"Harry Krause" wrote in message
...
Joe Parsons wrote:

On Thu, 06 Nov 2003 20:49:18 -0500, Gene Kearns

wrote:

Many (if not most) of these OT posts are made by non-boaters.

Hard to tell, since there's so little boating content.


You've got more than a dozen new posts here today that are totally
devoid of boating content.

--
Email sent to is never read.


As you do.

Let's get this straight. I alluded to you, Harry and jps having sex or
something and you turned it into. "Wally said Harry and I were
buttfu%&ing". You sounded like the kid next store exaggerating to his
Mommy over yet another exaggerated slight.

No, you didn't use the term "buttf***ing"
I believe the exact phrase was "They're rotating turns being the bitch" (in a
3-way)

There's no need to call you names, Wally.
You show yourself for what you are. You'll not find any similar thing I ever
said about you, or any other right winger in the crowd. But then again, I have
at least some ability to debate issues. Some people aren't able to participate
at all unless they can avoid the more abstract ideas and go directly to
personal insult. It's OK, most charitable people will understand. We all get
different gifts. Doesn't make you a bad guy, just a boring, predictable, and
tedious read doing the best he can under the circumstances.

On 08 Nov 2003 16:06:34 GMT, (Gould 0738) wrote:

Doesn't make you a bad guy, just a boring, predictable, and
tedious read doing the best he can under the circumstances.

Some people were born to lurk, not that that's a bad thing.

bb

On 07 Nov 2003 08:15:42 GMT, (Gould 0738) wrote:

Suggestion: How about two continuous threads to contain *all* political posts?
One could be "Right Wing Fallacies and Enlightened LIberal Rebuttals", and the
other could be "Treasonous Left Wing Socialist Rantings and Patriotic
Conservatives' outraged reactions."

=================================================

That's an interesting suggestion and it might work. I'd be concerned
about the threads becoming polluted over time however by someone
slipping in a remark about boats or boating. That would inspire the
political die hards to start a new thread and the circle would begin
again.

On 08 Nov 2003 06:52:53 GMT, (Gould 0738) wrote:

Not necessarily. Do you need someone to tell you how to behave in public?

Of course not.

And, funny thing, I'll bet most of the poison pen posters don't think they're
behaving badly (by their own standards, at least).

That would surprise me. Most people, I believe *do* have reasonable standards
of behavior--especially as regards fundamental courtesy and civility. I think
it's a matter of how they choose to behave in a particular newsgroup.

One of that crowd recently
made some very childish remarks about the sexuality of some other posters, then
tried to deny he'd done so, and in the end said "well, you would have thought
it was funny if you had a properly developed sense of humor."
Do I suspect this is the way a guy like that
behaves when not on-line? Absolutely.

I don't disagree with you--but people who behave boorishly in Real Life may
simply take that behavior to extremes on Usenet, since there isn't the potential
for consequences here that there are IRL. Threats and posturing
notwithstanding.

in The Real World(tm), life generally goes
quite a bit more smoothly when we are courteous to others.

It's dangerous to presume that others have
any interest in life going smoothly. Some kids just love to break things.

You may be right. For my part, I'd just as soon assume that *most* people would
rather be in a courteous environment--and will take others to task for behaving
badly.

Peer pressure can be a powerful force.

Joe Parsons

On Sat, 08 Nov 2003 07:58:54 -0500, Harry Krause wrote:

Joe Parsons wrote:
On 07 Nov 2003 08:15:42 GMT, (Gould 0738) wrote:

If anyone would like to see rec.boats returned to "boating", then say
so. Those of us who might be willing to go through the crap of Usenet
procedure will need your support to make it worthwhile.

Rules, schmules....Any restriction will ultimately require a moderator.

Not necessarily. Do you need someone to tell you how to behave in public?
Probably not--you were most likely brought up to observe certain societal norms
and mores, and observe them because, in The Real World(tm), life generally goes
quite a bit more smoothly when we are courteous to others.

Do you observe no-wake zones even when you know there's no law enforcement
around? Bet you do--because it's the *right* thing to do--and because real
people are likely to yell at you if you don't. But more because it's the right
thing to do.

Uh, who elected *you* the Ms. Manners of usenet?

