|
In Reply to: the end posted by susie on November 09, 2004 at 22:40:48:
About being able to debate and discuss:
Personally I don't get it either. I think it's fine to have opposing views and hold strong opinions without falling apart and getting too upset. But I have to live with the results of other people's realities, I have to accept that people go through whatever they go through, and have the reactions they (choose to) have.
We are different from moving on, and as Jules described, partipants there engage in debate in a different manner. We have a different site with a different audience, a different approach, and different rules, and we endeavour to keep the peace between our participants.
The fact is every side has been trying to tell us off about what we're doing wrong to allow the other side to hijack the site, dominate it, etc, and give us bad press about it. We are being told all the time by people what our site is or should be about but isn't, thanks to the other parties messing it up. This is very taxing on us. And when the strife, hostility and distraction is caused by people being upset about topics that really are outide of our stated site mission...
There is more than meets the eye, and Soapbox wasn't taken down just because of Carol offending Acheick or our fear that people might hate each other. Keeping a political board was just something that was falling outside the mandate of this site. It was also being used as a free-for-all board for disclosing things which should have been private, which the concerned parties had signed and agreed to keep private.
While you may have a healthy attitude towards debate and handle personal insults well, we've been told in countless exchanges, how damaging this has been.
I think you're asking good questions though: "Why is this site soo different and soo full of fear that things will 'get out of hand'... Why do people take it on board and so personally."
And I agree with, "If relationships have suffered then I'd say there is something seriously wrong (other than Soapbox) with those relationships)."
I'll refrain from getting drawn in to your question about political boards vs. guns. Any takers? Joseph? She did ask you... :-)
