Wait, what? Why does Ever Had a Bribe Attempt Backfire? need to be closed, but Have you ever bribed anyone? is OK?
The latter was very specific as to the types of bribes(waiters and such), but the former indicated possible illegal acts(“You’re threatened with legal action?”)
Be that as it may, there was no suggestion that the thread was encouraging such acts and is not, therefore, prohibited by the posted rules.
Interesting dilemma, that. Does a thread that gives examples of how others have successfully broken the law encourage others to do the same?
I wouldn’t think so, especially when it’s asking specifically for unsuccessful attempts.
Point taken. Let me think on it.
Why didn’t you think on it before you closed the thread?
Sheer speculation here, but could it be because Q.E.D. just made the point that Czarcasm wants to think about? Obviously, I’m not speaking for **Czarcasm **here, but I know I often have trouble thinking about arguments that haven’t been expressed yet.
Oh come on, Gary, haven’t you learned that this has been Angry Bitter SDMB for several weeks now? Why, even just today Ed was flamed for actually changing a Rule back to the way people wanted it and not crawling on his knees through broken glass to apologize and kiss the asses of all Dopers, everywhere.
So sure, it makes perfect sense someone would come in and fire off some snark at Czarcasm (that twinkletoed thread-closing Thoughtzi!). I’m thinking of flaming you right now, in fact, because…um, gosh, I don’t have such profound reasons as wanting to say “fuck” in thread titles or to call people 72-point cunts or to tell the Chicago Reader how much it “owes” me for every post of sunshine and Jesus-esque wisdom that flies off my fingers, but hey, give me time and I’m sure I can manufacture some contrived self-righteous indignation over nothing. :rolleyes:
Seriously, I liked Plan C so much better, and I wish you guys would have rolled it out.
Uh, if you think this is the reason for the problems we had in the last few weeks, the most charitable thing I can say is that you clearly haven’t kept an open mind about this. And I say this as someone who’s said exactly nothing about the whole issue before and who isn’t even thinking about leaving the SDMB, not that anyone would care.
Do you have some kind of point?
I don’t know if your uncited snark here is even an accurate characterization in the first place, but if so, so what? The fact that some people get into a huff for no reason doesn’t mean that everyone’s recent complaints are invalid. It’s absurdly convenient for you to “support Ed” when you’re already a member of his inner-circle, but that’s a less justifiable position to take when the rest of us have been making criticisms that have largely gone ignored.
As it happens, I for one would love to support Ed. I’d be thrilled, ecstatic, and all those other mushy positive adjectives. But I don’t agree with the changes he’s made recently.* More importantly, I don’t agree with the way he introduced these changes*, and finally, I’m profoundly frustrated with the way he has had to be repeatedly begged and cajoled to change things back even after he acknowledged that he’d made mistakes. His reluctance to take swift, forceful action in setting things right, even after his own admission of error, calls into question the sincerity of the original apology. It’s hardly a surprise that some people want more evidence of contrition on his part, when he immediately reinforced his decisions even after apologizing for them. What use is an apology, exactly, if it results in no change of behavior?
Unfortunately, it would seem that the people he trusts most are the very ones who are most inclined to reinforce the bubble of obliviousness. In my opinion, it would be better for him to start listening to the people who want to support him, instead of the people who already do. It’s abundantly clear from your own “72-point cunts” comment that you haven’t the foggiest idea of the substantive criticisms that have actually been laid out time and again. Why concentrate on the reasonable concerns, when you just say claim we all want to say “cunt” and then mock us for positions we don’t even hold? But, hey, Una wants “Plan C”, so obviously they should’ve rolled that one out for you. It’s not like the rest of our opinions even matter enough for you to pay attention to what they actually are.
You know, some posters are gone for good, but I don’t think it’s outside the realm of possibility to staunch the bleeding here, or even to truly rivitalize the board if he actually undertook some fundamental changes with how he runs things. But the evidence lately is that he’s more than happy to shave off posters if that means he gets things more in line with his preconceived notions of how the boards should function, instead of how they did function back in the day when he had genuine job security and didn’t bother to pay so much attention to this place. But that would mean big changes. Opening up the sanctum sanctorum, and genuinely listening when people have good suggestions instead of saying “Nah, can’t be done, volunteer staff, etc.”.
With people like you as his confidants and helpers, odds of that don’t seem likely. Well, what the fuck. I’m not going to leave with an insult-riddled meltdown. I’m just gonna mumble in sad frustration to myself as I close my web-browser.
