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@appalling: Having learned you are not a dedicated member of A+ but simply looking for an audience for your rhetoric I'm not inclined to take the time to respond in detail to each of your points as I did before. I now suspect you simply haven't spent enough time there to observe just how extremely antisocial the small group in control at A+ has become. Why do you think so many other atheist/skeptic sites like this one have a thread mocking them? And this one is quite deferential compared to the one at Talk Rational. which is now on part 3, lofl. Notice JREF doesn't have a thread on TR, or they one on JREF. A+ is really special.

I didn't ignore their objections. I simply didn't/don't believe they are at all valid. One person, who admitted her argument was moot as she blocked PM's, claimed it would be a major problem. This same lady compared getting a PM to being approached alone on parking lot as opposed to a busy street. Wanna defend that one on a recorded Skype debate I can post on YouTube? I want to see you keep a straight face while doing so. Like somebody really as paranoid as SC presented herself would ever venture out on a street filled with live Schrodinger's rapists? When knowing someone sent her a PM on the internet would trigger a 2 day panic breakdown? Did you actually read her posts? I'm starting to think I'm being trolled.

Your logic in saying I was asking someone to provide evidence to support my own claim is bass ackwards. I made a conjecture based on not having seen or perhaps remembered any such requests. You can't produce evidence if in fact it doesn't exists. Others claimed they had such evidence, and I requested their source. They made the claim, so the burden of proof was on them. Pay attention. Turns out they had some. 19 requests by my count, pretty slim given the number of threads and people involved. Still, as I mentioned earlier in this very thread, they have every right to make silly rules and ban whoever they choose for whatever reason. But I have every right to LMAO at their comical melodrama, too.

I mentioned the language used but that wasn't what offended me. It was ceepolk's inane, dishonest hyperbole: "are you seriously arguing that you should be allowed to trigger people into panic attacks that could prompt them to need days of adjustment because asking for permission in public is "uncomfortable?" Do remember there were many other problems I mentioned with the public permission bs. And I have yet to read a rational explanation for how asking an unstable person in public would bother them less than just blocking all PM's so they would never even see it. It ain't rocket surgery. One click.

One of many things I doubt you're aware of is that the A+ ban list is missing many of the names of those perma-banned. Quite a few were eliminated because of things they said at other sites, and I fully expect as a result of what I've written here I'll soon be joining them. No big loss. I really would have loved to have had a private conversation with some there who seemed pretty normal and discovered how they saw the way the forums were being moderated and dominated by a small group of churlish berks. But I knew without the opportunity to have such discussions beyond the realm of ceepolk et al I would have been banned long before I got any answers. I'll be really surprised if that site is still around in 2014.

@Ronja: Actually I was aware epileptics could be triggered by colors, but do you really think a red smiley could do the trick? If so should we eliminate all colors from the net? That's the mentality at A+ was my point.

@Tsukasa Buddha: Welcome to the club. We're going to order T-shirts. Slurs from ceepolk followed me out the door also. Was she the one who booted you? And you do know they read this thread and will perma-ban you for speaking out here, right? Big Xiester is watching you even now!! :eye-poppi

tl;dr
 
Derail on epilepsy continues

@Ronja: Actually I was aware epileptics could be triggered by colors, but do you really think a red smiley could do the trick?
Can you link to the smiley? It is hard to say anything without being sure about what exactly you are referring to. Also, I am not a neurologist, so personally I would ask the epileptic members of the forum in question, and in the meantime err on the side of caution.

If so should we eliminate all colors from the net?
That sounds a lot like the Destroying the Exception fallacy to me. As far as I can figure out (based on your posts on this matter) the issue was eliminating certain types of light and color from one Internet forum, because that is how the regulars on that forum want to do things there.
 
@appalling: Having learned you are not a dedicated member of A+ but simply looking for an audience for your rhetoric I'm not inclined to take the time to respond in detail to each of your points as I did before.

Looking for an audience for my rhetoric. That's cute. I answered your request to talk in good faith, but it seems you're weren't actually interested.

