This will very likely be my last post.  I know I am going to get blasted for it, but I do not care.  I refuse to participate in a forum that wishes to censor my thoughts and beliefs.  When we asked for moderators it was to end the senseless attacks on certain members.  I open the forum this afternoon and find that the forums are now banning political and religious posts even though the forum rules say they are allowed in the "General Forums."  Skip always said, "Don't be such a ninny hammer!"  Unfortunately, the ninny hammers that participate in this forum have won.  When they couldn't quiet the controversial with their slings and ARROWS, they used the moderator.  For most of you it has been my pleasure hanging out with you and even having great debate on opposite points of view.  North, no matter how heated we got you remained a true English Gentleman.  8Ball i will miss your quick wit and desire to be right, Rico I will miss your happy posts.  The rest of you, and you know who you are I will our fun conversations.  As for now I will say good-bye to my dear friends on Invelos including Ken.  If the forums ever reach adulthood again I will return.  I am sorry that some of you couldn't compete with us intellectually and have stooped down to this.  To all good luck in your collecting.

Lord Of The Sith
Marcus D.

Marcus:

I could not have said it better myself. I will miss you, my friend and i look forward to your return.

Skip

I'm going to start calling this place Miranda

Quoting Lord Of The Sith:

Quote:
This will very likely be my last post.  I know I am going to get blasted for it, but I do not care.  I refuse to participate in a forum that wishes to censor my thoughts and beliefs.  When we asked for moderators it was to end the senseless attacks on certain members.  I open the forum this afternoon and find that the forums are now banning political and religious posts even though the forum rules say they are allowed in the "General Forums."  Skip always said, "Don't be such a ninny hammer!"  Unfortunately, the ninny hammers that participate in this forum have won.  When they couldn't quiet the controversial with their slings and ARROWS, they used the moderator.  For most of you it has been my pleasure hanging out with you and even having great debate on opposite points of view.  North, no matter how heated we got you remained a true English Gentleman.  8Ball i will miss your quick wit and desire to be right, Rico I will miss your happy posts.  The rest of you, and you know who you are I will our fun conversations.  As for now I will say good-bye to my dear friends on Invelos including Ken.  If the forums ever reach adulthood again I will return.  I am sorry that some of you couldn't compete with us intellectually and have stooped down to this.  To all good luck in your collecting.

Lord Of The Sith
Marcus D.

You make it sound like forum members had something to do with this?

It was Ken's decision to implement moderators; and it was his decision how strict they would be.

No one in the forum is to blame for that, surely.

I personally do not see this move as censorship (with the exception of the religous/political ban...which may not last btw). I see this as an attempt to reduce unnecessary attacks in the forum.
It's not too difficult to keep a civil tongue in your head. There's no need to insult people or call them names. Maybe that's what Ken is trying to reduce.

During my time in these forums I have been called unnatural, depraved degenerate and I've had my mental health questioned - all in the name of free speech. I've seen derogatory terms used as counter-arguments. None of it is necessary IMO.
We simply need to tread the fine line between politically correct and freedom of speech, that's all.

Quoting Lord Of The Sith:

Quote:
I am sorry that some of you couldn't compete with us intellectually [...]

It's little throwaway comments like this one that tend to annoy me. Was that really necessary? Complaining about the level of moderation while giving a prime example of why we so desperately need it doesn't exactly gel. IMHO, if you'd have managed to keep general insults like that out of your post, you might have come off as sincere. Now, not so much. 

Quoting hal9g:

Quote:
Quoting Pantheon:

Quote:
During my time in these forums I have been called unnatural......

This, in particular, is absolutely untrue and you know it!

While I haven't seen anything directly aimed at Pantheon in my relatively short time here, I have seen a more generalised statement that said pretty much what he has said, in particular it was in the California Prop 8 (I think) thread from a few months back. While I can understand that some people may not be tolerant of certain issues, the amount of animosity shown was not necessary in my opinion. The could say "I don't agree with it on religious grounds" or "It's just not something I can understand or accept". I wont repost what was said as I don't want to be associated with it but feel free to look it up. Page 3 of that thread contains such a post. So as I said, it may not have been directed right at Pantheon but still attacking who he is as a whole.

Quoting T!M:

Quote:
Quoting Lord Of The Sith:

Quote:
I am sorry that some of you couldn't compete with us intellectually [...]

It's little throwaway comments like this one that tend to annoy me. Was that really necessary? Complaining about the level of moderation while giving a prime example of why we so desperately need it doesn't exactly gel. IMHO, if you'd have managed to keep general insults like that out of your post, you might have come off as sincere. Now, not so much. 

Exactly. And I fully agree with what Mark Harrison wrote on this page and with Pantheon and Astrakan in this thread.