Warning to Blackstar

[Captain Seafort]

Blackstar the Chakat has been formally warned. He was told, by a moderator, to respond to the posts of other users. He failed to do so. Since this is the latest in a string of threads where he's failed to respond to posts, even when repeated asked to, a warning has been issued.

[Blackstar the Chakat]

WTF? I responded to the points you pointed out. If there was something you felt I missed you should have asked me to address those points, not give me a formal warning and lock the topic. And I'm no expert but I don't think forcing someone to argue with you is something moderators are supposed to do.

[Sionnach Glic]

You "replied" with vague handwaving which amounted to you dismissing the arguments in question: effectively ignoring them.

And for the viewers who weren't involved, the debate in question is here.

[Tsukiyumi]

I'm no expert but I don't think forcing someone to argue with you is something moderators are supposed to do.

Agreed. The "debate" in question was a difference of opinion anyways. In the future, when asked (or demanded) to defend an opinion, simply call the other person an idiot, and tell them to f*ck off. If someone has that big of a stick up their ass, they should probably see a doctor.

[Mikey]

The point is, the subject in question neither responded from his own position, nor said anything to the effect of "Pop off, it's my opinion," nor said anything to the effect of "I can't defend it but oh well," nor anything responsive at all - rather, he continued ignoring any responses made to his own position and furthered disagreement by making tangential or completely unrelated comments. This has been chronic, not acute. I personally have as recently as today on this forum defended someone's right to have an opinion without having to provide it with a factual basis; in that case, however, the person in question repeatedly made mention of the fact that he was only stating his opinion and couldn't or wouldn't try to win a debate over the matter.

[Tsukiyumi]

The point is, the subject in question neither responded from his own position, nor said anything to the effect of "Pop off, it's my opinion," nor said anything to the effect of "I can't defend it but oh well," nor anything responsive at all - rather, he continued ignoring any responses made to his own position and furthered disagreement by making tangential or completely unrelated comments. This has been chronic, not acute. I personally have as recently as today on this forum defended someone's right to have an opinion without having to provide it with a factual basis; in that case, however, the person in question repeatedly made mention of the fact that he was only stating his opinion and couldn't or wouldn't try to win a debate over the matter.

I was reading the thread in question when the problem started; I wasn't aware that there was a "debate" until Seafort made his threat. In my opinion, this whole issue is BS, there was no problem, and if we're going to ban people for being "jerks", then aim that ban cannon right at Seafort, Deep, Thorin, Kendall, and myself as well.

In case no one can tell, I find this situation rather hypocritical. But hey, that's only my opinion.

[Mikey]

Well, Tsu, this seems to be an academic point at this time, but I can only tell you a couple of things:

1) I don't think you're a jerk at all.

2) There are jerks, and then there are jerks. I've gotten into it with people here, most notably my fallout with Thorin. He was being a jerk, and more importantly I realized after the fact that I was being a jerk. Here's the important part - we both came back, grew up a little, and stopped doing the jerky things. Blackstar wasn't getting into it with a person he just couldn't get along with; he habitually sidetracked or completely disrupted discussions, and couldn't even discuss things once he had so hijacked them. In a forum like this, that's far more "jerky" than simply using foul language or using an angry tone.

[Tsukiyumi]

Well, Tsu, this seems to be an academic point at this time, but I can only tell you a couple of things:

1) I don't think you're a jerk at all.

2) There are jerks, and then there are jerks. I've gotten into it with people here, most notably my fallout with Thorin. He was being a jerk, and more importantly I realized after the fact that I was being a jerk. Here's the important part - we both came back, grew up a little, and stopped doing the jerky things. Blackstar wasn't getting into it with a person he just couldn't get along with; he habitually sidetracked or completely disrupted discussions, and couldn't even discuss things once he had so hijacked them. In a forum like this, that's far more "jerky" than simply using foul language or using an angry tone.

So now we're using a scale of "jerky-ness"? Let me know when I hit critical.

Oh, and for the record, Blackstar is a chick.

[Mikey]

Oh, and for the record, Blackstar is a chick.

You know what? In every case, I was consciously respectful of Blackstar's preferred choice of gender pronouns, even though they weren't real words. Since she (I guess) refused to ever positively identify her actual human gender, I above used the grammatically correct usage, which is to simply choose one or the other.

[Deepcrush]

I have to admit that I was greatly upset that I missed this whole matter. I must also admit that I am worried about the road this makes for us. I'm not to sure but I don't believe we have any real rules to our debates. I think that part has been said to its end but something I felt I needed to say so I beg of all to bare with me on this concern. I can be long winded at times.

To an end I think banning serves little. While it removes a problem, we solve nothing. I myself have been trying to gain a better control over how I respond to others on the forum and while I think I have improved I know I still slip at some points in time. I am by nature a violent and angry person. I have a short temper for things that I believe everyone should already understand. I have a habit of breaking things and people who press those lines. (a family bred from the USMC is a great help on that one ) To stay on topic, banning I think was meaningless. The point of a debate is to find and end point between to views. Be that you now agree or agree to disagree. Banning someone means we have given up on that person. In my own thoughts, I feel that is wrong. IF we begin to ban then there should be a standard in which we do so. There would have to be rules in place, since going by the "what I feel like at the moment" isn't really a wise thing to do. I say that because that is the exact thing I would do... Not saying much for myself I know but its the truth and that happens to be one of my few good charms.

It has been said before but if ignoring someones response or being rude or fighting just because you're in the mood to pick a fight in a reason to be banned then I off hand counted to myself 8 people who should no longer be here as they all have a habit of atleast one of the above.

In the end and to give a short mind of all above, I am against banning someone just because you can't get them to debate in an adult manner. I think that if we are a community then we must deal with both good and bad as it comes.

(If this is something that will only open old wounds and either the mods or IK/GK find this to be out of place then please inform me and I will remove it as quickly as possible.)

[Deepcrush]

Oh, and for the record, Blackstar is a chick.

You know what? In every case, I was consciously respectful of Blackstar's preferred choice of gender pronouns, even though they weren't real words. Since she (I guess) refused to ever positively identify her actual human gender, I above used the grammatically correct usage, which is to simply choose one or the other.

I called Blackstar a "He" once and never got a comment back about it so thats where I stuck. It was a 50/50 shot in the dark anyways.

[Tsukiyumi]

I agree with both of the above statements.

[Deepcrush]

Which one, my long winded speech or the 50/50?

[Mikey]

Actually, Deep, that was a well thought and interesting response. The issue is, this isn't a public place, and Graham and Ian and the moderators aren't here to simply enforce a few rules of extremes. Rather, what was done (while I was at work, BTW) was to improve the quality of the forum for everyone who does try to add something.

As you said, you have tried to improve in an area that was addressed with you - and you've succeeded. Blackstar paid lip-serice to improving an area which was addressed with him, and even flaunted that warnign in his "defense."

[Tsukiyumi]

Which one, my long winded speech or the 50/50?

Both. Though there were a number of clues suggesting "chick".