Everyone READ.

[mol]

I have noticed a lot of posts where people are not keeping other community members in mind. These posts can be racist, sexist, and very rude.

Now, I am not into censorship. But, I am into manners. This is not me asking for everyone to get along. Disagreements are very good and debates are welcome. But, blanketing the board with militant and close-minded ideas has to stop. This is a place of learning and sharing.

This is not a threat of posts being deleted. This is a promise of banning members. I want this place to continue to be a community where everyone feels welcome no matter what creed, color, or gender.

I hope that my words will be taken at heart and not disregarded.

I have worked very hard for this community and have never asked anything in return. Well, I am now.

[bluecat]

Thank You

[Yvonne Belisle]

Thank-you :D:D:D:D

[silvermoon]

8O 8O 8O 8O 8O 8O 8O

I hope I haven't been gulity of any of this BUT I apologise if I have been or have offended anyone :o :o :o :o

And I will try not to offend in the future :)

:heartthro :heartthro BB :heartthro :heartthro

:) silvermoon :)

[Mairwen]

Thou arts truly, the site god, dost!

[IsisMoon]

Read and understood
I am unsure of what brought this reminder about, and hope that I've not posted anything which offended anyone in anyway.
Blessings

IsisMoon
)O(

[Semele]

Don't mind Mol....it's just his time of the month!!!

Semele

[Tigerwallah]

Originally posted by Semele
Don't mind Mol....it's just his time of the month!!!

Semele

ROTFL!!!!!8O

[gunner]

agreed mol, we can disagree that's part of learning but we want to remember that differing ideas are not a "threat" to our identities. there is a subject i'm currently extremely angry about but rather than disrupt the community with a very strong opinion that could be expressed in graphic terms i've chosen to stay away from that particular thread (note: the subject is external to the community, i'm not angry with anyone here.) we do need to remember we are ladies and gentlemen and treat each other with courtesty and respect as we discuss our ideas and thoughts. mind you i'm no tin saint, i do get irritated at times with things that get said but i sit back and have a smoko before i spit the dummy and by the time i'm done it doesn't seem all that much and i let it go.

[Elaine]

thanks mol....I think I know what brought this on....as I said in the thread I'm thinking of (if it's not the right one...oh well...I'm gonna say what I have to say anyways!!) :) I hope I did not come off the wrong way in saying some of the things I have said in my posts!! If I did, I apologise!! that is not my intent!!

-hey mol...I told Yvonne that I was gonna let you know how great this place is and how happy I've been here....I thought it was appropriate to write it here considering you are trying to keep it as it should be!! so thanks....:)

[Silver Venus]

Thanks Mol!! :D

[Xois]

Well said Gunner and Mol! :D

[Kiya]

.... is a virtue we should all strive to achieve. There are lot's of things in my life that I get extremely angry about. I have a habit of fuming about them in private, and getting it out of my system by writing it all down. By the time it's all on-screen (incidentally, on a Word document not on-line!) I normally feel either very different or my anger has dissipated and I just delete all my words of anger and frustration off the screen. So you won't find any words of anger from me on here, however I may get worked up about something.

It's my way, and it's done me ok so far.

Thanks for being the site god Dad, sorry Mol!!!!!!!

Kiya :D:D

[Amora]

I hope I'm not guilty of offending anyone either... Sometimes I tend to vent as well but I think I have a pretty open mind so I apologize if I've offended anyone!!! I'm glad Mol is here to weed out the bad apples!!!!

[Celtic_Angel]

Will do my best Mol. :D Thank you.

[Methanespirit]

I can sympathize with the others mol, and I apologize if I have offended any one in my posts espececially those other than the Astrological ones. I think we should be thankful for an overseer who takes an interest in maintaining a respectable standard of operations and who is not afraid to keep out the "bad apples". There are many chat sites around that become vacated because of offensive posts by the less scrupulous, and those sites gradually dwindle down to nothing because all the people of descency have gone elsewhere. Those sites have not the (censoring) leadership with (diplomatic) standards that I have found here. Thanks mol, for maintaining a standard of excellence that I , and I know the others, enjoy and appreciate.

