Look back at the first post that started this thread. It is about the atmosphere here and how it may have changed and people don't feel it is as safe anymore.

Later down in this same thread we have several people having a personal argument amongst themselves, each trying to justify their postion, each defending their actions and words.

Does it not occur to anyone that seeing people fight like this publically is what makes other people feel unsafe here?

When it begins to get personal... take it private or let it drop. There is not need to get in the "last word" publically, that only hurts the community. If someone bothers you, don't read them and don't respond to them.

For the record, it is another bit of irony that people complain about not being able to discuss religion or politics on this board. Religion and politics are two subjects that have proven themselves time and time again to be subjects that generate hostility when discussed amongst a group of strangers. This happens on internet forums of every nature, and in real life long before the internet existed. Remember Peanuts? "Never discuss Religion, Politics, or the Great Pumpkin."

These are just subjects that people find themselves drawn to, impossible to ignore. The "just don't read it if it upsets you" philosophy has proven itself not to work with regard to these two subjects. Now here we have a thread where people are arguing about how depressed they are and how depressed other people should be... and yet people still think we could beat the odds of every other website and much of society and talk about Religion and Politics without incurring any problems.

Don't judge other people.
Don't tell other people here how they should feel.
Don't tell other people here how much they should post.
Don't tell other people here what they should or should not post.
Remember that everyone will violate all of these guidelines at some point or another, and if that happens, don't judge them or tell them how they should feel or how they should post.

If there is a problem with someone's posts, alert the moderators. Even if you are not sure, even if it is something that just bothers you personally. Don't start a fight about it. That's what the mods are here for... we try to take a step back from the personal factors and decide if something is helpful or hurtful to the community as a whole. Remember also that we are just volunteers... we don't have a secret rulebook, we have feelings just as everyone else, and we suffer from depression and other illnesses the same as everyone else here. Sometimes we are fragile too. We try not to "moderate" when we are fragile but sometimes that makes us feel bad too.

We all deserve to express our emotions and our anger of course. But if the anger is going to start a volley of responses, consider taking it private IMMEDIATELY. No last word and no last post about how you are going to make reply in a PM. Just do it. If there is an issue, consider whether expressing your anger is to benefit you (which is always OK) and also if it will benefit or enlighten this community in any way. If not, please take it private, or get it out some other way.

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--http://www.idexter.com
<div class="foot">(Edited by dexter on 08/18/04 04:25 PM.)</div>