General discussion of moderation procedures - Part οκτώ

Hi
i am not sure where to askthis question but hope you can help.
I am unable to post replies in the showcase section as I am told I do not have priveliges to do so.
Is this right and if so what is the shwocase section anyway?

That is correct. You can ask for permission to post in the showcase in the thread Message 1

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Aslan is not a Tame Lion

I know that Ned responded to Hoot @
http://EvC Forum: Richard Dawkins on Irish TV on The God Delusion -->EvC Forum: Richard Dawkins on Irish TV on The God Delusion
but he puts me in the till as well.Well, not that I have a problem NOT defending myself, but I do not understand how my continued defense of my position that Dawkins is wrong about God is so far off the topic. Look also at Iano's post after his initial one where one is asked to listen to a comedian about perspectives on US? Is this supposed to be a topic that US citizens have the wrong perspective about God? How would I know that THAT was supposed to be the topic especially as the people in the first video of RD did not appear American to me but I addressed the subject.I simply asked Hoot a question to see if I understood what he meant. I still disagree that his reasons for supporting RD are any better than mine against. Shutting us down shuts out some aspect of the discussion. Again, I have no problem NOT responding but I dont know where I crossed the line here.

off-topic, but all I can say is what a relief it is to finally understand something that you have spoken. Most of you stuff goes right over my head (and the heads of others, I presume).sorry for the interuption.

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...but nothing counterfactual that I could identify.Randman is the cowardly lunatic liar that Dr. Adequate describes. Any competent observer could win the debate on that question with ease: the record is long and clear.The Showcase licenses the most despicable behaviors from our most dishonest members; specifying the particulars of their pathology should not be a suspendable offense.

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(Puts on somewhat tattered admin hat.) I have now had the opportunity[sic] to read both of the threads in question. The Showcase, of course, lives well and truly up to its usual high standard of "debate". OTOH, I'm afraid I must disagree with you. Regardless of provocation and/or the truth of the matter concerning Randman et al, I find that AdminMod acted both appropriately and in a timely fashion. Dr. A was way out of line. Consider: one of the unique features of this particular forum is the attempt - often with exceptional measures - to keep civil a debate that in nearly every other case on nearly every other discussion forum rapidly degenerates into insult, flame wars, and almost infantile tit-for-tat.No one in their right mind who's spent more than a week on this forum expects Randman to be civil. However, the rest of us are and should be held to higher standards.

Well said, AdminQuetzal--reasonable, civil, measured, and in full accordance with the overt admin culture of EvC.Nonetheless, Dr. A spoke the truth. Had he made those charges against almost any other member, they would constitute insults; as applied to Randman, they are facts, and I would happily debate that assertion with anyone...though I don't propose to do so here.As long as we have the perverse Showcase, whose residents are free to fling their droppings at others without consequence, it will be periodically necessary for someone to point out that they are shitheads. And I'm glad to hear from you, even in rebuke.Just in case I don't get another opportunity (sic, indeed!) to say so, have a grand New Year!

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Drinking when we are not thirsty and making love at any time, madam, is all that distinguishes us from the other animals.-Pierre De Beaumarchais (1732-1799) Save lives! Click here!
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Before there even was a Showcase, I got away once with calling Randman "the village idiot".
I assumed that I wasn't suspended for it because it was so blindingly obviously true.It needs to be said once in a while, for the benefit of newcomers who might otherwise think the lunatics are running the asylum.

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don't be silly ringo, there aren't enough lunatics to run this asylum.

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Poor old Randy, if he could only leave his Haeckel Conspiracy Fixation alone, he might get along as he sometimes raises valid points. But then again------- Edited by AdminPD, : No reason given.

Some of you people seem to have a problem with challenges Rand presents which some of the rest of us of his ideological mindset are either unable or too timid to do. I see Rand's faults but I also see his qualities which some whom he refutes tend to ignore. I cited the debate between him and Percy in Dec POM. Would any of you Rand bashers care to comment on that performance? Edited by AdminPD, : No reason given.

