***Must Read***Free Fire Zone, Etiquette and Just Plain Common Sense

Gentlemen (and Ladies),

Over the past several weeks, this sub-forum, the Free Fire Zone, has generated more than the usual number of private messages to me and the moderators regarding misbehavior directed at various members at various times. Other times, the moderators have addressed problem posts without having it brought to our attention. Either way, it is generating work for us that we would rather spend discussing the war.

I understand that sometimes biting remarks are said in jest and the intent of the author is lost in the absence of other clues, such as facial expression or voice tone. Regardless, most have appeared to us to have the air of malicious intent, which is not acceptable but has been over looked by the moderators for various reasons. That is coming to a close.

There has been discussion among the moderators to eliminate the FFZ. Otto and others have voiced opposition to this, as it allows for off-subject discussion. Last Autumn, I banned political discussion in FFZ because the posts were getting so raucous that they were adversely affecting the rest of the forum. I am not above doing that again.

Please exercise personal discrection when making posts in the FFZ. Don't make posts with the intent of getting a rise out of someone, because I am almost to the point that the only rise you will be getting will be from me. Be civil with what you say and liberal use of smilies will go a long way in diffusing potentially grating posts and/or promoting your actual intent.

I don't like making threats of punishment and I think most of you see me as a fairly easy-going guy. You are (mostly) all adults, and making such threats really has no place here. You are all aware of the consequences of your actions.

We can either (1) discuss politely, backing up our statements with viable sources and leave out the name calling (even the politicians we don't like), or (2) I will ban any political discussion in the FFZ. I prefer the first option and I hope you do too.

I also remind you that if you are making vastly more posts in the FFZ than anywhere else, then you need to reevaluate your participation here. Most of you have great knowledge concerning the war, please share it with us.

Probably against my better judgement, I am going to leave this thread open for a day or two to better guage your responses.

