Suggestion Box

Tsar

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Posted: 27-Oct-2010 at 17:29

Ditto's to the posts by TGS and Athena/Carol!

http://www.quotationspage.com/subjects/history/

BIG D

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Posted: 03-Nov-2010 at 13:24

Originally posted by Sparten

Way too many sub-forums. It becomes confusing and many are frankly superflous. Militray history dose not need a modern warfare sunforum, or Historical Pictures a Historical Maps sub-forum.

I agree

red clay

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Posted: 03-Nov-2010 at 14:04

Originally posted by BIG D

I agree

Then that makes 2 of you. However, Sparten is no longer a member here, so that makes one. I'm not making light of your suggestion. It's just that it has taken since 2002 to make up the Forum and Subforum line up. In the last 2 years we removed 1-2 subforums, but re introduced the Native language forums.

Most of the subforums were set up by member request and needed a consensus to be accepted.

Considering that Sparten is a Pakistani Attorney, that post is actually funny.

"Arguing with someone who hates you or your ideas, is like playing chess with a pigeon. No matter what move you make, your opponent will walk all over the board and scramble the pieces".
Unknown.

red clay

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Posted: 03-Nov-2010 at 14:07

Originally posted by TheGreatSimba

I agree, an ignore function would be fantastic

I'm still pursuing the flesh eating nanobot idea. A lot more fun.

"Arguing with someone who hates you or your ideas, is like playing chess with a pigeon. No matter what move you make, your opponent will walk all over the board and scramble the pieces".
Unknown.

Athena

Baron

Joined: 28-Sep-2010
Location: Eugene, Oregon
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Posted: 09-Nov-2010 at 11:14

I can't find the rules. People get disciplined and punished so surely there must be rules. Yesterday I made a totally racist post, fully expecting some disciplinary action be taken. I did so because I would like to see some discipline in these forums. Preferably self discipline but it is obviously difficult to make that happen.

Today I was thinking it would be the pits to be banned for trying to make a point. A fine would be better. People could be fined and unable to participate until paying the fine. Sometimes I am willing to take a chance and to pay the consequences for what I want to say. This forum has been very liberal and is worth supporting, especially if the trash talk is reduced.

Now there is the problem, right? How to have a high standard and liberty too.

take a lesson from Genhis Khan, take people's money and don't kill them, unless they don't pay.

Edited by Athena - 09-Nov-2010 at 11:19

opuslola

Tsar

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Posted: 09-Nov-2010 at 21:12

Athena, you seem to play the "Fools Game!" Take your chances? Do you really think that we would put up with you if you were not a woman?

Just thank God that we care?

Or at least some of us?

My greatest regards,

http://www.quotationspage.com/subjects/history/

Cryptic

Arch Duke

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Posted: 10-Nov-2010 at 10:43

Originally posted by red clay

Originally posted by BIG D

I agree

Then that makes 2 of you. However, Sparten is no longer a member here, so that makes one. I'm not making light of your suggestion.

I for one, like this division. It allows historical threads not to be mixed with "Country "X" has this awesome new weapon", or "Y" is threatning "X" and Special forces from "Z" are better soldiers and better lovers threads.

Originally posted by Athena

I can't find the rules. People get disciplined and punished so surely there must be rules. Yesterday I made a totally racist post, fully expecting some disciplinary action be taken. I did so because I would like to see some discipline in these forums. Preferably self discipline but it is obviously difficult to make that happen.

That was completely unecessarry. Got to the banned member thread and you will see that the rules are enforced. I saw a portion of the post's title, but I was at work and didnot want to open it.

Edited by Cryptic - 10-Nov-2010 at 10:48

Athena

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Posted: 21-Nov-2010 at 11:27

I found the rules. I know it seems hard to believe a person would find it so hard to find something as obvious as the code conduct, but it would have been helpful if my question about where to find the rules had been answered, because my time is limited and I hate loosing time looking for something.

After reading the code of conduct, I am strongly impressed by how crucial individual judgment is. I write with a sense of purpuse and often this is judged as trolling. I rather be dead than have a life without purpose. and meaning.

My sense of purpose is to raise awareness of the principles of democracy and contrast it to tyranny,. Often this is judged as attacks on those in power. My experience is, I can instantly be banned with no defense, and everyone defends this as the right of owners, which increases my concern that the principles of democracy are not well understood and are not defended, while the US spends a lot to maintain its military power, and has destroyed the lives of millions of people with military power. I would be less concerned if we were not killing people and justifying this as defending democracy. I am afraid we are defending our capitalist economic interest with military might, not our democracy which we do not seem to understand very well.

I have recently learned how easy it is to believe someone is bigoted and violating the code of conduct, and how knowing more about this someone can totally change that judgment. I saw a thread I questioned left open, and an imitarion of it closed. I have ignored someone for a long time, because of I precieved this person as repeactedly violating rules and ruining threads, and was told there have been complaints about this person, confirming my opinion. And I have seen everytihing I thought I was intolerable and bad, become extrodinarily good. I am glad the judgments are not my responsibility, and pray someone with bad judgement is given the power to make judgements. I am learning to apprecate how awesome a well balanced democracy is. What an amazing human challenge that is. Does any religion offer us anything better?

Edited by Athena - 21-Nov-2010 at 11:45

Deathless

Janissary

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Posted: 21-Nov-2010 at 14:11

Add a section where we can worship opuslola LOL

opuslola

Tsar

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Posted: 21-Nov-2010 at 20:04

Deathless, that is not really necessary although I know how much you want to please me!

