Welcome back to both TPP and Severin.

Severin
No it was a bit more than that, I inferred the author was also one, by using the action of the shoe thrower to make a generalised comment about Left politics. My fault entirely.

The Pied Piper,

Welcome back. I had feared you may have been being intimidated by the DOCS Thought Police into no longer posting on OLO. It is pleasing to see that this was either not so, or that any intimidation has failed.

You ask:

"Do we have Rules listed somewhere?"

The answer is "yes we do".

(I have become much more confident in using that expression since Barach O'Barmagh, the most powerful man in all of Ireland, started using a variant of it with such success, after having first learned it from me BTW.)

If you scroll up to the top of any OLO page, be it thread or index, in the left-hand margin, just below the big words 'The Forum', you will find five web page buttons. The middle one says 'Rules'. If you click on it you get to see, guess what? The Forum Rules!

None of this is necessarily as obvious as it might in hindsight appear, perhaps because of the OLO user demographic, as perhaps exemplified by the pseudonym of the Forum's currently newest member, see: http://bit.ly/bwXzXC . I have, at the risk of appearing somewhat repetitious, commented upon this deficiency of obviousness (obviousity?) with respect Forum features elsewhere in a long rambling thread from yesteryear that in all probability contained examples of the breach of every single Forum rule.

You can, however, get straight to the heart of the matter here: http://bit.ly/9h2njc

You also ask as to the meaning of 'flaming' in its online sense. That you do not know this only shows what a sheltered life you, and I suspect many other OLO users, may have led with respect to online living. The Encyclopedia Dramatica describes 'flaming' here: http://bit.ly/aMjWxP , although I caution readers that some ads on this page are somewhat distasteful, so click at your own risk.

I have tried to introduce 'phlaigming', but the idea has not been widely taken up. The underlying concept is to try and introduce some not too wounding humour into posts posted in the vicinity of what is, or may become, a 'flame war'.

No comment :)

Hi ya, Severin - nice to hear from you.

One of my comments was deleted not long after I joined OLO - on the infamous Lord Monckton thread...so that was when I learned what "flaming" was.

I agree with Lexi that Moderation tends to be a fluid exercise depending on what unfolds on a thread.

Houellie,
Do you really think you're losing your touch?...surely not.

Idiot isn’t acceptable? I’d rather see you call someone an idiot Pelican than listen to someone being called an idiot using 350 very polite words that culminate in the person understanding that they have in fact been called an idiot using the longest available process on OLO.

Playing the man instead of the ball, considered unsporting (for lack of a better word) like within the Forum here? See that confuses me when you start thinking about so many topics started using a personal situation. And that we happily debate that perhaps the person has approached the question or situation wrongly based on their own situation and experiences?

I see it happen to Belly a lot, the implication or outright accusation that he thinks that way or this way purely because of his involvement with unions. Or once someone’s political/religious affiliations are defined every opinion they have must be a result of their political/religious stance. The best ones usually come with what gender you are and so obviously you were born to feel a certain way.

But I don’t mean to imply that arguments that have this element of not playing the ball/ovary are wrong at all in all cases either. And it aint in the rules. The rules state no flaming which is probably more about how politely you can insult someone and get away with it?

Forrest and Fractelle! I am so pleased to find you both here and you both taught me a lot. And I remember you always getting in trouble Fractelle and I enjoyed it no end. You disappeared for awhile too or weren’t around at the time I did?

DoCS did scare me off for awhile Forrest. “Phlaigming'? This becomes part of flaming a label or the alternative? Oh a link to a post from Wendy and Live Exports, I met her on another site and she was the one that first told me to check out OLO. For all I know I am her punishment on you all. Is she still banned after all this time?

Forrest

It is well beyond time that I thank you for delaying my descent into alzheimer's for another day or so.

Just reading both your lines and in between is an exercise wondrous indeed and I pat myself on the back when I 'get' you. Which is not always, but I try.

Pelican

Was your deleted post as evil as the vitriol of Foxy? Who has also fallen foul despite her studiously reading the roolz.

Now if only we could all be more like (insert name of anyone who appears to receive a great deal of latitude regards flaming) - warning to self; skating on thin ice.