John Cole's Idea Of An Over-50 Forum Has Merit

[MMMMMM]

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Why can't people here discuss, disagree and debate like mature adults, instead of like junior high-schoolers?



Maybe you've forgotten how fun juvenile behavior can be. There are a lot of nasty things going on in the world today and anything posted on a message board pales in comparison.

Engage in a little juvenile behavior and see if you like it. In response to this post, call me a douchebag and then type "PWND". I won't be offended. And, maybe you'll find out that you enjoy acting like a 12-year-old on ocassion.

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Newfant,

If I want to engage in juvenile behavior, I'll go play Diablo2, or maybe have a beer or two and cut up with a friend.

I WON'T subject others to it, who are trying to have a rational discussion (or perhaps trying play a gentlemanly game of poker in a casino).

Maybe that's the difference: whether one frequently subjects everyone involved in one's sphere to juvenile antics, or whether one does things like that privately, or at least, rarely in public.

It's sort of like listening to loud music: if you want to do it alone or with some friends, hey fine. But it isn't fair or fine to blast the car radio with your windows rolled down, or to play music so loud that it disturbs your neighbors in the next apartment. Likewise it isn't fair to serious posters that they should have to wade through numerous threads filled with nonsensical, juvenile pissing contests, in order to try to continue their genuine discussion or explorations. It takes time to wade through the noise when the noise is everywhere.

I'm really not saying don't have any fun. I'm just calling for some self-imposed restraint regarding the overall noise level. Some of the posters on this forum should think about how their activity might be getting in the way of others who are genuinely interested in discussing things or even perhaps learning. My comments are not directed at those who occasionally enjoy a little levity or playfulness--perhaps like yourself--but at those who make spamming partisan themes or engaging in pissing contests their primary purpose for frequenting this board. That's almost all noise, and while a little noise can be dealt with, it can also get to be too much at times (as it has lately). And that really isn't considerate or fair to many other posters.

[MMMMMM]

I'm just asking for the noise level to be turned down as it really has been getting too high lately. Sorry if you think that's somehow an unreasonable request. And by the way, kudos for taking it upon yourself to evaluate the worth of what was going on here before so many recently joined. Don't worry, it had it's problems then too.

Hey the next apartment or home you move into why don't you just blast the music all you want. Surely the neighbors haven't been solving all the problems of the world in their boring peace and quiet anyway, so what could it possibly matter if they suddenly find the noise level too high.

You are actually not one of the serious offenders--not by a long shot, DVaut1. So I'm not even sure why you are making such a point to argue this matter.

All I'm saying is please everyone try to show others some more respect. Is that such a major request or is that really all that hard to do.

[DVaut1]

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You are actually not one of the serious offenders--not by a long shot, DVaut1. So I'm not even sure why you are making such a point to argue this matter.

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I enjoy the noise. I enjoy the hijinks. I enjoy the pwned pictures and the flaming and the name-calling and all that. It's entertaining.

I have a nice collection of books I turn to for learning. This place is just entertainment.

P.S. - My neighbors have a very difficult time ignoring my loud music; posters can ignore noise here rather easily, and I think that's an understatement.

[andyfox]

John Cole and I rarely agree with any political post MMMMMM makes.

[newfant]

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John Cole and I rarely agree with any political post MMMMMM makes.

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I stand corrected. I'll try to stay out of you old farts' hair.

[MMMMMM]

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P.S. - My neighbors have a very difficult time ignoring my loud music; posters can ignore noise here rather easily, and I think that's an understatement.

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Well if you really annoy your neighbors with loud music on more than the rarest of occasions, then you are really not a nice person at all. And that's an understatement.

Hopefully, you are at least partially joking, or are not giving us the full picture.

Also, it is not all that easy to "just ignore the noise here" when you are trying to follow several threads and those threads are being clogged up with dozens of juvenile, spiteful, pointless posts.

[DVaut1]

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P.S. - My neighbors have a very difficult time ignoring my loud music; posters can ignore noise here rather easily, and I think that's an understatement.

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Hopefully, you are at least partially joking.

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Well, I'm 'joking' in that I don't really listen to music very loudly; and when I do, I almost always do with headphones on;

yet I stand by claim that ignoring 'noise' here is relatively easy; just ignore dopey posters/posts. It's much (MUCH) easier to ignore nonsense on 2+2 than it is to ignore a neighbor's loud music.

[Zygote]

i'm 19. have fun with your forum.

BTW, if you were truly rational, then, you would've come up with a more intellectual criteria for admitting members. Perhaps a criteria that actually highly correlates with maturity and rationality.

[MMMMMM]

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yet I stand by claim that ignoring 'noise' here is relatively easy; just ignore dopey posters/posts.


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Easier said than done because if you do that much you stand to lose much of the continuity of the thread.

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While you're creating this over-50 forum can you create a forum for People Who Think Just Like Me? Thanks.

Come on, MMMMMMMMMMMM. This is a message board, not a womb. If you want to participate in a forum where people look up to you and your ideas aren't questioned go teach at a nursery school.

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I don't want my ideas not to be questioned. I just don't see a need for the forum to be clogged with countless petty pissing contests.

Why would you even think that it has anything to do with agreeing with my ideas or not? It has everything to do with civility and respect and signal-to-noise ratio, and nothing whatsoever to do with whether people agree with me politically or not.

Why can't people here discuss, disagree and debate like mature adults, instead of like junior high-schoolers?

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...I'll try to answer your questions.

- Because YOUR idea of civility, respect et al may not be shared, as distasteful as you might find that, by others.

- Because YOUR idea of a mature adult is YOUR opinion, which you are entitled to, but you are NOT entitled to impose your opinion upon anyone else.

- ANY arbitrary standard imposed in a debate surrounding issues such as these imposes a 'glass ceiling' upon those involved in the debate.

- You continue to focus on the trappings of debate; not the substance.

A debate is supposed to be an exchange of ideas, ideology or points-of-view with an intent to come to some kind of resolution. How can any meaningful resolution ever be arrived at if there is some sort of arbitrary limit set in such an exchange?

Setting ANY standards also has one other incredibly dangerous effect....

It prevents the debators from knowing the FULL extent of each others point of view, i.e., it forces some to be deceptive.

Let it rip.....Let it roar. Let people get emotional....Let them get passionate.

Let EVERYONE reveal the full extent of their point of view. Then, judge them by what they say....an uncensored 'what they say'.

Sensibilites will get offended, but SO WHAT!?



It is only under these conditions that any of us will truly be able to fairly evaluate anothers' point of view.

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i think you may have missed the part where he said he will NOT be the judge of who is mature and who is able to get in to the 50+ forum? that it will be up to john cole and a fox