why are moderators so strict?

The BBQ Pit
41

Bindrah, you’ve hit a rough patch but maybe it’s time to step back, take a few deep breaths and consider.

See, this place is large, for one thing, and yeah, it can be confusing. It really isn’t impersonal but it simply takes time for people to understand who you are, what you’re like and what you intend. Second, the only way people have to get to know you is by what you write. All we see is letters on a screen, so clarity in language matters. It isn’t fussiness; it’s the only means we have to know you, and what you want to contribute.

Maybe people could figure out what you actually mean with some head-scratching and effort but the fact is, with so many vital, interesting folks around, most won’t bother if you don’t meet them halfway by making your posts clear. Capitalization, etc. are just tools–courtesies–to other posters you’ll need, which is what tom was trying to tell you. Really, he is one of the wisest, most respected posters on the board.

Settle back. Read the FAQ. Read and absorb lots of posts. Get a feel for the place, then dive in. [sub]Hint: nobody needs or wants grovelling, but apologies for loss of temper are almost always respected and appreciated.[/sub]

Veb

(Dang! All that blather and I blow chunks over coding. So much for “preview”…)

42

jack batty that is not my claim. I was put in prison because I assaulted another individual. My claim was that the circumstances surrounding the event were odd and discriminating.
Desmo, it does sit well with the coment above. I said I do not like shit talking over the net and I try to be helpful. Being kind and fighting to protect myself are two different things. I box and practice self defense with a group of people so with any contact sport comes brusing and swelling. I do feel happy when I learn something new. That has nothing to do with how i generally post.
What i saw as rude was the sentence" do not do it again(something to that effect). I really had never read the posting rules in all the time I have spent here. Maybe it was because I was a bit high, none of it seemed to make any sense.
Now everything is clear and I wouold like to move on and fly right, eh? May I? If i post in such a manner that suggests I’m high or just fucked up, please let me have it again.ok…Thank you…

43

Sounds good to me.

Those last couple of posts were much better too. Throw in a few page breaks to separate different thoughts, and you’re there.:wink:

44

Well, Bindrah, that’s really not how it read. It sounded to me like your main beef was with the reverse descrimination and your beating of this guy was just the back drop to the story.

Hardly an “unfair” situation as the thread was about.

I think if you’re on the up and up here, and you were fucked up last night when you were posting, and you really have all these off-kilter feelings about violence, and trouble keeping away from abusing drugs, etc …

… then you ought to get some help.

Not joking.

45

I, for one, am willing to give Bindrah a second chance. We all have bad days, and none of us can truly know another person until we’ve been in their shoes. I say let’s give the guy a break. Sounds like he hasn’t had too many in his life. :slight_smile:

46

Hey Jack, i hear you and agree that a bit of help may do me some good. However, about the situation I served time over, you have no idea. I screwed that post up as well and I went back and tried to clarify. Those individuals totally fabricated their story and tried to lay the race card.It had nothing to do with color and everything to do with how I felt in danger and did what I could to protect myself.
Futhermore the media reported half-truths and did nothing to change the situation when the entire truth came to light. They got their story and moved on. I was in an unfair situation and I’m still a felon. I believe I was fucked over. I know right from wrong. I don’t see the need to beat people with pipes. But I also don’t see the need to lie and try to ruin anothers life, especially when it comes to reporting so-called news…

47

Hey Bindrah, I gladly accept your apology and look forward to your future posts. Wanted to congratulate you that of the many who - uh - step off on the wrong foot, relatively few recognize that their actions contribute to the situation. Congrats on being one of that few.

IME, however, even fewer actually take actions to correct the initial (mis?)perceptions. I encourage you to be one of those few.

Whether fairly or not, there may be some folk out there looking for opportunities to jump on your ass, saying, “Lookee, the leopard hasn’t changed his spots!” So you might want to be a little extra aware of what you post - at least for a little while.

While all of your thoughts may be valid, discretion might have you not mentioning each and every one on the boards. Now that you have found the shift key :p, you might want to make acquaintance with the delete key. There are many a post that I carefully composed and edited, but that I am very happy I deleted instead of submitting. Sometimes it is enough to write your feelings down. You then dn’t need to air/transmit them.

Also, if you are too free with your personal feelings on these boards, you have to be prepared for someone to step in and express their opinion that everything you hold dear is shit. And the pain that causes isn’t necessarily assuaged if you drop your gloves and come out firing. In some cases, you might wish to consider whether you would be better of not posting a particular post in the first place. In any event, at least briefly consider how you might respond to hostile responses.

Feel free to disregard my suggestion. Please believe I intend it constructively and in good will.

Another suggestion - you might want to think about just stepping back from the boards - at least for a day or 2. They’ll still be there when and if you decide to come back. Think about how you would like to be perceived, and how your posting style and thread choice might influence that. Take a look at what you have posted recently, and decide if that is really the persona you wish to convey.
And if you voluntarily take a bit of a break, you have control over whether or not you return. Which is not the case if you get carried away and get banned.

In my personal experience, I have been surprised at how my feelings towards this board have changed over time - often day-to-day. Some days I can’t wait to get into my computer to post. Others, I don’t even think of it, and wonder why I spend so much time here. Sometimes the board is rewarding and fulfilling, and others it pisses the hell out of me. Hell, I’m still trying to figure it out, and I’ve only been here a couple of years.

I look forward to meeting you on these boards in the future.

48

Or maybe not:

http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=169512

:dubious:

49

Damn.
So much for the high road.
What a fucking idiot!