Tech Thread Flame War Cease Fire Declared (vanity)

(self) ^ | 2010-07-24 | Dayglored

[dayglored]

Jim Robinson has laid down the law with regard to tech thread flame wars.

I am motivated to make sure we tech-thread-heads are aware of this. This vanity is a heads-up with regard to Jim's comments last night, and I've added a few thoughts of my own as an observer.

Here's what Jim said:

To All: [That goes for everyone.] I don’t see any reason whatsoever to be having flamewars on FR over computer products. Those who have a problem with Apple should just not buy the product and that takes care of that. Don’t come to FR to flame those who like the product. That’s just dumb. Who cares what computer products people use.

Everyone on these threads need to lighten up! On all sides!!

I think Jim's declaration of a cease-fire is clear as a bell -- the disruption, flame wars, abusive comments, etc. that have characterized many tech threads, especially Apple threads, are to stop.

I'm sure we can all abide by this reminder of FR site policy, with no loss of meaningful content, and our enjoyment of the conversations in these threads will increase considerably. Arguments can be had civilly, and without rancor. We're adults, not 13-year-olds.

Personally, I think this applies by simple extension to the Windows threads, Linux threads, indeed any of the computer / high-tech threads. So I encourage ALL partisans, pro-Apple and anti-Apple, pro-Microsoft and anti-Microsoft, pro-Linux and anti-Linux, etc. to heed this reminder.

I am going to ping a handful of my FRiends of all tech persuasions, so that we can spread the word as widely as necessary, to ensure that nobody can claim they didn't know about it.

Here's to a saner, more enjoyable tech environment on FreeRepublic!

Thanks,
Dayglored

[antiRepublicrat]

I love that joke, but my favorite is

“God is real, unless declared integer.”

[kevkrom]

BASIC is for wimps, Assembly Language, baby!!!

Assembly language is a crutch for people too lazy to write in pure binary.

[antiRepublicrat]

You had an assembler? You lucky bastard!

Ohhhhh, what wouldn’t I give to have had an assembler. I sometimes hung awake at night, dreaming of having an assembler. They must think the sun shines out your arse sonny. Bloody favouritism!

[TheBattman]

Just a question - but is it “Mormon bashing”, or is it legitimately questioning a theological set of beliefs?

There is a huge difference. The same goes for many Catholic-centric threads. I really don’t understand why the flaming begins over direct and specific questions regarding the theological and doctrinal points that are brought up in a particular posting.

I’m not for just jumping on any thread with a remote connection to Catholicism (or Mormonism, or any other faith), using it as a poor excuse to launch into a vitriolic attack on a particular faith. But just as the focus of FR, political threads, legitimate questions of validity and practice that are directly related to the original article of the thread is valid.

My opinion is, regardless of the subject matter debated - it is the personal behavior of the posters that is the biggest problem. When someone questions my beliefs, even pointedly and aggressively, but do it in a respectful and serious way - I am never offended. I always try to answer with sincerity and respect in return.

But childish retorts, name-calling, and personal attacks have no place here on FR on ANY thread. Politics of Personal Attacks® is the Liberal method of warfare. I would like to think we are above that here on FR, regardless of the subject matter discussed! I kind of get that same “vibe” from Jim Robinson as well.