[Swanspirit]

Merry merry,
I am not as frequent a visitor as I would like to be ; however I really do think it would help clarify things if you would be specific as to what is the problem. I dont think vague threats of banning help clarify, and posts which are any of the above issues which you mention should be dealt with on an individual and swift basis , IMHO. I have been the victim of OUTRIGHT LIES on the internet, and that person continues to leave these LIES for all to see...... and wont she be surprised one day when she gets a letter from my Lawyer,,, and her ISP notified...... I AM NOT JOKING in the least, because I have HAD IT. So clarity and specificity help us all deal with these issues.
Love and light and LIBEL LAWS
Swannie

[mol]

I have been as specific as need be. When you are posting...keep others in mind. People, creeds, etc. Disregarding anothers faith, making comments that blanket a certain genre of people because of their skin color, gender, or creed. This is unacceptable and I thought I had made it clear enough. I hope this explanation is adequate.

This is a community. We have always done things and made a lot of decisions as a group. That is why I believe it to be up to every community member to pay attention to what they are saying.

And I never threatened in that announcement.

[Red Dragon]

Fine...Just as long as everyone here does exactly what I say and accepts my way as the one true path!!! ;) KIDDING!! Hee,hee.

The Great Mol has spoken.. Let all here obey!

[mol]

:p

You make me sound like a facist dictator.

:D

[Semele]

Originally posted by mol
:p

You make me sound like a facist dictator.

:D

Well...... if the swastika fits!!! 8O

By the way Mol told me how to spell swastika....hhhhmmmmm....coincidence!!!

Just a little communist humor!!

Semele

[mol]

Originally posted by Semele


Well...... if the swastika fits!!! 8O

By the way Mol told me how to spell swastika....hhhhmmmmm....coincidence!!!

Just a little communist humor!!

Semele

:p I knew you would put a word in...I was just waiting for it.

[mol]

By the way...just to remind everyone...

I love you all and I am very glad you all are here.

You ARE the Community.

[gunner]

"Fine...Just as long as everyone here does exactly what I say and accepts my way as the one true path!!!"

dragon, i have a position open on my staff for a cat herder, interested?

[Wyrdsister]

Originally posted by mol
:p You make me sound like a facist dictator. :D

Aw, poor mol! :(

*hugs mol and pats him on the head*

'Good widdle facist dictator!'

:D (teehee)

Wyrdsister

[Swanspirit]

Merry Merry,
I dont believe I have posted anything that comes under those general categories,
, and I wouldnt have any problem responding to someone who did, in terms which would
be very clear as to my opinion. I have hosted a live astrology chat on the net for over two years now,and moderate an astrology forum as well, in another rather large online community, and other than outright harrassment from outsiders( non pagans), have had no reason to ban anyone from the room or forum. I was simply wondering as to which particular threads you were referring, because in the two other online communities in which I participate, the particular post which is problematic is known and responded to by anyone who wishes to respond, and attention is brought to it for that purpose. In one community, offtopic or inappropriate posts are pulled , with the reasons given by that moderator.
In another community the posts are immediately addressed by the "team" who run the site, and everything is openly discussed with all members, on the board, but that is a rather intimate community which has been developing over time,and some of us actually know each other in real life. By specific I meant specific as to what post was offending,by whom and for what reason. This gives us all a chance to learn, including the poster, and gives the poster an opportunity to defend themselves. As I said earlier, I have been the target of false statements on the internet, and in a "forum" or online journal in which I have NO opportunity to tell my side of the story or even defend my self in any way, and get this, this person wants to write about me, but doesnt want me to READ what they have written, or respond with the TRUTH obviously,so I think its important for people to have an opportunity to respond to things that have been said .
Another method that has been used effectively for online communities where people can get into heated debates is to simply stop the thread for "flaming" when the comments become personal and arent addressing the issues anymore, but the thread and posters are addressed directly not indirectly , and the direct method is always more effective, and is healthier, as well for all involved.
Love and light
Swannie

[Lucidia]

i'm not sure what happened, but I'm familiar with these issues (moderating for long enough to have come across them in my own boards).

I hope my opinions never cause any problems ... I'm a strongly opinionated person, but I respect everyone, even if i dont' think their path is the best way of life, I understand that different people have different needs, and therefore different ways of life suit different people.

