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gomedome
that is so sweet, well a few that didn't like the truth I spoke, but I really don't care they are two insignificant people who are in la la land
posted by
Lanetay
on March 6, 2008 at 7:26 AM
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lustorlove - the fact that anyone would block you illustrates for me what I
have always believed about people.
Even an insignificant utility such as the the blocking function can be a tool of empowerment, which in the hands of the wrong people is akin to giving a hand grenade to a monkey. Like seriously, who would block a sweetheart like you?
posted by
gomedome
on March 6, 2008 at 7:19 AM
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Bhaskar.ing - the fact that you would have to block anyone or have any kind
of conflict over the content of your posts surprises me.
Your posts are generally well crafted, lucid and benigh, with rarely a hint of controversial subject matter. It really makes me wonder just what do people want? In a religion and spirituality category on an international web forum, do they really expect everyone to put forth religious opinions that align with their own?
posted by
gomedome
on March 6, 2008 at 7:13 AM
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hagi - allow me first to extend a long overdue welcome to Blogit
Things happen and we are dealing with humans and the laundry list of emotions we all bring to the table. That reality, and a consideration for the subject matter being dealt with in this blog, is why I let most people take a few pokes before clubbing them over the head. You make a good point in that we should all give our comments a little thought before adding them to the posts of others. Most people do consider that their words represent them and understand that what they may write in a public forum could be seen by many sets of eyes. Unfortunately, there will always be a small percentage that lack the maturity to formulate these considerations.
posted by
gomedome
on March 6, 2008 at 7:08 AM
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I think there was one or maybe two, I have very little problems with anyone, but there are three that have blocked me as I am very honest and say it like it is and they cant handle the truth
posted by
Lanetay
on March 6, 2008 at 7:02 AM
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Sunnybeach7 - sometimes there are no other options
You can't make people smarter by arguiing with them, nor is it our responsibility to teach them the manners that their parents should have.
posted by
gomedome
on March 6, 2008 at 6:57 AM
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Hi Gome
There was a lot of litter and gall spewed all over my space by "off and on intellectuals" who thought, and when compared with their spectacled jaundiced notions, that mine writes were a threat to their religious beliefs. But I never blocked them, they did; thinking that my not blocking them were an insult to themselves. One such gentleman has me blocked even today. I shoo them off with my thorny wooden mallet I have specially designed for such malaprops, but only if they wouldn't listen and keep whining their moronic moroseness relentlessly.
posted by
Bhaskar.ing
on March 6, 2008 at 12:54 AM
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For me, the rule of a thumb is "if I feel that somebody else would feel offended/disgusted/embarassed reading this comment, delete the comment; if the comment is NOT accidental (these things happen - bad mood, hormones, intoxication, a "friend" using somebody else's profile) and I've deleted more than three, ban the user and forget about it". Never happened here, but used to happen in other blogs I've had.
I'm not easily offended, at least not by stupidity and rudeness. But I feel my blog as my responsibility to my readers, and it is embarrassing when somebody stumbles over an obscenity in "my space".
posted by
hagi
on March 6, 2008 at 12:19 AM
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Hi Gome,
It takes a heck of an insulting and rude behavior for me to block someone.
I think I have only permanently blocked one or two people.
Sad that it needs to be done, but sometimes there are no other options.
posted by
Afzal_Sunny7
on March 5, 2008 at 8:56 PM
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EmmaCunnan - welcome to Blogit
We had a "stalker" like that around here for awhile. He was trying to set up face to face meetings with atheists, fully convinced that he could convert them if they were cornered. Sometimes the ability to turn people off mentally is all we need, other times we may need to erect barriers, especially if they are slow learners.
posted by
gomedome
on March 5, 2008 at 8:13 PM
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I block people mentally all the time
and I don't even need a button for it! However, I did have a stalker who didn't know that they could be tracked by changing their name, and couldn't figure out how they kept getting blocked. Some peoples is just stoopid, and more sad, they are the ones who usually revel in it. Kudos to you for pissing off a few thumpers 2000 years is chump change in the grand scheme of things, lmao!
posted by
EmmaCunnan
on March 5, 2008 at 3:52 PM
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FineYoungSinger - your comment should be a "sticky post"
That's internet forum lingo for a post that stays at the top and never descends chronologically with all the other posts in a category. A sticky post is used to lay out forum rules or give guidelines on expected behaviour when posting and commenting. Of course there is the site user agreement but I think only about 3 people have ever read it.
There is definitely an element of self doubt when an individual goes to great lengths to harass someone else over nothing more than philosophical differences of opinion. I look at a number of people we have seen on this site in the past, who became obsessed with proving the misconceptions they have held all of their lives to be real. Once combined with the self justification you alluded to . . . well, we've seen the results.
posted by
gomedome
on March 4, 2008 at 3:18 PM
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ginnieb - I think we can assume that the reasons people block others are
the same reasons that cause most disputes in a social setting.
