I do believe that critics are needed at MAD - not to keep the place interesting, but to provide additional information that lurkers may be looking for. It's all about the lurkers, in my opinion. We all know that Jesus Christ himself could start posting at MAD, and if he criticized the Mormon church, he'd be outie, too. There are too many True Believers over there to make a dent with actual posters. BUT... lurkers are a different story.
So I do see the worth behind it. But I feel like I "paid my debt" to society, so to speak, with my website, so I don't have to offer myself on the sacrificial altar anymore.
We hate to seem like we don’t trust every nut with a story, but there’s evidence we can point to, and dance while shouting taunting phrases.
beastie wrote:I do believe that critics are needed at MAD - not to keep the place interesting, but to provide additional information that lurkers may be looking for. It's all about the lurkers, in my opinion. We all know that Jesus Christ himself could start posting at MAD, and if he criticized the Mormon church, he'd be outie, too. There are too many True Believers over there to make a dent with actual posters. BUT... lurkers are a different story.
So I do see the worth behind it. But I feel like I "paid my debt" to society, so to speak, with my website, so I don't have to offer myself on the sacrificial altar anymore.
Also, I personally like the differing perspectives. They make me think.
One moment in annihilation's waste, one moment, of the well of life to taste- The stars are setting and the caravan starts for the dawn of nothing; Oh, make haste! -Omar Khayaam
Sethbag wrote:Also, thanks to LifeOnAPlate for sticking up for me over there after the banning. To my knowledge, he's the first and probably the only one to do so thus far, though I may have just missed seeing it if someone else did to. I appreciate it.
edit: Mike Reed, not a TBM, also spoke up - thanks Mike!
I've been banned too.
You said you were leaving voluntarily.
Right. But they didn't just let me walk away. They banned me and locked my account, preventing me from being able to access it in the future.
Mike, I'm so sorry someone did that. Would it have been so wrong to have allowed you to just leave the board for a while? It seems some can't bear any criticism without overreacting.
It would be nice to have my account opened again, to allow me to access my past posts and keep my contacts that I have made; and maybe even come back if I think the moderation has lightened up. But on the other hand, due to my somewhat addictive personality and the thesis that I need to finish... it is probably a good thing for me to be banned right now. I don't need the distraction.
Sethbag wrote:Also, thanks to LifeOnAPlate for sticking up for me over there after the banning. To my knowledge, he's the first and probably the only one to do so thus far, though I may have just missed seeing it if someone else did to. I appreciate it.
edit: Mike Reed, not a TBM, also spoke up - thanks Mike!
I've been banned too.
You said you were leaving voluntarily.
Right. But they didn't just let me walk away. They banned me and locked my account, preventing me from being able to access it in the future.
Mike, I'm so sorry someone did that. Would it have been so wrong to have allowed you to just leave the board for a while? It seems some can't bear any criticism without overreacting.
It would be nice to have my account opened again, to allow me to access my past posts and keep my contacts that I have made; and maybe even come back if I think the moderation has lightened up. But on the other hand, due to my somewhat addictive personality and the thesis that I need to finish... it is probably a good thing for me to be banned right now. I don't need the distraction.
Too true--it's very easy to use the boards as a time waster and a way to procrastinate what you "should" be doing:) I also suspect that some over there were sorry to lose you...and if in six months you wanted to return, they'd probably be glad to have you back. I suspect Sethbag might one day find his account unbanned also. They do that sometimes. Though in six months, you might not care.
LifeOnaPlate wrote: Also, I personally like the differing perspectives.
These differing perspectives theoretically can keep the apologists honest. That is of course, until some capricious reason forces the finger of the moderator to push the ban button.