It's hard when you get stubborn people who decide to come around and hurt people's feelings by being biased and prejudiced. It seems these party crashers are often just seeking attention, through whatever means possible. they like watching us 'squirm'.

It is sometimes best to simply ignore those kind of people.. they just want a reaction, and no matter what we say or do, they will never change their minds, as only a closeminded fool would try to assert their prejudice views to try and hurt someone or convince people to follow their negative paths and examples.

[mol]

Opinions are welcome! Its when your opinions are stated as FACT is when we get into problems.

And to SwanSpirit: No one will ever be banned from this community simply because someone TELLS me they did something. I have eyes and I can read. I am NOT going to put people on the spotlight either in this thread. It is up to the individual to take care of how they communicate here.

This is how I choose to run things. Other forums do it differently. Fine. But this is how it is done here.

[Kiya]

Mol,

I agree with the way you've handled this... but for those of us who may occassionally and often inadvertantly say something in the heat of the moment to offend, would you pm or e-mail them just to let them know that they've stepped over the line?

BB

Kiya

[mol]

Absolutely...please dont think that I am just going to ban people left and right. Thats not going to happen...in fact, I doubt I will have to ban ANYONE! I will contact people if I feel they are stepping over the line and let them know.

I dont want to lose anyone here. That is not the point on this announcement. The point is to make sure everyone remembers that you are a member of a Community unlike most other communities.

[Yvonne Belisle]

The posters in question had been doing this for a while and many people were complaining to the moderators. I know for a fact that several moderators pmed these people asking them to think about what was written and why. When it continued and the moderators were ignored they brought the problem to Mol in the hopes that he could but a stop to it before it was completely out of hand. I for one am glad that he steped in and has posted this warning so that all of us are reminded that what was going on was hurting some people and that is not why we are here. We are here to learn and to grow as a community and as individuals. Again Thank-you Mol.

[Jazzmine]

I guess I have not been on here for quite a while. Of course I only go to threads that catch my attention. But I have never felt anything but goodness from anyone here. Everyone has always been helpful and nice when stating their opinions. So I guess I missed the ball on this one. Nothing but love for all of you!! So be nice. Or feel his wrath.:D ;)

[silvermoon]

:D :) ;) Thanks............

Thanks to Celtic Angel for the private message.

mol and Yvonne ........ Also thanks and much appreciated

:heartthro :heartthro bb :heartthro :heartthro

:) silvermoon :)

PS it lifted a weight off my shoulders

[Swanspirit]

Merry Merry,
I really didnt think you would be banning people :> left right and center,, although it is tempting isnt it?? hehehe I host a voice chat
room as well and there are SECURE options to bounce people or just remove the mic if they become a problem ,,,,, and Mol.... it is GOOD to be the Queen LOL
and bounce those annoying people who are just attention seeking , or suffer from POST DRAMATIC STRESS DISORDER.... LOL, you know where every one is psychically attacking them
etc etc or the back of hand permanently attached to the forehead types.
Things move much faster in a voice chat, and its soo much fun , and we can play music and sing , but you really have to bounce the nasties quickly,
A friend of mine treated me to her children singing "We All Come From the Goddess" and it was so wonderful , sometimes I refer to my room as the Childrens Goddess Choir and En-Chant- ment Room :>,,,,, we have a blast, and I have met people I used to talk(type with) to all the time in an old pagan chatroom called the Broomstick.
People HAVE VOICES !!!!!!!.
It really helps, and if I had been on voice chat sooner, I would have identified an ex-boyfriend for the weasel he is much sooner.
:> It really is a small global village.
Love and Light
Swannie

[rantnraven]

Those of the "porch", I beg you to employ honor here. I would like to remind all of the Wiccan Reed:

"An it harm none, do as thou wilt"

I know, not all here Wiccan, or even Pagan - we have many other religions that have gathered here and ALL are welcome and loved. As Mol stated, this is a place of learning and sharing.

Christianity says, "Do unto others as you would have done unto yourself". Awfull lot like the reed.

Rodney King asked. "Can't we all just get along?". Similar!

I would say, "Don't be an advocate of hatered; There should be no negative energy in the lemonade". If you have the need to vent with tanted lemonade, please do it elsewhere.

Though it is easy to become enveloped with passion in our causes, we must think before we speak.

Blessings to all,
RnR