Did you see these "reviews" of the WTM Forums??

[melissel]

Oops. Sorry folks. I had the wrong thread. The one I linked to a couple people was very similar. Sorry.

 

Now that I think about it, I am not sure it was the victimology thread that was linked that made her snap. My guess is the Black Swan thread. She didn't participate much as far as I could tell, but summed up her feelings about board members in one broad statement, then left the conversation.

 

I might very well have been wrong too, but the one I linked was the one that's connected in my head with her departure. It might have been everything, all together, too. It doesn't really matter, ultimately.

[Spock]

Seriously thought WTM was the liberal non-religious board. :001_huh: I must not read the right posts.

 

I tend to have the same impression overall, though I have seen posts from nearly every possible point of view.

Edited May 1, 2012 by Spock

[Parrothead]

I might very well have been wrong too, but the one I linked was the one that's connected in my head with her departure. It might have been everything, all together, too. It doesn't really matter, ultimately.

Well, these things (subject matter) come around in groups of 2 or 3. And then the spin-offs. I remember some of the Catholic threads we've had. I'd be jumping from thread to thread trying to keep up with the questions.

[LibraryLover]

Now that I think about it, I am not sure it was the victimology thread that was linked that made her snap. My guess is the Black Swan thread. She didn't participate much as far as I could tell, but summed up her feelings about board members in one broad statement, then left the conversation.

 

 

So where is that one? I never seem to find threads in my searches.

[LibraryLover]

From my perspective, the WTM boards are not more liberal than conservative. Not at all. There are some people I ignore (not actually, but in that I can't be bothered to get into with them. They aren't going to change; they just dig their heels in deeper and get more sarcastic). There are some very closed minds here, just as anywhere, but there are many more open ones. Still, the board leans more heavily on the conservative side, imo.

 

That doesn't bother me. 'The President is a fanatical Muslim trying to take down the world' threads bother me, but SWB doesn't allow those to continue. I detest the gay phobia. I don't like "Love the sinner, hate the sin', as I do not think being gay is a sin. The 'people on food stamps are lazy and eat lobster' threads are often ridiculous, and can get hateful. I'm not wearing rose-colored glasses, but I am betting some of those discusses have forced people to take a second look at certain beliefs.

'

 

You know, I shouldn't be posting. I am going to have some tea, and chill out. I am shocked that this has upset me.

Edited May 1, 2012 by LibraryLover

[Alte Veste Academy]

Now that I think about it, I am not sure it was the victimology thread that was linked that made her snap. My guess is the Black Swan thread. She didn't participate much as far as I could tell, but summed up her feelings about board members in one broad statement, then left the conversation.

 

 

Oh, I bet you are right! That one was extraordinarily ugly and more likely to provoke the kind of vitriol in that blog post.

[Wabi Sabi]

After reading a few of the last threads she posted on I totally understand her outrage. It's unbelieveable to me, that in this day and age ANYONE (even if it's a small minority) can be so bigoted and misogynist. I know that certainly doesn't apply to everyone here and I'm glad that there are those who aren't afraid to speak up.

 

I think it's a little funny how people like to talk about "well, tolerance goes both way, blah blah blah." Nope, sorry. There are certain things, IMO, that shouldn't be tolerated by anyone, period.

[AuntieM]

From my perspective, the WTM boards are not more liberal than conservative. Not at all. There are some people I ignore (not actually, but in that I can't be bothered to get into with them. They aren't going to change; they just dig their heels in deeper and get more sarcastic). There are some very closed minds here, just as anywhere, but there are many more open ones. Still, the board leans more heavily on the conservative side, imo.

 

That doesn't bother me. 'The President is a fanatical Muslim trying to take down the world' threads bother me, but SWB doesn't allow those to continue. I detest the gay phobia. I don't like "Love the sinner, hate the sin', as I do not think being gay is a sin. The 'people on food stamps are lazy and eat lobster' threads are often ridiculous, and can get hateful. I'm not wearing rose-colored glasses, but I am betting some of those discusses have forced people to take a second look at certain beliefs.

'

 

You know, I shouldn't be posting. I am going to have some tea, and chill out. I am shocked that this has upset me.

