[Cronos]

Furthermore, the rules allow posters to say things like "the Southern Baptist white hankies and rubber gospels" and direct them at particular posters, which is in other words an attack. And more to the point, it's a wide-spreading, non-topical, attack on everything that the SBC person believes in, hence it's akin to a blanket "you are bad and evil" post.

Such a statement leads to non-dialogue. While I can debate with, say a metmom or roamer who will focus on one topic and say that THAT topic is the reason why he/she does not believe the same as I do, it is impossible to talk on an internet forum with someone who says "you guys are all evil, we have nothing in common, I have more in common with Manicheans" -- there is no dialogue, no possibility of a dialogue or debate, just an empty mud-slinging.

I don't see how you can prevent this without terribly active policing, but your new rules will not help this, just exacerbate it -- the current rules, while not good enough to prevent this sort of thing, are just as good as the new proposed rules.

[Cvengr]

I don't see how you can prevent this without terribly active policing, but your new rules will not help this, just exacerbate it

--

the current rules, while not good enough to prevent this sort of thing, are just as good as the new proposed rules.

The first quote makes it personal. The second expression is appropriate, even if its truth value might not be expressed.