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BUZSAW B 4 U 2 C Y BUZ SAW ---- Jesus said, "When these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads, for your redemption draws near." Luke 21:28

Randman doesn't refute anybody, Buz.We don't have any problem refuting him, however.He's a paranoid, obsessive crank, buz, and a rather rude one at that. Edited by AdminPD, : No reason given.

Happy new year, madear! Speaking of rude and cranky, I see some rudeness and crankiness here in this thread towards my friend. Like the rest of us he has his faults, but I fail to see him as despicably worse than some of the rest of us here at EvC. Edited by AdminPD, : No reason given.

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BUZSAW B 4 U 2 C Y BUZ SAW ---- Jesus said, "When these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads, for your redemption draws near." Luke 21:28

It's seldom a good idea to cite your own failings. Edited by AdminPD, : No reason given.

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Members who are unwilling or unable to follow the Forum Guidelines and moderator requests are restricted to the Showcase forum. Regular members who request permission to debate with showcased members must still follow the Forum Guidelines, even when showcased members do not.Here's a loose analogy with the monkey cage at the zoo. I am by no means likening Showcase to a monkey cage, nor am I likening showcased members to monkeys. I'm using this analogy because of how well it fits, which will become apparent.When you enter the monkey cage you are cautioned that the monkeys may throw things at you, including unpleasant things such as feces. You are cautioned not to respond in kind. When you leave the monkey cage and stand before it, it is still possible that monkeys might throw feces at you. You must still not respond in kind.This was the mistake that Dr Adequate made. He entered the Showcase forum to debate with Randman, and when Randman began violating the Forum Guidelines, Dr Adequate responded in kind. And when Dr Adequate left Showcase and Randman continued to violate the Forum Guidelines with Dr Adequate as the target, Dr Adequate again responded in kind. Regular members must follow the Forum Guidelines.Regarding Randman himself, all he need do to exit Showcase is demonstrate the ability to follow the Forum Guidelines. The rules that I think he needs to pay most attention to are those regarding staying on topic, constructively moving the debate forward, and avoiding insulting behavior. Any evolutionist here could take Randman's style to any creationist board and be banned in one day.Randman's restriction to Showcase has nothing to do with his position or his specific arguments, and everything to do with his inability to promote his position and arguments within the constraints of the Forum Guidelines. I think all evolutionists here would welcome a Randman who brought all of his assets while leaving most of his offensive baggage behind. It is a common lament among evolutionists here that there are rarely competent creationists to debate. This shouldn't come as a surprise, since creationists come to the debate out of a love for God and Bible, while evolutionists come to the debate out of a love for science, so naturally the evolutionists are far better informed. Randman is an exception in being fairly well informed, and evolutionists would love it if he could just drop all the garbage and simply discuss things.That Randman thinks anyone disagreeing with him is dishonest wouldn't be a problem were it not for his willingness to give voice to these feelings early and often. He is often given to simple and insulting declarations that would violently change the topic if responded to. For instance, there's this from Message 134 of the A Guide to the tactics of Evolutionists thread: And this from Message 3 of the Congress stepping in to stop witchunt of IDers thread: Just as Dorothy always held the power to return home, whether Randman ever emerges from Showcase is under his own control.I should mention that better solutions than Showcase might become available at some point. No one is really pleased with Showcase, and one proposed solution that has drawn positive comments is restrictions on posting frequency. Such a feature would have application not only for those who might otherwise be suspended or restricted to Showcase, but also for those with other issues, such as posting many short content-free or off-topic posts. Anyone who reached their limit would get a message box saying something like, "Your posting privileges have been restricted to 5 messages per day. You can next post a message at 5:14 PM on Monday, January 1, 2006 (7h 14m from now)."

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--	Percy
	EvC Forum Director