Tap Posted March 1, 2009 Share Posted March 1, 2009 (edited) I have seen a few post shut down almost immediately because the content was political. At the top it does say politics are not welcome, not that politics are fine if they don't spiral downward. Because no matter how innocent they start out, no matter what truly wonderful dialogue and discussion is contained within, they have a powerful pull into the downward spiral. Political threads, are the one topic that is very predictable to end up in a very bad place. That is why the 'topic' of politics was banned as a whole. Right after the political ban, there were a few posts that lingered, that had a touch of politics. What dress was worn by the First Lady, was one. They were watched, and the ones that went down in flames were deleted. Edited March 1, 2009 by Tap, tap, tap Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pqr Posted March 1, 2009 Author Share Posted March 1, 2009 If any topic degrades to the point name calling and rude remarks (pqr's bold and underlining).... Tap Tap, We have a post discussing carnal knowledge between a woman and a chimp, and if you read the thread further carnal knowledge between an man and a chicken. Just how much further can a post degrade? Even so I did not suggest that the post to be banned I just wanted clarification on the limits. BTW, were I called a loony lib (unlikely) or rabid rightist (more likely) I would still find such a post far less "degrading" than the woman/ape thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CLHCO Posted March 1, 2009 Share Posted March 1, 2009 But that's because of all the problems that they've had with political discussions in the past year. Yes, I know. I was simply responding to a post that stated any topic will be deleted, regardless of the topic only if it spirals downward, and I may have mistakenly assumed she meant politics in a post are okay if they do not spiral. If that was the case, I was pointing out that it's not the case with politics - they are banned. It's reasonable then to have clarification to what "politics" means since, as I stated above, it's involved in even how much burping we're allowed to do these days. :001_cool: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBH Posted March 1, 2009 Share Posted March 1, 2009 (edited) Her board, her rules. Period. I really don't understand the sense of entitlement that some people have. I have yet to see any of you political junkies go form your own board, why not? And I don't believe this board benefits Susan in such grand ways. Her books sold before the board, her books will sell long after the day she hears one too many tantrums and shuts this place down. I find your language offensive. I care about moral/imoral issues, but I am not a political junkie. Some people call it politics, but I don't. Edited March 1, 2009 by MBH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hillary in KS Posted March 1, 2009 Share Posted March 1, 2009 Tap Tap, We have a post discussing carnal knowledge between a woman and a chimp, and if you read the thread further carnal knowledge between an man and a chicken. Just how much further can a post degrade? Even so I did not suggest that the post to be banned I just wanted clarification on the limits. BTW, were I called a loony lib (unlikely) or rabid rightist (more likely) I would still find such a post far less "degrading" than the woman/ape thread. :001_huh: A man and a chicken? Really? Ew. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hillary in KS Posted March 1, 2009 Share Posted March 1, 2009 I find your language offensive. Are you not a believer in Christ? :001_huh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted March 1, 2009 Share Posted March 1, 2009 (edited) Tap Tap, We have a post discussing carnal knowledge between a woman and a chimp, and if you read the thread further carnal knowledge between an man and a chicken. Just how much further can a post degrade? Even so I did not suggest that the post to be banned I just wanted clarification on the limits. BTW, were I called a loony lib (unlikely) or rabid rightist (more likely) I would still find such a post far less "degrading" than the woman/ape thread. Sure the topic was nasty. But did you read where the discussion went? It wasn't into name calling and bashing people, it fell into a discussion about DNA, cell structures and reproduction. It was an intelligent conversation between adults who knew the topic in the post was offensive. ETA The thread also died out after 3 pages and (unless this threads mention of it gets it going again) will be buried in the nearly half million other threads on the general board. It was a question someone had. It was answered by a few, and dropped. Edited March 1, 2009 by Tap, tap, tap Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer in NH Posted March 1, 2009 Share Posted March 1, 2009 (edited) Probably if we had a "post unto others as you would have them post unto you" frame of thinking, we wouldn't have any rules, right?If this is a true "what are the rules post" then maybe this is a beneficial thread and we should have a link to go and look at the rules again. I saw spam the other day on here and thought, "Wonder who's suppose to turn this into the moderators?" I didn't do anything, because