Personal Attacks: Again
Please Read: I have made every attempt to deal with this without starting another thread. Unfortunately, very little progress has been made. My apologies in advance if some here don't feel this is the way to deal with it, but it needs to be brought up again.
I will absoltutely not mention any names here. However, we have a few members, particularly in AO that are way, way over the top...and have been for some time. I've asked nicely. I'm PM'd moderators (and many have tried to be helpful...for the record), but it continues.
If we are going to have posting guidelines, they need to be enforced, and enforced equally. Things get heated, and we ALL utter the ocassional "are you out of your mind?" comment now and then, make jokes, poke fun, etc. What I am talking about goes much further. I am talking about people being called "stupid", "idiot", etc. I am talking about people accusing others of not having "comprehension skills". I am talking about certain members literally following other members around and insulting them after EVERY post. This cannot continue. These members need to be suspended and/or banned.
This is not meant to be a review of moderators' performance, or a criticism of a moderators in general. I appreciate their efforts greatly. This just needs to come to the top of the AI community's radar.
Thanks. Please PM me if you'd like specifics.
I will absoltutely not mention any names here. However, we have a few members, particularly in AO that are way, way over the top...and have been for some time. I've asked nicely. I'm PM'd moderators (and many have tried to be helpful...for the record), but it continues.
If we are going to have posting guidelines, they need to be enforced, and enforced equally. Things get heated, and we ALL utter the ocassional "are you out of your mind?" comment now and then, make jokes, poke fun, etc. What I am talking about goes much further. I am talking about people being called "stupid", "idiot", etc. I am talking about people accusing others of not having "comprehension skills". I am talking about certain members literally following other members around and insulting them after EVERY post. This cannot continue. These members need to be suspended and/or banned.
This is not meant to be a review of moderators' performance, or a criticism of a moderators in general. I appreciate their efforts greatly. This just needs to come to the top of the AI community's radar.
Thanks. Please PM me if you'd like specifics.
Comments
Originally posted by SDW2001
Please Read: I have made every attempt to deal with this without starting another thread. Unfortunately, very little progress has been made. My apologies in advance if some here don't feel this is the way to deal with it, but it needs to be brought up again.
I will absoltutely not mention any names here. However, we have a few members, particularly in AO that are way, way over the top...and have been for some time. I've asked nicely. I'm PM'd moderators (and many have tried to be helpful...for the record), but it continues.
If we are going to have posting guidelines, they need to be enforced, and enforced equally. Things get heated, and we ALL utter the ocassional "are you out of your mind?" comment now and then, make jokes, poke fun, etc. What I am talking about goes much further. I am talking about people being called "stupid", "idiot", etc. I am talking about people accusing others of not having "comprehension skills". I am talking about certain members literally following other members around and insulting them after EVERY post. This cannot continue. These members need to be suspended and/or banned.
This is not meant to be a review of moderators' performance, or a criticism of a moderators in general. I appreciate their efforts greatly. This just needs to come to the top of the AI community's radar.
Thanks. Please PM me if you'd like specifics.
Trouble is, some of the AO Ai regulars are mentally ( or physically ) a bit on the baby side of young & don't fully understand the need to avoid ranting..harrassment...
If I may add a further point, I am rather concerned that some members seem fit to title posts with actual peoples names..
Like ...Fred Bloggs is a Retard.
I appreciate that freedom of speech is allowed under the constitution, but then I fear that Appleinsider might be leaving themselves wide open to being sued by that person...even though conditional membership states that such comments do not represent the opinion of appleInsider.com.
That in itself might not be enough to cover Ai's backside...legally that is, because such an aggrieved party might argue that appleinsider was party to such slander..by allowing that post titles to be viewed without censure.
Thereby damaging the reputation & standing of the person named in the title post.
So maybe it might be a good idea to ask members to refrain from naming individually identifiable persons in a thread title...
It would demonstrate a level of maturity commensurate with the Ai ideal.
8)
The fact is, you choose to participate in it and you write posts that trigger such responses. When someone turns around and says something back, you come running screaming its against the guidelines, do something about it.
I try hard to keep an eye on everything, but to be completely honest, where would you like me to draw the line in some of these things? It's very hard at times.
I think everyone in AppleOutsider needs to chill. In my opinion its a weak spot in the forum because of the immaturity in it. If it were up to me, it wouldn't even exist, or at least exist in its current form.
If you have any issues or problems or complaint, feel free to PM me, I do read them and so do the other moderators. I'll take a closer look at the threads but you can't expect me to just close a thread or edit a post or reprimand someone simply because you made a post that angered them or that they strongly disagree with and maybe are pretty blunt in how they tell you that.
Close AO for a week. Its almost impossible to go through that place without sinking into the manure of personal insults. So one week of readjusting the insult generator to low and tolerance level to high may save that place
You know I like heated discussions but harsh critisism of arguments (which is okay in my book) often leads personal insulting reactions.
i say forever
That said, I have not gone anywhere near AO for ages. Seems the best answer. And if AO were to go, then I for one, wouldn't miss it.
- spleen is inevitable when people can't separate arguments from individuals
- outlets for spleen keep the other forums more productive
The closure of FSC has resulted in an increase in spleen in many threads in AO,which now seems to attract all the political extremism that used to live in FSC.
I'd vote to keep an outlet valve, rather than force the fringe back into the big pool
and completely closing AO would deprive us of occasionally humourous and oddball reads
learn to use the ignore button if certain people bug you
Originally posted by curiousuburb
FSC demonstrated a few things... spleen is inevitable when people can't separate arguments from individuals
outlets for spleen keep the other forums more productive
The closure of FSC has resulted in an increase in spleen in many threads in AO,
which now seems to attract all the political extremism that used to live in FSC.
