Mone cracks the whip...

Got this in my personal mailbox today from our fearless moderator:

A message from an authoritarian dipshit

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Did the whole "no personal insults" thing escape you or what? If I see another one, you're gone for a week.

Moné


Frankly, I couldn't give two juicy turds one way or another, Mo-nay. The speech codes around here are making this place as exciting and thought-provoking as a Yanni CD. The political discussion consists of Chris A. cutting and pasting snooze-inducing op-eds from the corporate press, and the music discussion...

Wait, did I say "music discussion?" Hahahahahahahaha.

I go to Bagatellen for that these days.

So do your worse, big man. This speech code horseshit has made this place a real fucking bummer.

[Chris D]

It's "worst." "...do your worst." Damn kids.

[crawjo]

Who has Alex been insulting? He comes on a bit strong now and then, but he brings a very different and valuable viewpoint to the discussions here in the Alley.

Lay off the whip, Mone. Our poll clearly shows that JCers would rather ban the jerk from the Cardinals/Rangers game and Mother Theresa. Although Alex wasn't an option, I feel pretty confident that he'd be running a distant fifth or sixth, at best.

[Monte Smith]

"Dipshit." Uh-oh. Does an example have to be made? I'd miss Alex if he was sent to Siberia. Spare him, Mone, I beseech you.

[tippy]

Well since you brought it up. From my perspective, Alex, your personal insults are a real fucking bummer too. I think you have interesting things to say, but your over the top insults offend me and delete whatever value I might find in your message.

[Jazzzoline]

*With all that's going on here lately, Moné is gonna be exhausted for his honeymoon*

[Uli]

In my sleuth mode I think I might have been the object of Alex' abuse.



(simply deducted from Ollie backing Alex up with a quote from a post that I can't trace.)

Ollie, you better watch what Gary sed: Don't insult the bartender!

I plead for mercy for Alex!

[stonemonkts]

I've always viewed name-calling online to be a dopey, cowardly act. The breathless thread you started on Nazis in Germany where you basically called people a name was douchey in the extreme. Cut the fucking shit, or get on a fucking plane and start seeking these "dipshits" out face-to-face.

Or better yet, drop the name-calling nonsense and start a thread related to music discussion, or whatever floats your boat. Same people who post at that other site also post here, unless I'm mistaken.

Grow up.

[crawjo]

FWIW, I sympathized with Alex's frustration regarding the Nazis thread. It seems that the moral arbiters that be on these boards clam up when the subject isn't Bush.

No, I wouldn't have used the term "fucking people", but I also don't think people should be so sensitive over what is a very common swear word. There are far more devastating things you can say to someone, things that the censors seem to have no problem with.

Originally Posted by crawjo

but I also don't think people should be so sensitive over what is a very common swear word. There are far more devastating things you can say to someone, things that the censors seem to have no problem with.

Man, I could not agree with you any more. I have always wondered what the strange revulsion to certain "swear" words was all about.

Now there ARE certain words that I simply will not use. The C-word and N-word especially. But what the hell is wrong with using "fuck" to emphasize your point? No, you don't want to stand in front a board room and say "you've got to give this a fucking chance".

But amongst a bunch of other fuck ups(i.e, the people here), why is the word looked upon as being so vile?

[stonemonkts]

I don't think the F word is the issue. Personally I love the F word. I think everyone should accept it as simply a word, and not anything bad.

The issue is with calling people names. As in, "Stone, you are a fucking idiot". The "fucking" is ok, but "idiot" is not cool at all. It is a personal insult.

Also, as I've said, personal attacks over the internet are childish.

But I was merely commenting as an observer.

Got that, you shiny-headed dickwad?

[HenryMc]

To give you an idea of how bad my week's been I read this thread title as "Mone whips the crack..." - Ah maybe I just dream of a Certificate X Speakeasy

Originally Posted by stonemonkts

Got that, you shiny-headed dickwad?

Loud and clear, fucknut.

Originally Posted by Henry

I read this thread title as "Mone whips the crack..."

Of course, there would be no news in that.

[bluenoter]

Originally Posted by Mo Noyz

I have always wondered what the strange revulsion to certain "swear" words was all about. . . .

But amongst a bunch of other fuck ups(i.e, the people here), why is the word looked upon as being so vile?

JazzCorner is a music promotion and hosting business (etc.), and Speakeasy is a free service attached to that business. Speakeasy doesn't make a red cent for Lois. Having obscenities appear in a Speakeasy thread title ("fucking") isn't a cool way for JazzCorner to present itself to its current and potential clients or for its clients to be presented to the world. See?

The same goes for personal insults, with or without obscenities, in posts.

Alex, are you really saying that you find it a drag to have to express yourself without calling other posters insulting names? If you can't express yourself otherwise, it's high time you learned. And guess what--if you didn't include personal insults to other posters, readers would probably be more convinced by whatever it was you had to say.

You're implying that the expression of opinions, including political and artistic opinions, is being restricted, and you know damn well that it isn't.

Yeah, I can understand the part about it being in the title, Rita. I mean, some folks may let their kids come here, and so on.......

I'm addressing the revulsion to the word itself more than anything. Although I'd be willing to bet that most people involved in the world of Jazz in any way have heard the word at least once or twice, and likely use it themselves when needed.

