Dear RedState Community

pizzaguy

Thanks for “keepin it real” Erik. Leave that kind of crap to those at Huffpo and Firstread. You should see the vitriol I have gotten on those blogs.

audax

Had to dig around, but finally found the Rules. here is a link for those who’d like to read them again:

http://www.redstate.com/posting-rules/

MrMosis

Thanks Erick- Moderating- It’s a delicate and difficult balance. I guess there is an ebb and flow to it all, as time goes on. But a lot of folks are getting jumped on and ganged up on too much lately in my opinion. We must always strive to do better! This is a top notch community, for sure.

nilram

.

audax

…for calling you a “Concern Troll”. I’m sorry.

chrisnj

When you visit someone else’s website you are effectively a guest in their home or place of business. Mind your manners.

If you want to behave badly in public, do it on your own blog – which no one will probably read.

http://moelane.com/ Moe Lane

How is everybody doing? Good; glad to hear that everybody’s doing well. What, how am I doing?

Glad you asked: I’m doing just fine.

earlgrey

you are in the mood to take someone down, than those are great places to go. Rather take down the enemy than one on your own side.

barry915barry

I know that it is tough when you have to be the “disciplinarian”, but sometimes it is necessary.

I personally have made it a point to limit my comment postings over the last 6 months or so simply because of the general tone of the comments.

BTW, congratulations on your new gig! Barry.

http://redmeatconservative.blogspot.com/ dhorowitz3

We need to devote our efforts to assailing the real enemy; the left. Let’s not eat our own.

http://www.buckforcolorado.com bjwilson83

I will endeavor not to attack anybody over presidential preferences; my intention is just to debate the merits of contenders. I apologize again for getting carried away.

Scope

Hope you got a bright shiny new blam stick for Christmas. Hope it came with extra kryptonite. Primary season is right around the corner, and, from what we are seeing already, it is going to be brutal.

prof_jay

eburke

SirGladiator

There’s no reason for being mean to people, we should all be civil and respectful, it doesn’t matter who your favorite candidate is. The 2012 Primary Season should be a super-fun time for us as Conservatives, we shouldn’t spoil our own, or anyone else’s, fun by arguing and being mean. So play not only by the rules of the site, but by the rules of right and wrong, and let’s all be respectful, positive, and have fun!

redneck_hippie

Moe got a case of repeater clips.

itrytobenice

I guess this means I have to try harder.

Are there any acceptable troll-like words I can call people? Maybe a bumfuzzled patootie?

Tbone

Like you really care how everybody is doing. Sure you do.

But I am glad you are doing fine…. Honest.

LOL

JSobieski

Attack the argument, not the person making the argument. We are not candidates for office, so it makes sense to focus exclusively on the message—the identity and characteristics of the messenger are irrelevant to determining the stronger argument.

As bright as people like Erick and even Rush are, it doesn’t mean that theyare always right or right in any particular instance. Citing who agrees with you, or how long a person has been at RS, etc. isn’t really a good way to battle things out in the world of ideas.

Looking forward to fewer retorts of bot, hater, mental health innuendo, drug/alcohol use innuendo, etc.

I would also suggest that terms of RINO and establishment hack are overused.

May 2011 bring RS more light and less heat . . . although I am skeptical of success.

redneck_hippie

demo of how to make a point without using bad language. Although, I must say, I am partial to poopy-face.

http://www.flaliberty.org scorpio0679

Not sure if this was intended to be snyde or not, but I don’t see why you can’t debate without going personal. People do it all the time. Debating issues doesn’t require name-calling or troll-baiting.

http://thesandsinstitute.org Vassar Bushmills

…but this is an issue near and dear, so expect to hear more in coming weeks from the diary side. I like touting a candidate, but defaming another should have its limits, both factually and within the limits of propriety.

Scope

By the time we really get into the primaries, with everyone having announced, there just may be no members left at Redstate. LOL I’m sorry for some of my replies to you, aesthete and acat. I’m not a libertarian, but, I’ll try to open my mind up, but, not so much so that the pea in there falls out.

redneck_hippie

this post is very timely. It was starting to remind me very much of the HWSNBN era.

As has been noted numerous times, but does bear repeating here. The poster’s demeanor goes a bit of a way toward reflecting on the candidate under discussion, for good or for ill.

Trashing the other guy’s candidate makes you appear defensive and unable to bring facts and argument appropriately. Not to mention your credibility equally suffers.

