Just out of curiosity: What’s the purpose of your question? What will you do with an answer, one way or another?
Ooops…I was trying to delete this whole thread because I realized that it wasn’t nice and wasn’t productive, but it deleted my first post only. I don’t know how to fix it. Here was my first post:
I have noticed that Bill likes to attack people who are in the midst of a (sometimes tiny) conflict with someone else (edit: thereby turning something small into something bigger) and put a giant smilie face in there to avoid heat. He tells me that he receives support for his behavior. So please tell me, who thinks it’s helpful?
Perhaps if Rich or Dale notices, the thread could be deleted.
Thanks for your input. Through kindness and logic, you guys have shown me that I was being unfair.
~J
Old post in this spot:
Good question, Bloo. If people enjoy it when Bill stands on the sidelines throwing tomatoes at the participants, and if people agree with him that I am one of the board’s prime offenders, then this is not a place where I want to be.
[ This Message was edited by: JessieK on 2002-12-30 17:53 ]
Jessie,
I feel quite the opposite. I think that when Serpent comments, it is usually helpful in his own way, or completely benign. Nothing he has said has brought about anger from anyone but you. I wish you would just calm down and let him be. He has as much a right to post as anyone. None of these are private conversations.
Seth
I find it helpful not to stand too close to someone beating a dead horse.
I dunno–I haven’t noticed his being a particular problem.
I’m more irritated by Loren’s language and behavior, about which I’ll say no more.
M
Nothing he has said has brought about anger from anyone but you.
Well, this is incorrect.
I wish you would just calm down
Yeah that would be nice.
and let him be.
Well, that goes both ways. Private messages can get heated, too.
He has as much a right to post as anyone.
But, of course. But is wrist-slapping a positive contribution? According to you, I guess it is. Ok.
I don’t concern myself that much with other people’s behavior on a message board. I take the good as a blessing and shrug off anything I don’t like.
I guess I don’t take message boards very seriously and I never get into arguments! Life’s too short to worry about what complete strangers do or say, when it’s all I can do to deal with my husband! LOL
K
You can’t be responsible for what Bill (or me, or anybody else) does or doesn’t post.
If Bill (or me, or anybody else) acts like a jerk, it’s not your fault. Conversely, if Bill (or me, or anybody else) acts like a hero, that’s not your fault either.
What you are 100% responsible for is what you yourself post.
Bill is going to keep on posting his way. I’m going to keep on posting my way.
I am hoping you are going to hang around and keep on posting your way–because I think you have a lot of good things to say and contribute.
I am also hoping everyone on these boards can turn the temperature down about ten degrees. It gets too hot in here.
Best wishes,
–James
http://www.flutesite.com
Kim, I understand your position about not taking message boards seriously, but for me this particular message board connects real people, many of whom I have met in person or will meet in person, and I take it seriously.
A few things,
First, I’m sorry Jessie about my first comment. Me saying that "you’re the only one who doesn’t like it’ is purely speculation with no basis. I shouldn’t have said it.
BUT: None of us know anything about the private messages you may or may not have shared with Serpent. If you’re going to bring that into the discussion you have to either let the rest of us know what is going on, or keep your problems on a private level with Serpent.
Finally, I don’t mind a heated response from anyone (I realize your response wasn’t all that heated), but please don’t put words into my mouth. I don’t condone the wrist slapping that you think Serpent is doing. I just don’t feel that that is what Serpent is doing.
Yes! Me too! I’ve actually met several of the people here and played with one in his church! I’ve also struck up meaningful email correspondence with others. What a blessing they have been and that’s what I mean about taking them and leaving the rest.
Someone actually slagged my livingroom on this message board once! (I understood that to be they “cut down” my livingroom in a picture I posted.) Now they better watch out if I ever meet 'em! 
K
Seth, to better understand, feel free to read this thread…
http://chiffboard.mati.ca/viewtopic.php?topic=8465&forum=1&19
A sincere question to you, Jessie, and others:
Do you think that the forum requires a more activist style of moderation? Someone who would intervene if conflicts arose?
