a2k sucks

Of course, Ollie, but you miss the point entirely.

How about his addresses to the nation, where he informs them of his agenda? Can only the people he likes hear and discuss that?

If he wants to address the nation, then it stands to reason that he shouldn't block anyone... It's not in his interest. But if he wants to speak to a local radio that only broadcast on the East Coast, that's his right too...

On the issue of blocking others, I don't know how it will work and I don't plan on using it, but let's see.

I do feel that conversation here on A2K has broken down. I can't think of the last time I had a long-term discussion i.e. over several weeks, except that thread on Eistein you and I shared... It used to happen more often. Maybe the new changes will break down the conversation even further, but from what I read, I sense a great opportunity to rejuvenate this place.

Imagine if A2K was a platform where we could define our own forums, defines the rules of the game as we see fit, experiment with them, etc. That would ROCK the Internet forum market, I tell you. Well marketed, it could attract a lot of new people.

Well I wasn't addressing any of that, just this "blocking" feature is all.

You do understand correctly the implications of the new super-ignore feature.

But that is only half the story. People are also gong to be able to set up their own sections of a2k where they can vary the rules as they wish. Not every community is going to choose to use the new super-blocking feature. Some people might even choose to set up an area with no form of ignore at all.

People who are interested in an open playing field of ideas and vigorous debate will be able to get together in the communities where the rules favor such things.

The only problem I can see is, if a community is going to involve moderation to remove name-calling, someone is going to have to dedicate the time to be the moderator.

I concur with virtually all of Finn's post (which is way too long to quote).

I do have trouble picturing Dyslexia ganging up on someone. I'd picture him more likely siding with the person being ganged up on. But I was also not a witness to the lynching of Foxfyre, so I can't truly say how he behaved in that incident.

But Finn's assessment of Hawkeye as not the problem, and even an asset to a2k, I wholeheartedly concur with.

If anyone truly objects to Hawkeye, why isn't this double-sided ignore feature enough for them?

Just saw that. Thanks Osso, appreciated.

Oh and by the way, I don't care that much if anyone insults my mother... I was pulling Bob's leg a little here. :-)

It's part of a package, the way I see it.

Most internet forum addicts are conservative in their approach to their favorite forum. They like it as it is, but they like to whine about it, and they whine ever more when it changes.

I expect the new features to be embraced very very cautiously and progressively by the old in-crowd, once released. Until they are released, I wouldn't think too much about them. Maybe they are going to carry this thing through, maybe not. No need to sweat it too much.

I've seen several comments about people being "driven out" of A2K.

ANYONE who has ever been "driven out" of this forum...did not belong here in the first place...and probably should not be engaging in the kind of give and take that occurs in almost every Internet forum.

If the heat bothers you...stay out of the kitchen.

I don't see the utility in the proposed 'communities with their own rules'. They can effectively be implemented now in the form of 'threads'. If you want a coffee klatch thread, start one. I don't see anyone starting a brawl in the 'Favorite Movie' thread. Where's the problem?

Anything that inhibits the clash of ideas is a loser IMO.

Jeez, don't beat around the bush.
If the TRIBE MASTER has a username, use it.
If the TRIBE have usernames, use them.

Shouldn't the leader of a tribe be called a chief? What's with all this tribe master bollocks? (I know it's Foofie's bollocks, not yours.)

ahhh Foofie and Miller. Members of a tribe. Awesomeness.

To receive the answers to your questions, you must pay the A2K membership fee of $35 ( US Cash).

I should not be posting. I'm too busy.

But I feel I should clarify why I said that.

Everyone seemed to speaking against the down button so I felt I should play devil's advocate for it.

I'm ambivalent, and i don't envy Robert his decision on whether to keep it.

Personally, my biggest problem with it is that it may create extra animosity between members. This was once a happier place.

Who knows what the standard will be roger, or even if anyone will be banned? As you know, Robert hasn't revealed his precise plan and is more or less simply throwing out ideas. Which ones will stick and which ones won't, approx a year from now, is anyone's guess.

I took the content of his posts directed to hawkeye to strongly suggest he is at least contemplating banning some people. What criteria he uses to decide who gets banned is also anyone's guess at this point. For all I know he was just blowing off steam and there is no ban planned. If he was issuing a warning (to whomever), I'm sure it fell on deaf ears all around.

The thumbs feature is, IMO, a ridiculous means for judging any member, for any purpose (unless of course Robert can track usage by the thumber). I don't think Robert is a ridiculous person, but there may be a few folks he wants to ban and thumb stats could provide a convenient measure. It always comes down to the fact that it's his site and it's free. Even if we paid to use it, there would be some sort of agreement that allowed him to ban users for any reason that occurred to him - sort of like "Right to Work" statutes. Fortunately, Robert has not been a capricious owner and his (perhaps until now) hands off site/content management approach helps to convey a notion that there is no one behind the curtain and that A2K sits on the web like some large bulletin board in the lobby of a town center, inviting any and all to post what they please. Something incredibly egrigious may be removed (when found), but that's about it.

He doesn't participate in discussions as much as he once did as Craven, but he has always been one of better participants the forum has enjoyed. He's always been one of those folks of whom you can, generally, say "I don't agree with him on a lot of issues but it's enjoyable to engage with him."

When he comes to A2K as the Mind of The Great Machine, it's a different situation as perforce, he enjoys a status that nobody else can have. This is unique and someone like hawkeye (for whatever reason) is not about to defer to that status and may even be provoked by it. I sense that this has irritated Robert, but I suspect he would deny any such thing.

In any case, I wouldn't worry about what standards Robert may or may not use to draw up his Ban List, assuming such a thing ever actually materializes. I very much doubt members will be able to influence his decisions whether through the mechanical processes of the thumb and ignore features or through written appeals. The whole thing could disappear tomorrow for a host of reasons and we could all be cut off without explanation. The banning of an individual will not be a dissimilar experience.

I like the forum. That I returned and remained after my hiatus proves that. I would miss it if it were gone, but not to any extent that it would affect the quality of my life (such as it is). There must be other forums out there (although I have yet to find any as good as this one or Abuzz) and obviously the regulars here have shown that they like being involved in such forums...a lot. People will find new places to satisfy whatever urges them to post here...either individually if banned or en masse, if the site someday goes up in electrons.

And we'll end up with some huge comedy threads and an infinite number of "secret" two or three person threads. Its hard to imagine how that will attract new members when they can't figure out how to engage.

I moderate on DU. Its not so hard to keep it civil.

Thank you for admitting that. I hold nothing but the utmost respect for your mother.