Need to recommit or admit failure........
 

Harry Krause wrote:
JohnH wrote:

Do you honestly think it's possible to have the politics *without* the
vicious
name-calling?



Absolutely.

The NG has a 5 yr track record that says it can not be done. The
political infighting, cut and pasting or political articles has chased
away 90% of the old time regulars, and chases away 99% of new people who
thought they were coming to a boating NG. We need to stay the course.
Those who want to discuss politics should go to a political NG.

--
Reggie
************************************************** *********************
If you would like to make rec.boats an enjoyable place to discuss
boating, please do not respond to the political and inflammatory
off- topic posts and flames.
************************************************** *********************

Need to recommit or admit failure........
 

Do you honestly think it's possible to have the politics *without* the vicious
name-calling?


Yes, of course.

Don't you? If not, that says a lot about your political
beliefs, doesn't it?



JohnH wrote:
In this group, no.

Do you have so little faith in your fellow Bush-Cheney
cheerleaders?

.... That says nothing of my political beliefs.

You may not believe it, but it does.

DSK

Need to recommit or admit failure........
 

Harry Krause wrote:
wrote:

Harry Krause wrote:

You don't have t bother with a new group. Every other day, Chuck will
post a 250-word treatise on "proper" behavior, and the Rev. Jim will
chime in with a few Hail Marys and mea culpas. Immediately afterwards,
Chuck will tell us that those festering pustules on the bottom of the
boat you're thinking of buying don't really retract from its value, and
Jim will tell us that no matter what computer you have, *his* is faster.
Or some such nonsense.

If you happen to bring up any of the verboten subjects here, you'll
increase the frequency of their self-flagellations, confessions, and
vows of chastity.


Screw that, Krause.

If I had to identify the *one* person who doesn't give a schlitz about
the group,
trolls without a moment's hesitation, considers the NG his personal
playpen, has recently posted that he finds the discussion of boating
topics "vapid", and has historically gone out of his way to stir things
up every time they settle down too much for his taste, guess who that
would be?

You spend your entire life in your computer haunting various
newsgroups. You seem to get some huge thrill from your ridiculously
silly ability to make nearly everybody dance to your weird, divisive,
hateful tune. You so misuse your intelligence and communication skills
that it's pathetic to watch you in action. You have a lot in common
with Rush Limbaugh, only he might be even brighter and his audience
isn't restricted to a couple of hundred people in a dozen newsgroups.
You're so desperate for a ****-fling that when everybody else is
ignoring you you start in on people who have long been guilty of
pretending your sick act somehow didn't exist in the first place.

Nearly everybody is trying to get things back on track. I never thought
that you would participate in any effort to ignore trolls, get back on
topic, forego political discussions,
avoid name calling, and treat even folks who hold differing political
values with respect.
That's not what you're about. The best hope is that if everybody avoids
responding to your
stinking bait (as I am breaking my normal pattern to do at this moment)
you'll shut the hell up or go away.

Or would you hope to convince us all that the festering pustule
behaviors at the bottom of the newsgroup have no effect on its overall
value?

Your turn: I'm sure your vicious reply will be a dandy. Make it your
best, as I'm done with this discussion and you get the "last word."


Nah. I'll not respond to your "stinking bait." Besides, I prefer a
lighter touch.

As to the "value" of the discussions in this newsgroup, when there is
discussion of value, I participate if I have anything to add. But most
of the discussions here concern "small talk," and many of those are
entirely off-topic. That doesn't bother me as much as it seems to bother
others, though.

I guess I find it perversely humorous that we now are infested with so
many "holier-than-thou" types who, despite their protestations and
promises to behave, are doing exactly as they were doing previously, but
in a more politically correct way. Smarminess has reached a new height,
or, if you prefer, depth.

Oh...and I still think those who advise others to buy boats infested
with osmosis blisters are doing a dis-service.
This is a great time to let this thread die.

--
Reggie
************************************************** *********************
If you would like to make rec.boats an enjoyable place to discuss
boating, please do not respond to the political and inflammatory
off- topic posts and flames.
************************************************** *********************

Need to recommit or admit failure........
 

Harry Krause wrote:
Wayne.B wrote:

On Fri, 06 Jan 2006 11:30:33 -0500, Harry Krause
wrote:

You know, it's really funny. I can't stand your politics, but I'm
absolutely positive we'd have a great time together out on a boat.


