war we must fight, must be one of words, maybe even more than one of arms. this forum, dedicated to words, has a vital part of remaking the world, as a safer, better place.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542 |
A few days ago I posted something to the effect that I felt like we were losing the board, as we have known it. [and was roundly castigated for that by some] I had vowed not to post again on the subject; but hell, I break resolutions all the time and here is an open opportunity staring me in the face.
Actually, there have been some rather nasty sentiments expressed here of late (although nothing prolonged). We have seen the return of an old political operative from Jerusalem. We have seen strangers pop in with patriotic pronouncements. We have seen old hands and members and such post almost exclusively on the Topic for ten days. This was once a refuge from the ol' day-to-day; now it sometimes seems like just another flame war, but with more civilized language.
Am I overstating the case? Overreacting? As someone stated above, we've been here before (although not with as much provocation). But people are paying less heed to the unwritten (and written) guidelines. We haven't been able to limit the venue. We haven't been able to close off long threads (there's always that one last point that has to be made threadnodically). We have reverted to using the easy oaths and (perhaps worse) shibboleths. So is that it? Are we become just another board?
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,146
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,146 |
tsuwm, while I concede you have a point - fings ain't wot they use ter be - I think you have to concede that these are unusual times. For several of us here, the Board is a refuge from the day-to-day. It allows us to express our real opinions, not those expected by those we deal with on a day-to-day basis. Most of us (including the "political operative from Jerusalem") actually like being able to express our opinions on something like the attacks on the US here. This will inevitably lead to disagreements politically, but what the hell, that's life, Jim, and just as we know it. Yes, there has been a deemphasis on language per se, but it is quietly dying down. Two or three threads in I&A out of all the threads on the Board are all that seem to be devoted to it (not including this one). We are the unfortunate victims of that old Chinese curse, "May you live in interesting times". We are. I have to admit that, politically again, I disagree with some of the opinions expressed here. Violently, I guess, in some cases. But I respect the people expressing them, including (making all kinds of assumptions here) the one who Keiva was jumping all over, inappropriately, I thought. It could have been me, after all. The majority of us are still dealing with language in the other fora as "business as usual". This is a good thing, and proves that we've not all, overnight, become nothing but political opportunists! 
The idiot also known as Capfka ...
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 1,981
Pooh-Bah
|
|
Pooh-Bah
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 1,981 |
The way I see it is a bit like going to work. Lets say that alongside our busy lives we all have a part time job contributing to an on-line dictionary, we have an office in a large building and we can go whenever it suits us. Sometimes we have more time, sometimes we have less time to spend. Some of us meet lots of other people each day in the rest of our lives, some of us don't get to meet many other people.
Most days we wander in, give everyone a quick nod, pick up a cup of coffee and head off to our office to "work" on Q&A, Miscellany, whatever, whether seeing if there are any replies to our last post or looking out for new posts.
If we really want to chat we should perhaps arrange to meet a friend for lunch, sometimes we do, sometimes it spills over into the working day.
What happened last week is that we all turned up to work and met on the stairs, discovered that someone was missing and spent a while trying to find them. After that we've been so wrapped up in the outside world, I won't rehash the events of the week, that we have come back in to work but rarely made it past the coffee machine. Some people are better than others at ignoring the huddle round the coffee machine and getting back to work. Others aren't. Assuming things get back to what passes for normal, then most people will get back to work, if not, we'll deal with the problem when it happens.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 2,605
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 2,605 |
Mav says, 2 brief points, Keiva:
1. My suggestion was ... we keep threads below a 100 postings.
Which I suggested, and again suggest, hijacks the issue i'peter raised.
2. Censorship is not an option in your power, thank goodness.
Fully agreed -- but civil self-restraint is within my power, thank goodness.
Is it within yours?
I did not feel, IMHO, that your above reply to me achieved that courtesy.
Edited to clarify reference, as of Troy rightly notes. Inselpeter's post, orignating this thread, said in part: In these times, especially, we need to be able to disagree clearly and strongly, but to avoid rancor.
|
|
|
|
Forums16
Topics13,913
Posts229,347
Members9,182
| |
Most Online3,341
Dec 9th, 2011
|
|
|
0 members (),
631
guests, and
0
robots. |
|
Key:
Admin,
Global Mod,
Mod
|
|
|
|
