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Originally Posted by peacegirl
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Originally Posted by LadyShea
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Originally Posted by peacegirl
Interestingly, the groups who think they have freedom of speech are squelching the very speech they value so highly. Can you not be honest with yourself LadyShea that this group has a mean streak?
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Being mean is not the equivalent of squelching free speech. Why are you conflating the two? |
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I said that being mean can ruin a conversation. There's no place for it if the goal is to hear another point of view. Name calling squelches the desire to converse knowing that one's ideas will be ridiculed because they are not accepted by the group.
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Originally Posted by LadyShea
Your sentence quoted above indicates you see a relationship between the squelching of free speech and meanness. Additionally, you are now saying that squelching a desire to converse and squelching of freedom of speech are synonymous.
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What I meant to say was that namecalling and the verbal abuse squelches the desire [on my part] to carry on a meaningful conversation.
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Originally Posted by LadyShea
From what I gather, what you are really trying to say is that some people don't want to socialize or discuss with people they think are mean. I agree, and I think those people should refrain from socializing or discussing with people they think are mean.
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We're in agreement here.
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Originally Posted by LadyShea
Responding to your edited in addition
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Originally Posted by peacegirl
You are use to it, and you are not the target, so you can look at it dispassionately, but for others who are the target it has gotten in the way.
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I have been the outsider or held minority views in other communities, and have rustled a few jimmies and been called names  . Guess what, though? I stop socializing with people that I don't enjoy socializing with, and stop participating in discussions that I don't like having, whether virtually or in person. |
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That's smart. I should have done that from day one.
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I left here and people followed me.
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Originally Posted by LadyShea
Yes. However, you had some time with those forums prior to people from here showing up there. Were you enjoying those discussions?
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No, but that's beside the point. It got much worse when Davidm, Spacemonkey, and thedoc showed up. They took over the thread. It was a nightmare.
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Originally Posted by LadyShea
What if you found a group that agreed with you or had a different culture than  , would those that followed you have been tolerated or allowed to "take hostage" your thread, or ridiculed out of there as outsiders? Maybe you should seek those groups that won't be welcoming to the type of mean people you think we are. |
That's the problem, there doesn't seem to be any in-between. People are either allowed to talk garbage, or it's moderated which is too restrictive, and the woo websites are distasteful to me because their ideas are not subjected to any kind of scientific scrutiny. That isn't even what I want.
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I would have loved to go to another group (there are quite a few out there), but spiders would have given people clues as to where I was, and I would never tolerate having people from this group take my thread hostage like they did in project reason. Anyway, I'm going to market soon and won't have time for this silliness.
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Originally Posted by LadyShea
They are as free as you to discuss at open discussion forums. Again if you find, or even start, a group that thinks as you do on "bullying" and "squelching speech" etc., then anyone that followed you would be the outsiders, right?
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It's not about being an outsider; it's about being polite instead of barging into a thread knowing that the purpose of my leaving this group was to discuss this discovery with other people, not to be embarrassed by the disgusting comments of people that have a vendetta against me.
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Originally Posted by LadyShea
My experience is entirely within my power. I am not a target because I am not a helpless victim when it comes to voluntarily discussing things with other humans.
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Nobody is saying you're helpless and that it isn't within your power to own your experience, but words are what we use online, and if those words are foul, the experience is not enjoyable and will compel people, of their own free will (I know David has no clue what I mean by that), to leave. Then you'll wait until the next sucker joins this "freethought" group so you can use him as fodder.
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Originally Posted by LadyShea
The nature of free speech is such that everyone can say what they want It's not my responsibility to ensure others enjoy their time or whatever. And some people do enjoy their time here at or it wouldn't exist and have members. |
I never said it was your responsibility. I only said that it limits the conversation for a lot of people.
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Originally Posted by peacegirl
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Originally Posted by peacegirl
In fact, it has ruined any chance for a fair and enjoyable conversation. Can't you see how everyone becomes part of group think in an effort to avoid becoming the next target? This is called self-preservation. There has not been a person that would dare cross the line of what is acceptable, or they know they will be the next person in line to become fodder for laughter.
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Originally Posted by LadyShea
Who is everyone? Are you talking about yourself, only, or have you had some kind of private communications with other "victims of the mob" who are magically powerless to preserve themselves by not clicking the link that brings them to ? |
The victims of the mob, once they understand the game, do eventually leave and never come back. |
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Originally Posted by LadyShea
Yes, people that do not like it here can and should leave and never come back. You, however, were actually not talking about them. You were talking about alleged people who stay here and participate while actively avoiding being a target, and not daring to cross lines, out of self preservation. Who are those people?
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I don't know who these people are, but I believe they are out there. I feel there would be more participation in this thread if there wasn't such animosity.