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1940. arkymalarky - 12/4/2008 5:00:20 AM Things descended into drama a few years ago and a lot of people left as a result. IMHO, many who stayed failed to adequately nurture the site in a number of ways after that, including benign neglect. I'm as guilty of this (probably more so) as anyone. But the hosted thread structure--which looked at anyone policing a thread before the thread host stepped in as an encroachment on their territory--exacerbated the problem. The individual hosting is great, but policing is a tall order for many people. However, even considering all that, Jex has been the only consistent issue since the Great Schism.
When I was a kid we used to go up the block to what we called "The Little Store" with the neighbor kids to spend our allowance. The store owners were a rather heavy older couple. One neighbor kid called them "Mr and Mrs Fatso" whenever we came in. He fancied himself as a big kidder and he didn't have the basic social skills to know better. When the owners finally told him that if he couldn't be respectful he couldn't come into the store any more, we all felt very awkward, including the owners and the kid. But enough was enough.
For me, the line is crossed when a poster targets and harasses another poster or posters in ways that impair their ability to function in the forum and ways which others can't ignore. That's bullying and I despise bullies. The other line I consider as moderator is being a general, chronic, impossible to ignore nuisance, but we have always tried to defer to the thread host first on that. I don't think, for obvious reasons, that's a practical policy any more.
So Jex can be on the defensive instead of the offensive for a change, or he can facilitate rather than inhibit discussion and quit singling out his personal "Mr Fatsos," or the hammer can come down. It's entirely in his court. And I like Jex. I liked the neighbor kid. But the proprietors were right on in telling him to have some respect for others and for making it clear he wouldn't be welcome back if he didn't. 1941. Wombat - 12/4/2008 5:44:52 PM While I do not contribute as much as I used to, I lurk daily. I am of two minds. I know from my interactions with Jex on the History thread that he can be a constructive and amusing contributor. At the same time, there are some threads that I barely look at, because they are all Jex all the time, with rendundant and sometimmes abusive screeds. Many of us lose patience with particular contributors (me and Concerned, for example), and most of us have particular shticks in our posting style that can irritate.
It is too bad that a degree of civility might have to come from Wabbit's "big stick," but if it's deemed necessary, I won't protest. 1942. wonkers2 - 12/4/2008 5:47:03 PM IMHO we need more active participants like Jex, not fewer. Anyone who doesn't agree with or is offended by his posts need not reply and can easily scroll past them as I do many of them. Jexter attempts to harrass me are sometimes annoying but nothing I'm unable to tolerate and certainly would not cause me to leave the Mote. However, I can see how his use of racist, religious and ethnic slurs might discourage others from participating in the forum. 1943. vonKreedon - 12/4/2008 6:42:53 PM Wonker says:
" Anyone who doesn't agree with or is offended by his posts need not reply and can easily scroll past them as I do many of them."
Unfortunately one cannot "easily scroll past" Jex's massively serial posts. I regularly find that in threads I might be interested in posting to that over 80% of the posts are Jex posts, and well over 80% of those are to my reading raving abusive drivel. It is simply not worth the effort to try and post to the Mote because of Jex's ravings. If there were an Ignore feature that would remove Jex from view it might be doable, but not with current all Jex all the time in all the threads environment.
The Mote might need more active participants, but not like Jex and it will not get them with an unfettered Jex drowning out such participants. 1944. wonkers2 - 12/4/2008 6:54:24 PM Lighten up, VK! The Mote isn't ever going to compete with the Encyclopedia Britannica or Wikipedia. 1945. jexster - 12/4/2008 7:05:49 PM Said it b4 ..will say it again...all you have to do is post 1946. jexster - 12/4/2008 7:06:40 PM It is easy..I recommend a 3 step process
1. compose post
2. hit preview to check for toys
3. Hit post 1947. jexster - 12/4/2008 7:13:25 PM U guyz are right though. Bereft of Concern, I tossed caution and brain to the wind and struck out in search of losers to torture in the Yahoo! Buzz threads...there are about 20-30 Concerned's left there still bashing Hussein and waiting for the Supreme Court to compel Obama to prove he is a natural born citizen etc
General reaction paraphrase: "I hate that asshole JohnMcCSF"
Which was the objective of course 1948. TheWizardOfWhimsy - 12/4/2008 7:29:29 PM If it's a question of enthusiasm, jexster puts us all to shame; if it's a question of tolerating a joker in the deck, then it makes for a wilder game, I suppose, but it can indeed be annoying and tedious, I agree.
