"On Topic" Obsession, and overly stringent rules

[Prester John]

It's a funny thing about rules...

If you don't like them, either change them or go elsewhere and start your own, but if you have them, then one should follow them.

Rules are not laws to be sure. Even the word "rule" come from ruler, something to measure by, but rules are not made to be broken. They are guidelines to measure by.


Hank, keep up the good work.

[highlandtide]

This is a forum about Kilts. Period. I dont even like having an Off-Topic section and most of you have known that from day one. If you want to discuss politics and religion there are plenty of other places. We have rules here for a reason. I think it is funny when people say things like, "Well those rules are gonna drive people away..." Or comments like "if you want more people to come here..."

We have the most active kilt forum anywhere and people come here b/c they appreciate a well run community.

Sorry but the rules are not going to change. I do appreciate the candor however.

PS- I deleted that thread. Not because of what it said but for two reasons. The potential of it and the fact that I state clearly in the rules of that specific forum "I will remove any thread that I see takes anything away from this forum." That one did.

[Jimmy Carbomb]

The thread in question discussed the subject from a Celtic religious perspective. That would be the Scottish connection. So, a question I see, is how to discuss common Celtic symbols we wear without Kells, Lindesfarne and Iona.

Celtic symbols are often based around their religious backing. THIS IS, however, a kilt site and as I understand the rules, that's the very point of the deletion. Yes, the two can be closely linked... but they're really not. Picky point, for sure, but one set in stone.

The kilt tartans are family and regional for the most part... not who's a certain Celtic sect.

It's just one small point that the moderators know ahead of time and have managed to handle rather well.

IF you would like to discuss the Celtic traditons, language and heritage, you can head to the www.celticradio.net forums and go to town! It's a FANTASTIC forum with some rather well-informed members... many of whom are also here. I love the place for "general" talk, but head to XMarks for the kilt stuff. The two forums are a wonderful mix of kilts and culture.

[Archangel]

Celtic symbols are often based around their religious backing. THIS IS, however, a kilt site and as I understand the rules, that's the very point of the deletion. Yes, the two can be closely linked... but they're really not. Picky point, for sure, but one set in stone.

The kilt tartans are family and regional for the most part... not who's a certain Celtic sect.

It's just one small point that the moderators know ahead of time and have managed to handle rather well.

IF you would like to discuss the Celtic traditons, language and heritage, you can head to the www.celticradio.net forums and go to town! It's a FANTASTIC forum with some rather well-informed members... many of whom are also here. I love the place for "general" talk, but head to XMarks for the kilt stuff. The two forums are a wonderful mix of kilts and culture.

I probably wasn't as clear as I meant to be. I agree that this is not a place to discuss Celtic Christian principles. A recent post on sporrans incorporated the symbols. In discussions about kilts of Scotland, Ireland, Wales, etc., there's going to be intersections: accessories, travel, traditions.

This, again, is not a challenge. I want to stay within the rules and everybody's good graces. It's not a case of looking for special rules, it's a matter of being unsure where they apply.

I'm going to add one more post on this thread, then bail, because Hank answered my question.

[Archangel]

PS- I deleted that thread. Not because of what it said but for two reasons. The potential of it and the fact that I state clearly in the rules of that specific forum "I will remove any thread that I see takes anything away from this forum." That one did.

Thanks, I can accept these reasons comfortably.

[Colin]

Earlier this evening, a good friend and I were having a discussion via Yahoo Instant Messenger. In the course of the conversation, we discussed politics, on which we had both agreement and spirited disagreement, social structure, where again we had spirited disagreement, religion, foreign policy, and world history. All in the course of half an hour of so. Neither of us got mad. Neither of us threatened to remove the other from our contact list. It was just a matter of two adults pleasantly discussing and debating the world's problems.

It's quite easy to have a conversation like that between two adults without either getting bent out of shape or pissed off. However whne you try and have a discussion like that with 764 members, the chances of success are slim. You will always have someone that bashes the religion, someone preaching, someone denouncing all religions, and someone trying to recruit. I agree whole heartedly with Hanks rules regarding religion and politics. I have been here since day 3 and have seen many people get their pleats in a knot about political topics (gun control, censorship, etc) and religion too many times. It takes away from the enjoyment of the forum.

Hank, this is your house and you make the rules. But if you want to have lots of guests, you should consider how stringently you enforce them.

Yet somehow I have made my house completely non-smoking as per my rules and I still have guests over all the time. I wouldn't bend this rule in my home, why should Hank bend them in his. People come for the common ground and the company, not to try and bend the rules.

In terms of wandering post content, some people have more posts that relate to anything but the subject matter, so I can see how they would expect their posts to wander. How ever when someone posts a thread asking a specific question and is looking for a little insight, they expect the replys to have to do with the knowledge they are seeking to gain, not about politics, health, religion, or other mundane bits of information. I still see that as padding the post count rather than contributing.

[highlander_Daz]

toruble is with religion and politics is that people dont always respect the other persons point of view, and the thread can then get disrespectful and "kick off", I hate censorship but if people cant make a point without resorting to insults then I believe its correct to remove/ censor the thread.

The other thing I dont like is when people form opinions without being in full possesion of the facts, topics such as sectarianism in Scotland and the situation in Ireland support for the IRA etc spring to mind.

[highlander_Daz]

However I might add that debate using acid wit/ facts/ and devestating logic are very Scottish traits, anyone who saw John Smith or Robin Cook in action or indeed George Galloway (even if you dont agree with his policys) would see that. so perhaps its correct that lively debate is encouraged but I think there is a boundery over which one must not cross, personall attacks and other such are a bit naughty, I like to think I can hold my own in a debate but I would always have a drink with my nemesis afterwords and agree to disagree.

If we all agreed, we would all be driving the same colour make and model of car, married to the same type of women and wearing the same Tartan, what a boring world it would be.

[Shay]

If we all agreed, we would all be driving the same colour make and model of car, married to the same type of women and wearing the same Tartan, what a boring world it would be.

Speak for yourself, I'd find it an interesting change.

[Kiltbear]

Is it not interesting to find out that just cos we wear kilts does not make us a homogenous group of people? I have to admit I sometimes throw in a landmine just to provoke a lively discussion. This forum could degenerate into sheer tedium if it was restricted to just stuff like 'i wore my kilt today with matching socks and people said they liked it' Geez hold the front page......get The Enquirer on the phone.....Please moderators dont come back with comments like' this forum is about kiltwearing and nothing else' There has to be a limit to how many times a sane person can read the same thing but just repackaged slightly differently. Is this not a forum for kiltwearers to voice their thoughts? I would like to think I'm a 3 dimensional person who is more than prepared to read about another person's point of view..even if it is diametrically opposed to mine. I am far too laid back to let a sharp tongued WASP get to me. He or she is more than welcome to their opinion as I am entitled to mine. And I still say polyviscous is a crap material for kilts. (Snigger)