General discussion of moderation procedures

Faith writes me:

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Excuse me while I choke to death...

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Okay.

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Keep America Safe AND Free!

In another (closed) thread, Ben asks: It's a shame we can't put that question to the Spanish Moriscos of the 16th and 17th centuries. Or perhaps the slaves of this country in the 19th century and prior. I wonder what the Jews who survived the holocaust might say, or those African-Americans who lived in the South more than two or three decades ago?Of course, this forum can't be compared to a government, but it can be compared to a society because it is a society. As such, one might hope to find within it a bit more of the underground railroad than a brigade of runaway slave hunters.I'm sorry; I digress. Point is, however useful double standards might be at any precise moment, they can be - as they usually are - abused. Many of you have found double standards to be useful here and I suppose if that's what it takes to keep fundie lunatics coming to this forum, then by all means let's have more double standards.For anyone interested, here's a bit more news about how useful and productive double standards can be.

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Keep America Safe AND Free!

jar writes me:

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I think you misunderstand much of what happens.

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I don't think so, but I do think that you and I have been misunderstanding each other based on what I have come to realize is a very specific difference of opinion. You say:

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People are free to civily point out errors in that position but there is nothing that says any member should not say or believe that "all Christians are liars and eat their young".

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But to a Christian that would be an insult that would be hard to distinguish from a personal attack. Similarly, when a poster says that gays don't take responsibility for their actions, or that gays have no morals, I WILL regard it as a personal attack and react accordingly. If that means I get suspended then so be it. In a forum of double standards, suspension has no objective meaning. It means only that the moderator has decided to exercise his or her right to employ double standards.

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Keep America Safe AND Free!

jar, you are drawing a distinction between group attacks and personal attacks. I don't observe such silly quiddities. Saying "atheists are amoral" in the presence of atheists is no different in any meaningful way whatsoever than saying to an atheist "you are amoral".Likewise, saying "fundies are stupid" in the presence of fundies would be no different that saying directly to a fundie "you are stupid".

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Keep America Safe AND Free!

jar writes me:

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Yes, that is the distinction I draw.

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Which allows you to hide behind that silly, useless and utterly pointless distinction in order to maintain a facade of fairness. Everyone else seems to recognize that double standards are employed here, but you insist on a ridiculous quiddity in order to seem even-handed.Group attacks are regarded as personal attacks by members of the group being attacked. They are no different than personal attacks. Your distinction between them is nothing more than a quibble.

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General Krull writes Faith:

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I'm truely baffled what your actual purpose is here.

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She's spreading Christian love and charity. Can't you tell?

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Keep America Safe AND Free!

I absolutely agree. Looking at the hitchy suspension, it would seem that expressing any negative opinion whatsoever about ID or creationism will get you suspended. Hitchy didn't attack anyone, he simply pointed out that ID and creationism are not science, which is the truth. And he did it in response to a poster who feels that teachers should "discuss the philosophical and social implications of Darwinism" in science class! For that, he's suspended.I assume it's still okay to attack gays in any way whatsoever, so long as the attack is motivated by a "belief system". But no attacks against ID or creationism. Those are to be treated as legitimate sciences on this forum. Attacking them by telling the truth about them will get you suspended.Who the hell wrote these new rules anyway? Coral Ridge Ministries?

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Keep America Safe AND Free!

Ooook! writes:

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I'm not totally opposed to the new policy. Given time it might reduce the amount of unpleasant sniping without having to resort to outright bans.

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But why is everything supposed to be pleasant? Sniping makes things interesting. I'd like to know just who the hell is griping about getting their feelings hurt. The admins seem determined to remove any and all comments that cast any aspersions at all on fundies.The admins don't seem to want to say anything, but by their actions I would gather that the best way to insure that you don't get suspended is to ask yourself, before making a post, whether or not said post would be approved by Jerry Falwell. If not, better not post it.

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Keep America Safe AND Free!

I think I've made it known that I don't believe there should be any restrictions on you unless only for specific threads, but in the case you're talking about I suspect that a mistake has been made. Perhaps if you posted a note with a more expressive subtitle, like 'Question for Admins' or something like that, one of them might look into the matter.