"Everybody on the forum should exercise their responsibility to know the rules and report inappropriate stuff to the moderator."

Guilty.

I assumed the rules here were like rules elsewhere, but it turns out they're less specific and not so much rules as vague guidelines. There's no clear, let alone implemented, penalty system. After years here, I read them for the first time this week.

The second point:

Of miles of stuff that I find inappropriate, including people making personal threats that would be taken seriously in a court, I've never used the Recommend-This-Comment-For-Deletion button. Always assumed someone else would. My bad. Maybe. Maybe the button is a lark. Who would know?

Having said that,

This isn't the first thread of its kind, so it seems safe to assume management is happy with things the way they are. After all, we keep coming back and exposing ourselves to ads regardless.

We've been given this opportunity for free, so why would sensible management go to the trouble of incurring costs because we can't manage to appreciate what we have? The term 'tragedy of the commons' exists because people routinely abuse privileges.

Why should it be up to management to sort these things out? Are we adults capable of sorting out our own problems or children requiring constant supervision?

"This will help attract both good quality articles and good respondents…and will keep the riff-raff at bay."

We live in a democracy, where the riff-raff is otherwise known as the general public. Or the electorate every few years. Those of 'good quality' already have plenty of space to air their views (see Quadrant and the Monthly). One of the better things about this internet thingy is that the riff-raff get speaking space.

In real life I'd count as one of the 'good quality' mob. Frankly, they're no more restrained or civil than the worst offenders here. Few things would please me more than to see the 'riff-raff' manage civility better than those of 'good quality' without management intervention.

I’d like to say something here re Examinators last post.

Boaz is a long time member of OLO… I used to post here ages ago and remember him… I thought he was great, I didn’t worry about the religious stuff and just read his posts, for conservative posts, they were pretty good… Then I left for ages. When I came back recently I noticed a big difference, Boaz was/is hounded and ridiculed almost with out fail every post…it was/is really off. I suggest that would mess up anyone regularly here.

He seemed kind of coping with it.. Until recently (sorry Boaz mate) seems to have lost his stamina or patience, but yes his posts aren’t what they were. Online bulling is serious and nasty I think some people seriously owe Boaz an apology.

Much more importantly WE ALL owe him some support now. He isn’t naturally like this, this is an isolated patch of stressful posting which I think has come from long term bullying.

As for Islam, he doesn’t like it, many don’t including me, it‘s a normal social POV for many decent people… We’re no more or less rabid than the anti Christian, anti whale, anti this or that… It’s just a dislike of a belief. It just so happens on this forum we’re a minority. Boaz, (correct me if I am wrong) actually went out and had a physical meet up with OLO poster, Fellow_Human, who is Muslim. Naturally they didn’t meet to kill each other.. It’s an obviously serious attempt at goodness in some form.

Boaz has been here longer than anyone I see today, but for R0bert , Banjo, Yabby, Col Rouge and Bronwyn.

NONE of us are perfect… Examinator, you’re a bit *put_a_word_of your_choice_here* …. I’m *stubborn*… We’re just human…

Reminds me of Lord of the bloody Flies. Rules can’t fix this only decency can.

Boaz, tell me to bugger off if you want, I may be well off the track too…

Ludwig,
Responsibility and Concise strict rules, love the strict :D But there’s no way I’d be moderated here by the other posters…

“We live in a democracy, where the riff-raff is otherwise known as the general public.”

Chainsmoker, I obviously need to clarify what I mean by riff-raff. I mean those who make a deliberate nuisance of themselves. Certainly not the general public.

This forum needs to be seen to be user-friendly to the average person. In fact, it needs to be made strongly attractive to the general public and not just to the educated ‘elite’.

This is one of the reasons why tight rules are so important….so that people can come onto this forum and ask really basic questions or express 'uninformed' points of view without being abused, and so that the average person can mix and match with ‘high-faluters’.

“In real life I'd count as one of the 'good quality' mob.”

Most definitely my friend, despite your wicked chainsmoking habit! ( :>)

.
“But there’s no way I’d be moderated here by the other posters…”

Meredith, it is up to other posters to let the moderator know of alleged infringements, and then it is up to the moderator to decide on a course of action. So, we would not actually be moderated by other posters.

Meredith,
I think the issue here is NOT the POV it is the manner in which it is presented.

There is a difference between stating an opinion and forcing it into every topic. In variably under this circumstance the poster and their antics become the focus not the point they were trying to make.

We are indeed all human and I as much as any. Therefore we all make mistakes, overstatements and unintentionally upset others. The difference is what we do about it that determines others lasting perceptions of us.

When dealing with a problem with a customer, apologise and fix the problem they are the purpose of our effort not the other way round. That business ethic is equally applicable if we substitute “Customer” with “Contributor.”

Commonsense tells us that without concern for others’ feeling we are indeed callous, self-centred and are unlikely to maintain any relationship let alone succeed in making any point especially in a social situation like this site.

PS I left an apology about rewording your sentence.

PALEIF

"PALE would like to also pay tribute to Belly my old sparing partner for his genion attempts to do something to sort out the Animal Welfare threads."

You must be joking!

Belly began the current Sea Kittens thread with the sole intention of ridiculing and belittling PETA's campaign against recreational fishing. He refused throughout to refer to PETA's mission statement and supporting material. Nearly every time he posted it was to take another ill-informed swipe. It was one of the most one sided and poorly conducted discussion threads I've seen for a long while.

I certainly didn't observe any genuine attempt by Belly to 'sort out' the situation as you claim. All he did was stoke the fire in my opinion.

meredith

"Online bullying is serious and nasty I think some people seriously owe Boaz an apology."

Another person who must be joking, surely.

Come on, meredith, BD gets what he deserves. It's not just the sarcasm and vilification that he's always been quick to dish out, it's the constant bible thumping and muslim bashing. It drives us all spare. I think we've been remarkably tolerant myself.

Being a fellow conservative is clouding your judgement here I think meredith. :)

I have been Watching you all for quite some time and In house fighting has become very boring.

You call yourselves mmmmmmmmmmm... what ever! Rule changes? Interesting, but not quite the answer.

Your all panicking! Remember the ten rats in a box... and whats happening here!

Simple! You do the maths.

The world has dug its self a very deep hole indeed and nature's laws you have all thrown away and now its back to bite us all in the ass.
PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE stop and think.
Religion is finished and some would ask, what's next? For one! How about a mind without corruption and this means, believe in yourselves, what more do you need! Has the human race become that weak?
When the year 2000 clicked over, this should spelt a new beginning, but arnt humans slow learners.

You will all drive yourselves mad because there is only one answer.

My cryptic words are here for you too take, if you want to listen.

3 Billion! The Target, and how? Abortion, birth control, and youthanasia, and AIDS is doing a fine job in getting rid of all the stupid and reckless people that this planet is full of. The great people tell me we have the time to do this, do you think you have the hunt for greed still in your blood! Keep going and blood you will get!

Mark my words.

EVO