This, I suppose, is directed at Libertarian. I’m sick of finding a new post everyday that deals with Ethics of something. Libertarian, it seems, needs to come up with another word(to replace Ethics).
So, Libertarian, will you please post something without the word Ethics in the subject line?
R.J.D.
Upstatic, your pseudo-ethics threads are very slightly amusing. Lib finds it intriguing to discuss ethical questions. Many of us, of several philosophical persuasions, are sufficiently interested to debate them with him. You are under no obligation to read or open those threads if you find them uninteresting. (I note that I have opened one or two of them myself, when the topic seemed to fit a twist an old thread had taken.)
It is the mark of the closed mind to believe that the rest of the world must honor its taste. From what I’ve seen of you, that does not fit your opinions. Get off the “stop doing that; you bother me” bandwagon. There are enough real trolls who are convinced that the rest of the world should follow their tastes without having someone unthinkingly fling that sort of remark out.
Upstatic, we’d had what a number of us considered a problem; what you see is its solution. You may find it annoying, but trust me, it’s better this way.
Due to obscure causes that there’s no need to flog further, it seemed as if Lib’s participation in any sort of political thread would soon result in the discussion becoming one of extreme libertarianism v. all known forms of government.
Several of us got tired of this, and Lib very thoughtfully suggested this alternative: if he wanted to discuss a topic from his unique point of view, he’d open a parallel thread for that purpose. That seemed like a very reasonable solution, and Gaudere specifically endorsed it. (So did I, but she’s got a Moderator Hat, and I don’t; I’m just this guy, you know?)
It may clutter up the main GD page a little bit, but even with your satirization of Lib’s threads adding to the clutter, threads that have been inactive for three days are still visible on the main GD page. Only eight out of roughly 75 threads on the main GD page consist of such parallel threads started by Lib; that’s not a big deal, and I could live with more.
I’m not sure why he uses variants on ‘ethical’ rather than ‘libertarian’, but that’s neither here nor there. Lib’s trying to show consideration for others here, and he quite understandably feels like he’s unfairly catching flak as a result. If you’d find it possible to cut him some slack, he’s not the only one who would appreciate it. Thanks.
The mark of a truly great mind isn’t whether you’re right or wrong. It’s how well you can weasel out of a jam. - Unca Cecil
And you know just where your towel is.
If people continue to harass Lib in a damned-if-you-do-damned-if-you-don’t manner like this, we will eventually drive from this board (he already clearly feels paranoid about posting) one of the more articulate, interesting individuals it has been my pleasure to share a message board with.
In so many words, chill out.
As I’ve noted to Lib elsewhere, I never mean to offend him in disagreeing with him or, when making an original post, specifying the terms to attempt avoiding its turning it into a debate on libertarianism. I think very highly of the man; I consider him my brother in Christ; and I respect his attempts to understand other people’s viewpoints even when diametrically opposed to his own.
Maybe we should open a thread called “The Ethics of Unethically Condemning People Who Are Interested in Ethics”? 
Polycarp wrote:
I dunno. It seems to me like the “marketplace of ideas” is at work, and people just aren’t buying what Libertarian is selling. I thought that’s the way free speech was supposed to work.
Libertarian is free to post with or without our permission. On the other hand, if the rest of us feel that he is trying to dominate discussion of every topic, or trying to turn the entire board into a platform for espousing his views, we have a right to call him on it, and yes, to harrass him about it. He may then choose either to tone it down a bit or to endure further harrassment.
Not taking a shot at you Polycarp, just giving you my views on how this internet free-for-all works.
I should point out that my earlier post is not intended as a personal attack on Lib either. Obviously, I disagree with most of his views, but heck, I enjoy debating them with him. Sometimes, we can even find common ground (e.g. the “y’all vs. you guys” debate). 
I would hope that Lib would not turn every single thread into a debate on libertarianism, and that he would not feel compelled to start ten new threads a day.
Let’s face it though, when you choose “Libertarian” as your UserName you obviously have an axe to grind. As long as you’re going to grind that axe, you have to be prepared for people to complain about how much noise you’re making.
How about: The Ethic Behind The Ethic Of Overusing The Word Ethic
How about: An Ethical Solution To End The Exploitation of The Word Ethic
How about: The Ethics Of Ethical Redundancy
R.J.D.