Moderating The Forums: a suggestion

[Cyrus]

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We are a website that was originally created to promote a publishing company specializing in books on poker/ gambling.

[/ QUOTE ]Honda originally wanted to sell small bikes; Gates' ambition was originally to sell an operating program to IBM; Mick Jagger originally wanted to sing only Muddy Waters blues. And so on.

There has been a paradigm shift in poker, Mat. Seize the day.

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If we can't get a handle on the best way to moderate a low-traffic politics forum, who the ef cares? We'll shut it down.

[/ QUOTE ]Hmm. I wonder why supermarkets are wasting space to sell gasoline at cost. Maybe you should re-check the notion of Loss Leader.

[Dynasty]

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If we can't get a handle on the best way to moderate a low-traffic politics forum, who the ef cares? We'll shut it down.

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Hmm. I wonder why supermarkets are wasting space to sell gasoline at cost. Maybe you should re-check the notion of Loss Leader.

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Posts in the Politics forum account for just 2% of the activity on the forums. I'd bet they account for even less of the active posters on the forums.

The Politics forum doesn't remotely resemble a loss leader.

You're on thin ice Cyrus and you know it. Distorting the facts whether it's about jews or management of the forums isn't going to do you any good.

[Myrtle]

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If we can't get a handle on the best way to moderate a low-traffic politics forum, who the ef cares? We'll shut it down.

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Hmm. I wonder why supermarkets are wasting space to sell gasoline at cost. Maybe you should re-check the notion of Loss Leader.

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Posts in the Politics forum account for just 2% of the activity on the forums. I'd bet they account for even less of the active posters on the forums.

The Politics forum doesn't remotely resemble a loss leader.

You're on thin ice Cyrus and you know it. Distorting the facts whether it's about jews or management of the forums isn't going to do you any good.

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....you know, Dynasty,

It is exactly this kind of post that encourages the further polarization surrounding this issue.

Is it too much to ask you to be constructively pro-active without resorting to ad hominem attacks?

[Dynasty]

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Is it too much to ask you to be constructively pro-active without resorting to ad hominem attacks?

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The most constructive thing I can do as it pertains to Cyrus is to tell him the truth. His anti-semetic postings aren't going to be allowed anymore. If he shows his true colors again, I expect it to be the last time we see him on the forums.

[Cyrus]

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That's my take. If I have it wrong, he'll let us know.

[/ QUOTE ]Well, only because you asked, I'll comment.

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Just because Mason stepped in when the topics were anti-semitic...

[/ QUOTE ]Can you please point out a recent post that was anti-semitic? Or, something easier, a topic that was anti-semitic? Take the last couple of months.

I am not saying that there are no anti-semites here. (In fact, I'm sure I can spot anti-semites better than most of the easily offended pro-Israel posters!) But I have not seen anything that was anti-semitic. Accusations of anti-semitism are often hurled against those who object to Israeli policies.

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...doesn't mean that he encourages hateful posts directed at Arabs or Muslims. He doesn't.

[/ QUOTE ]Hateful posts might not be "encouraged" but it seems obvious that anti-Arab posts are given much more leeway than anti-Israeli.

For instance, imagine if I were to write anything like the following:

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Make it so that Olbert fears to see sunlight. Send emissaries to let him know that until he leaves Lebanon alone he will be a target.
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The Arabs should expel 98% of the Jews in the West Bank and dump them back into Israel. Give each Jew $1000 (yes this is inadequate) and tell them "good-bye forever and don't let the door hit you where the good Lord split you!" This tactic is similar to what Hezbollah calls for!
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The Palestinians fill the newly vacated terroritory and keep that land forever-and-ever.

[/ QUOTE ]Yet, this is exactly what was written about the Arabs by a 2+2 poster and did not draw the slightest comment from the mods. (I only changed names.) Link And it wasn't the most bigoted post I've seen here about Arabs. So, let's just say that all sides are equally free to present on 2+2 their opinion abt the Middle East situation -- but one side is more equal. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[Cyrus]

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The Politics forum doesn't remotely resemble a loss leader.

[/ QUOTE ] You just wrote that the Politics Forum is no big deal ("accounts for just 2% of the activity"). I'd say that this is a "losing" page, if we so measure by hits (activity), wouldn't you?

And a loss leader is a product that is offered at cost (even at loss) in order to attract clients to other, profitable endeavors. This is how I see the little Politics forum here, no more and no less. Just MHO.

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You're on thin ice Cyrus and you know it. Distorting the facts ... about ... management of the forums isn't going to do you any good.

[/ QUOTE ] I have no idea what you're talking about. I thought I was presenting some suggestions on how to improve clarity of rules. Why the renewed warnings ? What am I "distorting" now ?

[Dynasty]

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The Politics forum doesn't remotely resemble a loss leader.

[/ QUOTE ] You just wrote that the Politics Forum is no big deal ("accounts for just 2% of the activity"). I'd say that this is a "losing" page, if we so measure by hits (activity), wouldn't you?

And a loss leader is a product that is offered at cost (even at loss) in order to attract clients to other, profitable endeavors. This is how I see the little Politics forum here, no more and no less. Just MHO.

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You're on thin ice Cyrus and you know it. Distorting the facts ... about ... management of the forums isn't going to do you any good.

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I have no idea what you're talking about. I thought I was presenting some suggestions on how to improve clarity of rules. Why the renewed warnings ? What am I "distorting" now ?

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You can be argumentative and feign ignorance all you want. But, it's not going to change the reality of the situation.

[Myrtle]

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The Politics forum doesn't remotely resemble a loss leader.

[/ QUOTE ] You just wrote that the Politics Forum is no big deal ("accounts for just 2% of the activity"). I'd say that this is a "losing" page, if we so measure by hits (activity), wouldn't you?

And a loss leader is a product that is offered at cost (even at loss) in order to attract clients to other, profitable endeavors. This is how I see the little Politics forum here, no more and no less. Just MHO.

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You're on thin ice Cyrus and you know it. Distorting the facts ... about ... management of the forums isn't going to do you any good.

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I have no idea what you're talking about. I thought I was presenting some suggestions on how to improve clarity of rules. Why the renewed warnings ? What am I "distorting" now ?

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You can be argumentative and feign ignorance all you want. But, it's not going to change the reality of the situation.

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....and you can use the standard politicians tactic of re-stating the question/issue in a political agenda/context that YOU wish to further, but that does not change the fact that you continue to avoid answering direct questions regarding some of the issues that are being raised in this thread.

I would also point out that the thinly-veiled 'threats' that you make (because your seem to feel that you are entitled to do so because of your position as a moderator) reflect nothing more than your capacity to utilize power given to you (in good faith) in an attempt to bully others.

Keep up the hubris, as it is refelctive of you're state of mind.

[andyfox]

It appears you're probably correct in that Cyrus's posts may not be allowed in the future. But I'd be curious to see a particular post, or sentence, that was seen as anti-semitic, or shows his "true colors." I was very sensitive to anti-semitism on the forum when I was moderating and I didn't see that from Cyrus.

[Blowup Doll]

Just out of curiosity, why come to a Poker/Gambling forum to argue about politics? Aren't there a zillion political forums out there? And if you're concerned about being able to say what you like without censorship, then hit one of the forums that encourages that.