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Posted: |
Mar 26, 2003 - 1:29 AM
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By: |
Dana Wilcox
(Member)
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Well, if FSM are flexible enough in their thinking to bring back the “Off Topic” board, I’m flexible enough to consider sticking around too and using it, although I await what these “rigid” conditions* are, and how many loop-holes will be found around them. Things ain't always black and white. You can say “no politics” for example, but how exactly do you define what is and isn’t political and what's the dividing line? It could be a case of the cure being worse than the disease. I’ll reserve judgment for now… We’ll see.
A few extra thoughts on the “Off Topic” section…
Firstly, the importance of the “Off Topic” board is, among other things, to build a sense of community centred around the FSM web site. Posters here are not just about film music. People have other interests too, and while sure, one can go to other specific interest boards to discuss other interests, it’s probably more interesting (and less time consuming) just sticking with a few message boards and getting to know a few people well, relative to jumping around a dozen boards and interacting with hundreds of people.
Now people may (and do) let fly at each other on say Goldsmith vs. Zimmer, or Horner repeating himself ad nauseam, but with the “Off Topic” board all of a sudden film music “enemies” find common ground, say sharing recipes for chocolate chip cookies, or find they have parenting problem issues in common, or maybe a love of pet poodles!
And has been stated, nobody is forced to visit the “Off Topic” area. If they do visit, they don’t have to read threads that have no appeal. If they do read, they don’t have to reply. And if they do reply, I would wager that if they do so in such a manner that while making their point, they don’t resort to name calling and four letter words, responders to them in turn will also not resort to such means. Do unto others… You can cut somebody to shreds and still be polite about it! But, if things do heat up, well, either you have a thick skin (“Sticks and stones may break my bones…”), or you apply the “If you can’t stand the heat get out of the kitchen” philosophy.
The saving grace is that at the end of the day you shut your computer down and walk away. If these ("on" or "off topic") exchanges had happened in a bar, real time, face-to-face, that “walking away” part of things might be more problematical! On the FSM message board, feelings could be hurt, but no actual blood hits the floor.
Do keep in mind that these hot “political” issues wax and wan. Here and now, issues have bubbled over, people have strong feelings, so it’s natural these sort of posts have blossomed. Six months from now, things will have quietened down, and nobody will post anything on the topic. Things could be boring for a spell until the next big controversial issue breaks!
*My suggestions here would be ensuring that posters do not openingly advocate breaking the law, are reasonably PC in their posts (ie - not posting racist or sexist material, or abusing someone for their religious beliefs or physical condition), keep their four letter words to a minimum, and just overall attack the message and not the messenger.
While I will conform to whatever the ultimate decision may be, I have to say that I agree with John 100% -- aside from inciting acts of sedition or panty raids on the local girls' school dorms, I can find no possible harm to anyone in any of the verbal exchanges. It's just 1's and 0's, flames and all, and no one who isn't entertained has to watch. It's not like we're having a wrestling match in Lukas Kendall's Martha Stewart-certified family room, after all. As original said in an earlier post, none of the folks engaged in the political fisticuffs are injured by the back-and-forth, so what skin is it off of anyone's nose if someone here politely refers to a fellow boardsman as a slack-jawed, liver-lipped, beady-eyed political idiot? Anyone who watches CNN's Crossfire or similar shows (going back to Shana Alexander and James J. Kilpatrick on "Point-Counterpoint") knows that politics, like baseball, is usually debated hammer and tong. It's an American tradition! If people want to argue politics on an off-topic board, where's the harm?
"Neither understanding nor enjoying such matters themselves, they resolutely set about to make sure that no one else should have the chance to enjoy them either..." (Wish I could remember what that came from!)
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Posted: |
Mar 26, 2003 - 2:04 AM
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By: |
Dana Wilcox
(Member)
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While I will conform to whatever the ultimate decision may be, I have to say that I agree with John 100% -- aside from inciting acts of sedition or panty raids on the local girls' school dorms, I can find no possible harm to anyone in any of the verbal exchanges. It's just 1's and 0's, flames and all, and no one who isn't entertained has to watch. It's not like we're having a wrestling match in Lukas Kendall's Martha Stewart-certified family room, after all. As original said in an earlier post, none of the folks engaged in the political fisticuffs are injured by the back-and-forth, so what skin is it off of anyone's nose if someone here politely refers to a fellow boardsman as a slack-jawed, liver-lipped, beady-eyed political idiot? Anyone who watches CNN's Crossfire or similar shows (going back to Shana Alexander and James J. Kilpatrick on "Point-Counterpoint") knows that politics, like baseball, is usually debated hammer and tong. It's an American tradition! If people want to argue politics on an off-topic board, where's the harm?
"Neither understanding nor enjoying such matters themselves, they resolutely set about to make sure that no one else should have the chance to enjoy them either..." (Wish I could remember what that came from!)
Upon reflection, I have to amend the above, as I did not like the way it reads. I support the opportunity to have political argument in general, though I hated the comments of "bin ladden" and "your worst nightmare" (probably the same guy) not only because of what they/he said but also the dishonest "hit and run" style employed. I do think that "free speech" is abused by such tactics, and they disrupt a reasonable sense of order. I distinguish that from a back and forth argument about a particular issue, even when it may get "testy." That to me has "redeeming social value" though it may not be to everyone's taste. I would support a "cooling off" period on directly war-related discussion at this point. I hope that makes some kind of sense, though personal opinions do not always do so, nor need they.
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Good man Bill. I, for one, never used that board, but thought it useful. I know your feelings. When called 'fanboy,' that was one area which should have been placed on the non-film score discussion and not here ... film discussion. In the future, let us all reply to the non-film score discussion area.
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And in the spirit of non-controversiality, I add Indiana Jones's succint comment from THE LAST CRUSADE:
"Nazis. I hate these guys!"
Something we can all agree on.
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Thank you, Bill.
Thank you, Joe.
I appreciate all of your efforts...
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Posted: |
Mar 27, 2003 - 2:35 PM
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By: |
Thor
(Member)
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GEEEEZ!!
Why is it that threads about HOW WE POST always garner more replies than actual new thread topics and posts?!? It's like everyone exhaust all their time and effort writing about HOW we should write rather than coming up with some interesting new threads or posts altogether. God knows, the board sorely needs some of the latter these days!!!
Oh well...when that is said, I can only once again reiterate my "party" analogy on this matter and leave it at that:
I see this place as a big party where people of common interest have gathered. Now, I never really was a fan of the "Off-topic" division to begin with, since this was akin to saying "hey, if you wanna talk about that, please go to that other room". You don't do that at parties, of course. My preference is that we keep it as it currently is - one forum for talk and one for classifieds, and leave it at that. The talk forum should be open for ALL KINDS of topics, not just film music, as long as people behave. Yes, that includes politics as well (the moderation should be limited to BEHAVIOUR, not actual topics), although those things don't engage me much.
Everyone talks about everything at parties, and the doorman should only break in if someone misbehaves!!
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)