I am not trying to start a flame war but the nature of your thread and post causes me to wonder about this, though it has been kicked around before.
In other words, do you prefer the freedom to post such a question as yours, which is truly provocative (in that it will likely cause controversial answers that could hurt some feelings), or would you wish that someone would write Bill if they noticed such a tendency.
And also, would you like a moderator to write to with this very same question or do you prefer this open Forum for that purpose?
I sincerely don’t have the answer to above, but I am asking to have perhaps a universal result of the question rather than a series of digs in any direction.
And I am also sorry to answer a question with more questions but I think they are worth asking.
As for an answer to your question, all of us who regularly participate have probably had the experience of having snide, judgemental or perturbing comments thrown in the path of some kind of dialogue or developing discussion on a particular topic. Everything from spelling, grammatical errors to inflamed philosophical or political opinions that were launched from a single comment.
I had not noticed Serpent doing that in some pronounced way more than others but I admittedly do not read every single post or thread.
The thread I referenced is an example of what I am talking about. It happened today. It is NOT the first time Bill has done something like that. In fact, I can remember lots and lots of similar things, and they were not all aimed at me, but at select people who said anything other than “I love everything about you” to someone else.
Weekenders, I like the free forum, and I don’t think that a moderator is necessary in general. I know I took a risk in posting this thread, but that’s ok with me. I think moderators are good for locking threads when things get serious.
Sometimes… I find Bill’s comments stratically placed.
no time to spell check stratigic
I haven’t seen Bill ever say anything exceptionally rude or totally out of line (at least no more so than any other poster) and before you start calling the kettle black, you’ve been known to get yourself involved in quite a bit of the Infamous Intarweb Drama too.
It’s just a message board, okay? Don’t take it so seriously. Trust me, it REALLY DOES NOT MATTER. hugs
Jessie,
I really don’t like this “pick on Serpent” thread. It smacks of the bullying I used to get in school, where a pack of girls would come up and tell me everything that was wrong about me.
Now…what ARE you trying to accomplish with this thread?
M
Oh, and jessie, I love ya to death, but in that “name spoofing” thread, it seems you were the one to lob the first tomato.
Maybe you read into his comments a bit too much? I think he was trying to be cute and clever (though maybe rather unsuccessfuly in that particluar case) but I don’t think he meant to tick anybody off.
You might be better off just ignoring him rather than making whole threads to go after him.
Yes, Sam, I have gotten involved in dramas. I admit that freely. I don’t mind when people get involved in dramas. I mind when people turn little non-dramas into dramas by bringing people’s attention to something that was small (by attacking people for speaking without smilies) and thereby turning it into something bigger. He says he’s trying to quiet things down, but I don’t believe that.
Also, Sam, I know you mean well, but it is insensitive of you to say that interaction between people doesn’t matter. It does matter. A lot people feel far removed from the things that happen online because they are hiding behind a screen, but it isn’t that way for me. I have gone on about 20 trips around the world to meet people that I wouldn’t have known existed if it hadn’t been for this forum. I love some of the people I have met, I like and care about many others. Problems arise when people think that what goes on here doesn’t matter. I hope you will rethink that.
On 2002-12-30 16:45, TelegramSam wrote:
in that “name spoofing” thread, it seems you were the one to lob the first tomato.
Yes, I think you’re right.
Marguerite, I was the abused girl in school, too.
Yeah, a pick on Serpent thread is not one of my more mature things. I was really mad. I guess people can see me venting and, having not read the things I did read that Bill wrote over time, see it as unfounded. Well, it’s not unfounded, even if I didn’t prove it, but I see that it’s my problem and not Bill’s. I think it just bothered me that he was (is) constantly defending Stacey when she didn’t need (or necessarily deserve) it.
I wish Loren were around. Yeah, he uses harsh language, but he and I usually agree about other stuff, like who deserves to get picked on and who deserves to be defended. but whatever.
Sorry, guys.