Where is the boundary?

[Villain]

First off, I haven't read everyone's post, but would like to give a noobs perspective.

 

iNow is a rather difficult person to deal with for those of us who are not used to living in the 'scientific world'. From what I have deduced he/she has extremely high attention to detail and is what a typical scientist should be in this regard. He/she holds others to a high standard and is therefore needed to the extent of post quality and information being exchanged in the forum. He/she should probably come with some sort of warning though .

[hypervalent_iodine]

This is not a place for personal attacks. Not in this thread or any other thread. If you have a problem with something someone has said, you use the report feature.

 

I've edited this to remove the mod tags as I realised post-fact that I have participated in this thread and shouldn't be moderating it. The point remains, though.

[Villain]

!

Moderator Note

This is not a place for personal attacks. Not in this thread or any other thread. If you have a problem with something someone has said, you use the report feature.

 

I assume this is directed at me. If so, it was meant to be a compliment, with some explanation to iNow as to why others might get a little heated when discussing topics with him. The last sentence was not meant to be taken seriously hence the smiley emoticon!

[hypervalent_iodine]

Perhaps I should have said comments. Regardless, other members and their interaction with others is not the point of this thread.

[Klaynos]

!

Moderator Note

Indeed, please try and avoid personal comments, everyone, and if we can get back on topic that'd also be a good thing.

Please avoid replying to this modnote.

[Tres Juicy]

So, I made this post on the 18th of February:....

 

 

I think that the general concensus is that you can be quite aggressive in your posts.

 

One of the first questions I ever posted here saw me subjected to a two page beating by none other than yourself. While most of the time I tend to agree with what you say, you often go about it in a way that is not civil at all...

 

I also feel that you get away with a lot more than anyone else in terms of these kinds of violations.

 

Maybe that's why the rules seem fuzzy to you?

[iNow]

iNow is a rather difficult person to deal with for those of us who are not used to living in the 'scientific world'. From what I have deduced he/she has extremely high attention to detail and is what a typical scientist should be in this regard. He/she holds others to a high standard and is therefore needed to the extent of post quality and information being exchanged in the forum. He/she should probably come with some sort of warning though.

Perhaps something like, "If you post a bunch of baseless ridiculous nonsense, you might get a blunt, harsh, unashamed reply from people who don`t think very highly of delusion, arguments based upon faith alone, or wish thinking. If you are uncomfortable with this, we recommend you don`t post ridiculousness." Would that suffice?

 

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Maybe that's why the rules seem fuzzy to you?

IINM, it is either allowed or it is not. If it sometimes gets ignored or is differently enforced, then it by definition becomes fuzzy and unclear.

[swansont]

Perhaps something like, "If you post a bunch of baseless ridiculous nonsense, you might get a blunt, harsh, unashamed reply from people who don`t think very highly of delusion, arguments based upon faith alone, or wish thinking. If you are uncomfortable with this, we recommend you don`t post ridiculousness." Would that suffice?

 

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IINM, it is either allowed or it is not. If it sometimes gets ignored or is differently enforced, then it by definition becomes fuzzy and unclear.

 

If that's true, then e.g. speeding is a traffic violation that has a fuzzy and unclear definition. I disagree with that. It's true that you can get away with going a few ticks over the posted limit and not get a ticket, and occasionally go way over the limit and not get caught, but when you do, you face the consequences. You have no legitimate recourse. The limit is posted and you went over. That you have observed other people speeding without getting a ticket doesn't change the fact that you were, in fact, speeding. Imperfect enforcement does not change the law.

 

You can give a blunt, harsh unashamed response that you disagree with a statement or that something in the statement is factually wrong. That can happen, however, without tacking on a personal comment or observation about the individual.

[CaptainPanic]

IINM, it is either allowed or it is not. If it sometimes gets ignored or is differently enforced, then it by definition becomes fuzzy and unclear.

I agree and disagree.

The rules are clear, but the rules cannot say in such detail what you can and cannot say. The rules of the forum have to do with language and interactions between people, and this is almost always a subjective matter. Language is always fuzzy and unclear, and that is interestingly why computers still haven't mastered something that a 3-year-old is already capable of doing: to talk.

 

You cannot write down the rules of a forum like computer code. In language, there are always exceptions. For example, an insult can be meant as a joke. And someone shouldn't be banned for that... although it can be dangerous to make humorous insults, as you cannot put any humorous intonations into a written post.

 

The rules clearly say that a personal attack is not allowed. This never changes. But what exactly is a personal attack needs to be interpreted/evaluated every time again...

 

As for getting a different treatment (if that would be true) I guess people who have shown that they are interested in science, and who make valuable contributions, won't get banned instantly when they write 1 bad post. New members who start flaming in their 1st post will be treated like a common spammer.

[iNow]

I like swansonts comparison to a speeding ticket. It is clear, and I think conveys the nature of the issue nicely. Even there, though... Some users flash their tatas and get out of it....

 

I also think my posts are (on balance) much more positive than negative contributions to the site (MUCH). My words and my tone are both precisely weilded, and it`s hardly ambiguous who earns ayre and who does not. It would just be nice if your punishments didn`t feel so damned arbitrary, inconsistent, and frankly personal.

 

Also, why are my suspensions never announced in the banned/suspended users thread? Speaking of inconsistencies, this particular one is no subjective at all...