Posts by mistybison

James Lee77 said:Beljkija got burned out pretty quickly after that, too. Honestly, we really ought to appreciate that one moderator who handled philosophy for like seven, eight, maybe nine years—I can't remember exactly—without any drama at all. I wonder if he’d ever be down to step back into those roles? 🤔

Send a PM to PM Nica, and perhaps they will consider the suggestion. 🤷

ruggedraven36 said:The owl mocked the shadow.

My character isn't the issue here—the issue is that philosophy and spirituality just don't mesh.

For me, it’s more of an emotional reaction: "I'm bored, I can't take this anymore!" Whereas you seem to be driven by constant principles. 😁

Quote : Weekend Warrior

My character isn't the point; what matters is that philosophy and spirituality simply don't go together.

Those good old forum days. 🧐 We used to have a combined "Religion and Philosophy" subforum, but we eventually realized that those two subjects don't really mix well, so we decided to split them into separate sections. Later on, the "free thinkers" requested their own space to distance themselves from the traditionalists in "Religion" to avoid constant arguments, which led to the creation of the "Spirituality" subforum.

While there might be a limited number of users on each individual subforum, merging them together simply doesn't make sense. No one actually wants that.

Beyond that, the forum as a whole struggles with moderation issues. There have been times when the Religion section goes unmonitored for days, leading to absolute chaos. It would be truly unfair to burden the few moderators who actually still want to do their jobs with even more work.

Somied was an active community member and moderator until he took on "Philosophy," but that eventually became too much of a drag for him, leading to his departure. Are you all aware of the impact your actions have on people? 😁

Melissa Stewart6 said:Quote : Weekend Warrior

Why not just merge two subforums into one? Let's combine Philosophy and Spirituality.

We would actually save time if the trolls from "Philosophy" flooded "Spirituality," driving the spiritual crowd away due to the unbearable atmosphere (they really did leave when they disagreed with the moderators, unlike the "Philosophy" crowd who just make empty threats 😁). You’d end up with the exact same situation we have now—a new "Philosophy" section where Bubbles might occasionally issue a warning or a ban following an insult complaint. Honestly, I doubt Bubbles would even want to moderate "Philosophy."

I believe such a "solution" would be unfair to both the "Spirituality" members and Bubbles.

ruggedraven36 said:Honestly? I’d stop posting altogether if they merged philosophy and spirituality. Philosophy needs its own space—it shouldn't be lumped in with anything else.

You have threatened to quit so many times now that it carries no weight at all. 😁

Honestly, you could just switch to a different username and continue posting; that way, you could actually claim to be principled and show some real backbone. 😁

Forum addiction is simply too strong... 😈 😁

James Lee77 said:Well, I guess I’m just left doubting if those reasons actually make sense. I mean, I don't even know what they are, but I honestly can't imagine them being valid, especially considering how much those people moderated before, and looking at how unmoderated things are right now—which is exactly what you were just talking about.

I honestly have no idea. 🤷

But Ali—as you already know, nobody is obligated to account to us for how the forum is managed.

Quote : Weekend Warrior

Melissa Stewart6 said:If I can't track down a moderator, they should just merge philosophy and spirituality into a single subforum, managed by the current spirituality mods.

The Spirituality subforum is practically unmoderated. No one is actively monitoring the threads. Bubbles provides calm responses to complaints, but since he already handles Religion, I doubt there's any appetite to bring Philosophy under his wing as well. After all, the users in Spirituality and Religion are far more mild-mannered than those over in the Philosophy section. 😁

James Lee77 said:I don't have access anymore. As soon as I stepped down as a mod, I asked them to strip those permissions from me too. Look, decisions don't need to be made publicly, and I'm not even trying to meddle in them. I just want them to actually make some decisions, because this whole thing is just nonsense. A guy hasn't logged in for six months, and it's been even longer since he announced he was done moderating.

I thought you still had them... That's a shame.

Decisions don't necessarily need to be made publicly, nor am I interested in influencing them. They just need to happen, because the current state is illogical. It has been six months since anyone logged in, and even longer since they announced they were stepping down from moderation.

