Jay said:C3PX said:Seriously, if that is your game Jay, then ban me, do you really need a reason?
That's usually the way it works.
Just because I rarely agree with the Four Amigos doesn't mean I go ban crazy. If that's the way you think I operate, then you haven't been paying attention for the last five years.
I also wasn't aware that our "feud" was affecting the online health of those who post in this forum. As I've done in the past, I suggest anyone who doesn't like the atmosphere here go elsewhere. I certainly wouldn't want anyone's mental health to be at risk because their feelings were hurt by someone on teh innernets.
As a matter of fact, the only complaints I've received recently are about a certain group of very insistent members who seem to think Off Topic is a place for them to express their very strong and obviously correct opinions and react with outrage and mile-long posts when others do the same.
And yet those accounts are still active. Know why? Because the people I tend to agree with are free to take a hike too if they don't like things around here.
I have been paying attention for the last five years, and I know that isn't how you work.
And again, Feud probably wasn't the right word, but it does feel like you have been going out of your way to call out or nitpick some of us in non-political threads. The recent "spoilers" incident in the video game thread is a good example. You and I both know I didn't post any spoilers, but you still took the time out to complain to me about posting spoilers. If that was a spoiler, then quite honestly over half the posts in the video games thread have been spoilers. By that criteria for spoilers, you could say someone asking for help beating the mutant shark in Resident Evil 4 was posting spoilers by spoiling the fact that at some point in the game you fight a mutant shark. Plenty of real spoilers are posted in movie and tv show threads by other posters and nothing is ever said about it.
I am sorry to hear you get complaints about us. I do find it really funny though. I can only imagine the content of those complaints, "OMG! I can't believe you let all these neo fascist conservatives run amok on your site spreading lies and hate! As a tolerant liberal, I cannot stand for this kind of behavior. Until you clean the vermin from your site, I shall be fulfilling my off-topic discussion needs elsewhere!"
We do not think the off-topic section is here just for us express our views. We keep our politics to the politcs thread or spin off threads where political discussion is taking place. We do have very strong political opinions, and like to discuss why we do and do not believe in certian things. While I cannot speak for the other guys, I enjoy the debates and discussion, especially when there is a diversity of opions, and hold no ill feelings toward those who do not agree with me. I don't think my opinions are always correct, in fact, I am sure I am wrong on many occasions. I have a great deal of respect for opposing views, and I like the fact that we are all free to express our various opinions.
Many forums are very restrictive and have a great many regulations, restricting things such as political discussion. I didn't join OT.com to talk about politics, but over the years I have found it an enjoyable place for doing so. I have always appreciated your hands off approach to moderating this forum. Everybody enjoys a great deal of freedom, and yet nobody gets away with stuff they shouldn't.
The last paragraph of your above quoted post is one of the reasons why I have come to respect you so much over my years as a member here.
I will definitely tone down my participation in political discussion on these boards, if not stop it completely, since you seem to feel as strongly about it as you do, and since you seem to feel it is hurting OT.com's off-topic traffic. In the recent discussion with Taolar, he took the time to respond to one of my typically long winded posts and asked for example/sources on a few things. Since he took the time to respond to my post, I have been meaning to take the time to reply to his questions. I will do this, then I will be done with political discussion here.