I had intended to leave this alone.
I don't much care for the studied obtuseness and semantic, nit-picky, passive-agressive ad hominem which passes for civilized debate at that place. Far too often rules as to "how" one may speak wind up being used to squelch "what" you may say. In real life I'm an advocate for the right to yell "Fire" in a crowded theatre - and I'm also an advocate for the right of someone to beat you senseless for doing it.
IOW, by all means burn the flag and define it as speech. Someone else may also define their actions of giving you a blanket party as speech too.
This latest gets my goat:
Wendy McElroy Site Owner Joined: 25 Mar 2004 Posts: 776
PostPosted: Sun Jan 23, 2005 11:45 am Post subject: THE INNER SANCTUM...A MORE PRIVATE SPACE
In response both to recent attacks on the ifeminists BB and to requests by members, the Inner Sanctum has now been created to provide a more private and civil space for discussion and constructive disputation. If you wish to join the new forum, please send an email to [email protected] or PM either Brad or me. Membership is open only to posters who are already members of the more public BB who have a track record of civility.
See you in new forum!
Wendy McElroy
Now, first, it's the perfect right of anyone to pay for domain hosting, install what software they will, like a BBS, and open it to as narrow or wide a group as possible, define relevant terms for discussion, and what level of open discourse they will allow.
However, it's disingenuous in the extreme, not to mention intellectually dishonest, to call for "Open Debate" of issues, and then squelch that debate if it isn't going in the direction one wants it to. It's called stacking the deck. It's cheating. And it's creepy.
Wendy can do as she wishes. If she were honest about it, though, she'd admit that some of the "attacks" are criticisms hitting a little too close to home for her and Brad's Taste, they are running out of rationalizations, and they want a place for them and such fawning toadys and syncophants which can continue their mutual backpatting and mental masturbation society.
And the whiney fucks who want a safe space are nothing more than mental midgets and intellectual cowards who really want a place to spew nonsense without fear of being challenged on it
Brad R Site Admin Joined: 25 Mar 2004 Posts: 585
PostPosted: Sun Jan 23, 2005 12:48 pm Post subject: Reply with quote
Further information about the "Inner Sanctum": many of you have already been added to this private group. You should receive a PM from me, and an email from the forum software. (I didn't know about the emails, or I would have skipped the PMs. New members will only get emails.)
Well, Brad's always been a dumbfuck over there, and anyone who is a site admin who doesn't know how the software works isn't worth a bag of sour owl shit.
If you have not been added already, and you think you should have been, please don't take offense. We just added the first names that came to mind, and I know there are a lot of civil and constructive posters that we overlooked in the rush. To request admission, send me a PM or an email at [email protected] .
Translation: We're having a hissy, and we know this is pretty much going to turn into a meltdown, with people leaving the board in droves. We don't have the cojones to outright ban the people who disagree with us, and as we're being watched don't want to go that way.
So what we are going to do is select the loayal lapdogs, and then I guess we'll see which of the rest of you sheep are going to stick around and tolerate having a second class status here; if you suck up enough, we'll let you into the Super-Secret Club and give you your password and IFeminists decoder ring.
The main criterion for admission is "we enjoy reading your posts." So if you get turned down, it doesn't mean you're uncivil or about to be banned, just that something about your style, your conduct, or your message is abrasive. That's why we have an open forum. (That does not mean that we welcome abusive or hostile posts on the open forum, however.)
"we enjoy reading your posts." = "You mindlessly follow and toe the party line, and don't ever dare suggest what we say may not be prophecy revealed from heaven."
"Also, since we don't want to do mass bannings of people, if you are turned down, we're going to see if you can be bullied into agreeing with us."
If you're new to this forum, the way to get admitted to the private section is to establish a track record of civil and reasonable discourse on the open forum. It's not our intention to move all discussion to the private section; and of course you're free to start a new topic in the open forum to discuss matters of interest to you.
Well, Brad, it may not be your intention - which I doubt - but even assuming you've managed to kid yourself into believing that it's true, it's what you are going to wind up with.
You know - just fucking admit it's the Wendy Mac Fan Club BBS, and be done with it, okay? It's an honest move that can be respected. This is transparent horseshit. I'm not even going to bother to scan the fucking thing anymore for the tidbits of insight, it's so damn worthless.
Jesus H.
Steve Beene is right. It's time to get over this whole Wendy thing.
