New rules

[DeppityDawg]

I very much doubt whether most thoughtful members want an anything goes subforum either. It is logically obvious that such a subforum would encourage the generation of animosity that would spill over onto the rest of the forum, as well as unhelpfully creating a venue where those who don't go there can be insulted and slandered behind their backs. A paradise for bullies too. You may yearn for that. I suspect that most do not.

By 'thoughtful' members, do you also include the sneering, post and run type individuals who only come here (by their own admission) to make disparaging comments aimed at others class, ethnicity or heritage?  A nice, safe little space where privileged liberals are able to talk down to others without fear of any comeback? Because without a proper gloves off right of reply, that's what these places become. Little echo chambers for snooty c**ts and elitists

You may yearn for that, but I "suspect" most do not. Not the posters who are worth reading anyway

[Sheepy]

It don't say nothing about sanctimonious.

For those that are reasonably happy with the rules, good.
It does seem that the religious / ethics section of the forum does function quite well with all sorts of opposing views posited without anyone receiving infractions.
I suppose that any forum does not want to filled with disgusting language (hence a swear filter), or the use of blasphemy which some find more offensive than the swear words.
Then there's the trouble makers who push all the boundaries just for the sake of it.
All forum participation is optional and other parts of the rules suggest anyone disagreeing with them should leave the website. It's not rocket science.

I will tell you a little story, I was walking along the road the other day and this guy was walking towards me with a T-shirt which said, stupid is as stupid does, so I said howdy Forrest, he said what does that mean, are you trying to be funny, I said haven't you ever heard of Forrest Whittaker, oh he said and walked off. 

[johnofgwent]

Really? You're saying I'm allowed to advertise a forum if I create one?

No. I did not say that and I think you know that.

I think you are making mischief knowing there is another rule about that.

I have been internet-connected since the days when compuserve used id's along the lines of 200173.1855 and you had to pay to receive email

I had a web presence (velvetwd.demon.co.uk) in the days when naming conventions restricted you to eight characters max per subaddress

Therefore I recall usenet, and its FAQ's, as if it were yesterday. And first among its FAQ statements, on the subject of upstream service provision, was the fact that The Internet was *NOT* "fair", and that if your internet provider chose not to pass down the particular usenet group you wanted,your options were to put up and shut up, to find a different usenet feed (which would almost certainly cost you money) or create your own usenet feed (which definitely would)

Whilst openly posting links to other fora was a breach of the former site's rules and might be a breach of this one (i have not looked that hard) if you wish to create your own private hell PM me and I will pop over and clog it up with babble and shite for a laugh if you wish ... But if you are going to put it on tapatalk, count me out,. Bloody horrible place, and far to intrusive. I deregistered as owner of the forum created there for me and handed it over to others when we were migrated from the zetaboards site i created.

[Sheepy]

How about a section where you can say what you like and if other posters don't like it then they can do the other thing?

There's not a single admin or moderator in favour of a "The other Place" on this forum, Borchester, so it's not happening.

So the forum is run for the benefit of the admin and the moderators and the ordinary posters don't count?

Fair enough, as long as we have that settled.

I very much doubt whether most thoughtful members want an anything goes subforum either. It is logically obvious that such a subforum would encourage the generation of animosity that would spill over onto the rest of the forum, as well as unhelpfully creating a venue where those who don't go there can be insulted and slandered behind their backs. A paradise for bullies too. You may yearn for that. I suspect that most do not.

Fair enough. Set the subforum up and I will slander you behind your back but you won't know about it so your feelings won't be hurt. Everyone will be happy.

If one of the moderators would set up a poll or something similar we can take a vote.

LOL Borchester, it all sounds a bit socialist, everyone is equal, unless yoiu get the foremans job at last, them some are more equal than others.

[Borg Refinery]

Really? You're saying I'm allowed to advertise a forum if I create one?

I made a default template tapatalk (free) forum at one point, just to see what it'd look like and it's still kicking around..

[johnofgwent]

So the forum is run for the benefit of the admin and the moderators and the ordinary posters don't count?

Fair enough, as long as we have that settled.

OK. My go.

As I may have said out in the open, and i have certainly said in the admins and moderators area ....

1) There was exactly such an area on two of the political forums I was actively involved in running a while ago and am not involved in at all now.

2) There was exactly such an area on a technical (self employed) forum I was directly involved in by reason of being a member of the parent body's consultative committee

3) In all three cases I spent FAR TOO MUCH of FAR TOO MANY of my sunday afternoons moderating (as in, removing the illegality and the libel) from those areas of those fora. I got to learn an awful lot about what constitutes libel in British law as a result, but frankly, it was a pis poor trade for missing glorious sunday afternoons basking in the garden swigging sangria.

