Anxiety said:

i just did. go check it out...i did my best, without resortin to bitin off one's appendages. i'm TeacherJen (well not really, i borrowed a friend's account)...for those of you who aren't members, don't wish to trudge over there or (le gasp!) are banned, here's what i said:

the cat wrote:

i replied:



i go cuckoo for edits
[This message was edited Tue Sep 30 16:00:38 PDT 2003 by Handclapsfingasnapz]

I'm not sure why the whole NPGMC is blamed for a single post by a single member. If Prince didn't make the post, why are you thanking/blaming him?
Surely you wouldn't want THIS site to be judged entirely by some of the offensive things posted here? Do you think all the bullshit that is posted here is a fair representation of what Ben believes in? Do you think Ben has any idea half of what is posted here?
I've seen posts that are degrading to women, gays, blacks, christians, you name it, here. Is anybody complaining about those? A few people perhaps, and they are threatened with account deactivation for doing so.
Do you really think Prince is over there making sure no one insults anyone?
It seems people want to complain about the lack of 'free speech' until it's something they disagree with.
I disagree with the post as well, but it should be dealt with on the site it's posted at in my opinion and not over here.
Most people here claim they hate that place anyway, so why should it even matter to them?

theblueangel said:

To be quite honest, I only skimmed the post at first and thought nothing of it.

Then I saw stymie's/cdaryl's response that basically said "I have something to say about this but I won't" which triggered in my mind that she found something objectionable, so then I re-read it more closely to see what the possible problems would be with the post.

(This is why I say if you want understanding, a possible option is to engage the post and respectfully point out the issues with which you are at variance. Otherwise, if you let it stand or if the moderators let it stand, then people who don't know or aren't familiar with or sensitive to certain issues will take those things for granted as being harmless.)

But here's my answer to your question BlueAngel, which I also posted on the thread at issue at the NPGMC:

Someone who is a long-time Prince fan who has gone to Prince concerts or Prince-related events should be used to being in the company of people from all walks of life, because Prince historically has attracted a very mixed crowd.

But I am not going to lie, I'm a long-time Prince fan and I live in New York City, which has some of the most visible and socially active gay communities in the country, and I still am uncomfortable if I am in a social setting that is predominantly gay.

That's just me being honest. I also recognize that my discomfort is my problem, not anyone else's and I do my best fight any sense of paranoia or irrationality and just have a good time with whomever I am with.

So while I can identify with the discomfort, I would never use the words that the writer of this post used. And I certainly would not invoke God to condemn or cast generalizations about others in expressing any discomfort, which is a personal problem.
.
Grammar Edit.
[This message was edited Tue Sep 30 16:23:45 PDT 2003 by NuPwrSoul]

I'm not sure why the whole NPGMC is blamed for a single post by a single member. If Prince didn't make the post, why are you thanking/blaming him?
Surely you wouldn't want THIS site to be judged entirely by some of the offensive things posted here? Do you think all the bullshit that is posted here is a fair representation of what Ben believes in? Do you think Ben has any idea half of what is posted here?
I've seen posts that are degrading to women, gays, blacks, christians, you name it, here. Is anybody complaining about those? A few people perhaps, and they are threatened with account deactivation for doing so.
Do you really think Prince is over there making sure no one insults anyone?
It seems people want to complain about the lack of 'free speech' until it's something they disagree with.
I disagree with the post as well, but it should be dealt with on the site it's posted at in my opinion and not over here.
Most people here claim they hate that place anyway, so why should it even matter to them?

I'm not sure why the whole NPGMC is blamed for a single post by a single member. If Prince didn't make the post, why are you thanking/blaming him?
Surely you wouldn't want THIS site to be judged entirely by some of the offensive things posted here? Do you think all the bullshit that is posted here is a fair representation of what Ben believes in? Do you think Ben has any idea half of what is posted here?
I've seen posts that are degrading to women, gays, blacks, christians, you name it, here. Is anybody complaining about those? A few people perhaps, and they are threatened with account deactivation for doing so.
Do you really think Prince is over there making sure no one insults anyone?
It seems people want to complain about the lack of 'free speech' until it's something they disagree with.
I disagree with the post as well, but it should be dealt with on the site it's posted at in my opinion and not over here.
Most people here claim they hate that place anyway, so why should it even matter to them?

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

With all due respect, if you aren't even a member there, why is it your place to go and try to "correct" the way that site is run? It seems your hands should be full with THIS one.


Watch my posts be deleted. Witness "free speech" at work. LOL!

