Forum Rules of Conduct

[babydinosnoreless]

...
I was surprised when a recent thread that I had started ( see: Contributors Qualifications) was locked because of a squabble between two other posters.

Whether he was off-topic or not is for me to evaluate, but it does seem to be unjust to lock down my thread, because of someone else's actions.
...

It should come as no surprise that a thread titled "Contributors Qualifications" that was also largely a complaint about posters generalizing negatively about medical professionals would rapidly degenerate into into some kind of pissing contest and become locked.

Was the original intent of your locked thread to determine what qualifications posters hold that permit them to make sweeping generalizations? I think we all know there are no such qualifications. People generalize and will continue doing so. And it is pretty much allowed here.

Those of us who used USENET back in the day, or perhaps even use it today (it's been quite a while since i used it) may be better adjusted to an unfettered exchange. I for one have no problem with the light touch moderation we have here now (Edit - Thanks to Pugsy - Thank You Pugsy!)

Hahaha usenet now there is a blast from the past. Download/ upload packets on a dial up, wait sometimes 24 or more hours for replies and by then things were all blown up. I used to moderate the star trek threads for both rime and in-tellec back in the day what a different internet it was back then. Is usenet even still around ?

[amenite]

...
I was surprised when a recent thread that I had started ( see: Contributors Qualifications) was locked because of a squabble between two other posters.

Whether he was off-topic or not is for me to evaluate, but it does seem to be unjust to lock down my thread, because of someone else's actions.
...

It should come as no surprise that a thread titled "Contributors Qualifications" that was also largely a complaint about posters generalizing negatively about medical professionals would rapidly degenerate into into some kind of pissing contest and become locked.

Was the original intent of your locked thread to determine what qualifications posters hold that permit them to make sweeping generalizations? I think we all know there are no such qualifications. People generalize and will continue doing so. And it is pretty much allowed here.

Those of us who used USENET back in the day, or perhaps even use it today (it's been quite a while since i used it) may be better adjusted to an unfettered exchange. I for one have no problem with the light touch moderation we have here now (Edit - Thanks to Pugsy - Thank You Pugsy!)

Hahaha usenet now there is a blast from the past. Download/ upload packets on a dial up, wait sometimes 24 or more hours for replies and by then things were all blown up. I used to moderate the star trek threads for both rime and in-tellec back in the day what a different internet it was back then. Is usenet even still around ?

Sample usenet thread:

>> You know they are moderating cpaptalk.com these days?
> You know who else moderated their forums? The Nazis! YES the NAZIS!

And at this point you moved on to something else

[ChicagoGranny]

Sample usenet thread:

>> You know they are moderating cpaptalk.com these days?
> You know who else moderated their forums? The Nazis! YES the NAZIS!

The Gazpachos!

[zonker]

Sample usenet thread:

>> You know they are moderating cpaptalk.com these days?
> You know who else moderated their forums? The Nazis! YES the NAZIS!

The Gazpachos!

[babydinosnoreless]

...
I was surprised when a recent thread that I had started ( see: Contributors Qualifications) was locked because of a squabble between two other posters.

Whether he was off-topic or not is for me to evaluate, but it does seem to be unjust to lock down my thread, because of someone else's actions.
...

It should come as no surprise that a thread titled "Contributors Qualifications" that was also largely a complaint about posters generalizing negatively about medical professionals would rapidly degenerate into into some kind of pissing contest and become locked.

Was the original intent of your locked thread to determine what qualifications posters hold that permit them to make sweeping generalizations? I think we all know there are no such qualifications. People generalize and will continue doing so. And it is pretty much allowed here.

Those of us who used USENET back in the day, or perhaps even use it today (it's been quite a while since i used it) may be better adjusted to an unfettered exchange. I for one have no problem with the light touch moderation we have here now (Edit - Thanks to Pugsy - Thank You Pugsy!)

Hahaha usenet now there is a blast from the past. Download/ upload packets on a dial up, wait sometimes 24 or more hours for replies and by then things were all blown up. I used to moderate the star trek threads for both rime and in-tellec back in the day what a different internet it was back then. Is usenet even still around ?

Sample usenet thread:

>> You know they are moderating cpaptalk.com these days?
> You know who else moderated their forums? The Nazis! YES the NAZIS!

And at this point you moved on to something else

I used to like to argue. I would have said goodwins law, you lose , I win. Then done the little I win dance.