I didn't know:-) I appreciate this board and want to stay on the right side of the line, so I don't get a "time-out". Happy Sunday:-) Carrie:-) You can report spam by clicking on the little red and black excalmation mark in the upper right corner..that will alert the moderators to the post/thread. Okay, i should have kept reading...sorry for the duplicate advice! Edited March 1, 2009 by Jennifer in NH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zelda Posted March 1, 2009 Share Posted March 1, 2009 The question is legitimate because in the past we've been admonished to "go back to discussing home school" or words to that effect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allearia Posted March 1, 2009 Share Posted March 1, 2009 We have a post discussing carnal knowledge between a woman and a chimp, and if you read the thread further carnal knowledge between an man and a chicken. Just how much further can a post degrade? It seems to me the point is in that thread we did not have a lot of posts in favor of woman-chimp or man-chicken relations, and arguing and name calling about the rights or lack thereof of people to engage in these activities. I guess most people on the board agreed on this topic which makes it pretty non-controversial for this board. People have a lot bigger differences of opinion on the political topics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6packofun Posted March 1, 2009 Share Posted March 1, 2009 Yes, that irked me quite a bit and I'm wondering where things are headed, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sleepy Posted March 1, 2009 Share Posted March 1, 2009 Is anything other than politics off limits? From what I can tell, "snark" is no longer allowed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer in NH Posted March 1, 2009 Share Posted March 1, 2009 I find your language offensive. I care about moral/imoral issues, but I am not a political junkie. Some people call it politics, but I don't. Thanks for editing! You had me quite confused for a bit!;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sleepy Posted March 1, 2009 Share Posted March 1, 2009 . I have yet to see any of you political junkies go form your own board, why not? Actually, several spin-off boards have been created for this very purpose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sassenach Posted March 1, 2009 Share Posted March 1, 2009 Not sure how asking for clarification = entitlement :confused::confused:? It's just a request for clarity. (I would clarify what I think entitlement means but it would be polical and get us way off-topic.:D) I don't think you are entitled to receive clarification. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colleen Posted March 1, 2009 Share Posted March 1, 2009 I don't think you are entitled to receive clarification. I understand your perspective, I truly do. And I also understand that it's not possible to have a laundry list of rules that address every single nuance under the sun. Now I'm asking you to try and understand ~ or at least respect the fact ~ that pqr and others of us do feel clarification would benefit this community as a whole. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovedtodeath Posted March 1, 2009 Share Posted March 1, 2009 You can report spam by clicking on the little red and black excalmation mark in the upper right corner..that will alert the moderators to the post/thread.That feature can also be used to report any thread that you feel has spiraled into inflammatory remarks. I am thinking about reporting this one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NicksMama-Zack's Mama Too Posted March 1, 2009 Share Posted March 1, 2009 Actually, several spin-off boards have been created for this very purpose. I have felt very constrained here but would love to discuss the current economic and political direction of our country with others on this board (especially pqr since you have a unique perspective) specifically how it relates to past period of economic instability (New Deal Era). I still love and appreciate this board as a homeschooling resource. I just feel the need for lively discussion of the rapidly changing landscape. K Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colleen Posted March 1, 2009 Share Posted March 1, 2009 That feature can also be used to report any thread that has spiraled into inflammatory remarks. I am thinking about reporting this one. May I ask why? (I understand if you'd rather not answer.) No inflammatory remarks have been made here, imo. I have disagreed with some remarks (particularly Dana in OR's assessment), but I feel people have merely been sharing opinions ~ albeit strongly voiced in some cases. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovedtodeath Posted March 1, 2009 Share Posted March 1, 2009 I will tell you on your profile page. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hillary in KS Posted March 1, 2009 Share Posted March 1, 2009 That feature can also be used to report any thread that you feel has spiraled into inflammatory remarks. I am thinking about reporting this one. Do you think that this thread has spiraled into inflammatory remarks? I thought that tempers have been very nicely held in check. I've only seen one remark that could maybe be inflammatory, and that poster edited it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovedtodeath Posted March 1, 2009 Share Posted March 1, 2009 If it was edited, then someone needs to edit quotes from the post as well. My timer is going off, I can't go back and quote things now. Sorry. It has not spiraled downward. I think it started out pretty snarky and has gotten better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zelda Posted March 1, 2009 Share Posted March 1, 2009 From what I can tell, "snark" is no longer allowed. Seriously? Are we trying to get into the Guinness Book of World Records for being the first message board ever to be free of snark? Because I think that's a great idea. No. Really. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hillary in KS Posted March 1, 2009 Share Posted March 1, 2009 "...you get the <bleep> off my land and you do it now. I'll plant whatever I <bleep> please on my own farm, and if you're on it when I get to my gun... I'll fill you with buckshot."-Almanzo James Wilder Did Almanzo really say that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CLHCO Posted March 1, 2009 Share Posted March 1, 2009 Did Almanzo really say that? Did he say the <bleep> too? :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted March 1, 2009 Share Posted March 1, 2009 Pqr's question is a reasonable one. I enjoy this board & the many topics, from hsing discussions to others that are not even remotely related to hsing. It seems to me that it has become a bit like playing with a group of kids but you don't really know the rules of the game. You decide to play, but then you discover that the rules can change at any time & for any circumstance. Or new rules can be made up. Or some rules are enforced and not others. You can also be kicked out of the game (temporarily or permanently) based on any of the aforementioned things. But, you know what? We're not 6-year-olds running around in the backyard playing w/ a large group of kids. We're adults (& hopefully past the logic stage), so it's not unreasonable for adults to ask for & hope to receive some guidelines before choosing whether to participate or not. Jmho. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan Wise Bauer Posted March 1, 2009 Share Posted March 1, 2009 (edited) Folks, Your call for clarification has been heard. I've spent some time this weekend discussing the issue with Heather, who helps bear the burden of putting out fires on the board when they flame up, and Bob, who has more experience with message board rules and formats than I do. Please be patient for a couple of days while I work on clear wording. In the meantime, if you have a question about whether or not a particular topic will be permitted, kindly hang on to it until the clarification is posted. Let me mention two things now: 1. Email responses from the moderators are a courtesy, not a right. The moderators are free to NOT respond if they are aware that their answers will be met with additional argument. 2. Of course this board benefits PHP, or else it wouldn't be worth the hassle and expense of maintaining it. BUT, BUT, BUT.... I could sure think of less time-consuming ways to advertise the business than keeping this board open. In fact, since we openly allow people to bash our books and recommend others as superior, not to mention the fact that the board moderation causes people to email us and say, "I will never use your books again and I'm telling other people not to use them because you deleted my posts!" I could probably make the case that this board doesn't do all that much for business. I'm glad that so many of you enjoy the board. However, for those of you who don't, let me be frank. You are not customers. We don't charge you, force you to sit through ads, or make you buy stuff before you join the board. There is ONE little banner at the top that can click on, or not, as you choose. "Make the customer happy no matter what" is a policy we try to follow when customers who buy our books have a problem. That doesn't apply to these boards. I used to moderate these boards single-handed. That's no longer possible, so there will inevitably be differences in how posts are handled. I think asking for clarification is reasonable, but I'm not sure how effective it will be, because there's no way we can provide you with a cut-and-dried list of dos and don'ts. In fact, I think we're pretty darn lax here. There are a number of posters here, and you probably know who you are, whom I would happily ban for plain old ANNOYINGNESS, if I weren't committed to keeping the boards as open as possible. I keep this board open in large part because I like providing a place for home school discussion which is not narrowly sectarian, intolerant to different points of view, devoted to a single program, or salted with pop-ups. Anything which detracts from that goal is going to get banned/axed/deleted. I am now closing this thread, because "providing a place for home school discussion" does not equal "hosting unending discussions about perfectly reasonable policies." If that makes you unhappy, please feel free to depart, snarking as you go. SWB Edited March 1, 2009 by Susan Wise Bauer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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