literarydiscussions.myfreeforum.org

SFG75 · Posted: Thu Sep 15, 2005 2:42 pm Post subject: Message boards

I'm a member of a book forum whose rules state that you cannot discuss
politics or religion without the context of mentioning a book. Now what is
happening is that people really want to discuss these things but they can't.
Someone will post a topic that is appropriate and the next thing you
know, someone asks if it's within the rules and there is a great
handwringing about it. later on, a certain member flagrantly breaks these
rules and the moderators have not guts to enforce their own rules. Not
only that, but because of his post which is obviousy political in nature,
another member becomes upset and leaves the forum entirely as a result.
Now I report the post and what happens next is something that is just
ridiculous.

The mods close the thread temporarily and then they re-open it!!. Why?,
the reason has NOTHING to do with their rules. They felt it wasn't
"overtly" political. Hmmmmmm, intense heated arguments over a
political issue known as unions. Yep, no politics there!. A member leaves
in a huff?, yep, no politics there!. What is a union conversation if it
isn't political?, is it a matter of philosophy? Now the thread was
locked, so they couldn't defend this preposterous assumption. Of course,
if I typed something that atrociously laughable, I would lock the thread
too so that I wouldn't become the general characteristic of that
post--insufferably ludicrous.

Some boards are "self-moderated" as members police one another and
this works wonderfully. Other boards have moderators. The successful
ones enforce the rules. The ones with a pecking order and members of
different equality in terms of participation.

So what do you think?[/img]

Sitaram · Site Admin Joined: 14 Sep 2005 Posts: 1079

I stumbled across this wonderful free forum service.

I felt quite persecuted in various ways at online-literature.com/forums and
also at thebookforum.com by certain people.

I realized the other day that I could possibly be admin of my own forum.

I do not care who joins here or for what reasons. I am perfectly happy to
create forums for them to discuss whatever they like. I would just like to
be able to post in peace, without fear of reprisals. I suspect that more
people will learn how easy it is to create a free forum, and will do just
what I am doing.

Stop and think about it. Suppose the unimaginable happened and 10,000
people join my forum. Well, I have only so many hours in the day, and
only so much energy, and I can only engage perhaps a dozen people in
deep discussions per week. So, if I get in a deep discussion with SFG75,
for example, about politics lets say... well, i really dont care what other
people are doing in other forums, as long as they are not ploting the
overthrow of the government. All I care about is that I have 5 or ten
interesting, non judgemental people, who will engage my mind. You dont
have to agree with me. You dont have to praise me to the high heavens
(though I know I deserve it.) A simple offering of fruit and incense once
a day is all I expect, and you may call me Guru ji... (just kidding, though
there are a few people who call me that...)

Anyway. I frankly believe that the problem lies, not in the controversial
nature of subject matter, but in immature nature of the discussion
participants.

It is sad to realize that there is in some ways more maturity and tolerance
to be observed in the online-lit forum, which has a huge percentage of
teenagers, than in TBF which seems to have mostly a mature or even
senior membership.

SFG75 · Posted: Thu Sep 15, 2005 6:57 pm Post subject:

Exactly right Guru JJ!. Very Happy

I remember that you and I had a dialogue going
on religion concerning a book. I related a personal experience as well as
other things that I had read from other sources. The thread was more
than appropriate, but at that site, you always are thinking about the rules
and some people post those fears publicly like: "Can we really discuss
this?" or stuff like that. Yes, intelligent conversation about religion and
current events is not o.k., but the board clown can post about farting,
whether you prefer deodorant or anti-perspirant, or what you are having
for breakfast. :rollingeyes: Yes, THOSE issues should be allowed but not
the religious or political threads, because this is a book forum and hey!,
we don't want to discuss heavy things here. :irony: :dumb:

I am still irate that this kid gets away with murder, but if I make a poll
about the Iraq war asking serious questions, well, that's just not tolerated.
No where in their rules does it say that it's o.k. as long as it's not
*overtly* political(using their words, not mine) They are just making
$&*% up as they go. If they were in my line of work, the kids would be
swinging from the fans and would've destroyed the room by noon.

