i guess the point of this thread is how NOT to act on the BBS.... or get ruled or PNG'd. I agree with larry, this thread should be locked.
people are not smart enough to know when they are tap dancing in a minefield and the explosions are out of hand at this point. The good news is there wont be any mines left after this is all over...
the wreckage, on the other hand, could be quite severe....
I would agree with you in the 12 hour rule, but not in this thread. Please quote one part of a single post I made that broke a single rule of this BBS. What, you aren't allowed to discuss the rules according to you? If anything, you're the one violating rules IMO, by back seat moderating, but that isn't up to me, which is the entire point.
The good news is there won't be any mines left - that's your contention? Interesting. So according to you, if Skuzzy or Dale were to PNG people for merely discussing rules and their application, the discontent on the bbs would be forever quelled? Excellent! I'll gladly accept my first ever ban or PNG in 15 years of being here, if it would magically make the bbs a better world, and forever end the complaints threads. That should work, fantastic plan.
As I have said, several times, the complaint threads and the fallout from them will NEVER end, which is why the way HTC deals with it is a critical issue. Also, as I've said, I don't really have the answer, and believe that HTC's stated fact that they are often damned if they do, damned if the don't, is pretty much where this always ends up. That doesn't mean that you can't talk about it civilly, particularly when HTC itself STARTS the thread, and doesn't just sticky it - obviously they were expecting some kind of response, and they got it, and other than at the beginning of this thread as HT mentioned, until this last page of jpegs and emoticons being erased, nothing got zapped, not one post of mine, nor any that responded to me. Considering the number of people who were of similar opinion to mine, I could write a list of over 40 who either posted in another private forum agreeing with what I wrote in this thread, or sent me PMs with their similar opinions, it wasn't just one or two people involved. Just having their opinions voiced did a great deal to settle things down, and I said often and loudly that I was sticking around despite having friends PNG'd, disagreeing with some of that, yet still encouraged others to follow suit, and stay. I can prove that by cutting and pasting dozens of posts and PMs if you want. Many others posted opinions, both for, against, and in the middle of the issue - a large majority you can still read in this thread. Again, I ask, what exactly is wrong with that?
I do know one thing - I've not prefaced any points by claiming those that disagree with the position dozens of us have aren't "smart enough" to get it. Personal attacks = weakness, not to mention against the rules.
I find it funny, and very telling that USVI slipped that post in between the other two.