Mutual Respect and Tolerance

cheryl

I started this.
Staff member
May I call attention to a serious problem facing our community?

This is supposed to be a venue where ideas and opinions can be expressed freely in an environment of mutual respect and tolerance. Lately that idea seems to have been forgotten.

Let's dust off the idea that this community is a family friendly one where diversity in experience, job description and viewpoints are welcome.

If someone posts something that you don't agree with it is important that you dispute the idea instead of making a personal attack toward other posters based upon their personal situation or job description. Insulting someone with a differing viewpoint does nothing to persuade people to agree with you, it only displays your own inability to fortify your argument.

I am determined to clean up this forum and make it into a place where ideas can be freely exchanged without becoming flame wars. To accomplish this I need your help. Our moderation system relies on our members to bring offensive posts to the attention of the moderators by using the automated post reporting system. If you come across a post that ignores the basic ideals of mutual respect and tolerance please help me accomplish this by reporting it. With your help we can minimize the trend toward flame wars and encourage more meaningful discussions and debates.
 

ImpactedTSG

Well-Known Member
I'm not sure if you are interested in my $.02 but here goes anyway. I have served as a mod and now an admin for a couple other forums and we have always ran into the same issues. It seems like the more you try to tighten your grip, the more startsystems will slip through your fingers. (old school Star Wars reference). If you use the option to automatically edit out profanity, people will find creative ways to say what they want. I'm not sure how many members BC has, but anytime you put that many people in one place there are going to be dissagreements. That is the beauty of forums. People should be allowed to disagree. Aside from threatening violence what are a couple little words going to hurt? You are going to drive yourself nuts trying to police every single post. Trust me, I've been there. Most importantly, it is your forum and you should run it how you want and if I or anyone else don't like it, we are free to not read. :happy2:
 

raceanoncr

Well-Known Member
Agreed, Cheryl. Will try to keep on my end of the bargain here.

Am totally in unison when it comes time to agree to disagree. Many will take exception to a post then go into a diatribe about what a maroon I, you or anyone else is.

I guess my thought is, if I can't talk like this to you in person, then I won't talk to you like this on here.

I know you hate accolades, Cheryl, but you're doing a good, thankless work and I, for one, appreciate it. If it turns to something I don't like, well, I'm free to bypass it and others should do the same and lay off the insults to everybody. Done.
 

moreluck

golden ticket member
Like Bobby Vee's hit, The Night Has a Thousand Eyes, the Browncafe has that and more.

Like Cheryl said, if you see name calling, just click on the proper icon to report it. You don't have to be a moderator to do it.

Some of us only read certain forums, but among all the members I think all forums are read. Just keep your eyes open and police yourselves. Also, control yourselves with your responses......disagree with a poster, but don't call him/her a #$%^%^&**%.

The secret is, if you really want to call people names, just put it in the "What's Baking" forum. No one will look for it there. Just kidding !!!! :wink2:
 

Channahon

Well-Known Member
If I may make a suggestion:

Whenever I prepare a response or post a new thread, I always preview what I have written.

I do this for 2 reasons. First, to make sure my thoughts flow logically, my spelling and punctuation are correct. Secondly, I envision the audience reading my post, and want to ensure I am not offending anyone.

I have also private messaged others, rather than express my concern for all to see. In some cases, I receive a response, and in other cases I do not.

I feel both these actions can and do avoid conflict in the forum, and yet am able to express any concerns I may have with others in a professional manner.

Just my training over the years, in dealing with others.


Respectfully, Channahon the Moderator
 

NVBrown

Member
May I call attention to a serious problem facing our community?

I am determined to clean up this forum and make it into a place where ideas can be freely exchanged without becoming flame wars. To accomplish this I need your help. Our moderation system relies on our members to bring offensive posts to the attention of the moderators by using the automated post reporting system. If you come across a post that ignores the basic ideals of mutual respect and tolerance please help me accomplish this by reporting it. With your help we can minimize the trend toward flame wars and encourage more meaningful discussions and debates.