=================================

You're probably right, I think you should try it.
You'd get away from that toxic keyboard of yours for awhile, get some
fresh air, and liven up your life a bit.

You may not like Chuck's message but there is a lot of truth in it
unfortunately. Frankly, I'm surprised he's still making the effort
but let's hope he keeps it up.


I didn't like or dislike Chuck's "message." What I noticed about it was
that he engaged in precisely the kind of behavior he was condemning, and
thus proved my point, that hypocrisy is rampant.


--
Reggie
************************************************** *********************
If you would like to make rec.boats an enjoyable place to discuss
boating, please do not respond to the political and inflammatory
off- topic posts and flames.
************************************************** *********************

Need to recommit or admit failure........
 

Reggie Smithers wrote:

Yeah..what's with that?
It's clear to me that it's always the Gang of 7's fault and it's our
duty to challenge and correct them......for their own good as well as
the good of the newsgroup.


Don,

Chuck's point isn't whose fault is it, his point is that any and all
political or inflammatory posts are detrimental to rec.boats as a place
to discuss boats. If the majority want to have a NG of name calling and
political fighting, that is what we will have.

If you prefer to have a NG to discuss boats or have a friendly
conversation with other boaters, you will ignore the political and name
calling posts.

You have a lot to offer rec.boats, as anyone can see from your
contribution to rec.boats.cruising.

I know...I try not to take things too seriously..after all, I ignore
90% of the political threads. We've got a Federal Election in a couple
of weeks and I can't even get excited about that.

Need to recommit or admit failure........
 

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.

This NG and many many others continue to prove otherwise. It's just not
the nature of the beast.

--
Skipper

Need to recommit or admit failure........
 

On Fri, 06 Jan 2006 22:32:49 GMT, "NOYB" wrote:


"JohnH" wrote in message
.. .
On Fri, 06 Jan 2006 16:23:29 GMT, "NOYB" wrote:


wrote in message
egroups.com...

Harry Krause wrote:


You don't have t bother with a new group. Every other day, Chuck will
post a 250-word treatise on "proper" behavior, and the Rev. Jim will
chime in with a few Hail Marys and mea culpas. Immediately afterwards,
Chuck will tell us that those festering pustules on the bottom of the
boat you're thinking of buying don't really retract from its value, and
Jim will tell us that no matter what computer you have, *his* is
faster.
Or some such nonsense.

If you happen to bring up any of the verboten subjects here, you'll
increase the frequency of their self-flagellations, confessions, and
vows of chastity.

Screw that, Krause.

If I had to identify the *one* person who doesn't give a schlitz about
the group,
trolls without a moment's hesitation, considers the NG his personal
playpen, has recently posted that he finds the discussion of boating
topics "vapid", and has historically gone out of his way to stir things
up every time they settle down too much for his taste, guess who that
would be?

Kevin Noble?


You spend your entire life in your computer haunting various
newsgroups. You seem to get some huge thrill from your ridiculously
silly ability to make nearly everybody dance to your weird, divisive,
hateful tune. You so misuse your intelligence and communication skills
that it's pathetic to watch you in action. You have a lot in common
with Rush Limbaugh, only he might be even brighter and his audience
isn't restricted to a couple of hundred people in a dozen newsgroups.
You're so desperate for a ****-fling that when everybody else is
ignoring you you start in on people who have long been guilty of
pretending your sick act somehow didn't exist in the first place.

So much for the "no-personal-attacks" pledge, eh Chuck?



You just don't get it. It's possible to make rec.boats a useful boating
resource if everyone would just stay on-topic in the on-topic threads.
You
don't need to completely eliminate the off-topic posts. Although I'm as
bad
as anyone at posting lots of off-topic junk here, when I'm actually
posting
to a boating-related thread, I stay on-topic. Try it...you might like it.


Do you honestly think it's possible to have the politics *without* the
vicious
name-calling?

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.


Being called a scum sucking pig ****er in one thread may affect one's responses in
other threads.

It's possible, but not probable. Witness the past few years.

I've just completed a search for a group which would be appropriate for politics and
name calling. It's 'a.politics', and right now it's empty.

