Personal Responsibility

[Puddlefish]

As some of you may have figured out, I'm a huge fan of personal responsibility, not just for oneself, but for one's effect on society at large.

I'm also a fan of debating on the internet. Sadly, I find the internet is a mixed blessing. People read what they want to read, they take information out of context, they twist meanings, they create straw men to knock down, they miss the cause and effect, and they're just generally bad debaters. I do some of the same things occasionally, but I appreciate when someone corrects me, and will immediately take ownership of my mistakes. What does this say about me, probably that I have a stupid hobby. But still I try; hope springs eternal and all that.

I'm new to this forum, and still am a bit confused about the moderation rules, but I'll try to stick to them, because I'm a rule following kind of guy. That being said, I find it kind of poor sportsmanship to censor threads in one direction. I'm not sure why certain topics aren't allowed to be debated, such as "guns on board" or "anything other than positive" threads. If there's too much debate on such issues, then create a new forum for such issues so as not to clutter up the specific purpose forums. I find it counterproductive to learning to limit my conversations only with like minded individuals.

Comments welcome.

[sabray]

I pissed off a moderator here after I percieved him as advocating for a guy I felt wasn't as admirable as he was portrayed. People died in the event being discussed. I had a gut reaction and failed to live up to my responsibility. I hope to Clearly articulate my point using language that isnt insulting, while mispelling only a few words and inserting appropriate punctuation? where needed.. The moderators were generous in forgiving me after I apologized for reacting to something in a personnel way.My responsibilty is to have as much fun with the least negative effect.Sometimes I get to help some while sharing my experience. Enjoy

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by Puddlefish

I'm also a fan of debating on the internet.

Me too. In some parts of the internet I share my religous and political views (whether wanted or not ) in a 110% vitriolic, argumentative and sarcastic style that endears me to few

That's why I like it here

I'm new to this forum, and still am a bit confused about the moderation rules.

The Mods here are very good at enlightning folk


Shortly I predict that this thread will dissapear into the ether from whence it came - elsewhere I would already be flinging virtual monkey poop around in anticipation. Here I chill. and most others do the same - CF seems to work all the better for it

[James S]

Lets look at it like this:
What is the purpose of this thread?
Is it to further the pool of cruisers information.
We tend to intervene in threads that are not cruising related and threads that cause polarization among out members.
It has nothing to do with the opinion of the moderators regarding the subgect...it has everything to do with the moderators doing our best to maintain the friendly atmosphere that we are so proud to enjoy here at CF.
We take the BE NICE rule very seriously.

[Puddlefish]

Thanks James.

I guess I just don't consider disagreeing as "un-nice. I actually learned a good bit from a few of the polarizing threads that I read here. I find many people who disagree share underlying concerns, they just quibble a bit on the details.

[slomotion]

It's probably just me, but I kind of assumed that people who post on this forum are personally responsible for their posts. Other than that, I can't see what this thread has to do with "personal responsibility" or why it is so titled.

[Puddlefish]

Well, I'll grant that it's a small sample size, but the few times in other threads where I took a personal responsibility viewpoint, I kind of got shut down. I think I fell into the trap of trying to say something without being specific (for fear of being accused of trolling) which resulted in my choosing kind of a bad title for this thread.

[TaoJones]

If it's Guns and Cruising that you like, Puddlefish, the personally responsible thing to do is to first read what has already been posted here on the subject by doing a Google search - here, I've done it for you: guns and cruising - Google Search. After you've read all of that, if you still feel there's something that hasn't already been said (again and again, ad nauseum) or that it's possible to start a Guns and Cruising thread that doesn't end badly, by all means, start such a thread.

It is disingenuous of you to suggest that the only threads / posts allowed here are "positive" ones. This, again, indicates to me that you have not read very deeply through the wealth of material archived here.

There are only these "moderating rules" (as you put it): Please take a few minutes to read our Community Rules that you acknowledged having read and then agreed to abide by when you registered as a new member. If you violate one or more of these Rules, it will probably be caught by a moderator, or reported by one of your fellow members.

You will be informed of the Rules violation, and asked to refrain from same in future. We understand that most people acknowledge having read the Rules when they signed up, but didn't actually do so. For that reason, we apply a very light touch initially. If that doesn't prove to work, we can - and will - become more forceful in our application of moderation.

I would say that 99% of our members never experience moderation, and of the 1% who do, I would again guess that the majority "get it" on the first pass. There are those who never do, though, and they generally become ex-members.

So it's simple, really - read the Rules, debate the topic without passing personal judgment on those with a different view and use common sense when it comes to adhering to the Be Nice rule we regard as our prime directive.

I hope this is helpful.

TaoJones

[Puddlefish]

It's not disingenuous at all. It may well be ignorance on my part, but I did indeed mention that it was a small sample size. I'm nice, I'm honest, I'm not even brutally honest, I try to phrase things in a nice way.

I did read the forum rules, I like them. I don't even care about guns one way or the other, and I've refrained from even posting my opinions on guns, because it seemed to be against some unwritten rule.

Thanks for taking the time to discuss my concerns. (not so much for calling me disengenuous, but I'm pretty hard to offend.)

[slomotion]

Originally Posted by Puddlefish

and I've refrained from even posting my opinions on guns, because it seemed to be against some unwritten rule.

Not for me! I'm currently drafting my new thread: Alien Abduction and Demonic Possession - Can Automatic Weapons Help?

[Surveyor]

Somehow the mods make the forums a pleasant place and I appreciate their diligence in making sure it stays that way.

There are worse forums. Go to Sailnet and type "I have a dream to sail" in a post. You will planted face first in the asphalt of the virtual marina and trampled before you get to the dock. A totally negative atmosphere for newbies. I wonder if the commercial sponsor has ever perused their own forums.

Good job here mods! The brown on my nose really is a big freckle, I swear!

[nautical62]

I feel the moderators here have done an extremely good job. In fact, I came here after becoming very frustrated with another forum where a couple moderators kept pushing their own forum views as standards without any backing and would censor anyone who questioned them. I've never seen that here.

I also agree with you regarding personal responsibility.

[Get-a-Life]

If it is of some help to fellow members and the community in general then by all means bring on the debate, bearing in mind that it can be done in an adult and meaningful way.

The problem with any written debate is that body language/facial expressions and humor cannot be easily detected.

Therefore my advice is to be careful with one's replies.

"Slomotin" cannot find your thread on "Abduction by aliens - and can an automatic weapon help?"

Have you been abducted before posting?

Best wishes to all.

KenM

[Chief Engineer]

I went to post on Snail-Net once....and was banned for life......no warning no nuttin.

I didn't realize it was a red headed stepchild of a bidness.

[hellosailor]

"I'm new to this forum, and still am a bit confused about the moderation rules,"
Then wouldn't it be your personal responsibility (seguing back to the threaed title, which seems totally unrelated to anything else) to ask a moderator or admin just what the rules are, and to clarify any confusion about them?
What the general forum membership has to say about the rules doesn't mean bupkis. The rules are made, interpreted, and enforced by the forum staff. No doubt each to some different degree unless they've got a highly detailed playbook to share.