Originally Posted by Rita

And guess what--if you didn't include personal insults to other posters, readers would probably be more convinced by whatever it was you had to say.

Don't know, Alex. Can't say it's worked that well for me. I'm sure even Rita can't deny that one.

[Clay Fink]

Mone, I say do your wurst.

Originally Posted by Rita

You're implying that the expression of opinions, including political and artistic opinions, is being restricted, and you know damn well that it isn't.

Where did he imply anything like that?

[Gordon B]

Originally Posted by tippy

Well since you brought it up. From my perspective, Alex, your personal insults are a real fucking bummer too. I think you have interesting things to say, but your over the top insults offend me and delete whatever value I might find in your message.

I feel the same way as Tippy. Furthermore, Alex discourages debate because anybody who posts a rejoinder to what he says is at risk of suffering a vulgar, mean-spirited insult.

Originally Posted by bluenoter

JazzCorner is a music promotion and hosting business (etc.), and Speakeasy is a free service attached to that business. Speakeasy doesn't make a red cent for Lois. Having obscenities appear in a Speakeasy thread title ("fucking") isn't a cool way for JazzCorner to present itself to its current and potential clients or for its clients to be presented to the world. See?

The same goes for personal insults, with or without obscenities, in posts.

Alex, are you really saying that you find it a drag to have to express yourself without calling other posters insulting names? If you can't express yourself otherwise, it's high time you learned. And guess what--if you didn't include personal insults to other posters, readers would probably be more convinced by whatever it was you had to say.

You're implying that the expression of opinions, including political and artistic opinions, is being restricted, and you know damn well that it isn't.

I totally agree.

[bluenoter]

Originally Posted by Scott Dolan

Where did he imply anything like that?

I tried to isolate lines from his post to show you, and I found that it was almost the whole post. So just read his post again.

Thanks, Gordon. I'm glad you agree.

[crawjo]

Originally Posted by bluenoter

I tried to isolate lines from his post to show you, and I found that it was almost the whole post. So just read his post again.

Thanks, Gordon. I'm glad you agree.

I don't agree. He rails against the "speech codes" but I don't see anywhere that he says that political opinions are being suppressed.

[crawjo]

Originally Posted by Alex

Frankly, I couldn't give two juicy turds one way or another, Mo-nay. The speech codes around here are making this place as exciting and thought-provoking as a Yanni CD. The political discussion consists of Chris A. cutting and pasting snooze-inducing op-eds from the corporate press, and the music discussion...

I guess that's the closest he comes, Rita. I think he's just saying that the rules against obscenities are making JC a snooze-fest. I don't agree with that, but it's not the same thing as saying that political and artistic opinions are being suppressed.

[Brian Olewnick]

fwiw, I have no particular problems with the language Alex used. I make a distinction between words used in anger or outrage (as was the case, I think, with his post on the neo-Nazi thread) and words used with the intent to hurt the recipient personally (as was the case with Deep in any number of his attacks).

[bluenoter]

Originally Posted by crawjo

I guess that's the closest he comes, Rita. I think he's just saying that the rules against obscenities are making JC a snooze-fest. I don't agree with that, but it's not the same thing as saying that political and artistic opinions are being suppressed.

I felt that he was implying it. I could be wrong (surprise!).

Yeah Rita, I agree with Crawjo.

I think it would be a stretch to reach the conclusion you came to.

[RBS]

I think Alex takes the low road quite a bit, actually. And to post a thread wherein he calls Mone an "authoritarian dipshit" is ridiculous.

You can argue your point without calling someone a dipshit.

And hell, it's Lois' ball, she can do whatever the hell she wants with it.

You don't like the sandbox, go play in another one.

[bluenoter]

Okay, Scott; noted.

Originally Posted by Brian Olewnick

fwiw, I have no particular problems with the language Alex used. I make a distinction between words used in anger or outrage (as was the case, I think, with his post on the neo-Nazi thread) and words used with the intent to hurt the recipient personally (as was the case with Deep in any number of his attacks).

But some people may not make that distinction--other Speakeasy members, potential Speakeasy members, current JazzCorner clients, potential JazzCorner clients.

Again, from a business standpoint, Speakeasy membership yields site traffic statistics with which to attract and retain JazzCorner clients.

[Brian Olewnick]

Rita, I understand the business aspect of the site and, like Gary and others have said, I have no problems with Lois and mone enforcing whatever rules they like. I can, in turn, live with those rules or not. So far, I think they've done an amazing job for which I'm grateful and think they've, by and large, made the right moves. I just wanted to note that, again fwiw, Alex didn't cross my particular line in this regard.

[walto]

Well, I agree that neither a ban nor a suspension makes much sense if the recipient of the insult(I'm thinking of Uli here) isn't interested, but I do think it's kind of funny/absurd to think that a prohibition against calling someone a fucking useless authoritarian dipshit (or whatever it was he called Uli) could somehow make a forum less "thought-provoking."

I mean, really.

[Dr Dave]

This is Lois's sandbox. She gets to make the rules. Nobody has a "right" to post here. If you don't like it, go somewhere else. It's a free country.

[Lois Gilbert]

In all fairness to Moné - he's getting married this weekend so cut him so slack. I don't know what transpired Alex.

I've asked him to cc me on stuff, but I didn't see this pm between the 2 of you...

The only language that is banned is in thread titles and user names.