Thank you for the education. I never noticed that button before.
 

paidslave

Well-Known Member
I'm not sure if you are interested in my $.02 but here goes anyway. I have served as a mod and now an admin for a couple other forums and we have always ran into the same issues. It seems like the more you try to tighten your grip, the more startsystems will slip through your fingers. (old school Star Wars reference). If you use the option to automatically edit out profanity, people will find creative ways to say what they want. I'm not sure how many members BC has, but anytime you put that many people in one place there are going to be dissagreements. That is the beauty of forums. People should be allowed to disagree. Aside from threatening violence what are a couple little words going to hurt? You are going to drive yourself nuts trying to police every single post. Trust me, I've been there. Most importantly, it is your forum and you should run it how you want and if I or anyone else don't like it, we are free to not read. :happy2:


Very well said!

Somedays we use the right words somedays we use the right adjectives. If threatening words are used by someone with physical violence then i agree, but on the contrary I believe we should have rights and they be respected under the constitution. Your first amendment rights of free speech.. This is the real world with real issues. Look at the Presidential debates? My god............

For the most part none of us have actually met. This is a sound off board and should be kept as such and should not be scrutinized solely by someones feelings getting hurt.

With that being said, we are also Protected under the first amendment RIGHTS? And if we are what happens to the Constitution?

Allow Freedom of speech to prevail, or just shut it down and make this site for communist! I feel like I am at work where there are sensors for everything you we do and without any pay! please.....

my2cents..........one can burn the Flag but can not have a conflict of opinion because someones feelings may get hurt on a Website? My feelings are hurt all day long intentionally and unitentionally......so what!

Furthermore, If one is using vulgar language YES moderate the post and only allow words that are sensored by the FCC. I have yet to see any vulgar word used ever but some wors are being construed as VULGAR at the discretion of MODERATERS......I wouldn't be suprised if this post is moderated or deleted. If it is my days are over on this site.


Disclaimer: These are my suggestions just like yours and none are 100% accurate...

Good Nite~~~~~~
 
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J

JonFrum

Guest
Article 37 - Management-Employee Relations, Section 1.

(a) . . .The Employer will treat employees with dignity and respect at all times, which shall include, but not be limited to, giving due consideration to the age and physical condition of the employee. Employees will also treat each other as well as the Employer with dignity and respect.
 

JustTired

free at last.......
I'm pretty much in agreement with Cheryl.

In my opinion, it is one thing to attack an institution (be it UPS, Teamsters, etc.) or an idea or policy. But personal attacks are just not called for. You don't have to agree with everything someone says.....but if you must attack, attack the idea, not the person. As the old saying goes " Opinions are like ###holes....everybody's got one".

I also subscribe to Channahons' idea of rereading what I've written before posting. I've toned down several responses after that second read. Not to mention obvious spelling errors.

On another forum, I've gone so far as to start a "feud" post so that a couple of posters that insisted on going after each other had a place to do it without littering the other posts with their comments. It wasn't completely sucessful, but it helped.

Just my thoughts!
 

barnyard

KTM rider
Very well said!
With that being said, we are also Protected under the first amendment RIGHTS? And if we are what happens to the Constitution?

While we do have a protected freedom of speech, posting on this board is not one of those protected freedoms. Posting here is a privledge granted by the owner of this board. The rules have been set forth and it is our duty, as members to follow those rules.

If freedom of speech is the most important value to you, your best bet might be finding another board.

TB
 

cheryl

I started this.
Staff member
Freedom of Speech?

The U.S. Constitution:

Amendment I

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

U.S. citizens have the right to say whatever they want, whenever they want, wherever they want: on their own property in accordance with the laws of the land. The Constitution does not say that a privately owned website must guarantee that members can say whatever they want on the forums. It simply states that CONGRESS must not abridge the freedom of speech.

This website is privately owned and not controlled by Congress. As the owner / admin of this site I have the right and responsibility to create, establish, maintain rules that best fit the community and edit, ban, disable the account and or remove the posts of anyone participating here who does not follow the website TOS.

