A PLEA: can we discuss and debate without insults and abuse?

[cduggles]

^^ I doubt it will happen, but we agree on this levels.
Thanks all mods for the ce&p work. It obviously isn't easy right now. And I'm trying, although not with as much success as one would like, to be better.

 

[swilow]

What about having a yearly purge, 1 day a year where the Bluelight rules go out the window and chaos rules. Nazi's insult pedophiles, Muslims insult Christians, cocaine users insult psychedelic users, spammers sell viagra openly in the sober living thread. Basically a free for all, then the next day the rules are reinstated and we go about peacefully debating topics in a constructive fashion

I think a reverse purge, where we are all just pleasant and totally agreeable for a day would be kinda bizarre :D

 

[Kittycat5]

Reverse purge = swallowing vomit. Seems OT.

 

[LiquidMethod]

Insults and abuse = cut it out

Trolling and derision = welcome, have a seat

 

[alasdairm]

^ the martyr act falls flat.

if you are having trouble distinguishing what's acceptable and what's not, report the post and the forum staff will help you.

alasdair

 

[David Wooderson]

^ jfc. seriously? this is your chosen contribution to a thread inviting more respectful discussion?

sigh.

alasdair

oh the lulz

I totally agree wit your op with exception to sarcasm

 

[Escher's Waterfall]

if you are having trouble distinguishing what's acceptable and what's not, report the post and the forum staff will help you.

Am staff, can confirm.

And if you have a problem with the CE&P staff, feel free to escalate it. But I think our modding is pretty fair.

 

[LiquidMethod]

if you are having trouble distinguishing what's acceptable and what's not, report the post and the forum staff will help you.

What's acceptable and what's not depends on how close you are to the moderation team. And they are not based on any hard rules, the decisions are at the whims of the admins.
Your fair and balanced act falls flat.

This is evident by the fact that only I am consistently warned during altercations involving multiple people that I often did not even instigate.
Basically your friends have free reign to troll me, and if I reply then I am chided for misbehaving.

And if you have a problem with the CE&P staff, feel free to escalate it. But I think our modding is pretty fair.

Spacejunk is an admin. Nuff said.

You guys are close to being fair but not quite there yet. I get it though, human error etc and the entire mod team lean pretty heavily to the Left so you guys may simply be unaware of any unconscious biases.

 

[zephyr]

LM has a fair point.

 

[alasdairm]

What's acceptable and what's not depends on how close you are to the moderation team. And they are not based on any hard rules, the decisions are at the whims of the admins.

if you are struggling with the idea that the interpretation of the bluelight rules is at the discretion of the bluelight staff then i can't help you.

This is evident by the fact that only I am consistently warned during altercations involving multiple people that I often did not even instigate.
Basically your friends have free reign to troll me, and if I reply then I am chided for misbehaving.

that is not the case, from my perspective. a lot of bl moderation happens away from the public eye - by pm - so you're not fully aware of what happens in terms of moderation.

i did not post that second quote - i'd appreciate if you did not misquote me. thanks.

alasdair

 

[G.R.S.H.]

Alasdarirm- I promise to do my best to comply, to not insult others, user diragatory slurs, and {gulp, this one is hard} to do my best not to be sarcastic. This I solemnly swear.

I have tried in the past to keep my sarcasm out of my posts, so please be patient with me if I fall flat here. I will get back up and try again. Because you are absolutely right, we should be adults and debate like adults, that means no name calling like we learned in grade K.

Truly & Honestly-

G

 

[spacejunk]

^ thanks man, i appreciate your response.
it's not that hard to be respectful, even when we are discussing highly divisive topics.

Spacejunk is an admin. Nuff said.

you're absolutely welcome to not post here.
as a volunteer who puts a lot of time and thought into keeping this place running, i think you need to accept that this forum (like all forums) has staff, and rules, and procedures.

it's not actually about you - it's about our community and the clearly stated standards in the user agreement that most posters don't have much trouble adhering to.

you've been asked to stop personal attacks, but you keep going - then complain about staff implementing the rules that apply to everyone equally.

rather than blaming the staff that volunteer here, perhaps should maybe think about whether you really want to post here - because if you don't agree with the user agreement, that's tough.

if you want to keep escalating this grievance you have with the site, i can tell you quite honestly that you'll be treated like anyone else who has a personal gripe and won't let go of it.
you'll be treated just like any other problematic poster.

the choice is entirely yours. you've been given lots of opportunities and warnings, but if you want to martyr yourself, it's absolutely no skin off my nose.

sometimes i think people forget that this is a harm reduction forum, first and foremost, and that we do a lot of really important work in that regard.

if you want some heated political forum, there are plenty online. plenty where comments like this wouldn't be as inappropriate as they are here on bluelight:

If you disagree with that then you're on crack.

tl;dr - if you're going to complain so much about bluelight's rules and staff, and being told not to abuse people, don't post here.
if you keep it up, you won't have a choice.

 

[cduggles]

* Please no conspiracy theory or pseudopsychology spam*

With regard to stifling free speech, there are at least six threads I would like to start; but, because of conspiracy theory spamming, which is distracting to the point of just being fucking weird, I don't. And if I am not doing it, I have to wonder if other people feel inhibited from posting.

With this group and everything going on in the world, I don't think it's a stretch to think so.

And it's not just as easy as ignoring "pizzagate". It sprawls over other threads with the only common factor being Liquid Method is derailing them--the main Trump thread and the North Korea thread being just two examples.

I'm not trying to imply my contributions are make-or-break, but I do think that this issue is.

Best CD

 

[LiquidMethod]

as a volunteer who puts a lot of time and thought into keeping this place running, i think you need to accept that this forum (like all forums) has staff, and rules, and procedures.

