Showcase Forum Issues and Requests

As per your request, Dr Adequate's permissions in the [forum=-37] forum have been removed. This is not a problem. Showcased members are under no obligation to follow any rules beyond their own muse. The purpose of Showcase is to allow participation by those who prefer a more free style of discussion unencumbered by rules and moderators.

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--	Percy
	EvC Forum Director

So now the coward will be able to post ridiculous lies about my opinions quite, quite undisturbed by any jarring contact with what I actually think.I hope it makes him happy.

What a huge embarrassment the Showcase forum is.For the love of God scrap this heap of sh*t.I truly despair.Brian.Edited by Brian, : No reason given.

I don't post here much, but I do lurk and read quite a bit. And I am very confused as to the reason for the Showcase's existence.

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This is not a problem. Showcased members are under no obligation to follow any rules beyond their own muse. The purpose of Showcase is to allow participation by those who prefer a more free style of discussion unencumbered by rules and moderators.

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If this is the case, then how is it that someone can ask for, and receive, someone's removal from a thread? This strikes me as moderation, rather than the absence of moderation. Randman could simply have chosen to ignore any responses he didn't like. I myself am of the opinion that Dr Adequates points were fairly valid, and his tone was no worse than randman's own.It seems to me that the Showcase functions more as a sandbox for troublesome members, where they can ask for someone to be removed rather than forced to address their points of debate. But it certainly does employ an odd definition of "unmoderated."Back to lurk mode I go.

It's fairly simple; it's for creationists and cranks to put forth whatever nonsense they feel they have a right to promulgate at Percy's expense, absent the strictures of reasonable conduct and intelligent debate they find so choking.If it serves as a central clearinghouse for nonsense that would otherwise be clogging up intelligent conversation, then more power to it. The alternative seems to be posters who you just can't get to go away; who percieve suspension from the entire site to be such a slight that they come back under 50 different aliases to insult us all.It's a zoo. People need to understand that before they ask to post there. The creationists make the rules in the Showcase, essentially; as a result, real debate is impossible there.

It is only showcased members that are unmoderated by board admins. All other members are expected to follow the Forum Guidelines, and the requests of showcased members they are debating with. I repeat this periodically so that those requesting access to Showcase understand this.

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--	Percy
	EvC Forum Director

Then could I suggest some more suitable name then "Showcase"? "Padded Cell" would seem more appropriate.I note that, having had me removed from his thread, so that I can't answer back, the snivelling little coward is still puking out his halfwitted lies about me.He has, in mock courtesy, deleted one batch of lies he's posted about me since having me removed, but not the other.Edited by Dr Adequate, : No reason given.Edited by Dr Adequate, : Edited 'cos randman's withdrawn his latest nonsense.Edited by Dr Adequate, : ... but only the very latest.

Yup. Understand, though, that he's limited to doing so behind the bars of his little exhibit at the zoo, not in any thread where adults are participating.

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It is only showcased members that are unmoderated by board admins. All other members are expected to follow the Forum Guidelines, and the requests of showcased members they are debating with. I repeat this periodically so that those requesting access to Showcase understand this.

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I see. Then I have to confess I'm not sure I see the point. I take your response to mean a showcased member has free reign in the Showcase forum, and any/all respondents do not, and the showcased member can have their permissions revoked at any time for essentially any reason.Why on earth would anyone bother to discuss anything with a member who has been relegated to the Showcase if they can get booted as soon as the questions get tough? It's not that I expect a free for all, but it seems as if you're penalizing those who follow the rules. Or perhaps crashfrog is right, and the Showcase is intended as some sort of quarantine.

It's intended as a showcase for those who have interesting views or styles of participation that attract much attention, but who have proven over time to be unamenable to moderation.In the site's early days I created a Free For All forum that permitted unmoderated debate for all members, but it became unpopular with the growing moderator team and was eventually closed. Boot Camp was my first (failed) attempt to find a middle ground, and Showcase my second. Perhaps I should just follow my instincts and bring back Free For All. I always liked that approach and still do.

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--	Percy
	EvC Forum Director

I agree. Nothing like a freeforall to liven up the place. Folks who are too ideologically sensitive for this may ignore it. If it gets too popular to the point of diminishing other forums moderation could do some selective sorting as to what goes in it. Imo, it's the best solution to some of the bickering over questionable activity which is somewhat borderline as to whether it's admissable in various forums.

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BUZSAW B 4 U 2 C Y BUZ SAW ---- Jesus said, "When these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads, for your redemption draws near." Luke 21:28

I agree, bring back free for all. At least then we can all have an equal chance of being banned if the real faeces flinging kicks off. Because you know, once my dander is up I can really get quite peevish, Grrrr!TTFN,WK

I've been lurking for a couple of years, but don't remember the previous versions of the Showcase (the free for all), so I have no idea whether it would work here or not.But, one of the other boards I participate in is more or less one giant unmoderated forum. No word filters, no standard of conduct, no bannings, etc. You might expect that such a place would descend into adolescent chaos fairly quickly, and there is a high proportion of such, but as it turns out most of the hot button topics (politics, abortion, and evolution) are discussed very openly. There are the usual "Jane, you ignorant slut" variety of posts, but most everyone ignores them and focuses on the topic at hand.I've been surprised at how well it's worked. Which isn't to say it's perfect, it can definitely take some getting used to. And it's definitely not appropriate for a site that attracts younger folks.Anyway, didn't mean to hijack. I was just curious about the nature of the Showcase, seeing as how it seems like a member who's restricted to posting there could potentially run off anyone who might want to discuss things with them.thanks for listening...

ekman, one reason to continue showcase is that the it offers the opportunity for reasonable discussion. On my thread thus far, WK and some others, though I vehmently disagree with, at least offer reasonable discussion and debate. it was quite clear Dr Adequate was not interested in that sort of approach. It's not that Dr Adequate has some sort of giant intellect, more so than other evos, or anything like that, as if he is feared, but it's really not worth my time wasting on someone like him.There was no running from hard questions on my part, but rather his pointed dodge, imo, of the issues raised. At some point, it is not worth it. Hopefully some other evos will want a civil discussion based on the facts and analysis of differing views.

You showed an unwillingness to debate the facts and the issues and despite repeatedly being warned, you continued to foul up the thread with nonsense. Hopefully, some other evos want to discuss facts and analysis in a civil manner with those that have differing views, and hopefully, unlike you, they will possess an intellect able to at least see the points being raised by the other side, something you seemed totally incapable of, and as such, it was hopeless keeping you on the thread.