The Terms of Service aren't there to keep anyone from expressing their opinion. They are there to encourage intelligent conversation and suppress name calling, offensive language and misrepresentations.

Please don't tell me that all forums contain flame wars and profanity. I've owned many websites over the years where asking the members to follow the TOS has worked very well. I currently admin 2 other forums, one is on my daughter's fashion related site and one is a parenting support forum.

The parenting forum is the most strictly moderated one and it's also the most popular. People feel safe expressing controversial opinions there. It regularly receives inquiries from authors and researchers because of the quality of posts made by the members that use it. Its members were asked last year to volunteer for research being done by two different authors of articles recently published in Parents magazine. Every year a major university graduate program asks for members of that community to participate in their ongoing study of parenting methods. If the moderators didn't restrict flame wars and profane language I doubt most of the current members would continue to post there and we'd lose some good people, just like has happened here.

Boorish behavior degrades the level of discussion, demeans the other members and undermines the credibility of the entire community. I know that a couple of years ago the atmosphere on this forum used to be much more tolerant and friendly. We've lost some good people because of the current negative wild west environment here. There's no reason this can't be a friendly forum again, if you're not interested in that kind of community then this isn't the place for you.

BTW, I use exactly the same TOS we have here on my other forums, it's just enforced more strictly on the other forums.
 

dillweed

Well-Known Member
For some reason this thread sends a chill down my spine, just like the one UPS gives me.

Why approach the offenders one by one when you can nail the whole bunch of them at one tme, guilty or not?
 

cheryl

I started this.
Staff member
I'm sorry dillweed, I don't understand what you meant by that.

Based upon one of your previous posts I thought that you would support my efforts to discourage bickering.
I'd be less likely to come in due to the bickering than the introduction of an optional forum on the site.
 

local804

Well-Known Member
While we do have a protected freedom of speech, posting on this board is not one of those protected freedoms. Posting here is a privledge granted by the owner of this board. The rules have been set forth and it is our duty, as members to follow those rules.

If freedom of speech is the most important value to you, your best bet might be finding another board.

TB


OK, lets just post what the moderators want us to post and not speak whats on our minds?
Why dont you read the tos and tell me where you get your theory from.
 

dillweed

Well-Known Member
Cheryl - You know I support your position on personal attacks and certainly didn't intend one upon you. Just feel the thead has taken an uncomfortable turn.
 

paidslave

Well-Known Member
Freedom of Speech?

The U.S. Constitution:

Amendment I

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

U.S. citizens have the right to say whatever they want, whenever they want, wherever they want: on their own property in accordance with the laws of the land. The Constitution does not say that a privately owned website must guarantee that members can say whatever they want on the forums. It simply states that CONGRESS must not abridge the freedom of speech.

This website is privately owned and not controlled by Congress. As the owner / admin of this site I have the right and responsibility to create, establish, maintain rules that best fit the community and edit, ban, disable the account and or remove the posts of anyone participating here who does not follow the website TOS.

The Terms of Service aren't there to keep anyone from expressing their opinion. They are there to encourage intelligent conversation and suppress name calling, offensive language and misrepresentations.

Please don't tell me that all forums contain flame wars and profanity. .



Hi, I am confused to where you are reading the profanity at? I haven't read any here nor have used it.....

Also, as far as comparing this site to child rearing I believe they are 2 totally different and really shouldn't be compared.....This site has alot of politics regarding UPS/Teamsters. Politics can become heated because of personal views....I do believe nobody should be attacked. I am not being sarcastic but they are very different forums....I do respect you for establishing this site....We are all under scrutiny regarding laws ect and it appears that we have all pushed the envelope a bit but I personally believe nobody truly hates others here. Some posters can be cocky/funny and some people will view that as demeaning and others will simply laugh there behind off....And some can See using behind just doesn't express what I wanted to write but I have to watch and not offend someone in cyberspace.



Comparing Babies and Packages is a difficult comparison to sell......I do understand where you are coming from establishing a civil forum!



My opinion and I hope this is not offensive post....
 
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