Eric Smith86 said:First off, I really want to give a quick shout-out to the moderators. Even though they ended up removing my posts, they didn't issue me a warning or a strike, which I guess is pretty fair.
I was just pointing out some rather inappropriate language used by the user kiss_me, specifically regarding this post.
The post was written in a way that felt quite uncivilized to me, so in my reply, I highlighted certain expressions that I feel shouldn't really be part of normal, polite conversation. In just one single post, kiss_me uses terms like:
shameless bastards dick of a sheep shameless scoundrels incompetent idiots that little jerk Incompetent idiots anemic prick let them starve to death to talk shit total idiots underachieving, narrow-minded, and limited morons some sandwich-eating jerk corrupt cronies and similar leeches too stupid and brain-dead little fat jerk characterless scum sandwich-eating trolls thieving pieces of shit
...
🤣 🤣 I actually think kiss_me is great, so thanks for the heads-up, I'm going to go read it now. 👍
Am I going to step up and defend this topic? Honestly, probably not. It feels a bit stale right now, and I don't really care if it eventually gets moved to some random corner of the forum. I guess I just wanted to mention that I'm perfectly fine with meeting other users halfway whenever possible. Even if the logic behind it seems a little strained sometimes—kind of like how things were during the coronavirus era... but hey, it's all good.
Think of America as a political entity as seen from an outside perspective (it’s just one country in this massive world 😬).
The whole discussion kicked off by comparing how much influence RKC has here versus in Ireland, but I don't think that really defines anything, nor does any of the other stuff being talked about right now. To me, it just looks like any other thread over there. Its existence doesn't cause chaos on the PDF, it doesn't make things hard to navigate, and honestly, it doesn't affect anything at all. It's just... there now, whereas before it wasn't. 🤷
Was it really, truly necessary? If you were looking through the topic list on the World PDF, would anyone even stop and ask, "Wait, where is America?" Probably not.
But we could say the same thing about having a Coronavirus thread under Politics when there's already a full Coronavirus PDF where, logically, that topic belongs. I guess it's just that part of human nature—people are creatures of habit, and they want their political corona and their actual corona, so they write where they're used to writing and... well, whatever. 😁
As for this America thread for the diaspora—well, look at them, they're discussing things and being perfectly polite. Maybe the thread takes off, maybe it doesn't... but it isn't bothering anyone.
Off-topic, so I’ve moved these posts and pulled them into a new thread. What would your move be here?
There are a couple of ways to handle things when a discussion goes off the rails:
- You could just instantly delete the off-topic stuff and leave a bolded note banning anyone from chirping outside the topic (this works especially well if someone isn't even part of the debate and just pops in, drops a threat, and vanishes—people really seem to love that kind of thing). Just hand out as many warnings as necessary.
- Or, you could allow a few replies and just wait to see if the users naturally drift back to the main topic. If they don't, maybe leave a bolded note (if you're a regular user and people recognize you, there's a better chance they'll actually respect the warning). If the off-topic chatter keeps going, then you can decide if there's enough material for a whole new thread or if the posts should just be deleted.
The second option is what’s being done here, and I guess that's fine.
I'm not quite sure why you're saying nobody moderates over there.
The US Forum has a full list of mods. Bubi Mir and Charles Fox10 are honestly top-tier among everyone listed, each handling their own specific sections (though Charles Fox10 definitely covers more of the American side). Both of them have this way where, just by showing up and how they talk, they manage to lower the tension in any thread they join.
I think we should probably give people some credit for the work they do; it doesn't feel right to say nobody is doing anything there.
I don't really enjoy confronting users who are dear to me—whatever you are, I guess—but man, I really don't get it. Would you rather have more KLC style? That guy practically banned half the US Forum! And somehow, that's what you're calling for.
Jessica Wright58 said:So, maybe the folks saying Christianity was pulled over our eyes by "The Walls" just to "soften us up" are onto something. You know, turn the other cheek and all that. So we're supposed to just look at the New Testament and ignore the Old? 😁 Because according to the Talmud, the rules are basically "combat" rules. Same goes for Islam. There isn't this whole multi-cultural tolerance vibe; it's just brutal toward anyone else. So, did they "feed" us Christianity just to make us easier to enslave? 🍿
Maybe try to dig a little deeper into where your anti-Semitism actually stems from, and how that even connects to Christianity. What you wrote above is... well, it's an okay starting point, I guess.
Here is a summary of the article, in case you aren't in the mood to read the whole thing (not that I'm particularly keen on reading everything myself either, since I feel like I already know most of this stuff...)
Centuries of Christian anti-Semitism led to Holocaust, landmark Church of England report concludes
Bradley White73 said:.. (And if you're trying to claim there's generally no logic behind vaccination, I'll be right here standing my ground. That's kind of like saying there's no point in saving energy).
No, you won't. Also, why on earth did you send me a DM from the Democratic Party?
I am not against vaccination. Though, looking at the actual vaccination rates, I might hesitate a bit about whether I'd vaccinate a child. I honestly don't see what kind of research logic suggests this vaccine carries such a low risk? I would really appreciate some arguments here.