I now suspect you simply haven't spent enough time there to observe just how extremely antisocial the small group in control at A+ has become. Why do you think so many other atheist/skeptic sites like this one have a thread mocking them? And this one is quite deferential compared to the one at Talk Rational. which is now on part 3, lofl. Notice JREF doesn't have a thread on TR, or they one on JREF. A+ is really special.

Interesting proof. People mock them therefore they are mockable.

I didn't ignore their objections. I simply didn't/don't believe they are at all valid. One person, who admitted her argument was moot as she blocked PM's, claimed it would be a major problem.

Continued misrepresentation. I mentioned this in the last post to you. There were two people who said they would not like unsolicited PM's and another person who said they had direct knowledge of more. It doesn't make much difference to your arguments, and I wonder why you cling to this easily verifiable thing. I wouldn't mention it except that you're repeating it.

As to what you're referencing, she says the policy would be moot in her case, she did not admit her argument was moot. In fact she affirms her argument in the same sentence. If these people are bad in the way you say, you shouldn't have to misrepresent simple facts.

Again, you were one person requesting a change. I didn't see a compelling argument from you there that they should change.

This same lady compared getting a PM to being approached alone on parking lot as opposed to a busy street. Wanna defend that one on a recorded Skype debate I can post on YouTube? I want to see you keep a straight face while doing so. Like somebody really as paranoid as SC presented herself would ever venture out on a street filled with live Schrodinger's rapists? When knowing someone sent her a PM on the internet would trigger a 2 day panic breakdown? Did you actually read her posts? I'm starting to think I'm being trolled.

Again, I don't have to argue their points as my own. You're the one bringing your own actions here for discussion, to this forum. You don't believe her claim, that's fine. You admit dismissing what they claim you were dismissing.

Your logic in saying I was asking someone to provide evidence to support my own claim is bass ackwards. I made a conjecture based on not having seen or perhaps remembered any such requests. You can't produce evidence if in fact it doesn't exists. Others claimed they had such evidence, and I requested their source. They made the claim, so the burden of proof was on them. Pay attention.

You're right about this, I misread it.

Turns out they had some. 19 requests by my count, pretty slim given the number of threads and people involved.

Well, it looks like you misread things too. It says there were 19 phrased a single way, but lowballing numbers can't hurt. It's good to not do it more than a couple of times a day. I don't know why you're so concerned about numbers on such a low-traffic site anyway.

Still, as I mentioned earlier in this very thread, they have every right to make silly rules and ban whoever they choose for whatever reason. But I have every right to LMAO at their comical melodrama, too.

Laugh away.

I mentioned the language used but that wasn't what offended me. It was ceepolk's inane, dishonest hyperbole: "are you seriously arguing that you should be allowed to trigger people into panic attacks that could prompt them to need days of adjustment because asking for permission in public is "uncomfortable?" Do remember there were many other problems I mentioned with the public permission bs.

I didn't see any argument about why you needed to send unsolicited PM's that matched the reasons you gave here. That's a little weird.

And I have yet to read a rational explanation for how asking an unstable person in public would bother them less than just blocking all PM's so they would never even see it. It ain't rocket surgery. One click.

Your way is easy, even easier if you don't believe in the reasons they stated for having their current policy. Once you dismiss their claims, it would be frustrating that they didn't value your plan.

One of many things I doubt you're aware of is that the A+ ban list is missing many of the names of those perma-banned. Quite a few were eliminated because of things they said at other sites, and I fully expect as a result of what I've written here I'll soon be joining them. No big loss.

Sure, they ban people. At least you admit you didn't follow their code of conduct. It's hard to tell with unknown people.

I really would have loved to have had a private conversation with some there who seemed pretty normal and discovered how they saw the way the forums were being moderated and dominated by a small group of churlish berks. But I knew without the opportunity to have such discussions beyond the realm of ceepolk et al I would have been banned long before I got any answers. I'll be really surprised if that site is still around in 2014.

If only you could have saved them.
 
Seems to me slippery slope would be closer. If we're going to eliminate color on one site, why not the entire internet? That's a fair and interesting point, but do you really think it applies here?