I am most impressed, however, by good postings! As are all of the gods on this site!

Regards,

http://www.quotationspage.com/subjects/history/

Athena

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Posted: 22-Nov-2010 at 09:41

We are all as the gods, because we can reason. Democracy is behaving as the gods. Debating until there is a consenus on the best reasoning. The gods were not perfect beings. Socrates had trouble with stories of them doing things that should not be done, such as Zeus and his adultry.

red clay

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Posted: 23-Nov-2010 at 19:24

Originally posted by Athena

We are all as the gods, because we can reason. Democracy is behaving as the gods. Debating until there is a consenus on the best reasoning. The gods were not perfect beings. Socrates had trouble with stories of them doing things that should not be done, such as Zeus and his adultry.

If you could expand on that subject.....just a little, interest in the classics might increase ten fold.

Edited by red clay - 23-Nov-2010 at 19:30

"Arguing with someone who hates you or your ideas, is like playing chess with a pigeon. No matter what move you make, your opponent will walk all over the board and scramble the pieces".
Unknown.

cavalry4ever View Drop Down

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Posted: 06-Dec-2010 at 13:08

Originally posted by Deathless

Add a section where we can worship opuslola LOL

We will put him in the same category as Nero and Caligula. They were also given God titles.

"Loyalty to petrified opinion never yet broke a chain or freed a human soul."
Mark Twain

Athena

Baron

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Posted: 06-Dec-2010 at 13:24

Originally posted by red clay

If you could expand on that subject.....just a little, interest in the classics might increase ten fold.

I don't know how you would like me to approach this subject. I am always writing of it and could be banned for preaching, because I am. I started a thread weeks ago in response to your request.

Gods/humans and Democracy

It really helps when people ask questions. Science is to democracy what religion is autocracy. We must seek truth, because that is the only hope we have of making good decisions. Should we begin with math and the ancient philosophers in the explanation of democracy? I refer to Socrates often as he is essential to education for democracy. Like where should I begin? what I am saying about education is largely ignored. I need the emotionicon that is banging its head on a brick wall.

opuslola

Tsar

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Posted: 06-Dec-2010 at 14:24

A few posts ago, Athena wrote, concerning Democracy;

"Debating until there is a consenus on the best reasoning."

I would suggest that at best actions taken by any government run in this manner could only exist if the gallows awaited any one or any group that did not abide by the majority vote!

Amongst men and women who actually stand by their values, the majority opinion can be deadly!

A consensus, is not a great way to rule!

Consensus can be acheived, however, at the point of a gun!

http://www.quotationspage.com/subjects/history/

Athena

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Location: Eugene, Oregon
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Posted: 06-Dec-2010 at 17:02

Originally posted by Athena

There is nothing I like better than discussing democracy, but this thread is not the place for that.

In this thread, we could talk about everyone having a say on the rules, and about having a system that allows individuals a defense before being banned. That is, we can perhaps discuss how the principles of democracy can be applied to the forum. If we did this, the arguments others have made here would be changed by the experience. But discussiion of politics and how the US does things, does not belong in the suggestion box.

However, the banning of Dattaswami does bridge to a discussion of how the principles of democracy can be applied to the forum, and why we might argue against the rule about preaching.

Dattiswami and I just preach about different things. I know I could avoid being banned, by remaining as silent as a good German, when Hitler ruled Germany. But then I would be no more than a worm. I am giving you a historical, philosophical argument made to justify democracy when it was kings who ruled and people were subjects. It has everything to do with being a human with dignity, and a sense of meaning and purpose, rather than just a worm. Our reality in these forums that are not democracies is, the same of old, when kings ruled. A good Chrstian could hide from the reality of being no more than a worm, with the promise from their King in heaven and an afterlife, but I am not Christian. The US Declaration of Independence based on Greek and roman classics, could also be called a Declaration of Responsibility. This declaration goes with freedom of religion and freedom of speech. I am not sure of the wisdom that takes these freedoms away from us and reduces us to worms again.

Edited by Athena - 06-Dec-2010 at 17:23

Athena

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Posted: 06-Dec-2010 at 17:12

Seriously I have to ask what has happened to our reality. There was a time when if someone was intentionally offensive, this person would be considered uncouth and igronant, and be socially rejected. Today that is cool, and such a person can remain a member in these forums for years, despite many complaints, but the person who sinscerely wants to speak of truth and god and benefit the whole of humanity, gets banned. This is a million miles from the intention of democracy. It was not the intention of democracy to bring us all to the lowest common denoumenator. It was the intention that everyone enjoy human dignity and become enlightened. It is the oldest books that have the most to say about Eygptian theology and Zoroastrianism, and other exotic beliefs, and today with our "technological correctness" we silence such discussions with taboos agrainst preaching or speaking of God (a different forum banned me for that). What went wrong? We can pull each other down but not up?

Patrick Henry was preaching, and he was made a national hero.

I am coming back after thinking about what I think. I did feel like DattaSwami was crossing a line. Too single purposed and not really wanting to engage in history discussons. A science forum manages this problem by making some discussions a previllage that are earned by posting in science discussions. Theology and related subjects are a restricted previllage in the scince forum, kind of assuring someone is "one of us" before having the previllage. I also hope discussion proceeded banning Dattaswamie, so that he could know the limits and had a chance to stay within the limits, and the axe didn't fall unexpectedly. But then it is hard to believe such a person would knowingly disrespect the owner of the forum if he had been personally contacted. That personal element is very important in such matters.

Edited by Athena - 06-Dec-2010 at 18:31

opuslola