Religion, politics and unwanted solicitation, or any combination of these.
posted by
gomedome
on March 4, 2008 at 3:07 PM
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Re: FineYoungSinger - and there is an obvious reason for that
I agree with you on this, gome...and it all goes back to that incorrect core belief of many Believers that because they believe, they are justified in all their behavior. This is absolutely incorrect. God does not come into he believer and guide the actions of the believer. This would violate the free will with which He created humanity. It's up to the believer to check his or her own behavior him- or herself. No one...NOT EVEN GOD...will do it for you.
Just because a person might say "God exists" or "I believe in God" doesn't mean that person actually has faith. Words and accusations such as I've seen in your comments sections spewing forth from believers are deplorable, and indicate clearly that if a person allows themselves to get that worked up over something that you've written in such an insignificant place as a member's-only writing forum, then they must have some kind of doubt. (the phrase "methinks he doth protest too much" comes to mind.)
Having a discussion and disagreeing in that discussion is one thing; resorting to cheap shots and name calling is entirely another.
posted by
FineYoungSinger
on March 4, 2008 at 11:37 AM
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Ain't never had to...
..then again I'm probably too boring to block or be blocked!
posted by
ginnieb
on March 4, 2008 at 11:27 AM
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sam444 - you are so well behaved, that I can't imagine you being blocked
Tastefulness, tact and even a bit of well crafted sarcasm are how all divergent opinions should be rebutted but it takes a certain amount of maturity to do that.
posted by
gomedome
on March 4, 2008 at 9:13 AM
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strat - "vitriolic lemmings" - had me laughing out loud
I tolerate it as an acknowledgment to the realities of religious beliefs in any given society. That's simply how it works. No matter how screwed up a society is, what problems they have created for themselves, or what challenges they face, it is the same deal on every part of this planet. Members of the predominent religion blame everyone else but themselves, defend their indefensible positions and pressure the rest of society to join them. I ussualy spot them 2 or 3 jabs before clocking them one. If they continue being insufferable, I block them.
posted by
gomedome
on March 4, 2008 at 9:10 AM
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Troosha - I remember that exchange and just reviewed it again to refresh my
memory on it.
There simply is no excuse for that type of behaviour. Your initial comment was benign enough, polite and only mildly challenging to the blog content, not to mention that most people with any sense of enjoying life would completely agree with what you had said.
Depending on the dynamics of an ever changing site membership, this observation; "There's a few crazies in here . . . " is sometimes a gross understatement. I do read your blogs quite often but have a bad habit of being a notorious phantom clicker.
posted by
gomedome
on March 4, 2008 at 9:01 AM
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I missed the most recent one...
I don't think I've ever had to block anyone. But I certainly would have probably done it a lot quicker and with a lot less forgiving spirit than you have shown some of the more vitriolic lemmings I've seen scamper through here.
posted by
strat
on March 4, 2008 at 8:41 AM
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FineYoungSinger - and there is an obvious reason for that
By writing posts where it is clear that you believe in God, you will not likely ever face any kind of hostile or emotional reaction to your blogs. Mind you, there is no accounting for the occassional nutcases that stroll through this site but a certain reality exists. That being; aside from infrequent misbehaviour by a very small number of bloggers pertaining to general commenting on the blogs of others, the only consistent pattern of ongoing transgressions, have been believer's comments on the blogs of non believers. Despite many people's claims to the contrary, the reverse has never been a consistent trend. That's just the way it is.
The same social conditioning, indoctrination from birth and persistent communal influences that have them believing as they do, insure that most of the sheeple will never quite fully understand why they can so easily maintain this type of ostracism. From my perspective it is hilarious.
posted by
gomedome
on March 4, 2008 at 8:38 AM
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Xeno-x - I put up with a lot as well but always extend the same amount of
rope to everyone.
If they choose to continue leaving nonsensical, disdain laden or insulting comments, I block them. It usually comes after they have proven to me that any further dialogue is a waste of time.
posted by
gomedome
on March 4, 2008 at 8:21 AM
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I have never blocked anyone. The sane thing to do is rebut your statement(s) in a composition of tastefulness. sam
posted by
sam444
on March 4, 2008 at 7:22 AM
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gomedome
I have never blocked anyone but I am blocked by someone who denounced me with “ Get real Troosha, your little pond isn't the world, and your spirituality frankly sucks! Totally platitudinous! I tried to be calm, but you yourself suck!” Ummm… There I was simply trying to suggest (in response to something he posted) that the world was not entirely filled with evil and that goodness does in fact exist (sometimes found in the simplest of things) and WHAM I was hit with that. I’m not sure that you’ve ever visited my Blog but from time to time I write about my version of God and my personal spirituality. Granted, it may not align with a traditionalist’s view but nor have I ever tried to ram my way of thinking down someone’s throat. When someone condemns a more new-age approach to communing with one’s God I can’t help but question their “Christian” morality or integrity. There's a few crazies in here or, at the very least, some narrow thinkers.
posted by
Troosha
on March 4, 2008 at 7:22 AM
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so far I haven't had to block anyone.
But then again, no one broke the rule on my religion blog as of yet.
posted by
FineYoungSinger
on March 4, 2008 at 6:42 AM
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a lot -- I haven't yet -- the nature of things I suppose -- havent received
the uglies you have
posted by
Xeno-x
on March 4, 2008 at 6:31 AM
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