I accept it but just like any hierarchy there are going to be problems and conflicts of interest.

it's not actually about you - it's about our community and the clearly stated standards in the user agreement that most posters don't have much trouble adhering to.

There might be some kind of disclaimer in the user agreement that allows admins to troll and insult members, but that doesn't make it the right thing to do.

you've been asked to stop personal attacks, but you keep going - then complain about staff implementing the rules that apply to everyone equally.

How is calling someone a Nazi not a personal attack?

rather than blaming the staff that volunteer here, perhaps should maybe think about whether you really want to post here - because if you don't agree with the user agreement, that's tough.

I really like this forum too. I've been around for a long time. I do not want it to become an echo chamber.

if you want to keep escalating this grievance you have with the site, i can tell you quite honestly that you'll be treated like anyone else who has a personal gripe and won't let go of it.
tl;dr - if you're going to complain so much about bluelight's rules and staff, and being told not to abuse people, don't post here.
if you keep it up, you won't have a choice.

I get it you and a few other mods want me to leave or be banned, which is why you ignore a few of your mates trolling in an effort to bait me into insulting them. I'm not going to directly insult anyone anymore and I'm going to accept that I will be relentlessly trolled for my political opinions.

 

[LiquidMethod]

And it's not just as easy as ignoring "pizzagate".

Ignoring? That thread is currently twelve pages and you are one of the people spamming it with troll-comments and derailing it.
Just because a story makes you uncomfortable does not give you the right to yell "conspiracy", plug your ears, and hope it goes away.
The CIA created the term "conspiracy theory" in the 60s to prevent people from investigating sensitive issues potentially threatening to the establishment.
Many "conspiracy theories" have turned out to be true, as the definition of "conspiracy" is just two or more people plotting in private (which happens a lot if you haven't noticed)

It sprawls over other threads with the only common factor being Liquid Method is derailing them--the main Trump thread and the North Korea thread being just two examples.

I derailed the Trump thread by defending him and asking people to justify their stance and inane drivel?
So the Trump thread IS simply a bash thread which was my first question posited there?

I'm not trying to imply my contributions are not make-or-break, but I do think that this issue is.

The irony of your accusations while you and scrofula derail the pizzagate thread, simply because your ego is so massive that you feel you are the arbiter of what is considered worthy of discussion.

 

[spacejunk]

I accept it but just like any hierarchy there are going to be problems and conflicts of interest.

completely irrelevant to this conversation.

There might be some kind of disclaimer in the user agreement that allows admins to troll and insult members, but that doesn't make it the right thing to do.

the BLUA is fine, thanks. functions well.
i think you're just whining about the fact that you've been infracted for repeatedly inulting people.
nobody is trolling you, you're just getting worked up over nothing.

if you're going to be hurt over people disagreeing with your views on trump, you might want to stay away from international forums.

How is calling someone a Nazi not a personal attack?

when has anyone called you a nazi?
link please.

I really like this forum too. I've been around for a long time. I do not want it to become an echo chamber.

you've been around long enough to know how this place works, i would have thought.

it's not an echo chamber; you'll find that few of us here agree on everything.
just because most of us disagree with your conspiracy theories and your support of donald trump, doesn't make it an echo chamber.

I get it you and a few other mods want me to leave or be banned, which is why you ignore a few of your mates trolling in an effort to bait me into insulting them. I'm not going to directly insult anyone anymore and I'm going to accept that I will be relentlessly trolled for my political opinions.

what a load of nonsense.

this thread is urging people to be more respectful in their discourse. you've turned it into a platform for whining about staff.

if anyone here is trolling, it is you.

stop acting like a petulant child, quit the abuse, and you won't be infracted.

it's simple

 

[Scrofula]

I really like this forum too. I've been around for a long time. I do not want it to become an echo chamber.

Well, you've technically been a member since the days of dial-up, but left only a few posts in music threads (and disappeared entirely for over four years, serious conspiracy-theory stuff, that).

At least until just last year you had a political awakening, and started defending Putin when waves of Syrian refugees began making headlines.

So really, you haven't been around very long. And if we make echoes in our disdain for Trump, you sure make an echo defending him and Putin against any and all perceived slights, then again when complaining that we challenge you.

I accept it but just like any hierarchy there are going to be problems and conflicts of interest.

Yes. Haven't you had a job before? In the end, this is a private club. Most people know to be friendly with management if they want to stay, whether or not they think it's "fair".

ETA: Not meant to suggest mgmt seeks smarmy praise or blow jobs to gain platinum membership.

 

[alasdairm]

Normal people know to be friendly with management if they want to stay, whether or not they think it's "fair".

this isn't about being friendly with anybody. it's about not insulting and abusing people. it's that simple.

people can play the martyr and claim bias and nazi modding but if you posts stuff like "you are an immature little child that is deserving of insults" and "continuous autistic quoting" you'll be infracted and you have nobody to blame but yourself.

alasdair

 

[LiquidMethod]

Yeah, so what constitutes an insult is completely at your discretion.

Open page one of the pizzagate thread, would you agree that no less than two moderators began insulting me?

You all can dish it out just fine, but how quickly we retreat to our safe spaces when challenged back.
And I thought we were all fighting against abuse of institutionalized power..

 

[alasdairm]

Yeah, so what constitutes an insult is completely at your discretion.

yes. i'm not sure why you can't grasp this simple concept. if you ran a forum, you'd have such discretion.

Open page one of the pizzagate thread, would you agree that no less than two moderators began insulting me?

if you see posts which you feel are problematic, please report them.

alasdair