REMINDER: Read and take to heart

alba · Phoenix Joined: Aug 01, 2008 Posts: 927

Having waded through 9 pages of commentary..may i state right off the top that i love PPR. It's more enjoyable when people reply to my ideas, but just reading through the posts is also good. Now my intent isn't to make people angry but just to say what i think and i think something doesn't quite add up here in the posts already made on this thread. As my remarks will perhaps cause offense i would like to apologize in advance for the usual lack of tact i am prone to.

Flame wars, in that they are illegal according to the rules, should not be tolerated. Many of the PPR regulars either enjoy them or they are no prob. Still, you must admit they are against the rules. The mods have been trying to tell us, bad as that is, it isn't the worst behavior happening in PPR. If you get that then you needn't read further, because you will know many WP members are being marginalized and excluded from PPR. Apparently some [i would guess more than a few] have expressed concern to the mods. While some of you thickskinned debaters may consider them too wimpy for PPR, guess what? PPR is for everyone, wimps too.

AG said toward the beginning of this thread..."Outsiders who seem like outsiders are likely to be rejected". If that is the basis for the regular PPR users' "fun" it is unacceptable. Why should people who come to WP seeking refuge from bullying and ostracism in the real world, be subjected to rejection, bullying and feeling they are unwelcome in PPR? Some of you have your hackles up and you're in combat mode. You want to shoot down anything that interferes with your fun no matter what it costs other members. i have the impression that many many more would like to participate in PPR discussions. i would welcome their opinions but there are voices with more clout in PPR that scare them away. Is this right? Fair? Should your "fun" require the exclusion of many other WP members?

Well, unfortunately this is not a school of law. A shame for some of you because what you do is highly valued in a courtroom. In a court of law, guilt or innocence doesn't matter so much as skill of the attorney. And some of you are extremely skilled no doubt. Attorneys are in it for the money and the best of them know precisely how to go in for the kill. You can find them but the forums that will tolerate this type of assault based discussion are few and far between. Not to mention i think this website was set up with the opposite intent in mind.

PPR has gotten a reputation for being intolerant and mean spirited. There is a reason for this. Those of you who want things to continue as they are should ask yourselves if your "fun" is worth alienating most of the rest of WP. It seems indulgent to a few and unfair to the majority.

All of this but the following in particular is my opinion only--> It looks like some of you have been bullied by authority figures in the past and have had enough of it. Now you want your freedom. i would ask you to recall what being bullied felt like and ask yourself if that is really how you intend to treat others now that you know what it feels like. Apparently PPR is a disastrous experience for many members of WP, especially the noobs who haven't a clue what they're getting themselves into. You can say you don't really care but i think you do [care]. To say you don't care is being in denial of the pain you carry with you and the pain you are at least partially inflicting on vulnerable members of WP.

i honestly think it is possible to welcome a greater participation in the PPR forum and still keep it fun. There really is no excuse for wanting selfishness to be continually indulged for the benefit of a few. Is your fun partially derived from seeing other members hurt and excluded? Do you think they don't deserve to voice their opinions in PPR? For me, the more opinions voiced, the better the discussion...in general. i think everyone should be welcome to express their opinion in PPR if it is respectful of the rules and the rights of others to do likewise.

There is the golden rule which states do unto others as you would have them do unto you. That's ok. But what i've found in the real world is this:

PEOPLE TEND TO DO UNTO OTHERS THE WAY THEY'VE BEEN DONE UNTO BY OTHERS IN THE PAST