 

~~~bump~~~

I want to make sure that everyone has a chance to read this.

 

To add to what Slipdigit has already said, and also what we have said repeatedly over the years:

If you do not like the subject matter of a thread, then ignore it! Do not post in it creating conflict. Don't make snide comments about the thread or what has been said in it, simply ignore it.

 

Jeff, I completely agree with everything you said. I have not had as many posts lately about the war, however my main interest, and where most of my knowledge lies is in the Pacific theater, specifically the naval battles. There seems to be a lack of posts in that forum lately so the FFZ has been where my voice, figuratively speaking of course, has been heard. I hope everyone can take the hint from the mods and correct any deficiencies in there conduct. Having the FFZ is, IMO a nice place to get some things off our chests. It's always good to have a place to rant. I hope I have not been one of the violaters of civil discussion, but can see where I may have in the last couple months on certain touchy subjects. I myself will review my own conduct and attempt to better myself. Personally I found that If one takes some extra time to cool off before responding to a hot subject, ones response comes off a bit cooler than typing immediately after reading something you disagree on vehemently.

 

Jeff, read, digested, and understood

 

I get what you are saying, i hope the FFZ stays it seems like it would be nice to discuss current events as well.

 

Thanks, Jeff. When I first joined in January, I almost got right out because of the nature of some of the comment in FFZ. I'm glad I stayed and have learned to stand up for my beliefs, but some of the harsh comments are off-putting. Otherwise, FFZ is a neat place to go for, usually, thoughtful commentary.

 

I guess I should have read this before I replied to Brndrt's California joke.

I am in support of this course of action.

Brad

 

How many good, knowledgeable posters have we lost for this very reason?

I'm glad you toughed it out lrusso, even if we don't agree at all politically.

 

Well said and this is basically what I told to one member by PM to do if he didn't like certain threads. Now I KNOW that these rules are directed mostly at me-which is fine. However, I post things the way I do because it forces others to participate. Now if that can be looked at as both postive and or negative-it's up to the individual to deide.

Some people make certain postings just to start trouble-and yea-I have been guilty of that in the past. What I can't stand is that others who do it cannot be adult enough to admit it. Having said that, I get lots of PMs and mostly emails-from many members here who support what I say-but don't feel that they can support me in public for fear of being punished somehow.

I always tell those who don't know-that Otto and many of the Moderators here are fair people and try to make fair judgements. If that were not the case-I and several others here-would have been permanently banned ages ago.

Liko Musso said, if you don't like a thread or certain postings in it-don't read or reply to them. It's as simple as that. If I don't like a thread-I ignore it-or at least don't reply to it.

Like I said, certain people take certain stabs at others just to try to push that persons "buttons" and also to possibly get them to make certain actions in which they will get in trouble for.

Also, im a member of 7-8 other sites-with 5-6 of them Historical-or Militaria-related-and have no problems from anyone on those sites and or complaining about me for making a controversial posting. I too get a lot of things told to me by unnamed others here. Sometimes it's enough to be able to tell which way the wind is blowing. Also, I find it an honor-that a lot of folks here share with me enough trust and understanding-to be able to tell me what's on their minds. Those people also know I will not pull a "fast one" on them and go and blab their secrets to anyone else. Frankly, if I were so inclined to think of doing so-I don't for many reasons from that I don't have time to think about doing so as well as that I don't play that game.

In saying this, if you guys want me to leave-just say so and im gone. If you want me to stay-say so and ill stay. I am leaving this decision up to you all.

Best regards-Carl.

PS, I was also threatened more than once by one member here-to which I replied to-and in private. Said same peron as far as I can see-has never not once-contributed anything useful here. Also, for everything to be equal to everybody-then the same rules and such need to apply to everybodt here-Moderators as well.

There have been several cases in the past that I have sent warnings of the provocative postings to certain unnamed Moderators-which went completely ignored. Those post warnings I sent were because of something the moderator I sent them to just finished making a long posting about calling for civility to be shown from both sides-but since those warnins were ignored by that moderator-I feel that that moderator must believe that one person is better than another instead of treating them both equally. I also noticed that in several occasions in some closed threads-that it was clearly seen from some of that threads last postings-that that member made personal stabs at another member-and those postings were allowed to remain.

Asfar as whether the FFZ stays here or not? I guess it's up to Otto and the Mods. Also as far as the "Free Fire Zone" goes, I think the name of it basically says it all. And before I get jumped on-what I mean exactly is that a person should be allowed to start threads that they think are important enough to share the info they wish to share with others. If they are not allowed to share said info-then what good is the Free Fire Zone to begin with? It's like a Pub, a Saloon, a Bar, a Club as it were-a place to go to to allow people to let off steam. Is that not correct?

 

Carl,

If we wanted you gone, we would have already made it happen. Obviously we don't. My comments were not necessarily directed at anyone person. If they were, we would have talked to that one person instead of me posting this sermon. This is a problem that has affected many, many members for a good while.

If you would like to talk to me directly, please, let's do so, either by PM or telephone.

 

Blaming this on someone for members leaving is hogwash. I have also seen many instances by moderators that have caused members to leave. People leave the sit for many reasons. Most recently I saw that Timo and another guy left-and their decisions had absolutely nothing to do with what happens in the Free Fire Zone-but did have to do with an unnamed moderator as well as another unnamed member. In those two cases, those members made it clear why they were leaving the forums.