Armageddicon said:

Because the club claims to hold its forums to a higher standard of respect than other internet communities. Hence the no-profanity rule, hence the instant deletions of flaming posts, hence a LOT of things that don't fly on most sites...including a LOT of moderation that leaves paying members scratching their...OUR...heads as to why some (seemingly) perfectly innocent and well-intentioned thoughts get deleted without so much as an explanation.

All we have is the faith that they're working toward a greater end of so-called "unity".

Then we get something like this, which a great number of folks find out-and-out questionable based not only on club standards but our own sensibilities, and it remains.

I'm not blaming the club for the person who wrote the message, or for what he wrote.

I'm questioning the club for its relative lack of urgency to member-written content that a large segment of its members find objectionable, yet is allowed to remain online.

NuPwrSoul said:

THAT - RIGHT THERE, is what Ive always admired about u buddy - the fact that u can be honest, but completely innofensive with it. (GOD, I hope that didnt sound patronising!)

It's quite a gift it seems in this day and age.

I dunno maybe we've all become a little too P.C? A little 2 complacent? Nah - definately NOT tha latter...

I posted it here because I simply wished 2 engage some intelligent discourse on the subject - before NPGMC Mods got their revisionist erasers out. Not 2 provoke. Admitedly, my original thoughts in the 1st post may not have been particularly high-brow, but I am simply someone who likes 2 state how they feel.

As has already been picked up upon in this thread, the MAIN reason 4 posting it up here was not only 2 show the kind of things that are posted over there, but also 2 hold witness as 2 whether NPGMC are just plain hypocrytes when it comes 2 banning peoples posts etc.

If it seems like I am over-generalising, 4give me - that is not my intention, I can assure u.

Your posts are always pretty rational and I dont think Ive ever seen u post something that hasnt been worth saying - and 4 that I respect u.

As u were - carry on! Don't mind me!

So let's see...if you post something asking if Jesus would approve of Prince charging people just to say hi, ya get banned. If you post something about the fucking GAY MENACE, that's cool.

Huh.

Thanks for your response BC... I personally feel that a lot of the problems in terms of banning has to do with people's style of communication. What works in one place doesn't always work in another place. But that's just my personal opinion

Anxiety said:

Is that what the post says to you--that it's about "the fucking GAY MENACE"?

Anxiety said:

Is that what the post says to you--that it's about "the fucking GAY MENACE"?

Anxiety said:

Is that what the post says to you--that it's about "the fucking GAY MENACE"?

NuPwrSoul said:

If you did a scan for irony in my last post, you'd probably register a blip or two.

Though it did seem like our hapless hero was stolen from his ladylove by the wretched designs of the Big Bad Gays.

NuPwrSoul said:

If you did a scan for irony in my last post, you'd probably register a blip or two.

Anxiety said:

It's hard to tell with irony on a message board. Cuz one may have ironic intents while someone else reads it as a serious statement, etc.

So be it. Woohoo for another successful strike against the NPGMC.

NuPwrSoul said:

By allowing stuff like that to remain on the site, NPGMC is it's own worst enemy. How can you take any of that "unity" stuff seriously otherwise?

It's not a matter of "striking against" the NPGMC. I've been a fan most of my life, as I'm sure most folks are. I take no especial pleasure in criticizing the club, because I really, really wish and hope that it could be the oasis of harmony that it boasts itself to be.

Sadly, that's not the reality. And sometimes, when polarizing stuff like this happens, the fencepost digs into my backside when I try to sit too long, and it's a simple matter of gravity that I'll fall on one side or the other.

With all the fuss that's going on over here, you would think that there would be more posts on that topic over there...but there isn't!! Are y'all afraid? What's the greater fear: being banned or being heard.

I think all the "hubbub" over here is ludicrous if it's is "silenced" over there.

Just a thought...

By the way, I don't care who danced with whom. With all the uprising, I was surprised to see only "four" comments at the time that I posted...

Ok, so then after you have fallen on one side or the other, do you get back up on the fence and wait for the next "fencepost" to "dig into your backside"? And if so, why?

NettieSmiles said:

Because this entire dialog could not have happened over there.

And because this dialog can be read by people who might have the ability to delete elsewhere...but not here.

NettieSmiles said:

Because this entire dialog could not have happened over there.

And because this dialog can be read by people who might have the ability to delete elsewhere...but not here.

Anxiety said:

Exactly. The gay people in this thread have been nothing but sincere, civil and respectful in dealing with the issue. The problem really is in the fact that something like this thread really could not happen there. That's sad.

I understand your point about the dialogue, but why bring "that mess" to this place? Why can't there be two separate places to discuss what happens at your own homefront? Why dis NPGMC here? And why dis the org there? It makes no sense, to me. Keep what happens there, there...is that a difficult thing to do?

NuPwrSoul said:

Metaphor gone out of bounds: I'm not following you.