While the above is a bit off topic (not your post, Deb), it is pertinent. There are an awful lot of ankle biters around here lately. Take our buddy, Rocket, for example, who (a couple of months ago) greeted a new member's question with this gem :
Why don't you do a little reading first? Would help you with the "I'm an idiot" thing.
Hope that doesn't sound pushy. If it does, sorry.
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Other members, barking at anything that might be out of the ordinary...nipping if they think they see a weakness.
Just what is the reason behind the need to constantly be on the attack? Can't people share knowledge without the chest thumping. I'll admit that, like many, I have gotten frustrated on occasion,...and felt the desire/need to issue a bit of a smack.
In this case, Bobby, I knew you would be making some sort of comment - all I said was that somebody else made the statement that Jedi was a religion, and others jumped all over it. Yes, Bud used those words together in a later post...maybe it was in implication, maybe it wasn't. It doesn't change the accuracy of my statement (which you were so intent on proving wrong). Maybe he accepted it as his religion years ago, maybe he read that post and thought it was too good to pass on. Frankly, I don't care. I certainly wouldn't be surprised to hear that Bud saw the religion reference as a way to cut down on the ridicule and harsh comments. Naturally, we wouldn't accept the persecution of a "legitimate" religion....but who am I, who are you (or any other visitor to this site), to decide what is legitimate? Since when does religion, race, sexual orientation, etc have anything to do with reptiles and amphibians?
Can we not have civil conversations with people whose views we do not agree with (in other words, must there always be an attack? Leave the petty nonsense aside and focus on the reasons we are here: the animals.
So many people bring so much to the table. Its that ragged edge that causes problems. I don't know about anybody else, but I'm getting tired of it. I'm sick of watching people I would like to respect behave in that manner. I'm certainly unhappy with the response it brings about in me. I come to this site because I like it. When I first started posting, I wasn't sure what kind of response I would get - because I had read a number of threads. I saw people getting attacked, mostly on the BOI, and, yes, I was nervous about stepping in (shy as a rule, anyway, and a total newbie to online forums...I'm surprised I registered, lol).
Anyway, the point that is buried in this post, somewhere, is one that has been made before, and in other places. Just who are we benefitting from behaving in that manner? How many new members never come back after getting a response like the one quoted above? How many visitors opt not to register because of the way people treat one another? How much does this really have to do with the decreasing post counts? We've all heard references to "trial by fire" and "eating their young", but must it be so common...so extreme?
I've had some people that I had issues with at various times. In some instances, I extended the olive branch; in some, I accepted it. Sadly, there are still a few people that manage to tick me off on a regular basis. Generally, unless I feel the need to issue warnings for some flagrant violation, I try to let it slide by.
Believe it or not, I thought long and hard about whether I would address Bobby's post to me. Then came the decision about where to deal with it. Via PM, the moderator forum, Sound Off, HELL, here....obviously, I elected to do it here, but I suspect only a few understand why.