Back in the day I could troll with the best of them. Now, unless I get a wild hair or am in a mood I usually just ignore and refuse to engage. When I'm in a mood I try to stay away from here, Since I find this place genuinely helpful and don't want to get booted or worse have pugsy send her aliens after me.

[dataq1]

Ever hear of the term "collateral damage"?

Of course. Collateral Damage - unintentional and/or accidental damage or injury inflicted on non-combatants.
So, I understand your need to lock the thread, and accept that it was unintentional to limit my expression.

On a slightly different but allied subject, I do appreciate your directing me to review the forum's User Agreement. In that agreement I see a prohibition against posting any material that is abusive, vulgar, hateful, harassing, obscene, etc.
Now, I don't know where this falls on your spectrum of abuse or vulgarity, but calling others an a$$hole or using the acronym FFS
( understood to be For F**KS Sake) ought to be bumping up on prohibited postings. I now realize that some contributors on this forum are just trying to provoke a reaction by being abusive, this thread itself is replete with those folks. I've come to the conclusion that, since I can't stop abuse, I'll just ignore it and not react to abusers.

So, you've responded to my original posting, and I accept your explanation that it was unintentional and not directed at me.
Sleep well,

[Pugsy]

I do appreciate your directing me to review the forum's User Agreement. In that agreement I see a prohibition against posting any material that is abusive, vulgar, hateful, harassing, obscene, etc.
Now, I don't know where this falls on your spectrum of abuse or vulgarity, but calling others an a$$hole or using the acronym FFS
( understood to be For F**KS Sake) ought to be bumping up on prohibited postings. I now realize that some contributors on this forum are just trying to provoke a reaction by being abusive, this thread itself is replete with those folks. I've come to the conclusion that, since I can't stop abuse, I'll just ignore it and not react to abusers.

When I accepted this position I specifically asked Mr. Goodman about his feeling for the F bomb and/or similar expressions...like acronyms or whatever. You know what I was told?...."it depends on how it is used or intent"....I was not told that any and all expressions of the F bomb constituted a breaking of the terms of agreement warranting some sort of discipline.

I already told you what Johnny valued above all else...and that is freedom of speech...be it good or bad or what one person deems profane or not. It is just the way he is. Long before I accepted this position I noticed a lot of "talk" directed to people that I wouldn't allow....he did allow. Some of it was a lot worse than calling someone an asshole too.

It's not my forum...it's his and I try real hard to just be an extension of his arm. I don't always succeed because it isn't easy to get inside someone's head to know their intent when they go down the "rather colorful road".
I do the best I can though and I know I am far from perfect when it comes to figuring out what a person's intent was when they go dropping the F bomb or alluding to it in some fashion. I flunked mind reading 101 in college.

Someone else caused your other thread to get locked. It got derailed by people just wanting to poke at each other and they continue to poke AFTER I politely asked them not to and I explained the consequences if they continued.
I can't go making promises I don't keep. I don't make that promise lightly and most of the forum members know me well enough and respect my decisions enough to cool it if I am finally to the point to make such a promise because they know I don't make empty promises. Unfortunately over the years we have had some members who just don't care and they won't stop because their real intent is to cause the pissing contests and just disrupt the forum in general. I could ban them but there's nothing stopping them from creating a new account ID and starting all over again except it's more work for me to try to ferret them out. I have been down this road many times over the years I have been moderator here.

All this and in the back of my mind I have to say to myself....just what would Johnny do???? or more aptly not do??
I can't please everyone but I do know that most members don't really like the derailment of any threads into pissing contests. That helps no one at all except maybe the person just wanting to keep stirring up trouble by any means they can so that they get the attention they feed on....and they end up eating a big meal at the expense of others.

Big difference between me and Johnny....he keeps hoping that the kids in the sand box will grow up and play nice and stop the hateful stuff...me, I know they won't ever change. He always gives a lot more chances to grow up than I am willing to give. I have to weigh forum disruption damage over collateral damage sometimes. Johnny knew this when he asked me to be moderator and help keep things toned down a bit here so it wasn't the wild, wild west here. If I delete offensive posts...the offender will come right back and repeatedly post the same crap again and again. It happened in your thread the other night.
So about all that is left is no one gets to post in the pissing contest at all. Locking of threads.

It's not perfect for sure but it's a lot better than it used to be.