Can I infer from this that you're one of the people who chooses not to observe
no-wake zones?

Joe Parsons

On Sat, 08 Nov 2003 07:59:41 -0500, Harry Krause wrote:

Joe Parsons wrote:

On Thu, 06 Nov 2003 20:49:18 -0500, Gene Kearns
wrote:

Many (if not most) of these OT posts are made by non-boaters.

Hard to tell, since there's so little boating content.


You've got more than a dozen new posts here today that are totally
devoid of boating content.

Have you ever seen me complain about off-topic posts here?

Joe Parsons

Joe Parsons wrote:
On Sat, 08 Nov 2003 07:58:54 -0500, Harry Krause wrote:

Joe Parsons wrote:
On 07 Nov 2003 08:15:42 GMT, (Gould 0738) wrote:

If anyone would like to see rec.boats returned to "boating", then say
so. Those of us who might be willing to go through the crap of Usenet
procedure will need your support to make it worthwhile.

Rules, schmules....Any restriction will ultimately require a moderator.

Not necessarily. Do you need someone to tell you how to behave in public?
Probably not--you were most likely brought up to observe certain societal norms
and mores, and observe them because, in The Real World(tm), life generally goes
quite a bit more smoothly when we are courteous to others.

Do you observe no-wake zones even when you know there's no law enforcement
around? Bet you do--because it's the *right* thing to do--and because real
people are likely to yell at you if you don't. But more because it's the right
thing to do.

Uh, who elected *you* the Ms. Manners of usenet?

Can I infer from this that you're one of the people who chooses not to observe
no-wake zones?

Joe Parsons


You can infer whatever pleases you. But that doesn't make your inference
correct or even proper.

--
Email sent to is never read.

On Sat, 08 Nov 2003 06:25:06 +0000, Joe Parsons wrote:

On 7 Nov 2003 00:53:16 -0600, noah wrote:
We deserve better. The group deserves better. It is my opinipon that the
level of OT posting is now inviting outside trolls to pump up the OT.

Again, in case I haven't said it for the last 15 nanoseconds or so: the problem
in rec.boats is NOT off-topic posts. Those are just fine, IMO.

have been told that "this is the way it is". That rec.boats is
an open forum, like the lounge at the yacht club.

I have belonged to, or been associated with, four yacht clubs in my life. I
have *never* seen this kind of bickering, even in the most heated discussions.
Most people just don't behave like this in Real Life(tm). There's too much risk
of confrontation--even of personal injury. Here, we see lots of posturing and
rhetoric--but generally from the safety of anonymous accounts.


I gotta side with Joe on this - it's not the OT posts, or even political
"debate" - it's the bipartisanism that invades ALL posts in this NG. If you're
"conservative" and post an on-topic post, it isn't long before a "liberal" will
start at the very least making assumptions about the way you think, and more
likely start attacking you personally. (and vice versa...).

A shiver of dread goes through me every time I send a post, OT or not, to this
NG, because most replies are vicious, personal and/or political (fortunately
Canada is Multi-partisan, so there's less "proving" one party is good by
"proving" the other party is bad), and I'm basically sick of it. It's SO much
easier to wait until someone else posts something and then attack them.

I belong to a fishing message-board and there's also a "OT" (they call it NFR -
Not Fishing-Related) debate there. But there, the atmosphere is SO much more
friendly! NFR posts are usually humourous, even the "highjacked" FR posts, and
there's very little personal attacking (except good-natured barbs, etc)

It's the overall "tone" of this NG, in both on-topic and OT posts, that makes it
suck so bad.

Lloyd Sumpter, Green Party supporter

On Sat, 08 Nov 2003 12:11:59 -0500, Harry Krause wrote:

Do you observe no-wake zones even when you know there's no law enforcement
around? Bet you do--because it's the *right* thing to do--and because real
people are likely to yell at you if you don't. But more because it's the right
thing to do.

Uh, who elected *you* the Ms. Manners of usenet?

Can I infer from this that you're one of the people who chooses not to observe
no-wake zones?

Joe Parsons


You can infer whatever pleases you. But that doesn't make your inference
correct or even proper.

Such an inference may well be incorrect; but it is certainly proper, in that it
is defensible.

Joe Parsons