And? That’s his view, and a strong one at that, but that’s about it, no? It is blunt for sure but surely you don’t think it is abusive or in need of moderating?!
Do you honestly think our one teenager can’t handle something being referred to (and quite creatively at that) as BS?!
I firmly do not believe this kind of language has a place in a civil discussion, especially between relative strangers. I wince when it’s used with IRL friends. As has been said, you can disagree firmly and with facts without resorting to what is dangerously close to name-calling.
Anyway, the moderators have spoken. Disagreements with how things are managed would probably be best taken with them privately.
(EDIT: first paragraph meant more as a general observation on public interaction on forums, rather than a strict observation or judgement on the quoted thread or people.)
I agree with everything that’s been said here, both positive and negative, and I have gotten into it with him as well (although, in my case, it was I that was at fault). Still, on balance, I’d like to have him back. I was (and still am) hoping his suspension wasn’t permanent.
I hope so too.
I’ve said my piece, hopefully without offending anyone, and I’m done with this thread.
Maybe. Maybe not. I can’t judge. But that’s the thing - I don’t think it’s about what people can “handle” when we’re talking about this forum.
The argument I was replying to is “MPU is a forum for grown-ups, right?”
That’s true in the sense that everybody is expected to take responsibility for their own actions.
But it’s also intended to be a family-friendly group, per the FAQ. In that sense, “MPU is a forum for grown-ups” is a false statement. So I think that the usage of the phrasing runs afoul of the guidance in the FAQ. That’s not my call though, obviously, as it’s not my forum.
Back to the root of the matter…
The point of this forum, to my understanding, is not to have a forum for unbridled, anything-goes free speech. It’s to have a place for Apple geeks to talk about fun stuff, gripe about not-so-fun stuff, and have productive discussions.
I have encountered here that @bowline being argumentative and he always wants to have the last word. But @bowline also brings in vast knowledge too. I think it’s harsh to suspend him. Honestly I was wondering if he went on vacation or if he ran into some health issues with every going on around. If possible please bring @bowline back. It’s good to have some sort of arguments.
Gang, be assured we didn’t do this rashly or without what we felt was just cause. The user in question got plenty of chances and plenty of feedback before we made our decision. We want the MPU forums to be a positive and friendly place, and our choice as a moderation team was made with that as our guiding principle.
If you don’t agree, I totally get it, but our choice here is final.
I agree It’s definitely best to lock out the thread at the beginning as we have no idea how the interactions between the suspended and the moderators went.
But I’m confused about your opinions. You expressed that he discussion of personal values was offensive. That the original post was not out of the line, while the later discussions were distasteful. However, the original post was where most of the qualitative words were introduced, and where the unwarranted doubts about the moderators were expressed. The following discussions were mostly about actions and facts.
Discourse here is exceptionally informative due to the steadfastness of the community to counterbalance the occasional lopsidedness of a few individuals. I sense that most folks here know how to grow a thicker skin, cut off any harshness politely, and move on.
I give the moderators full respect that they know what they are doing and why they did what they did. Whether @bowline crossed a line too far or too often is only for them to need to know.
I would vote in the latter case for a period of penance (a cooling off period). I would vote in the former case for being shown the door out.
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JJW
Off the top of my head, I can think of at least five posts from people who are still active who have posted things far more offensive to me than anything I’ve read by @bowline, but I didn’t have any difficulty moving past those discussions and letting bygones be bygones.
I guess it’s time to start flagging.
Exactly. Thank you for this.
Please don’t be so defensive. It’s okay you don’t care. And I’m not trying to put anything into your mouth. Thanks for the insights!
Ok, now we’re getting multiple flags in this thread. Anyone is free to contact me directly about this, but this thread isn’t helping anyone.