Thanks for the effort to get this one friendlier again. But I'd already been driven to needing to say something, and had spent too long on it before I saw new posts...
We've been seeing why the "good strong discussions" get segregated into this woodpile. I wish we didn't have to have this place at all; it's here because some of our esteemed members are apparently unable to restrain themselves from launching into them. I sure wish they wouldn't. But they do.
I don't want this kind of stuff here much, because, as we've seen all too often:
1) For too many people, "attack my ideas/beliefs" equals "attack me personally". Such people, it seems, can't have a "good strong discussion" about anything substantial without going incendiary.
2) Some of us have the opposite polarity: they can't just express an opposing idea, they have to openly insinuate what an underqualified moronic asshole the other poster is as well. Again: such people are simply not capable of sustaining a "good strong discussion" that remains friendly and respectful.
3) Some of us, and no real need to name names here, have the approach of "Oh, disagree with me, will you? Well, I'll just pick up this club and I'll bash and bash and bash and keep bashing until the other viewpoint crawls away into oblivion and only my opinion remains. Damn, I'm good!"
Well, guess what: This approach doesn't just drive away ideas, it drives away MEMBERS. I had another one probably down the hatch this morning; thanks so much.
4) "Pushing people's buttons" DOESN'T mean "stating ideas"...it means saying things for the express purpose of getting a rise out of people. When done the wrong way, it seriously sucks ass. Boo, hiss.
Ladies and gentlemen:
THIS IS A FORUM ABOUT CHINA.
I've been saying this for 5 long years, but some of us remain hopelessly unclear on this concept.
It's a China forum. Why do we have to keep coming back to these endless horrible discussions about religious beliefs and partisan political views in this place? Why is this horseshit continually inflicted upon us? Why must we choose this venue to talk about Sarah Palin or The Pope (or their love-child
) when there are so many other places that WANT and WELCOME these discussions? WE DO NOT WANT OR WELCOME THEM! Especially not if they can't happen without turning ugly...and apparently they can't, even here on what's supposed to be the Friendly Place, the alternative to the repulsive mosh pits found at Dave's ESL Cafe and elsewhere.
(By the way...the Palin thread started out perfectly innocently and was fun. It just got mangled beyond recognition by later posts...)
There are lots and lots of forums about religious beliefs and partisan political views. If you want to talk about those things, GO THERE. Not here. There. If you want to talk about China, come here.
Why is this idea so difficult to grasp?
Folks, I HATE to censor...edit or delete posts, disable membership accounts, and so forth. I really do...it literally pains me to have to do these things.
But one thing I CAN promise you: the Saloon is NOT going to be turned into a politico-religious ThunderDome, or a convenient ego-polishing stand for some of our members. Not as long as I can get to a keyboard. I will CLOSE THE PLACE DOWN, or anything short of that I have to do, rather than see that happen.
I am physically ill over the tone in this place right now. It needs to sweeten up and re-focus on China PDQ or I'm going to re-enact Jack Nicholson's classic scene in
The Shining.
Heeere's Johnny!