NationStates Jolt Archive

Why is it that the people who run the forums have made great efforts to prevent flaming and flamebaiting? Have they not realised that much of the fun of forums is that fact that you have anonymity and can say what you like? Yet we are told that our insults should stop. How can this essential part of the forum experience be denied us? Wanted: your thoughts

Limits need to be applied to posters in order to retain some resemblance to civil discussion. With all of the political and social threads that seem to run through General, if people were allowed to flame, the sub-forum would end up as a continous, 24 hour stream of death threats and claims about our mothers.

It would be rather unpleasent.

I think the idea is that there are thousands of sites out there already inadvertantly dedicated to flaming and flamebaiting. NS attempts to be a haven from such commonly crude behavior. I can't speak for everyone (and would be excoriated severely within the limits of unflammability by my NS peers in an instant if I ever claimed to), but I find the moratorium on trolls, spam and people who just want to come in and flamethrow without thinking about the validity of their posts to be very refreshing. I've never been on a site as long as I've been on NS, and their policy on relative civility is one of the main reasons.

If you feel the need to flame, there are MANY places to go -- this isn't one of them.

The majority of the posters that have come to this forum have done so for the ability to intelligently discuss topic without having to worry about good discussions ruined by anonymous idiots diluting the threads with worthless asshattery.

If you want to flame/flamebait, go somewhere else, I like civility.

Limits need to be applied to posters in our to retain some resemblance to civil discussion. With all of the political and social threads that seem to run through General, if people were allowed to flame, the sub-forum would end up as a continous, 24 stream of death threats and claims about our mothers.

It would be rather unpleasent.
Would it now......? Have you considered that people can be just as unpleasant while being civil. At least with flaming there is some entertainment value.

Why is it that the people who run the forums have made great efforts to prevent flaming and flamebaiting? Have they not realised that much of the fun of forums is that fact that you have anonymity and can say what you like? Yet we are told that our insults should stop. How can this essential part of the forum experience be denied us? Wanted: your thoughts

*NSy voice*
This raises an interesting issue: maybe it would be for the best if a special forum was opened where any insultive language was allowed?
agree

Furthermore....discretion on what counts as a flame is left up to the mods. How do we know that their judgement is fair? What they see as a flame might not recognise the true nature of a statement yet they are all-powerful in the forum arena

*NSy voice*
This raises an interesting issue: maybe it would be for the best if a special forum was opened where any insultive language was allowed?
agree
Finally....a person with a sense of humour! An excellent suggestion.

Would it now......? Have you considered that people can be just as unpleasant while being civil. At least with flaming there is some entertainment value.

How long do you think the forums would last if everyone could flame each other at will? For one the huge quantity of utterly worthless posts would bugger the server. For another hardly anybody would make serious topics if they knew they were gonna be flamed by asshats.

How long do you think the forums would last if everyone could flame each other at will? For one the huge quantity of utterly worthless posts would bugger the server. For another hardly anybody would make serious topics if they knew they were gonna be flamed by asshats.
FLAME!! I happen to be an asshat and I find your statement deeply offensive! Why would people who wear butt-shaped headgear flame more than others and why would their flaming be worse? Your jaded views sicken me..!

Would it now......? Have you considered that people can be just as unpleasant while being civil.

Well, I suppose this is true.

The restrictions that are currently in place though, serve to ensure that atleast some actual discussion takes place. Even if a thread contains some snarky comments and disguised barbs here and there, it continues to progress as an actual discussion, an exchange of ideas, instead of just a thread where people threaten to punch eachother over the internet.

Without any restrictions, actual discussions would become very difficult to have.

At least with flaming there is some entertainment value.

Well, in some cases, I guess I'd agree with you. :)

Furthermore....discretion on what counts as a flame is left up to the mods. How do we know that their judgement is fair? What they see as a flame might not recognise the true nature of a statement yet they are all-powerful in the forum arena.

This is a problem that exists in nearly every forum. I doubt that there's an easy way to improve it, so we've just come to live with it.

Furthermore....discretion on what counts as a flame is left up to the mods. How do we know that their judgement is fair? What they see as a flame might not recognise the true nature of a statement yet they are all-powerful in the forum arena

Mods aren't all powerful, admins are. If you feel you were reprimanded unfairly by a mod you can go and complain about it, to the other mods or to an admin.

*NSy voice*
This raises an interesting issue: maybe it would be for the best if a special forum was opened where any insultive language was allowed?
agree
Why? If people want to anonymously flame other people there are other forums where they can, or they can set up their own forum.

You would think you could complain but the mods never reply. We need more accountability in the system!

You would think you could complain but the mods never reply. We need more accountability in the system!
Mods are people too, they have lives and aren't always online. And some times they get inundated with complains and they can't address every single one. If you realyy think you've been shafted by the mods then go to an admin. I agree it's not a perfect system, but how do you suggest it be done better?

Mods are people too, they have lives and aren't always online. And some times they get inundated with complains and they can't address every single one. If you realyy think you've been shafted by the mods then go to an admin. I agree it's not a perfect system, but how do you suggest it be done better?
Perhaps just a little bit more anarchy......or a few less people making trivial complaints.....or requests for more volunteer mods

I thought this was going to be something about Hitler and Mein Kampf...

