That was uncalled for and generally jerkish. What did Anth do provoke that crack from you? Especially since it puts her in an impossible position: we’re forbidden to discuss who is and is not on our list.
Real classy, kniz. :rolleyes:
Fenris
Having been on the opposite side of Coll in a debate, I will say this: when on the opposite side, he was blunt but not rude, as long as the opposition actually answered his points.
There are a couple of posters who, by now, have a long track record of deflecting rather than answering points, of strawmen, of logical fallacies the size of Mt. Rushmore, and these, I do see, Coll doesn’t wait for their failure to respond, but will start out with their OP often.
It may be that I’ve missed a thread where he went on the attack w/a new poster, but I know I"ve seen him actually answer carefully when he’s not certain that the poster is thick headed.
I will also point out that it’s quite possible to be rude as fuck w/o the use of profanity or by ad hominem attack, it’s quite rude to continually have some one act in a condescending manner, attributed the most vile and shallow of motivations, merely because of one’s political leanings.
I understand that that type of posting also ‘skirts’ the edge of “ok” in GD, but let’s not pretend that merely 'cause some one refrains from saying ‘fuck’, that they’re being polite (as a quick example, the posters w/a fundementalist belief assuring our gay posters that while they don’t hate them personally, they are certain that these posters are aberrations, going to hell, and unnatural etc.)
You know, I hadn’t read it as that at first, but now that I re-read, I have to say I don’t know.
Anyhow. I ain’t talking about any lists anymore. No matter what someone says.
Granted, but look at the incredibly tedious and boring hijack that this thread got, due to Karlgauss. So Collounsbury used the word “Fuck” 36 times. Big honkin’ floopin’ whackin’ deal, I says. That’s a completely different issue than whether or not he’s abusive or insulting.
Rather, the argument between Sparc and Karlgauss about how to adequately measure whether a poster is being insulting using the search function.
I know this isn’t a poll, but
Collounsbury’s excessive use of profanity:
Okay, although I seem to recall a post from TubaDiva about “raising the tone of the Board”
Collounsbury’s excessive rudeness:
Not okay, at least not in GQ. One would think someone as wise and learned as C appears to be would know that without being told.
BTW Fenris great sig line
. . .or GD at least.
Coll comes across as a rude, condescending asshole.
IMO, over the 4 years or so I have been reading this board, he has been cut more slack than anyone I can think of. Of course, that is not to question the mods/admins in their infinite wisdom.
Just because someone shows a particular expertise (or claims to) should not mean they have carte blanche to freely insult or malign other members in a forum (GD) where said transgressions are clearly not allowed.
So why does he get a pass?
Well, personally I’m not bothered nearly as much by a poster’s use of swear words per se (I can tune out specific words pretty easily, if they aren’t vital to decoding the meaning of the sentence they appear in, which “fuck” usually isn’t in these situations), as by how they are used to demean and berate people. This is more true if the person being demeaned and/or berated isn’t engaging in clueless, stupid, or jerkish behavior him/herself. I’m a big believer in attacking the post, not the poster.
So if you guys are P.O.'d at Collounsbury, why don’t you call him on it directly? Can’t we learn to communicate directly with people who upset us, or do we need some sort of schoolyard referee? I don’t know to what degree he even realizes how annoying some posters find the level of invective, especially in GD.
I once was somewhat annoyed by the tone of his response to a post of mine; I thought he had a pretty short fuse, considering I hadn’t said anything jerkish, just somewhat ignorant of a term in a field in which I am quite admittedly not expert (and in which he is). Somehow we managed to de-escalate, and I learned stuff from that thread (from him and from other posters), and am continuing to learn stuff. I’m glad he’s here; yes, I do wish he’d tone down the invective sometimes, but my panties aren’t in enough of a bunch to want to see him banned.
Can’t we all communicate about these things like adults?
My guess that IRL Collounsbury lives with his mother, breathes louldly through his mouth, fixes his glasses with adhesive tape, and spends most of his time at the kitchen table clipping articles out of the newspaper. (insert putz smiley here)
I’m surprised that so many people have to qualify their criticism of the guy with stating how knowledgable he is. Knowledge isn’t that rare folks, that one has to deal with assholes to get it. There’s nothing he has to offer that cannot be found elsewhere.
