Disgusted

[CERuppel]

I have just been surfing around the forum today, reading the news and checking old posts of tech issues.

The over all tone that a six months makes in the posts is truly astonishing. Six months ago cussing and harassment were unheard of; such vile acts that they just did not happen. But today the response to a news article is just as likely to include one of "the seven words not to be used on TV" as they are to include an honest response.

In the community attacks and harassment are becoming a sport. "How direct can you attack, but still be allowed to weasel out of moderator intervention?"

All of which has me asking "When did all this change?"

The changes have been slow, and the cumulative effect needed before you realize that that one little word here is over the line. Or that comment there needs to be edited. "Why bother? It's just one comment". Not anymore. The entire forum is becoming just another extension of todays "Manners are for sissies" culture.

News flash: Manners are the grease that allows such huge populations to exist together in close quarters without killing each other. Forgetting that simple survival fact can result in cities that treat open warfare as daily life (sort of like most big cities...).

But here, in a moderated, FAMILY forum forgetting those simple manners is not something that should be excused.

Enough. I have had my say.

Your turn.

[OuTpaTienT]

Examples?

Or maybe that's not a good idea. How about just some quotes of said behavior without linking to the message or exposing who said it.

And no fair using any quotes from me. If anything I've been on pretty good behavior lately. The few people I've talked smack to deserved it. Besides, I haven't changed much in the last six months...I've been this way for over 30 years.

Also, are you doing your TechIMO civic duty and reporting those threads you feel go over the line?

[OuTpaTienT]

One more thing, you could always just take the approach I have sometimes taken, and send a pm directly to the offending party.

This might not be the best course of action for some (me for example) but it is an option.

I think what I'm getting at is 'there are things you can do'.

uT

[CERuppel]

Out:

The PM idea is missing my point entirely. The lack of manners is something that has grown past the point of one or two incidents. It has become the expected rather than the oddity.

Some examples of language I would not post (re-post that is) but the examples of harassment I will try to hunt up later. Make that in the morning, just looked at the clock.

Check out the comments on the current news for examples for yourself.

(Remind me; when did the language filters get removed?)

[OuTpaTienT]

Originally posted by CERuppel

(Remind me; when did the language filters get removed?)

Never had one.

[vass0922]

The problem is soon as somebody gets edited everybody throws their hands up "Free speech, he really WAS A *(&U*)( ... we get censored too much wahhhhhh"

[CERuppel]

Censored = No

Manners = Yes

Free speech means being held accountable too.

Notice tthat a person can say someone is wrong just as easily as calling them something shall not be printed. So why are the posts that use logic and reason (or at least manners) going missing, while the nasty and rude ones are proliferating?

[NeoStarO1]

um i thought this was a pretty well moderated board. so im at a loss.

[NeoStarO1]

Okay I see what he is referring too. however this is the only one that i can find as of yet.

http://www.techimo.com/newsapp/i6307.html

[Siliconjunkie]

Free speech does not equal cussing at will. Nobody complains when you cannot use foul language in work related e-mails.

While I will say that there have been times that I think that the moderators went over the line and censored people due to unpopular views I think that more could be done to deal with language. It seems that the thought is that replacing inappropriate language with *'s makes it ok. Personally, I am not offended but some would be and I try very hard to respect that. 99.9999999999% of the time you can get your point across without that language.

As for "attacks" on other people, most people who posts get attacks are bating it. Sometimes someone bites, sometimes they don't. Most of them realize that they are going to get flamed or attacked for it. It is hard to say when a mod should step in. I think most of them are just a discussion and nothing more. The 2 parties walk away from it and make like nothing happened. I know this has happened to me on a couple of occasions.

I would not be at all surprized if this thread was directed at some of the threads/posts I have been involved in. I realize I can be coarse and blunt and that this bothers some people. I have just come to accept it as part of being me. If someone doesn't agree with me, thats fine.

I for one try very hard to *not* make my posts personal. No matter how much I may disagree with someones views I try to stay close to the topic and not be insulting. But, some people have a hard time seeing the difference between not agreeing with them and insulting them.