Perhaps just a little bit more anarchy......or a few less people making trivial complaints.....or requests for more volunteer mods

I thought all the mods were volunteers? Surely they aren't forced into being mods.

On another note: how do you get the funny little desciptions like "cybersheep farmer" under your name?

On another note: how do you get the funny little desciptions like "cybersheep farmer" under your name?
Post a fuckton of crap.

I thought this was going to be something about Hitler and Mein Kampf...
Well Mein Kampf is a good read with many fine points but i thought i'd complain about something else today other than those damm Jews and their funny little hats and so on.







(note: that was meant to be humerous: Views and policies of the Third Reich not supported or carried out by Morgallis of any of its subsidieries. All rights resrved)

Post a fuckton of crap.
Its linked to the number of posts eh? Any idea of the levels needed for each description? Does anyone know?

Limits need to be applied to posters in our to retain some resemblance to civil discussion. With all of the political and social threads that seem to run through General, if people were allowed to flame, the sub-forum would end up as a continous, 24 hour stream of death threats and claims about our mothers.

It would be rather unpleasent.
ROFLMAO! Such cynicism. Tsk! :D

ROFLMAO! Such cynicism. Tsk! :D
Could you put that into actual words please?

Its linked to the number of posts eh? Any idea of the levels needed for each description? Does anyone know?

I generaly changes every hundred or so posts. I think.

Could you put that into actual words please?
Surely you can interpret an acronym.

Surely you can interpret an acronym.
Not all of it:
LMAO: Laugh my arse off
What does ROF mean?

Not all of it:
LMAO: Laugh my arse off
What does ROF mean?
Rich Old Fart

Not all of it:
LMAO: Laugh my arse off
What does ROF mean?

ROFLMAO=Rolling On the Floor Laughing My Arse Off.

Rich Old Fart
Hahahahahahahahaha! I WISH! :D

ROFLMAO! Such cynicism. Tsk! :D

Thank you, thank you.

Years of work in the service industry has worn away my faith in humanity, and has left me the angry husk I am today.

Rawr. :)

Hahahahahahahahaha! I WISH! :D
We all know that you have millions stashed away from your porn star days...we all know....Captain Rock Hard.

I have a problem with wanting to flame. This all but overpowering urge only seems to occur when I read posts of such overwhelming ignorance, under-whelming logic, and overweening arrogance that I want to break something or find an ax and begin lopping off heads.

We all know that you have millions stashed away from your porn star days...we all know....Captain Rock Hard.
ROFLMFAO!!! You nut! Hell, if I had been a porn star and now was rich as a result, do you think I would be spending so much time posting on, and being bashed by members of, NS General? :D

Flaming is poor discipline, and poor discipline is untidy. It lowers the standard of debate and discourages the lasting presence of people with more intelligent contributions to make. There are subtle ways of being unpleasant, but at least those with a sharp wit are playing by the rules of the game. Screaming "Communazi!" at the top of your lungs is not the same.

I have a problem with wanting to flame. This all but overpowering urge only seems to occur when I read posts of such overwhelming ignorance, under-whelming logic, and overweening arrogance that I want to break something or find an ax and begin lopping off heads.
Nothing wrong with being arrogant....as long as what you believe about yourself is true.....like it is with me!

Nothing wrong with being arrogant....as long as what you believe about yourself is true.....like it is with me!
:rolleyes:

Flaming is poor discipline, and poor discipline is untidy. It lowers the standard of debate and discourages the lasting presence of people with more intelligent contributions to make. There are subtle ways of being unpleasant, but at least those with a sharp wit are playing by the rules of the game. Screaming "Communazi!" at the top of your lungs is not the same.
To hell with your conformism! Untidy is chaotic and chaos breeds creation.....or something like that

:rolleyes:
And what is that supposed to mean?

And what is that supposed to mean?

:rolleyes:

That probably.

To hell with your conformism! Untidy is chaotic and chaos breeds creation.....or something like that

Chaos breeds the creation of a new system.

Chaos breeds the creation of a new system.
Or does it? perhaps chaos creates an unending ring of disorder until all matter is ingulfed or perhaps it just breeds dogs in its spare time

To hell with your conformism! Untidy is chaotic and chaos breeds creation.....or something like that
Anarchy breeds boredom. You can tear down the walls of the State all you like, eventually you realise you have achieved nothing but a hangover, a wrecked car and a pile of burnt banknotes.

Also, this is not your space to mess up. This is a privately-owned website and we are guests who must abide by the rules. If you want to soil a carpet, buy your own. Domain registration is well within the reach of the common man.

Flaming is poor discipline, and poor discipline is untidy. It lowers the standard of debate and discourages the lasting presence of people with more intelligent contributions to make. There are subtle ways of being unpleasant, but at least those with a sharp wit are playing by the rules of the game. Screaming "Communazi!" at the top of your lungs is not the same.
Perhaps you are in league with the Communazis! Is that why you do not wish us to expose them in a loud way? I think so.....

Anarchy breeds boredom. You can tear down the walls of the State all you like, eventually you realise you have achieved nothing but a hangover, a wrecked car and a pile of burnt banknotes.

Also, this is not your space to mess up. This is a privately-owned website and we are guests who must abide by the rules. If you want to soil a carpet, buy your own. Domain registration is well within the reach of the common man.
There's always a new state to move on to....