17 reasons why I love WAB.

[monty1]

Well, here's a freaking hint. Calling my friends racist means you're a damned troll.

Thanks for your opinion. I'm a little confused so far on who is staff on this forum and who is not. I note that your title includes the word 'staff'. ??

If I bring up the issue of racism it is because I perceive that to be a large factor in discussions where Obama is in question. I completely fail to understand how this could be confused with 'trolling', however I'm certainly open to correction on the issue by 'staff'.

[TopHatter]

Hi folks! This seemed to be the best place to begin posting on this forum because I'm first of all interested in what makes the forum attractive to members.

Hi Monty, glad to have you aboard.

The best place to start would be in the Introduction thread here http://www.worldaffairsboard.com/wab...embers-22.html

As for what makes the forum attractive members, well I'll let others answer that.

However, when reading through the 17 reasons stated, a lot of them seemed quite frivolous and beside the point on why a person should like a forum.

Well, what you're looking at there are the amused observations of a longtime member, sharing the humorous shenanigans and goings-on that fellow oldtimers would recognize. Sort of like the stories that get passed around at a family reunion: To the newcomer, they're usually inane and barely funny, sometimes incomprehensible and downright boring.

Most alarming to me was the mention of 'troll' or 'trolling' because it's never easy to determine just exactly what the words mean to different people. In fact, what is a troll to one person can be nothing more than a differing opinion from his political POV. Much too often the charge of 'troll' is tossed around and used in a way to censor a person's opinion.

Generally speaking, this is a good place to start: "In Internet slang, a troll is a person who sows discord on the Internet by trying to start arguments and upset people. They may do this by posting deliberately inflammatory, extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community, such as a forum, chat room, or blog, with the intent of provoking readers into an emotional response or of otherwise disrupting normal on-topic discussion."

So my first objective on this forum will be to determine whether the term is being abused by some members and then to try to determine whether or not that abuse is being found acceptable by the moderation team. Hopefully not, but if so then it will not be a forum in which I wish to take part

Is that a good place to start? Opinions of some of the members would be appreciated. Also, any moderators who would like to reply in private would be appreciated.
Cheers, monty1

A couple of other good places to start would be here
http://www.worldaffairsboard.com/wab...3-13-11-a.html

and here

http://www.worldaffairsboard.com/wab...val-guide.html


Best Regards,
TH

[Officer of Engineers]

Thanks for your opinion. I'm a little confused so far on who is staff on this forum and who is not. I note that your title includes the word 'staff'. ??

All you need to know is that your first few posts are insulting to my friends.

If I bring up the issue of racism it is because I perceive that to be a large factor in discussions where Obama is in question. I completely fail to understand how this could be confused with 'trolling', however I'm certainly open to correction on the issue by 'staff'.

You stepped into the wrong forum. We don't like Obama for a lot of reasons. Race, however, ain't one of them. So, you can drop that shit right here and now.

[monty1]

Thanks for your direction TopHatter.

[TopHatter]

Thanks for your opinion. I'm a little confused so far on who is staff on this forum and who is not. I note that your title includes the word 'staff'. ??

If I bring up the issue of racism it is because I perceive that to be a large factor in discussions where Obama is in question. I completely fail to understand how this could be confused with 'trolling', however I'm certainly open to correction on the issue by 'staff'.

Officer of Engineers is a former Moderator and one of the most respected members of this board. He's been around since the beginning.

Regarding your bringing up the issue of racism, I can sum it up very succinctly and very firmly:

We don't tolerate racism here. Ever. It's a surefire way of being shown to the door.

We also don't tolerate false accusations of racism here. Ever. It's a surefire way of being shown to the door.

[monty1]

All you need to know is that your first few posts are insulting to my friends.

You stepped into the wrong forum. We don't like Obama for a lot of reasons. Race, however, ain't one of them. So, you can drop that shit right here and now.

And 'that' is very enlightening and an issue that I intended to bring to the forefront right away. If the racism issue is forbidden on this forum then that is a form of censorship that I'm not willing to abide by and so it's good to get this out in the open now as opposed to later. And so, for me to remark on what I personally perceive as a racism problem in the US, needs to be addressed by you or whoever pulls the strings on the moderator team.

So let's settle that issue right now before I invest any more of my time on this forum. Does this forum want unbiased and free discussion of all pressing issues in world and domestic politics or does it want t hide behind the title of 'troll' in order to censor out what is deemed to be not in the interests of the powers that be?

[TopHatter]

And 'that' is very enlightening and an issue that I intended to bring to the forefront right away. If the racism issue is forbidden on this forum then that is a form of censorship that I'm not willing to abide by and so it's good to get this out in the open now as opposed to later.

Racism as a topic isn't forbidden here. But like all topics on this board, you'd better be prepared to cite sources and have firm back up for whatever you put out here. Otherwise you'll find yourself buried under vigorous counter-arguments that do post sources.

And so, for me to remark on what I personally perceive as a racism problem in the US, needs to be addressed by you or whoever pulls the strings on the moderator team.

Nobody "pulls the strings on the moderator team" so I suggest that you disabuse yourself of that notion. Rapidly.

So let's settle that issue right now before I invest any more of my time on this forum. Does this forum want unbiased and free discussion of all pressing issues in world and domestic politics or does it want t hide behind the title of 'troll' in order to censor out what is deemed to be not in the interests of the powers that be?

Let's settle one issue right here and now. You are a newcomer to this forum. And dropping your snotty high-and-mighty attitude would be a good first step.

Unbiased and free discussion is exactly what we strive for but there are rules here, both formal and informal. I've provided you with the links to both. I suggest that you read more and post less at first. Because at the moment you're not doing all that well to build a good reputation.

[Minskaya]

You have less than 10 posts and I'm already tired of your whining. I would strongly suggest that you seek another venue.

[monty1]

You have less than 10 posts and I'm already tired of your whining. I would strongly suggest that you seek another venue.

Sorry but your mere suggestion doesn't interest me in the least. Your demonstation of your power to censor that which you don't want to hear is all that is relevant to me. Let's either get on with it or how about you just give it a rest? I can't be an more straight up about it than that pal.

[TopHatter]

Sorry but your mere suggestion doesn't interest me in the least. Your demonstation of your power to censor that which you don't want to hear is all that is relevant to me. Let's either get on with it or how about you just give it a rest? I can't be an more straight up about it than that pal.

I thought you were leaving. Please do. Quite frankly you're not wanted here.

[Versus]

I love WAB because it is simply a good place for discussions and learning new things.

[tankie]

Bye monty

[YellowFever]

Shit, can a mod delete all of monty's post from this otherwise masterpiece of a thread?

[gf0012-aust]

Shit, can a mod delete all of monty's post from this otherwise masterpiece of a thread?

academic answer

technically you can

elsewhere I've deleted a posters entire history as we ended up with "regurgitator redux" every few years when a newbie drove by and decided to react in anger - and thus start the whole necro cycle again
but, we have left them in other cases as it can also provide some insight as to why someone was banned and assists in telling everyone why said user was a muppet in the first place

but where it has been done and mass surgery occurs it has been discussed by all the other members of the Mod team. ie its not a one person decision.

caveat - note opening word to start of sentence.

[TopHatter]

Definitely a great way of showing what a complete ass you can make of yourself on your first day.