I understand how you feel 😁 , but this is the reality of the situation:

Those who are acceptable to the administration don't want to moderate. Those who actually want to moderate aren't deemed suitable by the administration for various reasons. The search for a moderator is ongoing—suggestions are made and candidates are considered—but we haven't seen any real results yet.

Nica stops by the subforum occasionally to help out where she can, but her schedule is so packed that it would be truly unreasonable to expect her to read through hundreds of pages of threads and provide detailed moderation.

On my end, I do what I can. When things get chaotic on a subforum and users start calling for 😁—I will request in the moderator corner that someone take a look or that a specific thread be temporarily closed or removed until a moderator arrives, though I find I no longer have the energy for it.

The subforum has become a playground for trolls, spammers, and provocateurs, to the point where I avoid it entirely. My ignore list consists exclusively of users from the "philosophy" section. 😁 I never imagined I would need to use an ignore list until I started visiting that subforum regularly. To me, it speaks volumes about the type of crowd gathering there and the behavior taking place...

Because of the rest of you, I sincerely hope the moderation issue is resolved quickly and that the atmosphere in the subforum becomes more pleasant. 🙂

James Lee77 said:I know two people who actually stepped up to help. Honestly though, that was like four or five months ago, so I'm not sure if they'd still be down.

And even then, you have to wonder if they'd actually do the work right.

Both of them were philosophy mods before (for like, ages), and they were totally fine. They didn't get kicked out or anything messy like that. But, I don't know, it feels like the admins think it's better to just have zero mods rather than deal with them again. I just don't get it.

My suggestion is to log in with your old profile, which still has access to the moderator corner, and start a discussion there regarding the moderation of the "Philosophy" subforum. This might go against some of your personal principles, but I believe it is the only way to get real answers and perhaps even influence how that section is managed. As you know, decisions regarding moderators and oversight are never made in the public areas of the forum.

Sam Wright21 said:Give birth? Absolutely not.

The very idea honestly terrifies me.

But if I see a stray kitten, a puppy, or even a little rat out on the street—I’m all in.

And frankly, a tiny baby feels much like those little animals to me.

Is it a protective instinct? Perhaps.

Perhaps you truly see "crybabies" as something small and fragile that deserves protection...

Sam Wright21 said:I know exactly what’s going on here; I haven't actually sat down to watch or read any of it, despite how much buzz it seems to be generating.

It boils down to a symbiotic relationship, doesn't it? I still haven't quite figured out why I have such a weakness for those third-tier vampires—the ones who act like needy, clingy toddlers. I suppose I get something out of it, but what? Maybe just a fleeting sense of hope? 🤔

That said, if you find yourself being blindsided by a vampire, calling it a "symbiotic relationship" feels like a bit of a stretch. But then again, that's just how they play it in the movies. In real life, you can always fight your way out.

Perhaps you just have a strong maternal instinct? 🤔

Sam Wright21 said:A-ha. That little pack of zealots won't run from anything 😬

The forum acts as their sanctuary, a digital fortress where they feel untouchable. You don't even need to invite them into your home; you just have to step inside "theirs."

As a rule, I don't participate in subforums dealing with "life" topics. I might write a post once every six months, but it's extremely rare. Usually, I only chime in if a headline catches my eye on the main page. The discussions in those sections are incredibly strange. Someone will come in presenting a dilemma or seeking advice, only to be attacked and torn apart by other users until the victim ends up being blamed for everything—as if they were the worst person on earth. Or, people construct bizarre scenarios about their lives that leave the individual feeling insecure, terrified, disillusioned, or foolish. Ultimately, the author certainly feels ten times worse after posting than they did before.

I believe this happens because there is a dominant forum philosophy that suggests an author needs to be "slapped with the truth." There used to be a certain level of witty benevolence in those interactions, but as the direct and good-natured users disappeared, all that remained was the "brutal slap." Not every thread is like this, but many are. The only life-related topics that aren't quite so harsh are found in the psychology section, which is the only subforum I occasionally visit (though less frequently than before). I don't even read the others. When I first returned to the forum two years ago, I would start reading one of those threads and find it so aggravating and unsettling that I eventually gave up the habit altogether.

Sam Wright21 said:Could you elaborate on what you mean by that?