I’m sure most people on this board have a specialty knowledge where they know more that 90 percent of the population on that particular subject. I’m willing to bet most of you are also polite and reasonable when sharing that knowledge.
What magical alchemistry does Collunsbury have private access to that makes his assholery worth putting up with? Middle East knowledge? I don’t know about where you guys live, but my library has more books on the Middle East with far more information than I care to read. No dealing with pricks necessary.
The problem is, he discredits himself. Yes, Collunsbury provides a wealth of information. But his snarky attitude turns me off completely. It’s gotten so I cringe when I see him, because I know it’s just going to be a violent attack, rather than a well thought out rebuttal.
Okay then, lets review Gaudere’s GD rules 10-19-2002
Are we expected to believe Collounsbury’s fuck remarks are not directed at other posters?
I’m sure most posters would agree with my raised eyebrow there. I’ve e-mailed Gaudere and the mods in general and Bodini quite a few times regarding Collounsbury To date I’ve only received one reply. that I can recall. I’d like to say to Gaudere
"Use your own fucking eyes, fuck! I’ve already noted my messages - the entire goddamned issue revolves around the issue. When you fucking respond with some fucking substance, then I’ll waste some time indulging in your fucking game of dancing around words. "
But I won’t. Those are the words of you know who directed not at Gaudere but at another poster in Great Debates
Now this is a VERY interesting point - what we have here is an example of perfect balance:
Side A - - - - - - - - - Side B
ignorance - - - - - - - - knowledge
politeness - - - - - - - - rudeness
I therefore propose that both Collounsbury and December be congratulated for their respective qualities, and the reassuring sense of balance this brings to the board.
Good point. I would add the following:
First, Collounsbury does not use “dirty” words in moderation by any stretch of the word “moderation.”
Second, I actually complained about the “Use your own fucking eyes, fuck” post, and as far as I can tell, nothing was done about it. (Admittedly, my e-mail hasn’t been working lately, so I don’t know for sure.)
As far as Collounsbury’s alleged knowledge goes, I’m honestly kinda skeptical. Yes, he is very good at arrogantly batting buzzwords around and making “learned” pronouncements about various subjects. But when I’ve encountered him in Great Debates, many of his statements have been pretty much irrelevant to the issue at hand. When pressed, he becomes more abusive, or simply waves his hands and points to some general source.
Anyway, whatever. Believe it or not, I didn’t join this thread to beat up on Collounsbury. I posted here to object to his Special Flaming Privilege. Perhaps Gaudere should have said the following:
Essvee wrote:
I’ve always imagined him more along the lines of a powder-wigged fop, sitting on his front porch sipping tea, barking orders at his servants, and complaining about the fly population while a battle between loyalists and colonists rages in a nearby field.
Collounsbury as Major Bloodnok from The Goons, eh Lib. You swine!
And on topic, I agree with pretty much everything he posts, but he just behaves badly too often. It’s not all the time. Sometimes he posts vigorously but according to the rules. Not often enough.
As for people who say he’s got special treatment, I doubt it. Don’t be fooled by the image of mods with their fingers over the button: that’s for obvious trolling, spammers and returnees. It takes a long time for a real poster to get banned. But it happens after a while.
I imagine Collounsbury as an arrogant tweed-jacket type like some of the historians at college. I find him exquisitely rude, brilliantly funny, and staggeringly well-informed. And I do see where some people in this thread are coming from about the rudeness. But to me it’s just hilarious.
I would hate to see this guy leave the boards voluntarily or forcibly. It would be a huge loss. He may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but by god, he’s fighting ignorance.
Nah, he’s really not.
Part of combatting ignorance is to share your knowledge.
If you can’t communicate the knowledge you have in a manner that people are willing to listen to, you’re not combatting ignorance, you’re saying “Nyahh-nyahh! I could combat ignorance, but I’m to busy being a jackass.”
Fenris
Holy shit man-- your falling behind! We must close the “fuck gap” in GD, capitalism depends on it.
ps. Only funny if your lived through the Cold War, and probably not even then.