Leaving

[Tas II]

Message to the moderator:

I feel THIS thread is somewhat insulting. I am a European, (well, a Brit, and more importantly English! ) and find the phrase 'enlightened bigot' to be way out of order. Can we have some kind of internal consistency and have THIS thread closed ASAP? International politics and debate on human rights have no place on this board, IMHO.

Many thanks

Tas

[RaconteurX]

Sorry to see you go, qerlin. I don't think you have ever espoused a "my country, right or wrong" viewpoint and that is refreshing in this time of increasingly polar politics in our nation.

I personally feel the Europeans on these boards are entitled to their opinions for and against the United States (as, indeed, are the North and South Americans, Middle Easterners, Oceanians, Africans, Asians, etc.), but then I am ultimately a free speech advocate.

Don has stepped in, the offender was a newbie whose ignorance of the rules is semi-forgivable. He has been given a warning, and unless you think that is not sufficient, I think you need to let it go. If leaving is the only way you can do that, then your choice is for the best.

I personally think the registration process for this site should be amended to include an explicit statement that political opinions need be left at the door. We can avoid further incidents involving newcomers that way.

[Snake_Plissken]

I haven't seen really sniding anti-US remarks made by European members on these boards, though I never peruse the threads thoroughly. I wouldn't readily associate opposition for the war in Iraq with anti-US feelings. It was reported that a lot of generals in the US armed forces were actually against intervention in Iraq, and I don't think that those military officials are anti-US (!). Now when you have people actually taking delight in the US' woes over there (and let's face it the situation is not rosy) now that's a completely different matter- that I would call anti-Americanism and to the best of my knowledge I don't think I've seen this here.

What I mean is that sometimes you have to stick in and make your own way. Not everybody loves me around here, yet I'm still around

[Balok]

I'd say that since the political ban, there have been relatively few anti-U.S. remarks.

So you are evidently basing this decision on one thread, containing two inflammatory posts from a guy with (as of this posting) less than ten total posts?

You gotta do what you gotta do -- but for my money, you're overreacting.

[JonA]

Ohhh - what I miss?

I'm not European btw - I'm British.



(And JonA feebly attempts to distance himself from anti-American sentiment for fear of receiving a verbal vitriolic assault).

[Balok]

Originally posted by JonA Ohhh - what I miss?

Search for a locked thread by 'Braidsmomma', entitled 'It left a bad taste.'

[Sundowner]

Originally posted by Fesarius
Search for a locked thread by 'Braidsmomma', entitled 'It left a bad taste.'

I found the above, thanks.

querlin, i have to agree his remarks could have been phrased a lot better, but if you're going to judge a variety of countries & people by one person & leave, you are overreacting a little. Unless i've missed many other threads of this type

BTW, i have to agree with JonA, i'm english, not a euro.

Sundowner

[pathstrider]

Look, I usually stay clear of threads that have anything to do with the 'Real world' - I get plenty of that the rest of the time.

I dunno what people have said to you, Qerlin, but I've valued your input in the various RPG threads on this board. Please don't go!

As to the cause of this, personally I am a Brit who beleives in Europe but also has a lot of respect for the US. We've all got our problems, and our different views, but we share lots of stuff too.

And certainly none of it due to geography. People have 'left' or 'right' views on both sides of the pond.

If you feel that there isn't anything to say on the RPG side of the board (Understandable given the support from Decipher), then that's cool - and I hope to hear from you again some day.

Mark

[First of Two]

Dammit, qerlin, YOU CAN'T LEAVE!

Don't abandon me to the hippies!

While your anger at the nimrod who posted the thread you're mad about is justified, and while the inability to respond properly before the thread is locked IS frustrating, the truth is that the vast majority of the Europeans on here are at least moderately civilized, and all but the really daft (and obvious newbies) have avoided overt political commentary.

Let it slide, man. We'll get even with the snide ones when they're all eating at McDonalds' and shopping at Wal-Mart.

[strict31]

Originally posted by Fesarius
Search for a locked thread by 'Braidsmomma', entitled 'It left a bad taste.'

Hmm.

Having read the thread, and the initial post of the thread, it seems to me that we've found a troll. This individual was, in all likelihood posting this thread to piss people off and invite a nasty argument, while claiming some sort of innocence. These sorts of individuals are a toxin to message boards in general. Pisses me off when I encounter them and the mods don't immediately crack down on them.

