Please help me with the forum

by Simon 67 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  Tina

  Hi Simon,
  I agree with Kismet here. I don't think casting votes is going to make it easier here. I think it'll cause way more probs then it will solve. It's your board tho.Just my 2cents. hugs,T
• 

  seven006

  Simon,

  First of all I think you are doing a great job. Second this is not a publicly owned board with equal rights for everyone. If Friday is having a little fit because most people are sick and tired of his hate posts then he can go cry to the KKK. His threat is as valid as his close minded hatred for anything that doesn't fit into his little lunch box of a brain. Personally I would love for the authorities of both countries to examen this site. They would see the hatred by good upstanding JW's like Friday spraying his poison all over the board. Here in Oregon they have a very sensitive ear out for people like him spreading his hatred and vindictiveness. He would have himself very close to being arrested for spreading such garbage. They take hate crimes very serious here and most of those crimes are caused by people that have had the ignorance to listed to such garbage as Friday so proudly throws out on the pages of this forum. He had JoleBear almost cornered, what a joke, he'd probably love to corner a nice gay man and I think that is where his level of frustration becomes very apparent. He uses the same "save your kids" bull that the JW's use when trying to convert some frightened new bible study. If he wants to talk about abuse and children then maybe he should start reading a few thread on this site and stop trying to pick up on all the gay men.

  If he thinks that governmental authorities are going to back him up then it's obvious he has been living with his head in a box for the last decade. His hatred for JoleBear is equal to that of the KKK. Friday can take his cross burning homo hating little pea brain on to an Aryan Nation site and get all the love and understanding he so desperately needs. Then he can take his concerns to his local elders and explain to them about how upset he is about being kicked off an apostate board. Ignorance is very hard to try and be fair to and Simon you have been more than fair to Friday. I would have kicked his close minded hate filled butt off mounts ago.

  The guy just can't handle a little "Apostate discipline." He should know we only do this because we love him. Being cut off from all his friends on this board and being shunned is the only way we can show him love as he understands it. Now the shoes on the other foot Friday, how does it feel?

  Don't worry about any of his BS Simon, he's all blow and no show.

  Dave
• 

  teejay

  Kismet,

  Re: peer moderation. T'is a slippery slope my friend. I think it sounds great in theory but it can also be used against people holding an unpopular viewpoint. It would be a great way of muzzling someone. It also presents the danger of this forum becoming a popularity contest. I personally had enough of cliques while in the Borg. I can't help but think that will happen again.

  I agree with you 100%, my friend.

  Your viewpoint was definitely on my mind when I suggested such a thing as peer review. Being one of the least popular, most vilified posters, I realize(d) that I might be a victim in such an arrangement. It was just an idea, since <going out on a limb here> I trust Simon's judgment. He's been amazingly fair so far.

  On the other hand, I have always admired what the bible says about open trials 'at the city gates' as opposed to secret tribunals ala the governing body and their beloved judicial committees. In such an procedure, fairness is generally something you can count on. Not always... I know.

  Enjoyed your viewpoint, Kis, as usual.

  peace,
  tj
• 

  TR

  Hi Simon!

  I appreciate the job you have of operating this forum.

  As for Yadirf,

  I think he should be able to post. Obnoxious as many of his words are, I think it's good PR for the XJW standpoint. Although he DOES have the capacity to show genuine concern for matters as I've seen.

  I believe it comes down to: Ignore him, or respond in like manner,(maybe without personal insults, I'm still working on this!) so as to be fair. If he is the first to hurl insults, then he has no room for complaint, and shouldn't bitch if he's chastised. However, if he consistantly initiates gross personal insults and is banned, it wouldn't hurt my feelings.

  Bring back Yadirf! We need him!

  TR

  The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.
  —Edmund Burke
• 

  jayhawk1

  Simon,
  I don't like the idea of voting people off. I think it will hurt many people's feelings more than a personal attack. An example, let's say Yadirf posted that I should be voted off, and some agree with him, how would I react to that? My guess would be not very well. I think people should email you about their problem with somebody. You can send an email to the offender, and go from there. We all trust your judgement, and besides, it is your board. As a guest to your board, I don't think a group should tell you what to do with it and who should be allowed to post and who should not. That decision rests solely with you. But then again, what do I know.

