Warning Concerning Disruptive Behavior

[littlemissattitude]

I just want to add my support to j. d. and all of my other brother and sister moderators, and pledge that, now that I'm back from Real Life and some time away, I will do all I can to make sure that the Chrons continues to be the same fascinating but peaceful place it was when I first came here...how many years ago?

[StormFeather]

A happy new year to all, and to add to this discussion:

I'm here because I feel that I can post to any discussion safely and without fear of a personal attack. I have posted to the critiques section, and found a warm, friendly community who have given me great advice. I feel accepted here, and able and free to contribute to any discussions should I so choose. I wouldn't have this place any other way, and I wouldn't want to 'be' in a place where open nastiness is disguised as 'expressing oneself'.

Can I add my warmest thanks and congratulations to the moderators for making this site such a place. Long may you all continue!

And once again:

Happy 2010 to all - may the next decade see in more successes for all of us!
x

PS, may have had too much champagne in celebration of an engagement tonight so apologies if I'm a bit squiffy!

[Teresa Edgerton]

Originally Posted by Sparrow

I think the real problem is most people don't like to feel uncomfortable, not in their day to day lives and not even in the virtual world.

Yes, I've heard that argument before. It usually comes from people who feel that it is somehow their duty to make those other people uncomfortable, and I always wonder who the h*** they think appointed them to that job.

In the virtual world we do not know what discomforts the people we "meet" may suffer in real life. We can not judge whether they seek a haven like this one out of cowardice, exhaustion, or the need of a safe and comfortable place to recuperate. We would be arrogant to make any assumptions about that at all.

What I know is (and I think this is just the tip of the iceberg, since not everyone wants to bring their problems here) is that during my time here several of our members have lost parents after long, heartbreaking illnesses. One member almost lost a child to a disease that doctors struggled to diagnose and treat. Many members are dealing with mental disorders, chronic medical conditions, disabilities, disintegrating marriages, abuse, financial disaster ... the list goes on. Some of them are dealing with several of these problems at once. (My mother was dying when I first came here. I had surgery for cancer last year, my husband's pension went down with the economy, and my sister is in the hospital at the moment with failing kidneys. Oh, and my dog had to be put down a couple of weeks ago. You know what, I don't like feeling uncomfortable, but life is providing me with sufficient opportunities anyway.)

And I don't know about you, but I really think that in all these cases the level of discomfort is quite sufficient without anyone here feeling the need to add to it.

[Gary Compton]

Storm, well said and Teresa I send my love to you and your family. Life is hard and I dont know about you both, but I come here to get away from the sh*t that life throws at you.

So put a smile on your two beautiful faces, and I say without the fear of contradiction that the female, with her inbuilt maternal instincts is the greatest creation of God's world.

If only we could give you the power to rule. The world would be a better place.

Keep Smiling

XXX

[dustinzgirl]

Originally Posted by Sparrow

I have yet to come across a post here that is all that horrible or in my opinion ban worthy, but it seems others feel remarkably different. I think the real problem is most people don't like to feel uncomfortable, not in their day to day lives and not even in the virtual world.

I'm sorry, are you saying that you have a right to make other people on this site feel uncomfortable and that you do so on purpose?

Truth is that the reason for the rules for civil behavior is that THIS IS A SITE ABOUT SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY.

It is not a debate site.

It is not an angry site.

It is not a site to pat yourself on the back because you can make other people uncomfortable.

It is not a site for you to exercise your personal vendetta against every individual and race and creed that disagrees with you.

There are sites specifically for that. Some of which I am a member of or I moderate as I looove to have heated debates. Angry, horrible word choice, cruel debates. And I'm good at it, and I don't do that here because this is a site about SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY.

There are deep, dark, 18+ corners of the internet where you can go freaking NUTSO on people and have angry, crazy, debates that go well and far beyond the word uncomfortable. I would politely suggest that you find one and progress your uncomfortableness upon members of those sites.

I would further and with all due respect suggest that you go and create your own site for making people feel uncomfortable.

Because quite frankly, whether people like to feel uncomfortable or not is none of your concern or business. What is of your concern and business is how you conduct yourself on this site and what the moderators, not you, consider ban and infraction worthy, should you desire to maintain a significant membership with post ability.

Thank you for your attention, and I hope that you are blessed with a new attitude this New Year's.

[Gary Compton]

Originally Posted by StormFeather

PS, may have had too much champagne in celebration of an engagement tonight so apologies if I'm a bit squiffy!

Squiffy? It's the most coherent you've been for a long time.

[dustinzgirl]

And continuing on what Storm and T said....I probably would not have made it through my sister's death as sanely as I did without the support of Chrons members.

[Culhwch]

Originally Posted by dustinzgirl

Truth is that the reason for the rules for civil behavior is that THIS IS A SITE ABOUT SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY.

I have nothing to add, but I thought that bore repeating.

[Teresa Edgerton]

Originally Posted by dustinzgirl

Angry, horrible word choice, cruel debates. And I'm good at it, and I don't do that here because this is a site about SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY.

Yes, I was good at it, too. But I asked myself whether I wanted to be that person, and decided not. Sometimes, I can't help myself and she takes over anyway. Sometimes I let her out for walks when she gets too restless.

People sometimes labor under the false impression that I don't drown them in vitriol because I don't have any on hand. (Others see behind my thin mask of amiability and know that I do.) I have vats of the stuff.

There are many, many articulate people with strong opinions here. If we all threw aside our self-control at once, it would be thermonuclear destruction. The Chronicles Network would infect to the North Star.

We choose not to do so. We choose. There is enough ugliness in the world; we do not need to add to it here.

Especially because, as has been noted, this is a Science Fiction and Fantasy website, and great policy decisions are not made here. The fate of the world is not decided here. We do not sway popular opinion by shouting abuse at each other here.

There is just no purpose to be served by attacking each other here. Nothing to be gained.

And on another note, I think we should close this thread soon, and get back to the business of discussing Science Fiction and Fantasy. Brian pays money right out of his own pocket to give us a place to do that. I think we should make use of that opportunity.

[Culhwch]

I agree with Teresa that this thread has served its purpose, and there is little more to be gained from it remaining open. Her post is a good note on which to leave it, I feel. Thread closed.