It was just a joke. 😁

For instance, if we used an avatar like this, they might actually run away 😁 :

neonmarlin39 said:If the old legends are right, the only way to deal with vampires is a wooden stake through the heart or just taking their head off—probably easiest to do while they're sleeping. Garlic isn't even the real deal; it's more like a mild deterrent than actual protection...

We don't have much of an alternative here on the forum... 🤷

Maybe we should all just add a laurel wreath to our avatars, just to be safe, if only to protect ourselves from these forum vampires. 🤔

bluemason3 said:Do I need to worry about intellectual property rights here? 😳

How would the dictionary entry actually look?

bullshitter - a person who rambles incessantly without any solid foundation; a pseudo-philosopher, a fake spiritualist, an alternative type.
synonyms: windbag, blowhard, loudmouth, phony, empty suit
Antithesis: STEM expert, scientist, productive citizen

🧐 😁

🤣

It is best to ask about intellectual property in the "Lexicon" section, though I suspect it might fall more under "the common good." 😁

On topic:

Jesse Davis said:How many times have you dealt with someone being just plain malicious toward you—you know, people who seem to have this desperate need to belittle you or provoke a reaction through lies and fabrications? To be honest, it happens to me quite frequently...
Sometimes I’ll admit, I get genuinely angry at those injustices, especially if the person acting that way ends up getting ahead while I'm left behind.
But then again, most of the time I just find myself laughing at them—it’s because I know exactly who I am and what my worth is—though, like anyone else, I still have those days where certain things just hit a little harder than they should...
What I really want to say is that if someone feels the need to tear you down, insult you, or play dirty just to reach a goal, it's usually because they are deeply unhappy with themselves and their own lives. It's particularly true for those types who try so hard to be "perfect" and please everyone; at the end of the day, they still have to go home and face their true selves, and all that hypocrisy eventually catches up to them.
What are your thoughts on all this??

I haven't encountered truly evil people yet. I've met people with various issues, complexes, bad humor, nuisances, know-it-alls, arrogant and unpleasant individuals, people full of themselves, liars, envious types, people living in self-delusion, troublemakers, and frauds—yes to all of that. But all those negative traits usually stem from something, and that something isn't necessarily "evil." Many of these people are actually unhappy, insecure, afraid, hurt, hardened by life's hardships, disappointed, bitter, or unfulfilled...

It is natural to protect oneself from their negative influence, but you can also protect yourself from excessive negative emotions by understanding the root cause of why they act the way they do.

Sometimes people simply have difficult personalities—those who are awkward, perpetually grumpy, easily annoyed, and constantly criticizing, belittling, or insulting others without restraint. In those cases, you should just say, "Whatever, let them be," and move on. 😁

bluemason3 said:Just another non-STEM type making noise. 🕺

Markićka is an entrepreneur at heart. She studied medicine, sure, but she hasn't actually practiced as a doctor, and she likely never held a medical license to begin with.
Sure, it doesn't take away from her level of education, but it isn't exactly her identity. It’s not what she would be known for. That's different from the examples you're bringing up, where those people actually make a career out of that specific thing.

Ilcic is a violinist, not a pianist. 🤣

Maybe we don't give them official titles, but at least we have some loose connections. ☕

The moderation on the politics board is pretty intense. Honestly, hiddenpuma75 wouldn't last a week over there. 😁

🤣

You really ought to propose this as a new word. 😁

😁

Topics like "Coronavirus" and "Global warming" belong to a sort of "Scary Stories" game, where people trade horror tales just to enjoy the thrill of being frightened. 😁

I turned off my Adblock and immediately started seeing ads for electric tankless water heaters and video production courses.😁

🤣

With Adblock enabled, there aren't any ads. 🙂

I really ought to try browsing the forum without Adblock sometime... It might just surprise me. 😁

A pleasant little film. 🙂

I wasn't particularly fond of Laurie. In my opinion, the actor is simply too young for this role; he comes across more like the sisters' younger brother than anything else.

The non-linear plot felt unnecessary.

Regardless, it serves as decent entertainment and food for thought. 🙂

Joseph Bailey41 said:I'm not hallucinating anything. I was just asking a question. And I deleted the quoted post as soon as I saw you actually replied to me. I have no clue why you're so worked up today. Did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed? 🤷

Happy Valentine's Day! 🙂

The love in this thread is absolutely overflowing! 😁