Everyone could easily subscribe to that group and have at each other 24/7. In fact,
there will be a post there by the time you read this.

--
John H.

"Divide each difficulty into as many parts as is feasible and necessary to resolve it."
Rene Descartes

Need to recommit or admit failure........
 

Harry Krause wrote:

JohnH wrote:

Do you honestly think it's possible to have the politics *without* the
vicious
name-calling?



Absolutely.

Really? If that was true, then why are there so many non-political
posts that end in name-calling while still being non-political? I'm
referring to simple exchanges get a canned response about the
conservatives...

Dan

Need to recommit or admit failure........
 

Harry Krause wrote:

FREDO wrote:

I sent this message to news.announce.newgroups to request a new
newsgroup called rec.boats.politics but they need someone who can put
together a "proper" presentation to request a new newsgroup. OBTW I
went to rec.backcountry the other day and they also have some serious
OT political banter going on!
Anyone out there want to tackle this?
:
It has been discussed several times in the past on rec.boats
(unmoderated)
that we have a new newsgroup called rec.boats.politics (unmoderated)
to help
eliminate the political off topic posts in this newsgroup. We have taken
steps voluntarily to keep the political posts out of rec.boats (sort of a
"gentleman's agreement").Can you assist me with a formal request to
create
this new newsgroup as I feel it would help eliminate the off topic
posting
that many individuals participate in. I think this would give the people
with strong political views a forum they could use which would also be
close
to their common recreational love of boating.


wrote in message
oups.com...

Today has been really disappointing.

Some of the guys who were doing so well are back to making personal
remarks, and getting easily snagged by the couple of persistent,
totally self-absorbed offenders who insist on trolling their political
junk and years-old feuds through here.

None of my actual business, but from the perspective of a guy who is
generally not (currently) participating in the politics and personal
remarks I'm here to tell you we're about halfway back to "normal". If
we slip just a bit more, we'll have Harry screwing with everybody once
again- everybody screwing with Harry- and we'll be back to a group that
is primarily engaged in name-calling, pig piling, and politics. Boats
be damned. And why not? The non-boaters (or those who at least never
participate in boating discussions) seem to be among the worst
offenders.

But if the majority want a bitchfest, that's certainly what we'll have.
We can cut 'n paste political crap, call one another names, cut 'n
paste counter propaganda, call one another names, dredge up something
somebody allegedly said in 1995 and make a big issue of it, call some
more names, pig pile on the nearest liberal or conservative, etc etc
etc.

We're at a critical moment. Things have been much improved, but it only
takes a few ex-adults to break the cycle. I make no pretense of being
in a position to cast stones, but I can count the number of rocks in
the air and make a note of where they're landing. I guess if we go back
into the toilet it's no real loss, that's where this group apparently
prefers to be and where it has been for years- the laughing stock of
all boating sites. It's a shame, because we almost demonstrated we
could fix it, if we wanted to.

I would like to suggest that my fellow worst offenders ( I needn't name
names, you know darn well who you are) join me in a recommitment to
ignore trolls, refrain from launching political threads, etc. Anybody
among my fellow worst offenders who still gives a schlitz about the
dynamics of the group? This could be the last actual chance to stop
slipping back into the pit before the old sick and destructive momentum
takes over once again.....

We have proven we can do it if we want to. Do we want to? If so, this
is the hour for my fellow worst offenders to stay the recently improved
course.



Do you have anything of substance to contribute to rec.boats?

Please define "of substance". I'd love to hear it after reading four of
these same responses.

Dan

Need to recommit or admit failure........
 

Dan Krueger wrote:
Harry Krause wrote:

JohnH wrote:

Do you honestly think it's possible to have the politics *without*
the vicious
name-calling?




Absolutely.


Really? If that was true, then why are there so many non-political
posts that end in name-calling while still being non-political? I'm
referring to simple exchanges get a canned response about the
conservatives...

Dan
Dan,
The only way we will turn this NG around is if we ignore those whose
objective for posting in rec.boats is to troll and engage in political
baiting. Responding in any fashion does not work.


--
Reggie
************************************************** *********************
If you would like to make rec.boats an enjoyable place to discuss
boating, please do not respond to the political and inflammatory
off- topic posts and flames.
************************************************** *********************