Sucks

[Amskeptic]

Maybe the suck comments weren't directed at me but do you honestly think they are acceptable?

Russell, I said "this conversation sucks" when all the one word or three-word nonsequitors killed the development of what was a good thread. Your contributions were/are appreciated and have always been appreciated.

It's to the point where I don't engage most people in meaningful conversation because it seems like it breaks down to tit for tat or stupid talking points. I find myself getting sucked in and I don't like it.

Me too, but I can't just pack it in. I have to find a solution, and I want your input.

Silly as it may seem this forum is a place where I've grown to like many of the participants and liked many of the discussions. This little dust-up touched a nerve.

Me too! And damn it to hell, I do not want people I consider to be friends to get mowed down by inanity and boorishness. I am not the Supreme Court, and I will be damned if I am going to pander to a bunch of children hollering at the dinner table " I get to interrupt because I am an American with the right to Free Speech!" The "right" to Free Speech here in this forum comes with clearly spelled-out rules, just like the right to free speech in the U.S. comes with admonishments not to yell fire in a theater. You, of course can go ahead and yell "fire!" in a theater, and you can go ahead and take the consequences too.

You'll just have to humor an old man.

Damn right. Try humoring an old man whose neurons have been wasted by GumOut, too.

We ALL have the responsibility every damn day we are alive in this country to improve the dialogue between us. I do not expect the children to get it without guidance.
Colin

[steve74baywin]

I hope I hit the right buttons in the administrator control panel. Turk has "read" status in the Free Speech forum, but not "post" status. If he asks me for his own forum and we can come up with a mutually satisfactory name here in the "Whatever" group, he will have full moderator rights and we will let the "marketplace of ideas" determine what sort of exchanges are preferred by the readership.

You actually took away his ability to post in the free speech forum?
Wow, what did he do?

[glasseye]

it seems like it breaks down to tit for tat or stupid talking points.

Exactly. Discussion seems to have devolved into a competition to score points rather than a learning experience. That's why we see so many non-sequiturs.

When we begin to sound like our politicians, we're in big trouble.

[BellePlaine]

it seems like it breaks down to tit for tat or stupid talking points.

Exactly. Discussion seems to have devolved into a competition to score points rather than a learning experience. That's why we see so many non-sequiturs.

When we begin to sound like our politicians, we're in big trouble.

A learning experience for whom? Yourself or the other guy? Your debate style is to ask questions if you are interested in a learning experience for yourself.

[steve74baywin]

I hope I hit the right buttons in the administrator control panel. Turk has "read" status in the Free Speech forum, but not "post" status. If he asks me for his own forum and we can come up with a mutually satisfactory name here in the "Whatever" group, he will have full moderator rights and we will let the "marketplace of ideas" determine what sort of exchanges are preferred by the readership.

You actually took away his ability to post in the free speech forum?
Wow, what did he do?

Nevermind

[sailorkh]

Nevermind

[Amskeptic]

He was granted an opportunity to have his own forum with full moderator permissions. I was hoping he would accept the challenge to see if my rules would be proven to be too limiting while his would show a vital discourse . . . .
He declined.

[turk]

No, I just didn't respond. Be accurate please. Don't put words in my mouth.

[steve74baywin]

Colin, also he wouldn't be able to post in the Free Speech forum. Sounds like a Freud experiment.
I think you are catering to the bullies, even though it is hard to pin exactly who the bullies are.
If you really want to help people evolve so to speak, do nothing. Anyone who can't deal with it, they are the ones that need the changes.

[Elwood]

Just when we thought it would be safe to go back in the water

Were going to need a bigger boat

Colin--- please make this go away.

Steve, you are being lured in, not unlike many before you.

He is evil and he likes it that way

I don,t believe today is the end, but seeing his avatar again, makes me wonder.

[steve74baywin]

Just when we thought it would be safe to go back in the water

Were going to need a bigger boat

Colin--- please make this go away.

Steve, you are being lured in, not unlike many before you.

He is evil and he likes it that way

I don,t believe today is the end, but seeing his avatar again, makes me wonder.

Did I really miss that much while I was gone?
That saddens me that things had to get that bad.
Maybe you and Turk should talk one on one in private.
I have a hard time thinking he is evil, or better yet, they say we all have the potential to do the worst and the best at any given time, it's just a matter of what we choose.

[glasseye]

A learning experience for whom?

Everyone. Readers and posters alike. I've learned tons here. I've also learned that learning is among the most fun things you can do.

[BellePlaine]

A learning experience for whom?

Everyone. Readers and posters alike. I've learned tons here. I've also learned that learning is among the most fun things you can do.

I think that I understand what you mean however when we debate over topics where the anwser is not known to us, I think it's best to approach those topics with the idea that I am debating to challenge my own beliefs (as opposed to "everyone's") through compairing them against someone else's beliefs. We are not in the Techincal Forums here were we can find the anwsers and they are true for everyone. In the FSF, I come to learn but not to be taught if you know what I mean. Your right, learning (self-discovery) is amazingly fun.

[glasseye]

Your right, learning (self-discovery) is amazingly fun.

I meant learning about anything.

Self-discovery notwithstanding, I just learned what "forechecking" is. And I'm a Canadian!

[steve74baywin]

A learning experience for whom?

Everyone. Readers and posters alike. I've learned tons here. I've also learned that learning is among the most fun things you can do.

I think that I understand what you mean however when we debate over topics where the anwser is not known to us, I think it's best to approach those topics with the idea that I am debating to challenge my own beliefs (as opposed to "everyone's") through compairing them against someone else's beliefs. We are not in the Techincal Forums here were we can find the anwsers and they are true for everyone. In the FSF, I come to learn but not to be taught if you know what I mean. Your right, learning (self-discovery) is amazingly fun.

Both good points.