Please, just show me the Democratic Party message you supposedly sent me. Because I have absolutely no clue who you are, and I definitely didn't receive anything. You know that yourself. Could someone please explain what's going on?
ps Sorry everyone, I know this isn't the main topic. But then again, this corona PDF isn't really the topic either. And I don't mean to be rude, but I'm seriously asking for an explanation here. This shouldn't even be allowed in a discussion, though I suppose there might not be a specific rule against people making up fake messages. 🤣 It honestly feels pretty creepy.
Oh, really? That's news to me. I guess you just go whichever way the wind blows, huh? 🕺
I don't really approve of all these parties being so crude, by the way! Could we please get at least one that aligns with American decency? 🙂:
Well, this might be my last post, but here's a potential suggestion for the anthem of the party. It’s pretty vulgar though, so I should probably warn you. Even I wouldn't personally enjoy it, especially since I already don't care much for 🤔 (and honestly, it's more about the nostalgia than the actual quality of the song, I suppose).
Adam Doyle63, I might actually owe you an apology here.
When I first looked over the founding documents for the Penis party and spent some time digging into your platform—even though I felt a bit of a pull toward it—I ended up dismissing you guys as just a controlled opposition group.
The party is barely even established, yet the media is all over you; it seems like you've made some sort of deal with Maria Barnes to barge into this campaign through the front door (well, maybe more like a big bus)... I don't know, my heart is with the Penis party, but my head is telling me to be cautious. ☕
But, seeing those first moves you announced regarding the "Gray is the new Blue" initiative, I decided I should probably give you guys another look.
It’s just... it really stands out how much more resources you have compared to the other parties. 🕺 I guess I have to ask, what are the actual sources of funding for your campaign?
Grace Edwards92 said:I agree. The KZB sub-forum is actually one of the most active spots around here; there are so many veteran users lurking in the shadows that I think it could really take off if we play our cards right. If I were running the first round, I guess I might suggest... I was thinking that maybe we could implement a little rule where anyone who writes a short assignment or a brief write-up on a designated topic gets their ban shortened by one day. I mean, just to reward those who actually put in the effort to contribute, you know? This wouldn't apply to things like polls or contests—just genuine, thoughtful posts based on the prompts we set. It might be a nice way to encourage more participation, I guess.I suppose we could try this, provided that no specific forum members or moderators get mentioned in the process. I just thought it might be worth seeing if there’s actually any interest in writing around here. Maybe?
I was actually thinking about writing something similar myself, though I suppose there might be a better chance of the suggestion actually being taken seriously if I just frame it to fit within the current format. 😁
Gerald Chavez7 said:Just to give everyone a quick heads-up regarding our current status: we have about 20 users currently banned from the Forum right now. I should clarify that this number doesn't include anyone who requested their own ban or those who were granted permanent status. Out of that group, maybe ten of them will actually have their bans expire within the next 48 hours. Honestly, I think the pool of "gray area" users is quite a bit smaller than most people might assume. 🙂
I guess that just serves as another reason why we should probably lower the barrier to entry—maybe by doing away with the competitive aspect entirely. It might be better if the benefits of participating felt more immediate, too. I suppose if we had totally transparent rules and an automated system for handling minor infractions, while leaving the bigger stuff up to the administration's discretion, things would run much smoother.
Adam Doyle63 said:I’m planning to open it up next week. I'll kick things off with an introductory post and share my very first story. Once that's done, maybe we can move things around—well, I don't mean moving the actual post, but more like copying the story over to the archives? That way, this thread stays right here, and everyone else can jump in and add their own stories to the same topic. I guess I'll just put instructions in that first post so people know which thread to check out. Anyway, between today and tomorrow, I think we'll have enough material ready for the criminal case file too. 🤣
👍🎉
stormytiger4 said:Grace Edwards92, I feel like even among the most dedicated regulars, you’re still going to run into a few characters who act like George W. Bush or some other Paravinja type. Honestly, I really want our red, white, and blue to protect us from those specific types of troublemakers on the Forum, so I guess I’m not entirely sold on this idea of an automatic ban. Maybe it’s just me, but I don't love the thought of someone being banned instantly without a second thought. I think it might work better if we just took a more individual approach to each situation.
I really agree, this is such an important point. I've been around this Forum for quite a while now (back in the day I used to post on those old PDF message boards, then moved more toward chatting and just lurking 😬), but I have definitely spotted a Paravinja or two floating around here.
As for the permanent bans, I honestly feel they should stay that way. We’re talking about serious hate speech, and from what I’ve heard—just through casual chatter with other users, mind you—one of them is actually a known informant for the police. If that individual ever tries to resurface with one of their essays, I’ll be sure to give you all a heads-up immediately. But, I suppose the mods generally know exactly who they're banning and why.
Just a quick side note, though—I think we really need to pay attention to something that seems to be chronically missing on this Forum: transparency regarding how decisions are made and having much clearer rules in place. That goes for the permanent bans too, I guess.