abecedarian · Joined: 17 Apr 2006 Posts: 11 Location: Kansas

Hey you, fancy runnng into you here Wink

To keep this thread on
track..just this morning sitaram and I were censored over at that other place
because we mentioned "proverbs," "religion," and "politics".. my question is,
why would it be so bad to use Bible verses, but no mention was made of
other scriptures that I am positive have interesting proverbs as well? And so
far, neither of us had slung a single splat of mud, whatsoever...(ps sitaram:
it's too hot and dry around here to make a good mudpie anyway!) Jeesh,
everyone was behaving like adults and everything!

Sitaram · Site Admin Joined: 14 Sep 2005 Posts: 1079

There is a wonderful scene in The Sound of Music (movie) where the old nun mother superior explains to the former novice that religious life should be about running towards something and not running away from something.

One might say the same about forum message board life.

"Wherever you go, there you are" is a hackneyed saying.

There will always be people you dont like and things you dont like.

Still, it is nice to feel that there is someplace where one may speak openly and freely.

I realize that I cannot post all of my thoughts freely even at my own forums,
egroups, blogs, websites (regarding Islam for example), for there is the risk of being
deleted by Yahoo, which has happened to me before with my Geocities website of
8 years.

Sartre was correct, in a certain sense, that we are condemned to be free, in the sense that to give up freedom requires an ironic exercise of freedom
and hence is self referential.

abecedarian · Joined: 17 Apr 2006 Posts: 11 Location: Kansas

So, can you slip me a proverb from the Koran or Hindu scriptures since the
Bble is off limits? Rolling Eyes

I didn't used to be such an envelope pusher, but that
little bit this morning hit me wrong. I didn't see anything wrong with the way
the thread was taking shape.Good grief, it hadn't had a chance to take shape
yet..

Sitaram · Site Admin Joined: 14 Sep 2005 Posts: 1079

And I thought you came here to bask in the flaming purity of my steel-trap mind.

I realize you felt angry. Oh well. Any forum or egroup or IRC channel can say
"My way or the highway."

Well, let us turn the other cheek, and go the extra mile, and repay evil with good, and
pray for our enemies, and remember Paul who said something about counting it
all joy when we encounter adversity, in that all things work to the good for those
who trust and have faith.

There is a wry joke among Protestants which asks "If you were ever accused of
begin Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?"

A very knowledgable Calvinist scholar once told me that with a smile.

abecedarian · Joined: 17 Apr 2006 Posts: 11 Location: Kansas

He was smiling becuse he knew how we all fall short in so many ways..which
is why the Gospel is such great news Very Happy

I don't stay mad for long, and I'm
not a grudge bearer, but I appreciate your call for taking the higher road.

SFG75 · Posted: Tue Apr 18, 2006 3:47 pm Post subject:

I saw that thread. Some of the most amazing statements and items to
discuss are from religious texts, how you can possibly not discuss those
things is beyond me. If you look at the user agreement, they aren't following
the rules at all. The rules state that political and religious discussions are
against the rules, UNLESS it is within the context of a book. This is the
part that they are going a little overboard on. I wouldn't want to be a
moderator, it's one of the most thankless things in the world to do, no matter
what decision you make, people will line up around the block to kick your butt
over it. At the same time, the discussion between both of you WAS in the
right in terms of the rules. I'm rather miffed quite frankly about that.

abecedarian · Joined: 17 Apr 2006 Posts: 11 Location: Kansas

And, the tone of the thread was not confrontational at all..nor was it overtly religious or political..just talking about inspirational sayings...Oh well..I'm wondering what changes are in store..maybe things will loosen up around there.

SFG75 · Posted: Tue Apr 18, 2006 8:47 pm Post subject:

Yes, a thread where two people(you and Sitaram) of obviously different religious traditions and backgrounds, were freely sharing verses and having a highly intelligent conversation about religion that was within the bounds of the rules.

I will admit that things are too tight over there, I wish so much that they would relax about it and let potentially great conversations to take place.

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