(April 15, 2013 at 10:54 am)student1992 Wrote: I read the rules and I haven't infringed any and it doesn't advise to ask permission of staff before posting research related material.

I call bullshit.

The Rules Wrote:No Advertising
Any advertisements in posts will be removed immediately. If you want to promote a product or service then please contact one of the administrators or moderators by private message first. This also applies to people conducting research or surveys. Whilst most in the community would be glad to help with such projects, we still would like you to get permission from the staff before posting. If you want to post your website, please adhere to the 30 days and 30 posts rule. This amount of time and number of posts shows that advertising is not your sole purpose on this forum. If the rule is not adhered to, the advertisement will be removed and you may be warned or banned.

student1992 Wrote:I have been subject to several personal comments which as far as I can tell break the forum rules, as they have made me feel upset and unwelcome. Many of the complaints seem to relate to the fact that this is my first post. I don't think such a hierarchy is fair

It's unfortunate that you feel upset, but frankly, it's odd that the majority of new members popping up don't seem to have a problem with the welcoming party. Maybe it's not the older members' but your attitude that stinks?

(April 15, 2013 at 5:27 pm)student1992 Wrote: As someone who has been bullied several times in my life and been part of a prominent anti-bullying campaign I would suggest you read up on the topic.

I am intimately and personally familiar with the subject.

(April 15, 2013 at 5:27 pm)student1992 Wrote: Symptoms I have noticed in this thread are deconstructive criticsm, unfounded accusations and exclusion. Here are some examples

"How condescending of you and how out of touch from your original question you are. You are engaging people and how they think, stupid child. go back to your original classes and start again."

"No hunny you are a freshman starting his degree in Philosophy. The 1992 makes you roughly 21 years old and you are no more alpha than my left ankle. "

"The shame is on you student... Otherwise your research is flawed and incomplete and you will fail your assignment"

"Are you lazy?"

"No my dear...YOU are being lazy. get online and DO YOUR RESEARCH! IF that includes friends and family then so be it...do you know nothing? "

"Still doesn't detract from the freshman striving to be lazy though" (having just asked not to be referred to as freshman and making it clear I wasn't one. If this isn't a textbook example of bullying I don't know what is.)

None of the above violate any rules that we have here.

This is a forum that values free expression. We don't generally censor opinions.

You might try developing thicker skin.

Of course they do....




How else do you think the world suffered through the Inquisition?

(April 15, 2013 at 5:38 pm)Cthulhu Dreaming Wrote:

(April 15, 2013 at 5:27 pm)student1992 Wrote: As someone who has been bullied several times in my life and been part of a prominent anti-bullying campaign I would suggest you read up on the topic.

I am intimately and personally familiar with the subject.

(April 15, 2013 at 5:27 pm)student1992 Wrote: Symptoms I have noticed in this thread are deconstructive criticsm, unfounded accusations and exclusion. Here are some examples

"How condescending of you and how out of touch from your original question you are. You are engaging people and how they think, stupid child. go back to your original classes and start again."

"No hunny you are a freshman starting his degree in Philosophy. The 1992 makes you roughly 21 years old and you are no more alpha than my left ankle. "

"The shame is on you student... Otherwise your research is flawed and incomplete and you will fail your assignment"

"Are you lazy?"

"No my dear...YOU are being lazy. get online and DO YOUR RESEARCH! IF that includes friends and family then so be it...do you know nothing? "

"Still doesn't detract from the freshman striving to be lazy though" (having just asked not to be referred to as freshman and making it clear I wasn't one. If this isn't a textbook example of bullying I don't know what is.)

None of the above violate any rules that we have here.

This is a forum that values free expression. We don't generally censor opinions.

You might try developing thicker skin.

You haven't engaged with many of the points I made. I would find it hard to believe that someone who had an intimate relationship with bullying would suggest that "developing thicker skin" is a solution.
Calling someone a name such as "freshman" when they clearly have stated they aren't and there is no basis to believe that they are is clearly an attempt to demean. Whether your rules cover it or not it is cyber-bullying and has little to do with freedom of speech.
Finally do you not see the irony in saying this is a forum that encourages "free expression". I will again repeat my final point and you can make the connection to "free expression".
I will end on this point. As people who clearly pride themselves as not being of a religious bent, what does it say that you unite around a common cause of belittling the person who didn't engage in the 'rite' of introducing himself and asking the correct group leaders for permission?

(April 15, 2013 at 5:51 pm)student1992 Wrote: You haven't engaged with many of the points I made.

I don't care to.

(April 15, 2013 at 5:51 pm)student1992 Wrote: I would find it hard to believe that someone who had an intimate relationship with bullying would suggest that "developing thicker skin" is a solution.

I'm suggesting that you aren't being bullied HERE (despite your protestations), and that in the case of your interaction HERE that growing thicker skin would be a good idea, because people here aren't going to pull punches.

(April 15, 2013 at 5:51 pm)student1992 Wrote: Calling someone a name such as "freshman" when they clearly have stated they aren't and there is no basis to believe that they are is clearly an attempt to demean. Whether your rules cover it or not it is cyber-bullying and has little to do with freedom of speech.

No it isn't, and yes it is.

(April 15, 2013 at 5:51 pm)student1992 Wrote: Finally do you not see the irony in saying this is a forum that encourages "free expression". I will again repeat my final point and you can make the connection to "free expression".
I will end on this point. As people who clearly pride themselves as not being of a religious bent, what does it say that you unite around a common cause of belittling the person who didn't engage in the 'rite' of introducing himself and asking the correct group leaders for permission?

Tell that to the hundreds of currently active members who didn't "belittle" you. Common cause, my ass.

We do value free expression. We also recognize that there are limits - and because of being bombarded by spammers, people who want to use this site to promote their own, and people who are only interested in getting help with their homework, we limit what people who haven't established themselves as part of the community are able to do.

Sometimes members take things into their own hands. We prefer that they leave moderating to the moderators, but if someone expresses their displeasure at a first-post rules violation, there's not much (if anything) that's going to be done about it (other than a reminder to leave moderation to the moderators).

How can you research the effects of religion on morality, without considering the immoral acts perpetrated by religious organizations? You're only looking at a piece of the puzzle, not the entire picture.

(April 15, 2013 at 5:27 pm)student1992 Wrote: As someone who has been bullied several times in my life

That doesn't single you out. Many of us have.

Quote:I will end on this point. As people who clearly pride themselves as not being of a religious bent, what does it say that you unite around a common cause of belittling the person who didn't engage in the 'rite' of introducing himself and asking the correct group leaders for permission?

You came on this site, failed to follow one of the few rules we have, got butthurt when people pointed it out to you and asked you to introduce yourself.. Yeah, how rude of us!

At worst, three or four people could be accused of something akin to not rolling out a red carpet and handing the OP a bouquet of roses, and that was enough to get a mod to ask folks to calm down. As many people went ahead and answered the OP. The forum start page indicates that 124 members have visited the site in the past 24 hours; I have no idea how many of those were in the ~9 or so hours since this topic was started, but it seems reasonable to assume at least a couple dozen.

I think it's a bit of an overreaction to compare it to bullying.