Good question. Apparently the only rule that matters is “Make Lynn like you.” It’s obvious that Lynn has no concept of fairness, and just closes threads from anybody who doesn’t fit her mental image of the New! Improved! Kinder, gentler Straight Dope, where feelings matter more than facts.
Regarding the other crap:
The two threads Ace started here were not defending me, JD, or anybody else. In fact, when the standard jerks started bringing it all up, he deftly steered the discussion away from the topic, and indicated that he doesn’t want to rehash it.
Jerseydiamond was NOT insulting to Eve - I was. She stated an innocent opinion that was completely relevant to the thread it took place in and was grilled for it. In response to the vile things said to her (which were quite offensive, and which Lynn predictably turned a blind eye to :rolleyes: ), said she doesn’t care how the idiots at large felt about it. If you want to talk shit about somebody being insulting to Eve, remember that it was me, not her.
Regarding apologies:
You people are right. Defending the action being apologized for in the process of an apology is stupid and counters any good coming from the apology. So it’s a good thing that’s not what I did. I clearly outlined what I was apologizing for, and also what I was NOT apologizing for. Learn the difference.
Regarding Ace’s defense:
First, he defended himself well enough without my help. At least as far as any defense would have mattered. He steered the thread in the direction it was intended, despite the efforts of the insult-shouting morons in the chorus, but because he committed the cardinal sin of “Lynn not liking him”, he was silenced.
On that note, I joined this board to discuss two things: Facts, in General Questions, and Issues (including beliefs) in Great Debates. The purpose of GD has eroded, as Ace pointed out, into a roiling cauldron of self-congratulatory concern for hurt feelings and for enforcement-by-insult* of the required mindset for participation on the boards. The members of the board seem to spend more time wearing PC on their sleeves and talking about and avoiding hurt feelings than discussing issues and beliefs. This is stupid, but so be it.
At any rate, the reason I didn’t speak up sooner is that I’ve had better things to concern myself with than what insults a bunch of jerks with the combined intelligence of dirt have to offer to my wife and me. In other words, you idiots are far less important than you seem to think you are.
I’m sure I’ll be banned following this post, based on the elusive “offensive comments” standard, which the rest of you are not required to meet (a rule selectively enforced is not a rule - it’s an excuse), so go party up.
- I also find it interesting that those who do nothing but spew useless crap and insults, rather than address the content of people’s posts (gobear, hastur/mockingbird, guinastasia, jarbaby, mrvisibe, fenris, etc) are turned loose to be insulting and offensive at will, while others are shut down simply for voicing opinions without an overbearing concern for whether their words can cause unintentional distress to the delicate persons who populate the board. If you fall to pieces at words that might make somebody sad, then you don’t belong in a debate forum. Or administering a board. But thanks, Lynn, for proving me right: Offensiveness and hate speech are A-OK here at the Straight Dope, just as long as they’re directed at “approved” people.