*Quite obviously his prerogative. It’s his right to make bone-headed decisions with respect to the board.
I agree completely. The problems this board has experienced over the years (and which have recently boiled over) are often due to the fact that the majority of us are subject to the arbitrary whims of a small minority. I’m glad to see that Czarcasm is willing to reconsider his decision. But it would have been even better if the consideration had occurred before the thread was closed. Being as those of us down here in the mud have no way of dodging the lightning bolts, we like to at least hope that the powers up on Olympus are ruling with wisdom and fairness and have a master plan even if we aren’t told what it is. We hate getting smited just because Zeus has a toothache or didn’t recognize a ironic reference.
My coffee-fueled haiku take:
Think first, act second
The thread was not illegal
Knee-jerk modding
But I was overly critical, so for that I apologize.
BWAHAHAHA! I can’t count to five! What do you expect from a dumb hillbilly, anyway?
Anyway, sorry, Czarcasm. :o
Hillbilly? Arlington is blue country, son.
Yes, and I’m very glad of that…but I was born and raised in Arkansas, hence my username…
As the OP of the thread in question, I will say that I find it inconsistent that my thread would be closed, while the thread I referenced remains open.
However, I think some good points have been raised in this thread, and I hopeCzarcasm changes his mind.
Uh, if you think I haven’t had to read every, single, one of the innumerable posts of people whinnying, mooing, and neighing about the crimes against humanity carried out against the good, gentle posters of the SDMB by the Evil Ed and his minions, then the most charitable thing I can say is you need to think again and think fast.
And it still hasn’t pinged you that the number one complaint is inconsistent modding? Nor that it’s a completly valid complaint? Nor that you coming in and portraying valid complaints as “whining” is helping make people’s decision to jump ship all the easier?
Let’s put it this way: would this thread exist if the whole blowup hadn’t happened in the first place? Betcherass it would – Czarcasm made a questionable decision, and got called on it. This being the “Angry Bitter SDMB” has nothing to do with it.
A lot of people are trying real damn hard to keep the peace. While you might have gotten a nice thrill out of bashing the userbase, you’re only hurting the situation here. Unfortunately, it’s likely you’re long past caring.
Here: who can defend the abuse heaped YET AGAIN on Ed here yesterday? http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=10942303&postcount=32
I seem to have Q.E.D. syndrome, where everyone thinks I have some sort of power at the SDMB: I work for Cecil. I do not work for the SDMB.
Come on. I saw the way that several posters went after and nitpicked and rules-lawyered and capered and strutted about clucking their tongues over his apology - I also read it off-board too. Not everyone sits there and prepares an apology like a Presidential speech - there was nothing insincere, nothing mendacious, nothing deceptive, and most of all nothing insulting in Ed’s apology, pure and simple. People nitpicked about tense, about how certain special words they wanted to see weren’t used…for fuck’s sake.
Sometimes in the real world shit happens that was unintentional, out of your control, or which didn’t go off like you planned. It would be nice if we all could be perfect like the average SDMB poster apparently feels they are and have everything go in exact, orderly clockwork in our lives, but I fear Ed may after all be human.
If you’re talking about me, you need more evidence.
He does.
Incorrect.
Don’t put words in my mouth in this forum, I never said nor implied that “(you) all want to say cunt?”
Unfortunately to many, “genuinely listening” means “do what I say”, and if he doesn’t “do what they say” then by definition he’s not “genuinely listening.” Come on, if nothing else there have been so many different suggestions and different spins and takes on the suggestions - by well-meaning, good posters - that just to try to balance out all the competing opinions and arguments has to take time - or may not even be possible to see what the clear, shining path through any situational morass may be. Can you not at least agree with that?
You have no idea what you’re talking about. Over the years I’ve made innumerable suggestions about the SDMB and how it should be run, some of them very strident, and very few of them have ever been taken up. You don’t see this because I use e-mail to make my cases, rather than post it in public so I can have the oppositional-defiant members on here use it as a lever to attack me or the SDMB Staff. Probably less than 5% of the things I’ve suggested over time have come to pass, and I have no evidence that it was driven by my suggestion rather than other factors.
But one thing I never, ever, ever have done is curse at, demean, mock, abuse, flame, slur, or threaten the SDMB Staff. Would that everyone could rise to even that low level of conduct.