 

LL, I am so link-impaired... I do it the slow way. Under community I looked up her name, then stats, then posts. That's how I found that thread. I remember it from before, but I don't think I posted on it at the time. It got long and hot and I don't think I kept up with it.

[melissel]

After reading a few of the last threads she posted on I totally understand her outrage. It's unbelieveable to me, that in this day and age ANYONE (even if it's a small minority) can be so bigoted and misogynist. I know that certainly doesn't apply to everyone here and I'm glad that there are those who aren't afraid to speak up.

 

I think it's a little funny how people like to talk about "well, tolerance goes both way, blah blah blah." Nope, sorry. There are certain things, IMO, that shouldn't be tolerated by anyone, period.

 

I don't disagree AT ALL. But the reaction was completely out of proportion, IMO, and once again, the vast majority of the posters here did not (and do not) agree with what was initially being posted in that thread. Plenty of ugly opinions and controversial topics have been debated here without a need for dramatic temper tantrums and cackling "we will win and you will lose!" posts. It's not as if the 10,000+ members of the WTM board all agreed and the blogger was the sole dissenting voice.

[Trilliums]

:iagree: I can always find answers, support, advice, encouragement, ideas, and humor here, whether related to homeschooling or not!

 

 

I definitely agree with this as well. So many questions I consider posting I find have already been addressed and I just have to do a quick search. Plus, I love having a group of homeschoolers to bounce ideas off and the high school board has guided our family in many occasions.

 

BUT, this is also where I learned about Jack Chick, the Pearls AND the Duggars (I guess I am a sheltered liberal!). Oh, and the biblical rationale behind not worrying about global warming.

[KristinaBreece]

Now that I think about it, I am not sure it was the victimology thread that was linked that made her snap. My guess is the Black Swan thread. She didn't participate much as far as I could tell, but summed up her feelings about board members in one broad statement, then left the conversation.

 

So... I looked into this last night. I *think* that the Black Swan thread and the one linked earlier in this thread together prompted the tirade. I did feel that most people in both threads were supportive of and in agreement with her POV. Her involvement in the Black Swan thread was less, I think, than in the other thread, but they were both fairly heated.

 

The OP of the victims thread did go back and try to clarify that she wasn't trying to blame victims for the crimes perpetrated against them at all, but people had already read what she originally wrote (I stayed out of the original thread-- on purpose), and thought they *heard* that in her OP. From reading what that person normally posts, I wouldn't think that she had intended to say what people thought they *heard.* KWIM?

[TeacherZee]

While I think those two threads sent her over the edge, I think that blog post came after a long series of threads that were really rather nasty. Both in regards to their views on women and on homosexuals. There were also some rather nasty insidences of hatred against athiests. This on the back of the last election. While I don't condone her broad brush approach I can understand it. Just reading a few threads isn't going to show us the whole picture.

[momma2three]

Wow, that Black Swan thread gets very ugly on page 23. Up until then it was actually very polite and people were getting their point across.

 

I can definitely see why the blogger was angry and frustrated.

[Kathryn]

Wow, that Black Swan thread gets very ugly on page 23. Up until then it was actually very polite and people were getting their point across.

 

I can definitely see why the blogger was angry and frustrated.

 

Agree with the first part, not with the second. It looked to me like a whole bunch of people calling a couple of people bigots. I still fail to see how the feelings of a couple of fundamentalist/conservative Christian posters gets translated into the kind of angry vitriol directed against the forums as a whole in the blog post referenced.

 

Yes, there are havens of enlightenment online, but let's face it, this is the Internet and it's a public message board. I've seen A LOT worse on other forums. And for a homeschooling forum, WTM has an amazing diversity. I'm just not buying that that blog post was at all warranted. It still seems like the ravings of an emotionally immature person.

[Rivka]

Now that I think about it, I am not sure it was the victimology thread that was linked that made her snap. My guess is the Black Swan thread. She didn't participate much as far as I could tell, but summed up her feelings about board members in one broad statement, then left the conversation.

 

I might very well have been wrong too, but the one I linked was the one that's connected in my head with her departure. It might have been everything, all together, too. It doesn't really matter, ultimately.

