Quote from: JulieBlair on November 19, 2014, 10:03:41 AM
"Members shall avoid taking the other users posts personally, and/or posting anything that can reasonably be construed as a personal attack."
I have felt attacked here, in that my truth as expressed in some posts has been responded to, not with acceptance, but with correction. The challenge for you is to determine at what point that rises to an offence. To respond aggressively when I or one I care for is disrespected by not being allowed the freedom to express their point of view or when their personal angst is repeatedly met with a pointed and aggressive lack of validation is something I have certainly been guilty of. Is that bannable? It is certainly personal, is it necessary to accept the assault and report, or can I respond with consideration but firmness?
Julie
This is my question as well. I'm sure we've all had the experience of saying something well intentioned and being shocked when someone feels like it is a personal attack. If a user says something they think is constructive and helpful, but a mod/admin mistakes it for a personal attack, is that bannable? At what point point does it become bannable? What if a mod or admin were to mistake this good faith, honest question about what the rules mean and how to obey them for a passive aggressive attempt to stage a public protest?
This seems especially relevant to me since the stuff I post about tends to be activism related--particularly legislative lobbying, street level campaigning, community organizing, and other topics. By nature, I talk about things that are going to be controversial and where people are prone to interpret things as personal attacks whenever possible. I have even written things only to be publicly accused of launching personal attacks on people who I did not mention and who had nothing to do with the subject at hand. It's bizarre, but it's the nature of the beast.
I don't mean to brag, but I'm a fairly major activist and community builder based in the national capital region. I'm involved in big stuff for this community, like D.C. and FEHB trans* inclusive healthcare or the Fairness for All Marylanders Act gender identity non-discrimination law, I'm also a lawyer who follows and practices in trans* rights law. I hope and believe that having someone like me here as a contributor is of value to the site and its membership. Not many people can provide the kind of input, information, and knowledge that I can. Most people who could do that are not very interested in talking much with average, ordinary, grassroots trans* people. I happen to think they are wrong for paying so little attention to the grassroots, so I consider this to be worthwhile. But in my line of work, sometimes things get said that are mistaken for personal attacks when they aren't. (And in fairness, sometimes things get said that really are personal attacks, though I think I'm less prone to them than many).
Being banned would not actually affect me very much beyond annoying me. Reading is much more valuable to me than posting, and this is far from the only place to read. But whatever value I may give to the membership in exchange would be lost. So I'd like to understand where the lines are so that I don't get annoyed, I don't lose value, and I don't stop sharing useful stuff for fear of becoming annoyed or losing value. Guidance would be appreciated.
