Reviewing the rules

It's been a while since we've had to go over the rules of civil discourse here at treppenwitz.   Considering that there are a lot of newcomers who seem anxious to participate in the discussions here but who are apparently unaware of the local culture, it looks as though a short review might be in order.

First of all, this site does not adhere to a strict party line.  We do not require that comments or commenters be right wing, left wing, religious or secular.  I happen to be just right of center on most defense-related topics... but I'll be the first to admit that I've learned far more from people who don't share my opinions than from those who do.

However, I do not allow the gratuitous use of insults, profanity or intentionally demeaning references to individuals or groups.  If you disagree with something I have said or with a comment left by someone else, you MUST figure out a way to attack the idea... not the person expressing it.  If you mount a personal attack on an individual (or on the group to which you think the individual belongs) instead of dealing directly with the issue at hand... your comment will almost certainly be deleted.

Second, you must leave a valid email address with your comment.  If I think you have crossed a line with something you have said (and being the site owner, what I think counts for a lot), I will often email you and offer you the opportunity to modify your comment so that it can be resubmitted and become part of the discussion.  I have done this with countless comments from both the right and left, and more often than not the commenter is more than willing to restate his/her position in such a way that is not unnecessarily offensive or confrontational.  But if you use a bogus email address I can't give you that opportunity... your comment will just go away without a trace.

Next, if your position is such that it cannot co-exist with other positions (e.g. calling for the destruction of Israel or for the killing of all Palestinians/Arabs), I will assume you are not interested in exchanging ideas and will delete your comment.  An example of when this rule might be set aside would be the theoretical discussion of what might happen if the current conflict became global or if non-conventional weapons were introduced into the conflict.  In that case, the discussion would center on what extenuating circumstances might have to exist for such a thing to come to pass... not your desire that it should do so.

Another no-no:  Leaving a comment that has no direct connection to the post on which it is left.  This is a sure way to have your comment deleted.  The same can be said for leaving unrelated links to sites that support your agenda but do not relate to the current discussion.  Don't do it.

There is no moderator here other than the site owner (me).  A recent commenter from Escondido California claimed that she was "the moderator of this forum" and took exception to my deleting a few comments, saying "not one utterance of a vile or curse word was made by the one posting whose posts you did not like. They have only uttered what you refuse to or prefer not to hear. There are ways to get around that." 

I beg to differ.  Here are a couple of samples of the comments that have gotten the ax in the past 48 hours:

Your[sic] an idiot [name of another commenter]. You are also probably an Nazi who would gas little children whose race you believed was sub-human. Your posts indicate you hate Arab people with such a vengeance you can justify any action that eliminates them from the face of the earth. You are one sad little bastard.

Just to review... what's wrong here?   Correct, the writer attacked another commenter rather than discussing the topic.  Oh, and the gratuitous and insulting use of profanity was the kiss of death.

Another one... this time directed at me:

Censorship?? Is the truth hurting here? What next, book burning coz we know where that will end. You should know better but I guess your current situation shows you have learnt nothing from history. And I still think [name of another commenter] is a sick crazy dickhead.

Again, it completely ignored the topic under discussion, brought in gratuitous accusations of nazi-like behavior... and then ended with yet another defiant bit of profanity.  Hasta La Bye-Bye!

To be fair, there are a few regular commenters here who like to test my patience and frequently cross the lines of propriety.  However I haven't banned them because they will always allow themselves to be reeled back in.  I don't like that they take advantage of this leeway... but I view it in the same light as I would a smarmy courtroom attorney who blurts out a statement he/she knows will not stand up to opposing counsel's objection, but which the jury will now be unable to forget no matter how sternly the judge instructs them to disregard it.  In other words when it gets to be too much I send them an email or an IM (the blogger equivalent of being called into chambers) and read them the riot act.

One last thing.  I try to hold myself to the same standards of conduct to which I hold commenters.  However, being the site-owner does have certain privileges.   If you look through the archives you will see that I almost always apologize publicly for crossing the line.    True, I may not be the boss of you (as my kids like to say), but I reserve the right to break the rules occasionally... and to exclude you from the discussions if you try to follow suit.  I know... not fair, but there it is.

If you want to share your ideas - even unpopular/controversial ideas - you are welcome to do so.  But if your intention is to interrupt the flow of ideas and be deliberately disruptive to the community here at treppenwitz... You will be barred from participating.  We do not feed trolls in this forum.

This isn't some town square where you can get up on a soap box and shout anything you want.  This is my living room.  I may not have invited you here, but I left the door open... you walked in... and that makes you my guest.  Please act the part or I will show you the door.

 

OK, (hopefully) 'nuff said.