Dear Anu,

I have a proposition to make that could use some modification, but a proposition nonetheless.

There has been a lot of bad blood spilt here on this board that goes beyond expected arguments over language and insult one would find on a board about language.

Having been a member of this board for nine months now--and a member of a music board for over two years--I believe we have created here an environment in which truth has been flushed down the toilet.

What we need here is a means for cleaning house, and apparently having an administrator didn't work.

So, this is what I propose. Should a member regularly become embroiled in conflict to the point that harsh effects occur, such as at least 30 members refusing to post, could the group vote to rid the board of the conflicting presence? I cannot see how a member whose behavior has worked against peace, consistently and characteristically, should be allowed to retain posting rights. It seems that the person's name could come up for a vote, with a few reasonable safeguards in place, such as those who vote should have had some degree of an active life on the board, at least one month, so each would have had time to study past posts and have understanding of the board. Sock puppet votes should be disallowed, but I don't have the knowledge to know how you could go about ferreting them out. I'd be honest myself, and I would hope others would be, too.

Since adminstration didn't work due to circumstances we do not have full information about, perhaps a democratic spirit of voting would. I cannot imagine any group that shouldn't have the ability to rid itself of members who do not adhere to expected behavior--that is, rid itself of any member who habitually works against expected behavior. I do not believe this board should be conducted like a court of law. I believe in common sense. I believe we, who have posted and written here over time, have enough experience and intelligence to know when a problem--not just an occasional knee-jerk reaction--has become an impediment. In the words of the seer: We don't need no steenkin' rules! But we do need means to say, "Enough is enough--out, out, dark spot!"

Thank you for listening, if you're listening,
Theresa, aka. Wordwind, OrionsBelt, Archedbrow and Scorpionstings, there, I 'fessed them all.