  "Hand me that whiskey, I need to consult the spirit."-J.F. Rutherford
• 

  Commie Chris

  Simon: It is your Board, and technically you have the legal right to do with it as you wish, but I urge you not to introduce any form of “black-balling”. Whether it is done by you alone, or by a “council of participants”, it is still censorship.

  Yes, Friday/Yadrif is a vile, slimy, hateful little man. For the most part, his idiotic posts should not even be dignified with a response. But please do not ban him or limit his posting privileges. Censorship is a slippery slope. Today it’s Friday, tomorrow Dunscott, and so on… Freedom of speech has to mean the freedom to say idiotic things, not just popular “upbuilding” things.

  Besides, far from hurting Joelbear, Friday's hateful rants had the effect of rallying the members of this Board around him. Anyone reading that thread would have clearly seen that Joel is loved, not because he is gay, but because he is a warm, thoughtful, decent man. He was consistently kind even to Friday, even as Friday continued spouting hatred at him. Friday, on the other hand……

  Forums like this Board provide a useful outlet for bigots like Friday to spout their garbage. When they are censored, or prevented from participating in discussions which are open to virtually anyone else, their irrational sense of being “victimized” by a politically correct majority deepens and they can become even more hateful and aggressive. Some may even become violent. It is totally irrational and idiotic, but it does happen. This would be in no ones interest.

  Simon, I urge you not to adopt any form of censorship. There is little harm in letting idiots like Friday rant on this Board, and potentially great harm in trying to prevent them from doing so. In my view, any form of censorship will diminish this very interesting Discussion Board.

  BTW, regardless of what you choose to do, you have nothing to fear from secular authorities. You clearly have the legal right to ban Friday, or limit his privileges. I just don't think you should do it.

  I think this Board is great as it is and I appreciate everything you have done to make it so Simon.
• 

  SlayerLayer

  I think that there is a bigger picture here than whether or not to let Yadirf post or not. I have seen the maliciousness from many posters here. I myself have let my temper get out of control, and been quite malicious in posts. I've also been malicious in a joking way with pictures of You Know.

  Remember the racist threads? Most of the people here, including myself were quick to call names.

  It's no secret that Yadirf and I don't get along. He does have a point though. Personally, I will try to refain from any more attacks on people that are jerks. After a 3 page argument that I had with him, I finally decided to ignore him. This works!

  Slayer
• 

  joelbear

  Dear Friends,

  Hi and peace to all of you, many of whom I consider to be my brothers and sisters.

  First, Simon, with my posts to you in the other thread regarding my opinion. I was speaking to you, but really speaking to all of us, myself included. I feel strongly about protecting people from hurt. Yadirf's graphic language and insults are nothing I haven't heard a thousand times. They rolled right off my back and I think I proved that with the calmness of my answers to him, except for one post where I lost my temper and I apologized to him for that post.

  Yadirf did scare me with his last post regarding his neighbor who got rid of his homosexual neighbors. I decided at that point not to discuss the issue with him any more, even calmly. Just too dangerous, for me and for others who were defending my position. I don't believe people make these kinds of threats lightly. I was threatened graphically with violence by several Jehovah's Witnesses in the America On Line JW's and friends chat room last year. These were active Jehovah's Witnesses who were accepted as such by other witnesses in the room who they had met offline. One Jehovah's Witness brother from Memphis Tennessee threatened to come to Atlanta and break Mitch and my heads open with a baseball bat. One of my New Year's resolutions this year was to never go back in that room and I haven't.

  I don't think anything I said to gay kids could be considered encouraging homosexual activity. I do urge them to go to PFLAG and to discuss the issue with people they trust. I think I have gone on record here and in other places in saying that I think all sex is wrong for children, both homosexual and heterosexual and I always encourage children to wait until they are 20 to have sex. Of course, I realize very few will take this advice, but its what I believe, so I keep giving it.

