Forum Flow

Since we don't have the ability on this board to filter "new posts", my new mode of operation is to click new posts and then hit the first link to The Lounge and mark all posts as read. Then I can go back to new posts and not have to deal with people acting like freaking idiots and being assholes while hiding behind keyboards. This is better, for me, than 'ignoring' certain members, because some of them act like normal people in pen threads but absolutely lose their freaking minds on other things. I wish the site owner would filter The Lounge out of New Posts like Politics & Religion are filtered.

I understand your point of view.

I have a handful of ignored people and they have to earn that dubious honur by being objectionable or confrontational. The fact that I lose out on their contributions outside of the Lounge or elsewhere is something I can live with.

I am here to learn what I can, give advice if I can and enjoy the contributions of others, and have a little fun and banter where that is possible. I may be wrong but I think of the Lounge in the same way as you may have a sitting room at home with young children and the more elderly and any conversation should be suitable and good for all concerned.

No analysis has been done but I wouldn't be surprised if the people who are objectionable make no useful contributions elsewhere on the forum.

eta, I agree your point, just been through the posts of one ignored person, their last 20 posts have all been in the Lounge and hard to like, other posts were reasonable but you couldnt say that they were useful to me.

We humans are complex beings.

We all attach ourselves to something, a cause, an ideology, or a belief in order for us to make sense of our being and purpose in this life.

When that which we identify ourselves with, are either threaten or encouraged, we show our "true colors". This can be good ... or bad.

This explains why sometimes one can "sound" very different within one context vs the other.

Now the question becomes, what do we do when we encounter this?

First of all, I think we should acknowledge that we all have the potential to behave similarly (maybe under different context) because we all are humans.

If we acknowledge that, we are now in the position to choose to see/accept where the others are coming from (this is not the same as agreeing with them), or to decide that we are not going to be part of it.

Either way will not cause us to hate the other person, only to be selective in which interactions we are going to participate or not.

Now this, in the long run will cause us less blood-pressure spiking, and heartburn, which I think everyone should welcome. :)

The link I use to read the forum is a direct link to the "What's New" posts. I often pick one of the For Sale items and then mark that Read to lessen the screen of post. However, I'll offer up something, because I can understand the OPs reasoning:

Years ago, this same thing happened, and while we still had active administration of the forum, a dedicated sub-forum was made for 'controversial' posts and subject matter. The key feature is that, within the platform in the background, posts there DO NOT SHOW UP in the new activity filters. The sub-forum is "Politics, Religion and Society".

If only people had started the topics that the OP mentions (obliquely) in that forum, or if we had an active administrator who would move these type of discussions there, it would still allow for any manner of free speech/discourse/rants but keep it out of the view of daily traffic. For many of us who were active at the time, it was the perfect solution, neither infringing on those who were interested in that type of postings but also not bothering those who didn't even want to see mention of it. Barring either people being considerate/wise enough to start their post in that forum or an owner/administrator who actually cares about the forum life, we are stuck with this poor hacks to avoid needless annoyance.

The thing is, we're all pretty on edge at the moment. It would be great of people could be considerate of others in these matters. Not much else will change the situation beyond that.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jon Szanto

The link I use to read the forum is a direct link to the "What's New" posts. I often pick one of the For Sale items and then mark that Read to lessen the screen of post. However, I'll offer up something, because I can understand the OPs reasoning:

Years ago, this same thing happened, and while we still had active administration of the forum, a dedicated sub-forum was made for 'controversial' posts and subject matter. The key feature is that, within the platform in the background, posts there DO NOT SHOW UP in the new activity filters. The sub-forum is "Politics, Religion and Society".

If only people had started the topics that the OP mentions (obliquely) in that forum, or if we had an active administrator who would move these type of discussions there, it would still allow for any manner of free speech/discourse/rants but keep it out of the view of daily traffic. For many of us who were active at the time, it was the perfect solution, neither infringing on those who were interested in that type of postings but also not bothering those who didn't even want to see mention of it. Barring either people being considerate/wise enough to start their post in that forum or an owner/administrator who actually cares about the forum life, we are stuck with this poor hacks to avoid needless annoyance.

The thing is, we're all pretty on edge at the moment. It would be great of people could be considerate of others in these matters. Not much else will change the situation beyond that.

---

I had never appreciated the Society part of that forum. On reflection, it would have been the perfect place for a couple of these threads. If only we had someone who could move these things....

Maybe if someone contacted the Andersons, then they could ask Eric if he could do it (take The Lounge out of the What's New activity).