PS, not that im trying to place most of the blame for my controversial postings on it, it has to be remembered that thanks to last years surgery, I do take at least four different medicines that are known to "alter" a persons mood and or behavior. Two of these in particular-which is labeled on the info inside the box it comes in or on an info shet provided by the Pharmacist-that Meds like Propranolol can make a person (not in their exact words as I don't have a copy of this sheet with me) can make a person angry -- for lack of better words.

Like I told a mod-it's your decision but-a person is either going to like me-or hate me--simple as that.

 

Carl, I want you to stay and I HAVE NO PROBLEM with the way you conduct yourself on here the Forum would be a poore place without your point of view. As to certein members threatning you via PM that is bang outta order after all, as has already been said most of us are adults and surely we can conduct ourSelves as such.I often wonder if people on the forum are worried to salute anothers post in fear that so and so would not approve and thus dont bother saluting just a thought............ oh just one more thing I consider you and others on here my friends for that Otto, and this forum i am truly grateful

 

I appreciate that Jeff. I wouldn't mind a telephone call. Also, ill be more than happy to place that call since I do have a great phone plan ;-))

Also, I do not wish my posts to be confusing to as to the moderator I am mentioning who has been unfair--this moderator isn't you ;-))

Take care and best regards--Carl.

PS, I would enjoy talking with you by phone. ;-))

 

If people are leaving because of disagreements in the FFZ, well then it is of no great loss in my opinion because as adults, they should be able to accept that not everyone will be think along the same lines as them. As the 67th member of this forum, I would have been long gone had I thought along the same lines. If they are leaving as the result of actual verbal attacks/insults, that is a different matter but I feel that the moderators do a pretty good job of dealing with these incidents promptly as we notice them or as they are reported to us. As for 'percieved' attacks, well I will not even bring that up. There are plenty of folks here of whom I disagree with politcally, socially and professionally but I do respect them in the manner due to each and every member here. Now as a moderator, I am obligated conduct myself at a higher level of which I have no problem or else Otto and the others would not have asked me to be a moderator. If there are issues with a moderator, bringing it up to Slipdigit or Otto is the course of action and believe me, action will take place knowing those two.

Point is, as previously stated, lets just conduct ourselves in a civil manner, focus on WWII topics, ignore those topics we feel touchy and move on.

 

Thank you Mate ;-)) Also, im greatful that we do have people like Otto running the site. Otto has proven to me over the years-that he has a large supply og patience.. Me--I used to but???? ;-))

Thanks again Mate ;-))

 

I am still a strong believer in the First Amendment despite PC - craziness and the recent Congress trying to suppress by law, religious beliefs and their expression at expense of elevating sexual preference & behavior to a protected legal status. If the Congress can do this, they can certainly squelch Freedom of Expression for any group the Congress so deems.

So in the FFZ, let's exercise all of our rights to say what you believe and defend the other persons right to express himself as well. After all, the Allied Veterans fought and died to make sure we continue to have those rights.

I also remind folks that this is Otto's forum; he makes the rules and the mods enforce them. Would you want your post to show up on your local paper's front page or in your church's bulletin? Or in door to door pamplets delivered to your neighbors? Then as Slip said:Please exercise personal discrection when making posts in the FFZ

(There is no guarantee in the US Constitution from being offended though, believe it or not. )

 

Well said Ike, and thank you for saying this in much better words than I could have attempted to say this in. Same here, if I had been one easily offended by something someone said anywere on this site-i'd have left long ago and not looked back. This site was in the top first 5 sites I became a member on. Of those first five-this is the only site I like enough to sta posting on. Most of those other sites are still existing-but IMO-they can't compare at all with this site.

I do wish to point out that there were many days, weeks and months here, that Erich and Ike and I were the only ones contributing anything. Then soe others started coming back here and other fine folks started registering here-such as Kai, and too many others to mention. Im not ignoring oter members and their contributions here-the time frame im speaking of-was starting as of early 2001. Since then-and I am impressed-this site has become huge.

Not that im ignoring anyone on purpose who are Mods, im glad this site has Mods like Musso, Jeff, Kai, Erich, David, Skipper and such-because these guys make up a great team. One day if it is possible, i'd love to see Michelle or Heidi (or someone like them) become Female Mods here.

Thanks and best regards--Carl.

PS, I will not cite sources for this but-it has been pointed out to me by more than one member-who informed to me that one or two other members here were feeling like that Erich and I and a few others-were completely running the site based on our amounts of postings. I don't take it as an insult-like I easily could-but I dismiss that accusation entirely because that 1-2 people-don't have a leg to stand on in making these accusations.

One of those people then (after I was given a heads-up about them) then contacted me and said something completely different. I did not let on to said person-that I knew the full story by that time-as to what was being said as wellas by whom. I then proceeded to send things as "Bait" to same person-just to see what that person was going to do next? So far-I have not heard a thing and said person-possibly figuring out that he indeed was the "Bait" I had on my fishing reels hook.

 

I go back to this over and over as this is not the only WW2 web-forum with FFZ type threads........ why the heck did you join up (here) in the first place ? for the FFZ only ?, 99% sure our members did not, it was out of the desire to learn more about WW 2

v/r E

 

Well-said E, and also, im having messaging poblems so I will be sending you one later this afternoon conerning that book we were talking about.