Axis Mundi X discussion
note: This topic has been closed to new comments.
Closed for the Winter
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Shutting Down Discussion
I hereby swear to shut down all discussion about Harry Connick Jr., beets, pin-up photography, Ashley Tisdale, the phrase "wingnuts", stand-up comedy, whether or not I should work out more, the Brewers (if they lose and the comment is negative), and Char's habit of flirting with everything that breathes, male or female, when everyone knows she only means it with me.
Mod
Anthony... LOL!!!! Yes, yes, lovely... I only mean it with you. :::rolls eyes::::
And hey! Whaddya mean I can't talk about pin up photography??? That's my bread and buttah, baby!
Honestly, if someone seriously used racial slurs or similar hateful language (e.g. "Obama is a stupid N-bleep") I would be comfortable with shutting it down. At that point the debate is no longer anything but sensationalistic and I don't want to be part of a forum for that type of interaction. But I can't think of another type of interaction that would drive me to that point. Swearing, hell, I swear about five minutes.I have great respect for Maurice and he's a good friend. He does what he can to do what's right and keep MiniAm a safe place for his friends. No way in God's green earth am I selling him out. He's a good man. I'm working under the assumption you're not talking about him, KD, but if you are, I'd suggest you look at the big picture a bit more before you start slamming Maurice. He set that place up and takes it to heart. Good for him.
*reaches to delete the "pin-up" part of Char's post*
Mod
While I agree that shutting down threads is bullsh, I'm only here to clarify a point--the thread was not closed due to a swear word (I don't think so anyway, and I was there when it happened). It was closed down because:-Person A stated an opinion
-Berson B didn't like said opinion, and instead of saying so, chose to insult Person A's grammar and spelling skills instead of arguing Person A's opinion
-Spiral occurred
yeah, baby, slap me again...(Char falls for that every time)
Mod
Off topic--see, RA? I knew you liked being slapped!!!
Yeah, I hear you, Donald. But you stand by your friends even when they need it, not just when everything is right. Maurice will work it out. I think he knows that people love the board and he wants to maintain the board as a place that people will love. Does that mean he won't make mistakes? Of course not. But he's in mix, doing what he can.He sure as hell isn't passive-aggressive and needing ego strokes. And if that comment was aimed at him, then, that comment sure as well was passive aggressive.
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Yeah, you and I can disagree, KD. I respect you. We have a mutual love of Motorhead and a mutal hate of Rage Against the Machine.
Well, I'm burning you CDS as we speak, Char...what else do you want?
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:::sits back and watches the throw down::::
popcorn anyone?
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PS... YAY CDs!!!! ::::does the happy dance of CDs::::
Throw down's over. I like King. He reminds me of my brother. I'm serious.Char has a thing for two guys together.
No, Char. Nobody wants detailed descriptions of what turns you on.(I LOVE reverse psychology so much.)
Amanda, I agree with your summation of said thread's communication. But I think person A's behavior and attitude towards these other members had been festering and fermenting in other groups on other threads and it happened to reach a head in AM.
Mod
Most times the flaming resolves itself, especially in a group as close as this when other members moderate the group and step in to express their discomfort at the personal abuse and remind people of respect, to stick to the facts. With hot topics, it's easy to blow up emotionally. Last night Maurice did what he could to calm things down by warnings, but another post arrived completely ignoring them and further stoking the fire with excessive provocations. And there weren't that many other people online at the time.Personally, if I had been the moderator and online to continue to observe the thread, I might have let it go on just a bit longer with urgings of self-moderation. But I can also understand Maurice's actions - that thread was descending into the pits and needed a time-out. Maybe he'll open it again once tempers have cleared.
Mod
I think that thread being closed was just an over-reaction on Mau's part. There have been other threads in that group where the discussion has gotten much more heater, and the invective a lot more personal, if not outright hostile, and no one blinked.
Me thinks the thread may have had a more personal stake for Mau than he let on. He didn't like where the thread was going, so he shut it down. My two cents, for what they're worth.
Me thinks the thread may have had a more personal stake for Mau than he let on. He didn't like where the thread was going, so he shut it down. My two cents, for what they're worth.
Mod
Speaking for Mau, since he woke me up at 3am to *talk* to me about it.. .it wasn't because of what Vickie Jean said (face it folks, Person A doesn't cut it)but the fact that he was trying to smooth over the whole situation with the abuse towards Vickie's improper use of grammar. He could care less what people say as long as they stay on topic. I don't say that I always agree with his moderator decisions, but it's his group, he can do what he wants, he cares about the members and he didn't want to see Vickie get slammed for using 'they're' in the wrong context.
Yes, he can be militant and rash and people can leave if they choose so.
Personally, I feel that since words can be misconstrued and that no one really 'knows' anyone here in the true sense that yes, there are times that there will be blowups and times that people will be mocked. Either they get over it or they stand up to it or the moderator steps up. Whatever.
But, I know Mau...he doesn't curb free speech. And King, whatever your beef with him is something you should deal with him about directly. He's no longer a part of Axis and it's wrong to slam or diss him without him being able to fire back at you. You may feel that Mini Am got silly but I didn't see anyone fucking with you when you'd post the entire Spinal Tap lyrics library or whatever you would post.
to each his own. It may be cliquey, but guess what? so is Axis... so is THC... I think Mini Am tries to embrace and acknowledge all members and I know I for one really try not to gloss over people.