4) In all three cases there was leakage of bad blood from all three fora "areas where few holds were barred"  into "areas where moderation was fully operative"

The reason I am an "admin" here is to offer my help as a tech guy as and when. I have no interest in moderating. The reason I have no interest in moderating, and the reason i have no further interest in those other political fora, is a couple of scum would set out **DELIBERATELY** to break the forum's host's terms and conditions in any way they could imagine within those "few holds barred areas" to DELIBERATELY piss me off for the hell of it because, as they said, "it was fun". They are the only people I ever permabanned from anywhere, ever. 

Now, of course, if you have wifi up your allotment and **YOU** fancy spending YOUR sunday afternoons sorting out a pile of shite as identified in 3 above, then go set your own forum up somewhere and I will come and shit in it for a laugh and I might bring some friends to do the same

I cannot - and will not - speak for anyone else on here not least because they're big enough and ugly enough to speak for themselves, but there you have my view on "no holds barred" areas in public online fora. They're a bloody pain in the neck.

[Borchester]

How about a section where you can say what you like and if other posters don't like it then they can do the other thing?

There's not a single admin or moderator in favour of a "The other Place" on this forum, Borchester, so it's not happening.

So the forum is run for the benefit of the admin and the moderators and the ordinary posters don't count?

Fair enough, as long as we have that settled.

I very much doubt whether most thoughtful members want an anything goes subforum either. It is logically obvious that such a subforum would encourage the generation of animosity that would spill over onto the rest of the forum, as well as unhelpfully creating a venue where those who don't go there can be insulted and slandered behind their backs. A paradise for bullies too. You may yearn for that. I suspect that most do not.

Fair enough. Set the subforum up and I will slander you behind your back but you won't know about it so your feelings won't be hurt. Everyone will be happy.

If one of the moderators would set up a poll or something similar we can take a vote.

[srb7677]

How about a section where you can say what you like and if other posters don't like it then they can do the other thing?

There's not a single admin or moderator in favour of a "The other Place" on this forum, Borchester, so it's not happening.

So the forum is run for the benefit of the admin and the moderators and the ordinary posters don't count?

Fair enough, as long as we have that settled.

I very much doubt whether most thoughtful members want an anything goes subforum either. It is logically obvious that such a subforum would encourage the generation of animosity that would spill over onto the rest of the forum, as well as unhelpfully creating a venue where those who don't go there can be insulted and slandered behind their backs. A paradise for bullies too. You may yearn for that. I suspect that most do not.

[Borchester]

How about a section where you can say what you like and if other posters don't like it then they can do the other thing?

There's not a single admin or moderator in favour of a "The other Place" on this forum, Borchester, so it's not happening.

So the forum is run for the benefit of the admin and the moderators and the ordinary posters don't count?

Fair enough, as long as we have that settled.

[Forum admin]

How about a section where you can say what you like and if other posters don't like it then they can do the other thing?

There's not a single admin or moderator in favour of a "The other Place" on this forum, Borchester, so it's not happening.

[Borchester]

Then there's the trouble makers who push all the boundaries just for the sake of it.

You get foul mouth bastards everywhere. And arse licking wimps who spend most of their lives waiting for the chance to be offended.

How about a section where you can say what you like and if other posters don't like it then they can do the other thing?

[Barry]

It don't say nothing about sanctimonious.

For those that are reasonably happy with the rules, good.
It does seem that the religious / ethics section of the forum does function quite well with all sorts of opposing views posited without anyone receiving infractions.
I suppose that any forum does not want to filled with disgusting language (hence a swear filter), or the use of blasphemy which some find more offensive than the swear words.
Then there's the trouble makers who push all the boundaries just for the sake of it.
All forum participation is optional and other parts of the rules suggest anyone disagreeing with them should leave the website. It's not rocket science.

[Sheepy]

It don't say nothing about sanctimonious.

[patman post]

We have a religion sub-section precisely for such discussions. Odd if we cannot express opinions there freely without being reported. We are after all free to be critical of the political beliefs of others, so why not the religious beliefs. I myself began a thread there asking if Jesus was an ancient hippy socialist, which obviously frames him in a political context which it is often possible to do with religious matters.

I can see it was a pressing topic which would have been weighing so heavily on the mind of a non-believer that they had to initiate a discussion...

[srb7677]

Blasphemous is used in the context of the dictionary definition.

"sacrilegious against God or sacred things; profane."

That is clearly so open to interpretation that on it's own it lacks adequacy. Most of the threads in the religion section could potentially be interpreted as blasphemous under such an ill defined definition.

Which is why I sought greater clarity.