:mad: This smiley would get a lot of reaction at A+, but while I'm not a neurologist either I seriously doubt any epileptics would be triggered by it, only their faux protectors. Lots of zircons in the rough at A+. :D

@appalling: Sorry, I thought I explained I thought you were a long standing member at A+ when I invited you to discuss their policies. Also, you drift a lot in your arguments. You say it's weird I don't give any reason why I wanted to PM a few people there but forgot the reason I gave in the last paragraph. I didn't want to 'save' anybody. I just wanted see if any could make any real sense out of what was happening there. I also would have liked to have told quite a few I could see way in advance were going to get banned about http://www.secularsocialjustice.com/ It has similar goals without all the fabricated drama, and was started by others disillusioned by A+ management.

You should log in there if you wish to get a more articulate, detailed, and informed view on the A+ scene. I was just curios about it from what I read at TalkRational, which I would advise you not to go to and argue on behalf of A+. They would laugh you off the site and it wouldn't be pretty or civil. It's almost impossible to be banned at TR. hth ;)
 
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Seems to me slippery slope would be closer. If we're going to eliminate color on one site, why not the entire internet? That's a fair and interesting point, but do you really think it applies here?
You can call your argument "slippery slope" (which is also a fallacy) or "a fair and interesting point". I call your argument the Destroying the Exception fallacy. And I will continue to call it so, until you can

A) credibly explain how the jump from one specific forum's standards to standards for the whole Internet is not the same kind of overgeneralizing claim as, for example:

"If we allow people with glaucoma to use medical marijuana, why not allow everyone to use marijuana?" or

"If we allow one strong enough and responsible 14-year old to temporarily drive a tractor on their farm, because the only adult in the family who was capable of doing so is ill, we will have to allow all 14-year olds to drive [also cars, also on public roads]."

for example, by B) presenting a credible chain of events that actually would lead from enforced standards on one forum to enforced standards for the whole Internet (thus eliminating the fallacious "slippery slope" dimension of your argument).


:mad: This smiley would get a lot of reaction at A+...
Would get or did get? Based on you earlier posts in this thread I was under the impression that someone had received criticism on A+ for using a particular smiley. Did someone in fact receive such criticism and is this the smiley in question? Or are you, instead, posing a hypothesis about how this particular smiley would be received on A+?
 
@Ronja: I did read your link; no need to paste it in here. And I still think the slippery slope fallacy is more apropos for the rebuttal you're attempting. If we are going to avoid colors on one site why not the entire net? This would be fallacious and is not what I'm claiming.

And yes, Supernaut at A+ used a red smiley and it was hidden by staff and he was warned not to. I later hid one that had red for this reason if you want to check my posts there. And again I'll ask you; if even a colored smiley can trigger a epileptic fit should they be banned here also?

Of course I have no problem with sites that cater to those with certain handicaps, but it sure seems a strange fit for a site trying to promote social justice. And without pictures aren't they overlooking the needs of the illiterate at A+? :D
 
Re: Atheism Plus

I said they swore at the argument, not the arguer.

Look, if people are going to outright dismiss the very possibility of people claiming PTSD, then it's hard to take them seriously when they act like delicate flowers when they get sworn at.

I've certainly seen implied swearing here.

Nice to know verbal abuse is not a trigger that needs control.
 
And yes, Supernaut at A+ used a red smiley and it was hidden by staff and he was warned not to. I later hid one that had red for this reason if you want to check my posts there. And again I'll ask you; if even a colored smiley can trigger a epileptic fit should they be banned here also?
Seems odd that they don't just remove that smiley from the list there.

I do know that there's one here that flashes very fast, which I could easily believe could trigger an epileptic. I'm prone to occasional migraines, and that smiley bothers me enough that I've blocked it.
 
Some advice.
I wouldn't apply for the Randi Million Prize, your mind reading powers aren't very good. -

I'm not sure what I'm thinking is what you're thinking here. My thought is partly technical and it isn't positive. It's the way it could go if it continues on the current path. But if what either of us thinks , actually looks like happening we can say what we meant. I'm boasting no great powers of precognition here.