Of course, mods are busy and it's understandably tough to be on patrol constantly.

I used to hang out on the st.com boards a while back. I left because we started seeing more and more political trolls who would, out of the blue make some inflammatory observation designed to insult. The mod over there let it get out of hand, and as a result, I think the boards were severely injured. of course, she was just one person, but she repeatedly ignored or downplayed many legitimate complaints made on this subject. Now, I wouldn't post on the st.com messages boards to save my life...'tis a silly place...

I realize there's not a single easy solution that can be universally implemented. But the trolls are out there, and they're hungry bastards.

About this thread:
Qerlin's exercising his right to leave, and is possibly already gone. I'd probably do the same, and the post that set him off pisses me off too. Now, there are a bunch of euros and others who were insulted by Qerlin's angry passing remark. Okay. Now we're all either pissed or confused...or pissed and confused. We can sit around being pissed at each other, or we can take some action to deal with the person who really started this, that being braids-whatever.

My suggestion? Ignore the poster. When he posts something, anything, ignore him. Put him on "ignore" for your PMs. Let his threads die without any comment or response. Essentially, put him in a white soundproofed room, with no windows, and a door that swings both bloody ways.

I don't mind discussions, even heated ones, as long as there is something to be learned, or some entertainment to be had by all. But trolling pisses me off. If it pisses any of you guys off too, think about my above suggestion and act on it.


Strictly Speaking

[Lioness Rampant]

I've been lurking for some time, but have never bothered to post.

I'm a member of qerlin's group here in Albuquerque and we were discussing the boards while riding yesterday. After finding the post in question, I can understand his ire. That said, I think he overreacted -- mostly due to the loss of several friends in the war, which have ratcheted up his stress level lately.

In introduction: I am a recent emigree from Scotland, having settled in New Mexico; qerlin's my cousin and is most definitely NOT a 'my country: love itor leave it' type. He's a bloody fine GM, too, I should say (just in case he should have a shufty at the boards.)

[Don Mappin]

(Looks around...) What, am I the only mod on this week or something? I tell ya, I can't take a day off around here. (Did anyone report the thread?)

Yes, the original thread was closed. If you'd like to respond to the poster, try a PM or an e-mail. For what it's worth, he apologized privately for his remarks. Unfortunately I can't force him to apologize publicly.

As for the euro remark, that's certainly uncalled for: we have many international visitors and I feel it's a great disservice to lump them with one ill-stated opinion by a singular poster. (Or is there a rash of America-bashing going on that I've missed?)

Certainly our international friends deserve the same kind of respect that we ourselves would like to be treated with.

Since this thread hasn't gotten out of control and cooler heads have prevailed, I'll leave it open for now; hopefully for an apology.

[RaconteurX]

Originally posted by First of Two
Don't abandon me to the hippies!

Y'know, the tightass security chief from our now-defunct Artemis campaign said the exact same thing once... except he was referring to the Centaurans!

[JonA]

Looking at the thread in question I can say I can't agree with the posters mentality but I can sort of see where he was coming from. I just think he expressed it in a deflammatory and insulting manner. Also I can see he argument was deeply deeply flawed and it was an argument I can appreciate and can't agree with.

Basically I have a bit of a problem in the THROWAWAY line that stated the Constitution of the Federation was similar to that of the Constitution of the USA. But I skimmed past it because it wasn't important and it was added just to obtain a frame of reference for anyone reading the said passage.

But as for Querlin leaving over it, thats his choice.

However his comments regarding non-Americans based upon the flawed mentality of one person I find a little offensive. If there was a sizeable group of people on this forum who had expressed that same sentiment then I could understand his outburst. As it stands, he's used one individual to base a criticism of other people who happen to come from the same area of the world and I would say this is quite an appalling outlook and dare I say a little childish.

But I've got thick skin (I have to, I'm friends with Liz not Beth ) so I can appreciate why some people would be upset by the offending thread and therefore I can see Querlin's reaction as predictable.

[Owen E Oulton]

"Pisses me off when I encounter them and the mods don't immediately crack down on them."

I take it you're speaking generally and not specifically about this instance... The thread was locked down one hour and 45 minutes after the initial post - given that this Board is run by volunteer mods (even Don, really - this isn't his job, it's his hobby), that's pretty "immediate." Nobody can be on-line 24/7.