15 replies to this topic

[Luminosity]

"Ben" makes multiple degrading posts about women. He's been doing this again lately on the "Women's Forum" where few women feel comfortable. I know I don't.

Here's the latest one where he says women are only good for reproducing:

http://www.longecity...417#entry505417

I hope you will ban this person to maintain a atmosphere where women feel respected. This kind of thing harms participation and makes women feel unwelcome. "Ben" also doesn't seem to be resolving his problems.

[Mind]

Generally speaking, Longecity has a long history of free speech and tolerance of controversial opinion. Believe me, I have taken my fair share of crap (when I could have just been banning people left and right). The comments are certainly archaic and demeaning. I feel the best way to counter this is through public rebuke in the forums.

We will usually only ban a poster if they "attack" a specific person or spam the forum.

I hope you don't think I am being insensitive or treating this too lightly, I am just trying to explain how this type of posting has been handled in the past.

[thughes]

The problem with such a policy is the cost is usually borne mostly by the targeted group. And in general, such groups are targeted all too often. For a private forum, its a choice to allow ethnic or sex based attacks, and like all choices bears costs.

Be that as it may, there are other ways around it besides having a policy that attacks on ethnic or sex based groups are also prohibited along with personal attacks.

For example, if moderators or other people not in the targeted group regularly respond to such postings, rather than letting the burden fall only on the targeted group, that would help ameliorate the situation (I see one did respond this time). Granted that's a headache, but I think the primary purpose of this forum is to draw membership, so it may be well worth the effort.

Also, sad as it may be, having a women's forum gives misogynists an obvious target. May not be the best policy to have one, because it doesn't mix well with the policy of allowing attacks on groups. I dunno, do any women find the women's forum useful? (Or, if moderators and board members regularly responded to such posts, it would be a good forum to demonstrate that the organization as a whole is not misogynistic, so it could then have a purpose).

- Tracy

[Mind]

Good points thughes, thanks, well worth consideration.

[Ben]

Tracy, I'm assuming you're referring to me when you call me a woman hater. If you can prove my post is misogynistic, I'll withdraw it. Until then, this forum could do with less snarky, post modernist duckspeak.

[maxwatt]

As irritating and non-PC as Ben's provocating post may be, that one was not over the the line. Don't Rush to judgement and leave him in Limbaugh.

[niner]

The problem here is that we have a Women's Forum, a place for Women to hang out and discuss issues of concern to them, and as of this morning there are half dozen threads where Ben has written the terminal post. The thread being discussed here was specifically titled "For Like Minded People", an overt warning that opposing viewpoints were not welcome. Ben's post there has now racked up a negative six rating, which is quite an achievement in our forums. One of the goals of Longecity is the building of a community, and Ben's actions are running counter to that goal. Ben's denigration of Tracy's intelligent post with the phrase "snarky, post modernist duckspeak" is both insulting and inaccurate, and sadly typical of his posts. It's quite apparent that the majority of posters who have spoken up in the Women's Forum don't want him there. I think that Ben should voluntarily refrain from posting in the Women's Forum at the very least, and that it should be enforced if necessary.

[maxwatt]

Is it possible to limit access to the forum by gender?

[niner]

Not in the software, that I know of, and it would be easy to fake anyway. It would just be an edict. Access isn't a problem; it's ok if anyone reads any forum, but if someone has worn out their welcome in a particular forum, it would be within our purview to simply tell them they aren't allowed to post in that forum for some amount of time, under penalty of loss of general posting privileges.

[Ben]

The problem here is that we have a Women's Forum, a place for Women to hang out and discuss issues of concern to them, and as of this morning there are half dozen threads where Ben has written the terminal post. The thread being discussed here was specifically titled "For Like Minded People", an overt warning that opposing viewpoints were not welcome. Ben's post there has now racked up a negative six rating, which is quite an achievement in our forums. One of the goals of Longecity is the building of a community, and Ben's actions are running counter to that goal. Ben's denigration of Tracy's intelligent post with the phrase "snarky, post modernist duckspeak" is both insulting and inaccurate, and sadly typical of his posts. It's quite apparent that the majority of posters who have spoken up in the Women's Forum don't want him there. I think that Ben should voluntarily refrain from posting in the Women's Forum at the very least, and that it should be enforced if necessary.

Niner, this posts really offends* me. Seriously offends me. I know I'm just one person, but I, mentally, give it 100 down votes. Please remove it immediately. Also, you should have known that because I am extremely sensitive, I would not appreciate opposing views.


(*how could someone seemingly so educated and intelligent write such a long paragraph without a single critical element?)

[okok]

Ben, you went into the ladies room and now you're getting emotional. Try to keep it rational, like a real man

[Ben]

Ben, you went into the ladies room and now you're getting emotional. Try to keep it rational, like a real man

This link might help you out a bit.

[Ben]

The only emotion I'm truthfully experiencing from this sillyness is sadness. The level of rhetoric in these discussions is so slow that I can only lose by particpating in most of them.

[hooter]

Ben is quite the snarky one maybe he doesn't get enough of what he covets. Fly clarice, fly.

[maxwatt]

The only emotion I'm truthfully experiencing from this sillyness is sadness. The level of rhetoric in these discussions is so slow that I can only lose by particpating in most of them.

then why do you?

[Ben]

The only emotion I'm truthfully experiencing from this sillyness is sadness. The level of rhetoric in these discussions is so slow that I can only lose by particpating in most of them.

then why do you?

Though I lose a bit, others gain. Debating even the ignorant and the overly emotional is useful if it's in public and can be educational. Maybe something I write somewhere here will help someone. If every correspondent decided purely rationally whether to reply or not to something, we'd've lost some great conversations.*

(*Note: by this I do not include posting nasty names you might hear in primary school--like douche bag, etc.)

Edited by Ben, 19 March 2012 - 03:15 AM.