"DSK" wrote in message
...
NOYB wrote:
I think it's possible to limit the name-calling to the OT political
threads...and at the same time maintain civil dialogue in the on-topic
boating threads.


Agreed.

It's definitely possible, it's what's been happening here (in varying
degrees) for years. But I think it's desirable to ratchet down the ugly
name-calling in general.


There are a few folks here who are unable to control themselves, and let the
ugly stuff leak into the boating discussions. They lack self-control, and
need to sign on to artificial "pacts" or "agreements" to help them control
themselves.

If I'm in a boating discussion thread, I keep the conversation limited to
boating. If I'm in an OT discussion, there are no boundaries. Although I
personally try to refrain from name-calling and swearing, I believe it is an
important form of discussion. When I see my "opponent" go off on a
foul-mouthed, name-calling tirade, I know that I've accomplished my
goal...and "won" the argument. ;-)

This is an unmoderated newsgroup. With the filters available in most news
readers today, it's a very simple thing to filter out the off-topic
stuff...particularly if it's marked with "OT".