A frequently repeated phenomenon on this board, is that various visitors indulge in personal attacks on other members, or even the proprietors of this website. This is against the site policy, but it doesn't stop people from doing it. And such attacks have also led to replies in kind.
In the past, as board admin, I've tried complaining about this whenever I see it. I've tried ignoring the ad hominem attacks and focusing on the content. But those approaches lead to resentment, because the site policy goes unenforced.
More recently, I've also tried editing the remarks. But that's a lot of work, and is if anything even more disturbing than inaction, as nobody likes to have their posts edited.
So now I'm trying something new. If someone (like for example Loren) makes an insulting remark, and someone else (like for example Richard) replies in kind, I'm just going to look the other way. In other words: if one member of this forum insults another, I still give the person the option of coming to me to enforce the site policy against personal insults. It seems to me that's the higher road.
But I also give the insulted person license to reply in kind, with a detailed analysis of the personal faults of the site member who started the food fight, especially as it pertains to the topic under discussion.
If this seems to be working, I'll make appropriate changes to the site policy.
In the past, as board admin, I've tried complaining about this whenever I see it. I've tried ignoring the ad hominem attacks and focusing on the content. But those approaches lead to resentment, because the site policy goes unenforced.
More recently, I've also tried editing the remarks. But that's a lot of work, and is if anything even more disturbing than inaction, as nobody likes to have their posts edited.
So now I'm trying something new. If someone (like for example Loren) makes an insulting remark, and someone else (like for example Richard) replies in kind, I'm just going to look the other way. In other words: if one member of this forum insults another, I still give the person the option of coming to me to enforce the site policy against personal insults. It seems to me that's the higher road.
But I also give the insulted person license to reply in kind, with a detailed analysis of the personal faults of the site member who started the food fight, especially as it pertains to the topic under discussion.
If this seems to be working, I'll make appropriate changes to the site policy.