[zonker]

myself, i find a great deal of difference between the "f" word and for ffs. in my personal life, among my friends, i drop that ol' f bomb with abandon. but not here. i think actually seeing it in print is just, well, vulgar.

i used ffs once here and apparently it has stuck in the op's mind as the most horrendous thing ever. nothing i can do about it now anyway as the thread has been locked.

there was a new user here last year that not only dropped the f bomb, he put mom in front of it. instead of having a stroke over it, i sent a pm to pugsy to please clean it up.

as far as i'm concerned, it seems this whole topic could've been similarly handled between the op and pugsy with a pm and the rest of us could've have been spared.

just my opinion.

[palerider]

myself, i find a great deal of difference between the "f" word and for ffs. in my personal life, among my friends, i drop that ol' f bomb with abandon. but not here. i think actually seeing it in print is just, well, vulgar.

i used ffs once here and apparently it has stuck in the op's mind as the most horrendous thing ever. nothing i can do about it now anyway as the thread has been locked.

there was a new user here last year that not only dropped the f bomb, he put mom in front of it. instead of having a stroke over it, i sent a pm to pugsy to please clean it up.

as far as i'm concerned, it seems this whole topic could've been similarly handled between the op and pugsy with a pm and the rest of us could've have been spared.

just my opinion.

But, the OP *likes* to stir up trouble, while pretending to be perfectly innocent.

Truly, the only question is whether the OP is clueless about the troublesome nature of their behavior, or is nothing but an argumentative troll and are taking joy in the feelings they generate? either way, the result is the same.

[zonker]

But, the OP *likes* to stir up trouble, while pretending to be perfectly innocent.

Truly, the only question is whether the OP is clueless about the troublesome nature of their behavior, or is nothing but an argumentative troll and are taking joy in the feelings they generate? either way, the result is the same.

yeah, yeah, i know. it's said "concern troll is concerned". but i don't like to necessarily put people in the "troll" box, mainly because i feel it blows them off too easily.

all i can glean from dataq1 is that he doesn't want cursing where he thinks cursing is not allowed. and that he is prejudiced towards the opinion of a doctor over that of a forum member. oh and that pugsy isn't running the forum to his satisfaction.

[dataq1]

Between you and I we have concluded the inquiry I had regarding the locking down of an earlier thread. I am grateful for your clear explanation.

You then wrote extensively about your task as moderator. Let me say emphatically, I don't relish the commission you've accepted. It has to be demanding to be "on call" 24/7 to attempt to carry out Mr. Goodman's mission to make Cpaptalk (as he says) " CPAPtalk must be above all things a welcoming, supportive and helpful place".

It may well be that the "welcoming" part of that mission is the greatest challenge that moderators face.

This is not being critical of you in anyway, and I believe that you are being completely honest when you say: "...in the back of my mind I have to say to myself....just what would Johnny do???? " . I am empathetic and understanding of that conflict of how to deal with personalities that tend to turn a discussion to personal and toxic attacks.

Having moderated other boards, back in the day when users were not as protected by a sense of anonymity, I just wanted to say that I appreciate your efforts to "thread the needle", and I accept that some days the sandbox will be at peace and others..... well, not so much.


Have a restful night's sleep.

[BuckarooBanzai]

I used to own/administer a site like this one but for a different topic. My approach:

1. When a member posted something offensive (cursing, name calling, aggressive behavior, etc.) on another member's thread, I deleted the offender's post and sent him/her a warning.

2. When a member unintentionally derailed another member's thread with another topic, I split the thread. I left the original thread intact, and moved the derailing post (and any responses) to a new thread.

Problem solved, no problem. Newbies who'd accidentally derailed a thread got the new thread they deserved and needed. Offensive individuals learned very quickly to clean up their act or get out. The very few jerks who did not learn their lesson, I banished them from the forum.

[dataq1]

I used to own/administer a site like this one but for a different topic. My approach:

1. When a member posted something offensive (cursing, name calling, aggressive behavior, etc.) on another member's thread, I deleted the offender's post and sent him/her a warning.

2. When a member unintentionally derailed another member's thread with another topic, I split the thread. I left the original thread intact, and moved the derailing post (and any responses) to a new thread.

Problem solved, no problem. Newbies who'd accidentally derailed a thread got the new thread they deserved and needed. Offensive individuals learned very quickly to clean up their act or get out. The very few jerks who did not learn their lesson, I banished them from the forum.

Makes sense to me, it doesn't advance the mission of this forum (or to each of our desires to learn about our sleep disordered breathing challenges) to engage in personal attacks or offensive behaviour.

Thanks for your perspective.

[BuckarooBanzai]

Makes sense to me, it doesn't advance the mission of this forum (or to each of our desires to learn about our sleep disordered breathing challenges) to engage in personal attacks or offensive behaviour.

Exactly.