Long timers are free to correct me, but when Shades said this recently, it was the first time I'd ever heard him say it. In fact, I was very surprised when he posted it. But, if you're going to use that as justification for your behavior here, you have to view the statement through Libertarian glasses. And one of the foundations of libertarianism is not using others as a means to an end. If someone acts abusively toward another because they are entertained by the reaction, they are acting contrary to Libertarianism. On the other hand, if I derive entertainment out of my own posting and the choices people make in responding to me, that's cool. It's just fine to appreciate and enjoy people for who they are -- it's not fine to to harass, annoy and provoke others because one is entertained by people's reactions when you piss them off.Atlanticmike wrote: ↑Tue Mar 15, 2022 10:51 pmNowhere in your response do you mention entertainment. Shades set this board up for entertainment. He wanted people to come here to enjoy freedoms they don’t get on other message boards and he wanted them to be entertained while being here. That can’t be accomplished when there’s little or big cliques being formed on the board. And I’m telling you as an outsider, you guys have formed a clique and you’re clique doesn’t enjoy entertainment. Actually, when I read post from the people in your clique entertainment seems to be the last thing you guys are interested in.Res Ipsa wrote: ↑Tue Mar 15, 2022 10:38 pm
You'll have to ask Shades if you want a specific answer. My general understanding is that he wanted to create a forum where Mormons and critics of Mormonism could engage with each other about Mormonism without the heavy handed content moderation that had occurred elsewhere. But the long timers here may have a more reliable understanding.
Take Binger for instance. Isn’t Binger’s entertainment objective the ultimate goal of this message board? And isn’t that goal meant to avoid cliques that become a mob rule?
"Entertainment" is a pretty subjective concept. What you consider "entertaining" might not be "entertaining" to me. And vice versa. That you don't find the normal interactions here entertaining doesn't mean that I don't. Or that anyone else doesn't. I certainly don't buy your claim that "entertainment" has anything to do with cliques.
I've asked Shades about that particular statement and I don't believe he's answered. That's okay -- he doesn't owe me an answer. But if I truly believed that "entertainment," meaning provoking, harassing, and abusing others for one's own amusement, I'd quit this crappy job in a heartbeat. Moderating a board that exists for that ultimate purpose is not worth a second of my time -- either by moderating or participating. A free speech board based on foundational Libertarian values is.
As for cliques, they are inevitable in human society. But in all the months you've been here, you haven't made the slightest effort to get to know the people here well enough to even spot the actual cliques that exist on the board. You threw a single label on a whole bunch of people and reacted to your own label rather than the actual people they are.
So, no, I don't believe that Binger's entertainment objective is the ultimate goal of this forum. On this forum, Binger harasses and abuses other folks for his own personal entertainment. Just like people that get their jollies pulling the wings off of flies. And I don't think that's what Shades had in mind when he talked about entertainment.
But let's not guess:
SHADES, PLEASE READ THE ABOVE EXCHANGES BETWEEN MIKE AND ME AND TELL ME WHETHER THE ULTIMATE GOAL IS ENTERTAINMENT AS HE HAS DESCRIBED IT. BECAUSE IF IT IS, I'M NOT INTERESTED IN ASSISTING WITH THAT EFFORT.
There. We'll settle this issue shortly. If you are right, then I'll confess that I've wasted a ton of my time and leave y'all to it.