Rights and Responsibilities
Rights and responsibilities tend to go hand in hand in our society, but people are much more willing to demand their rights than they are to accept their responsibilities. News Talkers is a community, a sub-set of society, in which we dwell or visit in order to further social discourse and information exchange and rights versus responsibilities paradigm is in play. We, as members have rights to freely express our opinions, to provide perspective and insight on the views and opinions of others and on the issues of the day, but as members of News Talkers we also have the responsibility to do those things in a responsible, civil and respectful manner.
We have the right to aggressively and forcefully advocate for our positions on issues and to present and defend our opinions, but we must also be willing to accept without acrimony other members doing the same with positions and opinions that diametrically oppose our own. Most members, at one time or another, have failed in our responsibilities as members (I know I have) to act in a responsible, civil, respectful manner in discussing topics and dealing with other members and have been reined in by site moderators.
We have a good crew of moderators and, though I have significant differences on issues and ideology with some of them, while not always agreeing with their rulings have always been treated fairly and with respect in discussions of my own transgressions. It is unacceptable, in my humble opinion, for members (I include myself here) to decide that we have been wronged in some manner and that we are going to denigrate the quality of the entire forum by Out-Herod Herod by spamming, ridiculing and disrupting any chance of actual discussion.
Every member has the right to comport themselves as they wish as regards civil and respectful discourse on NT, but if each of us took personal responsibility to be civil (but aggressive), respectful (but un-cowed) and forceful (without attacking) in the manner we communicate on threads and articles, I think it would a lot more fun around here.
I, for one, am going to give it a try.
"Red Box Rules Robert in Ohio"
All are welcome to post comments or pictures on my articles.
I ask only that they be at least tangentially relevant to the article topic or comment to which they are in response. Comments about members, personal attacks, gross, off-topic comments and graphics will be referred to the moderators for a decision of whether to delete or not delete the comments.
Again all are welcome, to debate, refute or argue but if you are on board only to derail and deride, you are politely requested to not participate.
"Red Box Rules Robert in Ohio"
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"Red Box Rules Robert in Ohio"
All are welcome to post comments or pictures on my articles.
I ask only that they be at least tangentially relevant to the article topic or comment to which they are in response. Comments about members, personal attacks, gross, off-topic comments and graphics will be referred to the moderators for a decision of whether to delete or not delete the comments.
Again all are welcome, to debate, refute or argue but if you are on board only to derail and deride, you are politely requested to not participate.
"Red Box Rules Robert in Ohio"
I appreciate the opportunity to say my piece and now you all can have your own turns at the microphone.
Enjoy yourselves
Robert G
Appreciate the feedback and perspective
You are right that one might interpret a comment/graphic in one way, when it is intended in another, but off-topic, attacking, gross etc is what it is whether it is a single item or a plethora of items.
Again thanks for the perspective and the good points you make.
John
Appreciate your perspective on the matter
Robert G
I agree and repetition is also annoying, unnecessary, disruptiveand rude
Gunny
Thanks for sharing your perspective.
The change in tone has to start with each of us, if we each try to be more civil, more respectful and discuss with attacking or denigrating then the overall atmosphere cannot not help but change for the better.
Thanks again for the feedback
Perhaps ignoring their articles and comments rather than feeding and encouraging them is a better way to deal with them than to engage into an escalating tit for tat.
Gunny
Well that is where we need to start, tit-for-tat exchanges reinforces their own exaggerated view of the value of their contribution (using the term loosely)
bf
Ignore comments you find mean spirited, hurtful and unproductive to the discussion rather than engaging
I appreciate your dropping by and sharing your perspective
Fact check: You both make snide remarks at each other. And you are missing the point of this article.
Gunny
Only if we allow them to assume importance, ignore those that you find offensive, disruptive or uncivil in discussion rather than engaging in a tit-for-tat verbal war that no one ever wins.
It has been my personal observation that everyone is a troll to someone, and that everyone has the capacity to be a troll. Food for thought.
Perrie
I agree with that point
Gunny
The point is, if I ignore the person be uncivil and disruptive and he moves onto you and then you ignore him too and so on and so on
Eventually he will realize he is playing with himself (figuratively) and cease and desist
John
Please try, difficult as it may be, to move on and discuss the topic, how we can make the site better, the discussions better by increasing civility and respect for each other and eliminating discussions and attacks on other members.
Gunny
I respect your view on the matter but disagree and suggest that we agree to disagree about the best way to deal with someone we find disruptive, uncivil or trollish
Thanks for your contributions and perspective