 

I think it was a combination of both, plus the "writing on the butts" thread which the victimology thread is labeled as a s/o from - which was full of abusive language directed at women who have had sex outside of marriage or present themselves as sexual beings, and comments excusing those women's mistreatment by men.

[Farrar]

I just wanted to point out that I'm pretty sure SmrtMama didn't leave the forum and stop blogging after that. Like many of us pointed out, it was just a single post in response to a specific discussion. She was still a presence here and was still blogging for several months after that, but her life was more hectic - I seem to recall she started babysitting, her little one was at that toddler age when kids are into everything... And then when she announced she was shutting up blogging, she mentioned comments on her blog, not the WTM forum.

 

I really miss her blog. She was provocative occasionally, but I think we need that sometimes.

 

I am really sad right now.

 

I shouldn't care, but I do.

 

There are some very good people here, and I feel sad she is in pain, and I feel sad there is so much anger 'out there' and here.

 

Most of us are just talking about hsing and trying to connect a little. Even when we help folks try to figure out what to make for dinner after a long day :) It's just so much chit chat.

 

Sure there are bigots. There are bigots everywhere, but when you come here with questions about hsing, you get answers. All kinds of answers-- some I don't like-- but there are so many gems.

 

Even SWB has said there is no one program that will work for all children. She allows discussion about all sorts of programming here. It's not just a big advert for PHP.

[nmoira]

I just wanted to point out that I'm pretty sure SmrtMama didn't leave the forum and stop blogging after that. Like many of us pointed out, it was just a single post in response to a specific discussion. She was still a presence here and was still blogging for several months after that

This may be true for her blog, but she never posted here again after the two threads.

[Mrs Mungo]

I think it was a combination of both, plus the "writing on the butts" thread which the victimology thread is labeled as a s/o from - which was full of abusive language directed at women who have had sex outside of marriage or present themselves as sexual beings, and comments excusing those women's mistreatment by men.

 

I don't like writing on the butt. You can never be the correct age to have writing on the seat of your pants-you are either too young to draw that kind of attention to your butt or you are too old to use such a device in order to get attention.

 

Obviously, I was pretty vocal in the victim thread that mode of dress has nothing to do with a predator's attack. And, I used the same logic that I used earlier today with the girl who drowned-people want to believe that they can do X and keep themselves and their loved ones safe. It's comforting.

 

The Black Swan thread mainly lives in my mind as the list of things people should not google. And this line from Sis, "It is like the climax of the party where the Joker shows up and starts spray painting things and taking hostages." So, somebody thinks h*mos*xuality is disgusting, big shock. Obviously, most people disagreed and moved on to talking about the movie. I can't really talk about the movie, except in general symbolic terms, because I hate scary movies and *never* go see them. Okay, I saw Cabin in the Woods because it was by Joss Whedon, dh was so happy that I didn't throw my popcorn on the people behind us like I did in the scary movie we saw before that (about 6 or 7 years ago).

Edited May 1, 2012 by Mrs Mungo

[TranquilMind]

:iagree:I don't either. All I can think is "I hope I didn't post something offensive enough to cause that kind of hatred."

 

You couldn't. That kind of hatred comes from the inside.

[Slartibartfast]

 

The Black Swan thread mainly lives in my mind as the list of things people should not google. And this line from Sis, "It is like the climax of the party where the Joker shows up and starts spray painting things and taking hostages." So, somebody thinks h*mos*xuality is disgusting, big shock. Obviously, most people disagreed and moved on to talking about the movie.

 

 

That is what happened, :lol: we were all having a great time till someone showed up and started flaming things. It was a hilarious thread before that started.

Edited May 1, 2012 by Sis

[Farrar]

I think it was a combination of both, plus the "writing on the butts" thread which the victimology thread is labeled as a s/o from - which was full of abusive language directed at women who have had sex outside of marriage or present themselves as sexual beings, and comments excusing those women's mistreatment by men.

 

Sigh. Now that I went back and looked, I remembered those threads and remembered avoiding them. Yuck. Sometimes people here are kinda nasty.

