Group Coerced Censorship

[Schneed10]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

Let's just remember that Parking Lot doesn't mean the forum rules don't apply. The same rules apply throughout the site.

I get that. But where were the forum rules broken in that thread? I just read through it and at no time did anybody call another site member a name. SBF and Daseal expressed strong opinions but were both very respectful of one another.

The last thing you could call that thread was a "flame war."

A discussion was shut down in anticipation of a flame war, which tells me the mods thought the membership was incapable of handling themselves maturely.

I get that you want to grow the site membership, but if you're going to stifle discussions you might want to be mindful of maintaining your baseline membership. After shutting down one thread, I think everyone will get over it. But I don't think that should become a theme, or you could find the existnig membership thinning out.

[SmootSmack]

Originally Posted by Schneed10

I get that. But where were the forum rules broken in that thread? I just read through it and at no time did anybody call another site member a name. SBF and Daseal expressed strong opinions but were both very respectful of one another.

From this post http://www.thewarpath.net/310500-post21.html and talking about it being "off to the side in the parking lot" I thought maybe you and others didn't get that

[Schneed10]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

From this post http://www.thewarpath.net/310500-post21.html and talking about it being "off to the side in the parking lot" I thought maybe you and others didn't get that

OK sorry, allow me to clarify.

I respect the forum rules. I realize that I broke them a few days ago in the Sean Taylor Lance Briggs thread. That was BS on my part, and I apologized for it, and still feel that I was wrong.

The post you quoted above was really me expressing dissatisfaction with the rule itself. I feel like if people want to call each other names or curse at one another, then let them, as long as the discussion can remain on topic. This part of the discussion is really irrelevent to the Fallwell thread, because nobody called a name or started any ruckus. But in general, I think passion in the discussion is a good thing, and makes this place more fun to be a part of. What's truly terrible is when a passionate argument deteriorates into a flame war and gets entirely away from a meaningful discussion.

But, I recognize what I think the rules should be, and what they actually are, are two entirely different things. While I might wish the forum etiquette rules were more relaxed, I understand and respect that I must abide by whatever rules you guys set forth. So as long as your policy is in place, I'll do my best to abide by it and avoid the kind of pop-off I pulled the other day.