Moderation not a part of being a moderator?

[Gregoshi]

In fact, in a thread which asked if others were athiests and if so why, you - a self-proclaimed non-atheist - were there for no reason other than to harrass me.

Posting in a thread with which you disagree is standard Orgite practice. Happens all the time.

Thread: who believes in God? Reply: you religious folks are delusional
Thread: who hates Christmas? Reply: Merry Christmas
Thread: who likes Pink Floyd? Reply: Pink Floyd sucks.
Thread: who is ready for (American) football/soccer season? Reply: football/soccer is boring. Soccer/football is the real sport.
Thread: any fans of Tolkien out there? Reply: Tolkien stinks.
...and so it goes.

It is a bit of a pet peeve of mine, but any topic which is created for the sole purpose of discussion amongst like-minded people always gets crashed by those who feel differently. So instead of having a stimulating discussion with those who share your interest, you end up arguing with those who feel quite the opposite. 'Tis the nature of the beast.

As for these kinds of patron/moderator disputes, they almost always play out the same. It gets distrubingly predictable.

You're a triggerhappy stupid person with too much time on your hands, get a life!

"triggerhappy stupid person"? Come on Mith, you know it's always the "Nazi on a power trip" label.

[therother]

It is a bit of a pet peeve of mine, but any topic which is created for the sole purpose of discussion amongst like-minded people always gets crashed by those who feel differently. So instead of having a stimulating discussion with those who share your interest, you end up arguing with those who feel quite the opposite. 'Tis the nature of the beast.

I broadly agree with you Gregoshi. For starters, anyone who comes into a thread with the sole intention of disrupting it with a trollish "this topic sux!!11!" statement isn't worthy of much respect. OTOH, even discussions amongst like-minded people can descend into argument over the most trivial of disagreements (e.g. do Balrogs have wings?). Ultimately, only you are a like-minded person for yourself, and discussing things with yourself can get a little boring. Risking disagreement is the price one has to pay for meaningful discussion. I often find that the most stimulating discussions occur when you are debating with someone who has a different opinion from you.

This also highlights one of the strengths of this form of communication: it's perfectly possible to ignore such trollish behaviour, up to and including using the "Ignore poster" feature of the forum software. If you are discussing in person, and one member of your group is being disruptive, it is far more difficult to continue on with your discussion unabated. I therefore have little sympathy for those who choose to degrade themselves (and, more importantly, these forums) by participating in flame wars over trivialities (like whether Pink Floyd rulz or sux), even if they are supposedly "provoked".