[Slartibartfast]

I admit in my teen years I wore these little shorts to practices that had a purple dinosaur on the butt.

[Slartibartfast]

Here is the above mentioned Black Swan thread

 

http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=258166

 

Don't google anything that people say not to google.

[NanceXToo]

OK the Black Swan/homosexuality issue is a whole 'nuther kettle of fish. But all I have to say to the "Juicy" thread and the "What Prisoners said" thread is: see picture, attached.

 

:D

[butterflymommy]

I haven't read all the replies.

 

But I assume there have been ample comments about the aesthetic sweetness of smrt lrnins "Officer Daddyman?" :drool5:

[*Inna*]

I remember Smrtmama. She posted in one of her first threads about a certain "field trip" that she and her friend took. It was a local used homeschooling book store. They went in, taking pictures, mocking everything in sight and then getting offended when the owner asked them to leave.

 

She's always seemed ready to be offended. ;)

[Mom2Es]

In general, I find, even when we have heated arguments about shopping carts or dress length.....we respect the poster...but can argue our point without getting our bloomers in a twist. If not, we can always just read something else. There is always lots to choose from!

 

Wait; there are heated shopping cart threads here, too? Why did I think that was only at Ovusoft?

[elegantlion]

Wait; there are heated shopping cart threads here, too? Why did I think that was only at Ovusoft?

 

Don't ask about shoes in the house, crock pots, or tea or teA or booKs, you'll be sorry. Don't say I didn't warn you. :lol:

[KristinaBreece]

LOL

 

don't ask about picky eaters either

 

And don't admit to letting your kids eat Jello.

[kalanamak]

 

(Now, did any of you NOT know that stuff about me and want to commence hating me now?) :lol:

 

If I knew, I had forgotten. Pleased to meet you.

 

Some people are too stung to stay around groups that are not peopled with posters of the same background/beliefs, etc. Some people seem to think any discussion with those that differ is showing approval or even a threat to their own integrity. Some people are just "emotional" or "high strung". To them I briefly bow and go on my own way, for one cannot wring one's hands over another's foibles. It does no good.

 

I have been offended, to my memory, by two remarks here. One was that children raised without a strong religious foundation will be a moral vacuum that will take on who knows what evil philosophy, and the other a comment about a summer camp where the Christian kids were so badly behaved you couldn't tell them from the non-Christian children. It wasn't that I was personally hurt, but more a feeling that there would be a roar if the shoe was on the other foot ("our kids were so badly behaved, they were as bad as the Christian children" or "raising a child with a religious dogma will turn them into spineless automatons"). Moments like that I feel very much the outsider.

 

However, I AM an outsider in this country, and perhaps I should darn well remember it. In the end, I'd much rather people be frank, even if they are a threat to me or think me a threat to them, than covert. Better the knife drawn in front of me, than drawn to my back.

[Mrs Mungo]

:iagree: I am an agnostic who has politically liberal opinions but personally makes very conservative choices. Because of that, many of my acquaintances and a few casual friends have no idea how liberal I am politically.

 

Ditto, lol.

 

I have been offended, to my memory, by two remarks here. One was that children raised without a strong religious foundation will be a moral vacuum that will take on who knows what evil philosophy, and the other a comment about a summer camp where the Christian kids were so badly behaved you couldn't tell them from the non-Christian children. It wasn't that I was personally hurt, but more a feeling that there would be a roar if the shoe was on the other foot ("our kids were so badly behaved, they were as bad as the Christian children" or "raising a child with a religious dogma will turn them into spineless automatons"). Moments like that I feel very much the outsider.

 

I think those sort of general statements are the type that usually cause upset. How many of those fights have we seen?

 

All of the PATRIOTIC people will want to watch this GOP ad!

 

Christians-what do you do when your child's friend reads Harry Potter?

 

People with standards-how do you tell people to take their shoes off in your house?

 

Non-lazy parents, can you believe my friend "cooked" hotdogs for the kids at a sleepover? Gag!

 

Those types of statements are always getting people in trouble here, lol.

[elegantlion]

And don't admit to letting your kids eat Jello.

 

or Ramen Noodles. :lol: