How do you interpret this myLot rule?
By katran
@katran (585)
United States
December 9, 2008 8:31pm CST
Lately (within the past few days), I have noticed in several discussions that people, including myself, have been warned that they might be breaking myLot's rule against flaming, name calling, etc. I will not argue about whether or not that it is good rule, because it undoubtedly is, but I do think that it is being taken a bit too seriously and misused. Here are some reasons why:
1. The people who tell myself and others that they are breaking the rule are 99.9% of the time people who disagree with the point of view that we are expressing.
2. People take something as small as "Your argument does not make sense" or "You obviously didn't think that through" as 'flaming'.
Now, maybe I just have been through enough crap in my life that words can just roll off my back, but seriously...I think there is a point at which people are just being too sensitive or unfair. Obviously if I feel passionately about an argument, I tend to get a little vehement, but just because things get heated in the face of argument, does that mean I am breaking a myLot rule? The way I interpret it is that it is guarding against personal attacks and harassment - things like rascism, sexism, bigotry, and other forms of personal attacks. I don't think it is a rule meaning that everyone has to be 100% sweet as sugar to the point of it being sickening or else risk getting reported or rated negatively. Maybe I'm wrong though.
How do you interpret this rule?
3 people like this
7 responses
@Thumper11 (662)
• United States
10 Dec 08
Go in and read my posts from yesterday and today and you tell me what you think my response to this is.... Seriously,.. I feel like I have been targeted too. and because I am a newbie like you, there's not much that we can do. I have been defending myself as much as I can. I feel like the administrators and moderators should handle this, not the other people on the forum. I think that that is unfair and causes people to be reported who do not deserve to be reported.... I fear that you may have set yourself up for a vicious attack like what I have been dealing with last night and today. I hope not. I wish you the best. If you can think of a better solution, I'm open to it, but I really think that the administrators and moderators should be the ones who enforce the rules and who make that decision, not the other mylotters..... Am I wrong?
@katran (585)
• United States
10 Dec 08
From what I can gather, you got warned because you posted your address? That is a perfectly legitimate complaint, I say. In fact, I would be thankful that someone opened my eyes to the fact that it was against the rules. After all, that can be really dangerous! Not to mention silly. I guarantee you don't want everyone on here to know your address. That's 150,000+ people with access to really personal information. I don't think that your issue has anything to do with the rule I am talking about.
I am also not arguing that people do not have an obligation to help myLot enforce rules. I do think we should help myLot out, because they cannot keep an eye on EVERYTHING at once. My point is that people should not be reported simply for having a dissenting viewpoint or getting a little too fired up. That is more like abuse of the rules than upholding the rules.
1 person likes this
@Thumper11 (662)
• United States
10 Dec 08
I posted a p.o. box not an actual street address.... and I felt attacked in the way that they approached me. I'm not saying that the reason for reporting me wasn't legitimate, but the other people kept on and on about it, even after the discussion in question was deleted. That's what I'm pissed about now. And they are still harping on it. I'm really getting mad now. but.... I'm not saying that I was in the right,, I'm just saying it could have been dealt with differently and more professionally. If that was the initial intent... they should have explained when I took it differently because it sure didn't seem that way to me.
@MsTickle (25180)
• Australia
10 Dec 08
Keeping things friendly is the way to go. There are some very opinionated and straight talking people here and some of them tend to be rude and nasty sometimes. This isn't necessary. Criticism can be positive. Disagreeing with someone can be educational and constructive.
Unfortunately there will always be rude, crude and ignorant people here. I avoid them and their discussions as much as possible. Cheers.
@hildas (3031)
•
10 Dec 08
Everyone is entitled to there opinion and I always say that on here. Answering or replying in a good way though is best as sometimes it gets overheated.
I stay away from certain interests now as voicing an opinion on them (unless you agree with the discussion) is really not worth it.
I think MyLot should take away the - rating as some people abuse this.
@morningstar369 (495)
• United States
10 Dec 08
I think it is a very fine line there. I agree with you in that saying they didn't thingk it through, or their argument didn't make sense is not stepping over that line. Now if you added an adjectives and name calling you have crossed the line and there is a problem. If we all were sweet and agreed with everyone what would the point of mylot be? I thought that the reaspn we are here in some situations is to debate things. I have had someone tell me that I didn't understand their meaning. I went back are re-read the discussion and it was true, I missed the mark. No worries, they have the right to correct me. In another situation the wording was so off I came to the wrong conclusion. I even asked by friend tht I am staying with until I can find a new place to live what she thoght and she cane to the same conclusion that I did. I didn't really have time to read the other responses, or I might have seen that I was wrong. Now this person really jumped down my throat and made me a little angry. I responded to tell her that I didn't read the other responsees and my attorney friend understood it like I did. She just kept saying the same thing. I was demoted a point in my star the next day. So she must have given me a negsative mark. I think the rule is set to more serious comments that what you have said here. I will read the other response to see what others think about this.
@Tuffcookie08 (272)
• United States
10 Dec 08
Hay right on, I mean this a social networking site people are bound to disagree but come on lets not get technical here! You are so right though I think that rule should apply to personal attacks 'who wants to read negativity anway' but to say that expressing a persons oppion (in words that OF COURSE the discussion starter is not going to like no matter how you spin if someone states how they don't like the discussion)is flaming is so..so..Ubsurd!Put it that way!By the way this is a PUBLIC WEBSITE! So don't bring your feelings to the discussion if you think they might get hurt instead just go watch Barney or SesameStreet or something!
@sharra1 (6340)
• Australia
10 Dec 08
Disagreeing with someone is not flaming. Unfortunately there are people here who cannot handle the slightest criticism. If someone posts a response that has nothing to do with the discussion there is nothing wrong with telling them that they did not bother the read the discussion.
There is nothing wrong with disagreeing with someone's post politely of course or they will regard it as flaming. But some people regard the tiniest criticism as flaming and it is not. Some people are just too sensitive.
Unfortunately these 'sensitive' people can also report you for flaming, even though you didn't, and get you into trouble. It makes like difficult at times.
So stick to the rules, politely say what you feel and accept the fact that you probably will not have blue star and you might lose posts at times. We all do. It is all just part of being a member of the free speech mob.