Right.
 
@Ronja: ... I still think the slippery slope fallacy is more apropos for the rebuttal you're attempting. If we are going to avoid colors on one site why not the entire net? This would be fallacious and is not what I'm claiming.
Err... you are not presenting the argument "If we are going to avoid colors on one site why not the entire net?" - ?? Then who is and/or why did you bring that argument up just a few posts earlier in this thread?

And yes, Supernaut at A+ used a red smiley and it was hidden by staff and he was warned not to. I later hid one that had red for this reason if you want to check my posts there. And again I'll ask you; if even a colored smiley can trigger a epileptic fit should they be banned here also?

Thank you for naming Supernaut, that made googling really easy, and I found this post on the page to which the first Google hit pointed: http://atheismplus.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=716&start=550#p42682. I trust this is the post in question, as it resembles your description, except for one rather crucial detail.

Seeing that post by Supernaut prompts me to ask: are you actually equating this smiley: :mad: with the smiley, which Supernaut imported from another site to A+ as an image and which was subsequently hidden by a mod there? For easy comparison, I have quoted Supernaut's smiley from the link above under the spoiler below; it's an animated smiley with a fairly large jumping/flashing red text, and one may need to wait for about a second to see the part that could be a photosensitive epilepsy and/or a migraine trigger:

thinkerjoy.gif


Of course I have no problem with sites that cater to those with certain handicaps, but it sure seems a strange fit for a site trying to promote social justice.
This does not make any sense. What, according to you, do "social justice" and "promoting social justice" mean? And how would it be in conflict with the goal of promoting social justice to enable people with disabilities to better participate in Internet discussions about the society? (and please do not counter with any version of "if A+ does not or cannot enable every possible person with every possible disability, they should not try to enable anyone")
 
The crux of the situation is simple:

A man has the right to hit on a woman whenever he wants, wherever he wants and in any way he wants, anything less will lead to the extermination human race because they'll be no sex.

If a woman disagrees with this it's OK to harass her with threats of violence, insults and taunts.

October 2011 called. It wants its straw man back.
 
The unsolicited PM rule seems inexplicable to me. These are people who have access to the internet,set up an email account to have access to the A+ forum and their biggest fear is unsolicited PMs? You have an email account how often have people inquired about your penis size without your permission and you're worried about PMs from people you can report and have banned for lessor offenses!?

You need to check your ability to delete e-mails and PMs without haveing to open and be traumatized by them privilage.
 
I don't care about swearing. Even when it's a mod doing it. I'm not going to report something that doesn't actually offend me. Mods here can swear away as long as they're taking care of discourse.

I just think it's two codes of conduct and they both have points and there are depressing things about both.

Swearing is not permitted here (rule 10) because the JREF is an educational foundation, and Randi does not want things parents and teachers would find inappropriate for children.

I've never seen anyone banned here for their opinion. Only their conduct, as specified explicitly in the rules. On the A+ forum it appears you can be banned for what mods think you might say or do, but have never actually said or done. This resembles oppressive totalitarianism.

BTW, appalling, your avatar is interesting but I can't read it that small. Would you have a link of it at readable size? I'd have PMed this request but didn't want to panic you.
 
Can you link to the smiley? It is hard to say anything without being sure about what exactly you are referring to. Also, I am not a neurologist, so personally I would ask the epileptic members of the forum in question, and in the meantime err on the side of caution.

:shocked: :cs: :jedi:

Anyone? Anyone? Anyone?

:catfight: :wave1 :j2:
 
You shouldn't call TCS a strawman.

Since I wasn't, and those little arrows in the quote boxes show what I was really responding to, you're not nearly as clever as you think you are.

The crux of the situation is simple:

A man has the right to hit on a woman whenever he wants, wherever he wants and in any way he wants, anything less will lead to the extermination human race because they'll be no sex.

If a woman disagrees with this it's OK to harass her with threats of violence, insults and taunts.
October 2011 called. It wants its straw man back.
 
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