Grace Edwards92 is just wonderful. 😍 Obviously, she had a few partial bans applied to her account. 👍
But you really can't expect some random person on the forum who suddenly finds themselves in the ban corner to pull those kinds of stories out of thin air like she does (and honestly, plenty of others there do too). Their motivations are just different, I guess. That’s why I mentioned I wouldn't really group them together. Some people genuinely love to write, whereas others just want their warnings lifted and are willing to write anything just to achieve that. Maybe there's actually an opportunity to squeeze some creativity out of them so we can turn it into an active, lively topic, much like the original thread about the homeworkers. But hey, if it works better in its current form, that's fine too.
The main thing is that everything over there stays consistent, and if even the skeptics join in—well, then that's great.
stormytiger4 said:..If homeworkers were some kind of shortcut to getting an amnesty, I guess they’d definitely be abused quite heavily.
Well, I suppose a certain amount of, let's say, abuse by someone in the ban corner would actually serve as the fuel for this whole topic. I mean, what's the absolute worst-case scenario here? Maybe someone manages to shave a day off their ban every week, or perhaps they get a strike removed because they cooked up an interesting story that ends up being read by a ton of people. Who is actually losing out in that situation? If it's a real concern, maybe we could just set a limit where a user can only benefit from it once a month. 🤷
(I guess a major flaw in my idea is how easily a poll could be manipulated. You might have people who agree with the banned user showing up just to vote for them, so maybe a different voting system would work better... perhaps forming some sort of permanent council, maybe made up of those blue-chip Homeworkers).
... On the other hand, if you aren't getting much besides participation, and someone who is usually quiet shows a bit of enthusiasm, it actually might improve the chances that someone (like Nica, Scott Long71, or a speaker...) concludes that they might actually be contributing to the forum after all.
I’m not talking about the original Homeworkers; that system works perfectly and has honestly exceeded all my expectations. 🙂
But, if I recall correctly, there was some talk about offering reduced bans or similar kind of incentives for those gray-status Homeworkers. That seems crucial if we want to make sure even the very last troublemaker gets caught. Since nobody really talks about it anymore, I guess you could say the idea has just sort of fizzled out.
Personally, I’d probably keep the gray status as its own separate category, but hey, it's your call. (I don't mean to discriminate against them, it's more like providing a little safe space for them, I suppose). 😍
The motivation levels of the folks already posting over at the Homeworkers can't really be applied to those currently in the ban corner. I guess they might need some extra incentive—maybe if someone hits the top three in a poll, their strike gets cleared or their ban gets shortened?
They shouldn't really be competing directly with the main Homeworkers site. Maybe a separate thread for the gray area users would work better; if they feel like their chances of hitting that top three are slim, they'll probably just wait out their ban instead.
Regarding the rule about not mentioning the moderation team—well, obviously, we shouldn't allow any petty bickering with the mods through the Homeworkers. But, I don't know, maybe there should be a little room for a protest sign hanging from a balcony that says "Chuck, you're driving me crazy! Just delete this already!" It seems like we could afford to be a little more flexible there.
And honestly, it feels like we all need to grow a thicker skin... (much respect to Chuck 👍)
Anyway, out of all the recent ideas floating around, this one was definitely my favorite. I was thinking—man, we might actually be looking at a new golden age for the Forum. This could be what future users look back on as the "good old days," especially when they eventually complain about how the Forum isn't what it used to be. ☕
As it stands now, though, this whole thing feels like nothing more than an overly complicated link back to the original Homeworkers. Like most of the ideas brought up here, it seems to have been watered down by the extreme cautiousness of the moderation team and Scott Long71.
No, I'm actually on Reddit. You have to select the post first, and then if you look at the menu in the top right corner, there should be a "Report" option. I didn't catch that until a bit too late, though. Luckily, they already took care of everything, so it's all good now.
But I can't quite manage it on Reddit. Or maybe I just can't find where to click.
This one:
tihobl said:They’re lying about the death toll too, but I guess that's what you expect from those dishonest Englishmen.
I am so sorry for starting a new thread here. Please, just react to this and then delete it if you need to. I mean, honestly, enough is enough. It's always the exact same username. Always the same insults. Is it really okay to insult an entire nation like that, or are "dishonest Englishmen" just some special exception?
I’m honestly glad someone finally decided to step in regarding what was being said over there. It was certainly about time, too. I mean, slapping a 500-point penalty and labeling it hate speech feels a bit draconian and, frankly, pretty bizarre to me. There were plenty of posts involving trolling or sexism—maybe around 35 of them, if you have those logs handy—mostly coming from various users and even this one right here, yet they were just ignored. But now that the punishments have started, it feels like things are being handled without much critical thought at all. I guess it would be better if we could find some sort of middle ground, rather than trying to compensate for everything that was previously allowed by overcorrecting on a single post.
I'll be doing some searching on my own as well, so if I happen to stumble upon anything useful, I'll be sure to post an update here. Maybe it'll help you out, or perhaps even some of the others too.