I'd vote to keep an outlet valve, rather than force the fringe back into the big pool
and completely closing AO would deprive us of occasionally humourous and oddball reads
learn to use the ignore button if certain people bug you
The problem with FSC (if you mean that extra board for political threads that was in function for a couple of weeks I can´t remember the name of) was this.
FSC was a mud pit of personal insults and barely any substance.
AO was about what someone was listening to right now, what their favorite colour was and puppy pictures.
There was no middleground. No place to discuss serious issues in a decent manner. FSC was dirt and AO was fluffy clouds. Neither is very exiting on the long run (the concept of both heaven and hell is unpleasent for me of the same reasons)
Originally posted by applenut
a week?
i say forever
Can we vote on this? I agree 100%. It'd be cool to have a computer ONLY messageboard
AppleOutsider, while often controversial, shouldn't be eliminated from these forums. I think the underlying problem that many are having with the environment in AO lately is two-fold:[list=1][*]Those posting negative comments about others in AO SHOULD be more respectful of others' views. While negative comments and name-calling isn't grounds for any legal recourse (I can go further into defamation statutes if some wish me to), members here need to realize that every single user name on this site is attached to a person. Name-calling and libelous language -- which the author may think is acceptable due to the nature of this being a world-wide internet site -- is a potentially dangerous thing to do since any single person may take those comments very personally and seriously. I would ask that users here be more respectful and remember the golden rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. It's not hard, and it's simply courteous -- even on an internet site.[*]On the flip side of the coin, posters here should understand that this IS a world-wide internet forum, and posters come from a variety of backgrounds, educations, and ATTITUDES. I would encourage all readers to take everything EVERYONE says here with a gigantic grain of salt. Even the insults such as "John Doe is an idiot," which name specific names should be carefully and specifically analyzed to determine if what's being said is specific and damaging enough to the named person to justify swift and overwhelming action by the moderators and administrators on these forums. It's not likely that what is written would be so damaging that a person's actual reputation in society is damaged by such comments. Drastic measures and specific, private information would have to be disclosed for this to occur. It's also not likely that enough users here would be so negatively swayed by an author's words that the person's reputation here is corrupted. Remember: There are enough level-headed users here that if a person really is an "idiot," everybody else will know that without having to be told.[/list=1]
With all those things said, I suggest that moderators and administrators *continue* to do the job their doing, denouncing those who call names, and as a safety measure, edit any comments which name a specific person. I also suggest that users here post responsibly, remembering the posting guidelines and understanding that it's better to post comments ON THE TOPIC AT HAND than to risk damaging your own "reputation" here by becoming a mud-slinging, name-calling poster. It's okay to have your own opinion on a matter. Just remember that it's okay for the OTHER GUY to have a different opinion than yours. He/she shouldn't be criticized just because you don't agree with them. Readers, if you don't like what another person here is saying, ignore the person. If AO is upsetting to you, try leaving it for a little while -- or altogether. NO web site is important enough for you to get upset over. Some have left AO and been very happy. If you don't consider these as an option, ignore what's said. Don't feed someone else's ego by letting them get to you. Pretend the post never occurred and move along.
Come on folks, we're all reasonable people here. Be mature and let's all just get along. I'm open to all of your comments. Thank you for your attention.
I enjoy AppleInsider now more than ever since doing so.
It's like it doesn't even exist and I couldn't imagine every going back to it. I like the other Mac-oriented forums so much more, now that I come here strictly to "talk shop".
Try it!
Originally posted by pscates
For what it's worth, I'm well into my third (maybe fourth? I don't know...) week of a true, hardline self-imposed AO exile (took inspiration from thegelding).
I enjoy AppleInsider now more than ever since doing so.
It's like it doesn't even exist and I couldn't imagine every going back to it. I like the other Mac-oriented forums so much more, now that I come here strictly to "talk shop".
Try it!
If it helps (and if you use Safari and PithHelmet) you can use the line:
[forums\\.appleinsider\\.com\\/]?forumdisplay\\.php\\?s\\=.*\\&forumid\\=7
Under "Block" in the PithHelmet prefs. Keeps links from showing up if you have content collapsing on, and blocks AO if you accidentally stumble into it.
Originally posted by Willoughby
Can we vote on this? I agree 100%. It'd be cool to have a computer ONLY messageboard
I agree totally. There's Urban75 and Somethingaweful for general politics and specific interest discussion.
Originally posted by Spart
If it helps (and if you use Safari and PithHelmet) you can use the line:
[forums\\.appleinsider\\.com\\/]?forumdisplay\\.php\\?s\\=.*\\&forumid\\=7
Under "Block" in the PithHelmet prefs. Keeps links from showing up if you have content collapsing on, and blocks AO if you accidentally stumble into it.
Could you be a bit more specific about that? I entered in that line, but it still looks exactly the same.
Originally posted by TigerWoods99
I agree with SDW 100% on this issue. There has been a lot of this going on, and it seems that its ok to have mods/administrators whatever participate in this.
certainly not condoning the said behavior, but don't make yourself out to be some angel. you can't deny a few of your recent posts have just been um..... ridiculous for lack of a better word.
where have my posts been ridiculous. im not even gonna go any further.......you dont like me, so please dont try and tell me whats right or wrong in whats being said to me.....im sure you love to see me ridiculed on this message board.
Originally posted by TigerWoods99
exactly what i was talking about...
where have my posts been ridiculous. im not even gonna go any further.......you dont like me, so please dont try and tell me whats right or wrong in whats being said to me.....im sure you love to see me ridiculed on this message board.
you're completely right, I do. I just love it.