I'm overreacting, whatever... it wasn't about free speech, it was about someone's feelings...
So....anybody want to talk about Outlander? Maybe Maurice should have to read Outlander as penance for the confusion.
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Mau... wasn't trying to foment anything against you... just found it an important discussion topic... and I struggle with these questions as moderator over here. Thanks for popping in!
I am always fascinated by how groups behave... one on one people conduct themselves particular ways... and then as groups the dynamic of personalities alter so drastically sometimes. The whole thing is just so interesting to me.
Sometimes I think I live on another mental planet than most other people... I always like to check in and see where other people are at.
Carry on! This is good stuff....
There's a thread going on at MiniAm right now that's going to be very appropriate to this group here soon:
Battle Royale
In this corner...Maurice!
In the other corner...King Dinosaur!
Battle: The Biggest Pissing Contest on Axis Mundi EVAH!
Battle Royale
In this corner...Maurice!
In the other corner...King Dinosaur!
Battle: The Biggest Pissing Contest on Axis Mundi EVAH!
Wow, can't we all just get along?I didn't read the capital punishment thread so I don't know what went down, but I have these things to say:
1. Mau and I have butted heads on many an occasion, in fact with him using the previously mentioned passive-agression. He's since apologized for it and we've moved on.
2. I've been on the receiving end of bullying not just on this site but on a few others, as I am a right-wing Christian who seems to be masochistically drawn to large groups of liberal atheists. It's my opinion that when someone resorts to personal insults in a debate, they no longer have any kind of valid argument to make about the subject which they are debating. I know that on several occasions I would have appreciated someone coming to my rescue and saying "hey, dude, that's not cool."
3. That said, threads get closed over in Mini Am quicker than you can blink for sometimes no real reason at all. Mau, and I think I've told you this before, it's annoying. But it's your group and you can run it the way you want. We don't have to agree. We don't like it, we can follow King's example and just vamoose.
It's one thing to argue your position vociferously and profanely, it's an entirely different ball of bananas to openly insult those with whom you're arguing.I haven't seen the thread in question, but group moderators can remove individual posts that are offensive instead of shutting an entire thread.
Also, Mau, you're talking about how malice and personal insults aren't tolerated but then you call King "Diarrhea" and tell him to bite you. Not very nice, dude.
agreed. Not nice, but we are all human. Emotions rise, fingers type, mice move, icons get clicked. I think it's fascinating how fast and emotionally things can (and do) escalate here in our pseudo world.
Mod
It's an interesting conundrum. It's as if each of us is a newspaper editor... with limited control over content... how do we wield our power? What criteria do we employ? How do our readers feel about it?
Mmmm... microcosm... yummy....
I've been on the receiving end of bullying not just on this site but on a few others, as I am a right-wing Christian who seems to be masochistically drawn to large groups of liberal atheists.It's statements like this that make me admire Sarah. And while I may end up voting for McCain, who knows, she says I can't be "right" until I'm a Christian, so looks like I'm just going to have to lean right every now and then. Somebody catch me if I fall.
Yes, Sarah, I almost quoted and commented on that phrase of yours as well. This masochism of yours is not only admirable, but fantastic, and I admire your guns and your sticking to them all the time. Your comments ususally always make me see the other side of things.
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And I agree... I have a healthy wallop of respect for our Sarah... drawn as she is to hang out with liberal atheists... sometimes the lone voice of the Christian Right as far as the eye can see. Girl has tenacity.
Sheesh Sally, this is the 2nd time in 5 minutes you've beaten me to the punch. We're all human. It is fascinating how this has all devolved. If we can't forgive each other for our failings, it's no wonder that the world is in such a mess.
Of course it's OK to not like a person, and then we have a choice to ignore him/her, or just not take part in any situation that involves him/her. That's freedom, and I like how even here we see the notion of freedom of speech. But is it no wonder that countries don't try to smooth things out by talking, or agreeing to disagree?
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Ah now Sarah is a perfect example! We may disagree with her stance on things, but we can talk with a healthy respect for each other. Because what it comes down to is goodness. We share the common hopes, goals, we just see different paths to get there.
If Sarah would just admit she was wrong about that crooner, everything would be ok.
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Oh I meant say from the start, Charissa, this is a great thread. It's important we all speak about something that has rattled the group.
Mod
Yep, Lori, we are the nation of the "quick-fix prescription" after all.
And Sarah is right about a certain crooner.
Wow, you guys. You make me feel all warm and fuzzy.
Also, while I do think that whole thing got blown out of proportion, I do feel that an argument adeptly articulated will be taken more seriously than one that is incoherent or messy. And I would like to take this opportunity to admit that I often check the spelling and/or usage of some words before I post, because I want my arguments to be taken seriously.EDIT: Yes, I see the irony of typos in this post.
Mod
This topic has been frozen by the moderator. No new comments can be posted.
So far I have made it policy here at Axis to allow free speech, even when I don't agree with it, or necessarily approve of it. The only time we have curtailed posting is when a member was being directly abused. Even when I was insulted directly by a member I did not shut down discussion. And I did not remove their membership. They left of their own accord.
I'm curious what other's views on this topic might be. Anyone? Bueller?