Jexster, pisses on everyone's shoes, sooner or later and he deserves a good wrap on the snout when he does it. Nevertheless, he keeps me in touch with a lot of ideas, events and points of view that I would miss if he weren't around.
Moreover, upon reflection of the times I've lurked in TPW, I still say good riddance to those self-inflated pedants and snobs who think they're superior to all others. Nor do I have the patience to ferret out all of their personal codes of communication that are incessantly meant to ascend Cal's pecking order.
They just don't have the humanity and the humility of those around here. I've never been impressed by over-informed careerists. I'll take courage, integrity and sincerity every time--and that's why I (compulsively) come back here, I suppose.
I may not always show it, but I respect and admire all of the posters here. It's also a game I know and I'm not interested in the ego games that CalGal invented and wallows in. She is mean and shallow, has always been mean and shallow and I hope that she, someday, lives to recognize it--for her own sake.
When everybody sings the same tune, the words become meaningless.
1949. arkymalarky - 12/4/2008 7:39:19 PM I agree. We're all about dealing with the dynamic of this forum, and it's well worth the effort. I'm also thrilled to see some familiar folks back and hope they stick around.
I also meant yesterday to second Thoughtful's post. I'm a better thinker, communicator, and teacher (and community activist!) because of my participation here, and it is a constant resource for me. 1950. David Ehrenstein - 12/4/2008 7:48:00 PM What'st this about? Concerned leaving? That's cause Obama won. 1951. Wombat - 12/4/2008 7:58:21 PM David:
Didn't you hear? The Obama scoialist death squads took Concerned off for reeducation. If that doesn't work...the kugel. 1952. Wombat - 12/4/2008 7:58:52 PM "socialist" of course. 1953. wonkers2 - 12/4/2008 8:07:29 PM Maybe concerned is the poor guy in this video? Or perhaps Jexter was caught in a Watergate-like caper in the GOP headquarters??
Gay or God's Plan? 1954. Wombat - 12/4/2008 8:25:52 PM No that's what would have happened to Jex if McCain-Palin had won. 1955. iiibbb - 12/4/2008 9:38:22 PM I still like The Mote.
I think the low membership may be due to the ergonomics of the thread structure more than the people here. Believe me this place is tame compared to many, but that may be as much due to the fact it's a small group.
The problem I've always had is if you drop a thread for a day or two, it's hard to find your place again. You can't search for posts, or track responses... every post has to be stand alone and fleeting. Newcomers probably have a horrible time getting oriented. 1956. iiibbb - 12/4/2008 9:41:38 PM What I like most is that I feel like I can post whatever I want here. More-so than other boards.
I also don't feel like my posts have to be absolutely bulletproof.
I don't have a lot of compassion for Concerned these past few months. His posts were no more out of line than some of Jex's. 1957. wonkers2 - 12/4/2008 10:04:04 PM Me to re: freedom to post. Jex and concerned are assets to the Mote IMHO. It would be boring if everybody agreed with everybody else and the posts were all like research papers with appropriate citations or NYT op-eds. I like the wild, wild west, no holds barred format. 1958. wonkers2 - 12/4/2008 10:14:13 PM erratum: me too 1959. jexster - 12/4/2008 10:16:44 PM The longest continuous thread on the Mote in 5 years?
Thanks to a picture of Guru Wonkers the Wuss floating in the Ganges on a recent family outing
I am the GREATISS
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