  Regarding Friday. I don't think I make a request for him to be deactivated. I think I worded my request for peaceful discussion to all, and I think I included myself in that request. I also said, that if in your opinion, I crossed the line and used insults or a personal attack that I was willing to submit to the same rule of having my posts edited and me being given warning or punishment as you saw fit.

  That is the way it works on the moderated bear mailing list I subscribe to. There are only about 3 rules, but if you break them, they delete your post, period.

  I can assure you that I would rather be thrown off this forum, rather than see it threatened in any way because of my presence here. I can see the peace it is capable of being to people who have no where else to turn. I feel like I have taken advantage of y'alls open arms a few times regarding the subject matter I have introduced and I feel like I may have done that with the discussion with Friday. I bared my soul in that discussion. Those who read it saw quite plainly the emotional and mental struggle that I have been through regarding my sexuality, my beliefs and the way that I have dealt with them and the difficult decisions I have made. I did it because I knew that there is at least one homosexual out there who read it and hopefully benefited from it. I have received emails from dozens of gay JW's over the years who have told me that my experiences have helped them.

  Yadrif was saying things that I have said to myself over and over again through the years of battle.

  I don't know what the right answer is regarding moderating a forum. I don't know whether it is right or wrong to disallow Friday's posts.
  I do know that I don't want anyone hurt, especially on my account. That would kill me. I get attached to people very quickly and become very protective of them very quickly. I winced at the way Friday was treating people who were trying to protect me.

  I love this forum and I have grown to care about many of you very deeply. I say again I don't want to see it hurt or threatened or the people who post or lurk here hurt or threatened.

  Simon, use your best judgement and protect this board.

  Peace

  Joel
• 

  Skeptic

  Thank you, Simon for stepping in and banning Friday.

  When guests come to your home, you don't read a list of rules to them. They should know how to behave, and if they don't you remove them. If one of them threats to cut the privates off one of your family, you remove them from your home immediately, with no warning.

  Simon, you are doing a great job. This is your forum, and we are your guests. You have no or few rules and you expect us to act like adults. When someone goes too far, you ban them.

  Someone was using this forum to undermine a child abuse case, and you banned them. Makes sense.

  Friday threated to cut my privates off, and you banned him. Makes sense.

  Friday is a hypocrite, pure and simple. He complains about being banned, yet he claims to belong to a religion that bans their members for the most trivial of reasons.

  Friday claims he is 62 years old and complains that he was given no warning first. A 62 year old man has to be told how to behave in public? He needs to be told not to use such language or not to make threats? If he doesn't know that he should not threaten people with violence, or continually use such disgusting language, then he should be banned for the crime of being completely stupid.

  Friday says it is too harsh to ban someone for making threats and using filthy language. Yet, he thinks it is OK to cut people's privates off for strongly disagreeing with him. And he thinks it is OK to use violence on those whose lifestyle is different than his. He even thinks their privates should be cut off. Yet, it is too harsh if he is banned from a posting on a discussion board.

  I used to have some respect for Friday. Now, I have none.

  I was going to inform Friday about what happens to people who try to hurt me or my family. But I don't want to be banned, so I won't say it here. I have been threatened with violence before. Those types back off only when they get a taste of how low I will go.

  Richard
• 

  Englishman

  Mmm, this all worries me somewhat. OK Friday undoubtedly qualifies for the Arsehole of the Year Award, but, just because he gets up our respective noses, it is no reason to ban him. I've had plenty of flack from him on 2 discussion boards now and he doesn't bother me one little bit. I don't think that Joelbear is unduly troubled by him either. Basically, he's a highly emotive poster who gets very carried away with his own exuberence. He's totally pig-headed, thats why he calls himself a JW despite being inactive for 26 years. That takes some doing! Also, I understand he has a medical condition that causes a lot of pain in his feet, boy, can that ever make someone tetchy!

  He'd probably be a good man to have on your side in a fight, trouble is that he would probably always be the fellow to start one in the first place.

  Personally I dont find Friday bothers me one whit. As for the trolls who have multiple identities, I say ban 'em all!

  Englishman.

  ..... fanaticism masquerading beneath a cloak of reasoned logic.