CincoSolas_del_Bronx

Hit the road, Jack, and don’t you come back, no–Moe.
(No)–Moe.
No–Moe.
“No”–Moe.
Hit the road, Jack, and don’t you come back, no*–Moe.

*Classical reference

LtE113

’cause that squish at HotAir kicked me off for not much…

JSobieski

In the future, I pledge to make my points, and not be overly redundant about them. I think getting along better will not only make RS more fun, but also more effective.

As an FYI, I am not a libertarian, I just want to keep the peace between libertarians and conservatives. My number #1 political goal is the repeal of Obamacare. We need everyone in favor of repeal to act as cooperatively as possible.

I assure you that “JSobieski” is not my real name, and that I didn’t pick up the name of a great defendor of Christendom to in any way weaken social conservatism in the US.

Peace and grace!

Marcus_Traianus

I seem to write too many of these “what not to put in a diary” things.

Ok, here’s the deal. About once every year or two, we have a new diary that discusses The Bell Curve or some new bit of news, science, or pop silliness that reflects on it.

Those end now. From now on, any diary discussing genetic theories of intelligence tied to race, ethnic grouping, skin color, or proclivity for butter pecan ice cream is specifically forbidden. When I say “forbidden,” I mean, “will be deleted and the user’s account deactivated.”

Gone but not forgotten; the marquis of RS Rapiers.

Oh, how I long for the salad days.

swami7774

…have to admit I had to look up “mobying.”
Which means I’ve never done it.
Which is good.

JadedByPolitics

and the primaries haven’t even begun yet I suspect 2012 will be much harder then 2008 because it appears so much more is at stake now that MORE people are awake to what exactly has been happening in our government from BOTH sides of the divide.

Jack_Savage

I’ll have to pack my things and go.

Jack_Savage

I never mentioned drug or alcohol use. And I already apologized for the mental health thing.

OK, OK – bot and hater I’ll have to own.

http://teapartisan.wordpress.com Socrates

I have to say I should have been spending more time in the comments. I appear to have missed much the name-calling fun when it was allowed.

As 2012, and for elections generally, are we allowed to name-call the candidates themselves, as in “I like your diary, but how can you support that moron?”

I’m pretty sure that’s a bad idea, too.

runner12

We can have discussions without calling names and disparaging others.. It is good to be reminded of that from time to time.

I myself have been guilty of calling people “trolls” and I vow to make a concerted effort to stop. Even if real trolls pop up now and then, the moderators on this site are good and are perfectly able to identify and remove said trolls without any additional commentary from me.

http://www.hakubi.us/ Neil Stevens

If I can’t call the President a fascist pig, then am I truly living?

Scope

that there are no such things as Paulbots anymore? Heck, they were banned as quickly as the birthers at one time. LOL

chbroussard

When cooler heads prevail, everyone wins. When trying to make a point, or rebut one, there’s a chance to convert someone to your line of thinking if it’s done in a respectful way. If not, they’ll turn you off and the distain will be more for the messenger than for the message. There are a lot of good points of view that get lost that way.

chbroussard

When cooler heads prevail, everyone wins. When trying to make a point, or rebut one, there’s a chance to convert someone to your line of thinking if it’s done in a respectful way. If not, they’ll turn you off and the distain will be more for the messenger than for the message. There are a lot of good points of view that get lost that way.

http://impudent.edublogs.org/ kyle8

I would hate to be banned for flaming him.

http://impudent.edublogs.org/ kyle8

I would hate to be banned for flaming him.

audax

speciallist

ya know, just to show everyone you mean business…

redneck_hippie

Didn’t he say he would talk to ANYone who had a credible plan to improve the economy? I’m pretty sure he could afford the ultra-exclusive premium pooh-bah membership fee.

steve010

I may be in the category of the individual that doesn’t know what is acceptable and what isn’t here on this blog. Some of you have standards of acceptability that some of the rest of us don’t understand. I don’t use four letter words and if I use profanity it will probably be in a foreign language, even if I use it. If my political opinions offend you, then ban me. Then, I’ll find somewhere else to yell. I’ll find somewhere else to offend someone about my political opinions.

Scope

there really are some that post a comment, usually their first comment, that is so hideous, that I am guessing the moderators would appreciate the heads up. I can’t imagine Moe and Neal, and others being able to read every post on every diary, all the time. They do deserve a life. Just in the last day or two there was someone who posted using the name kimjongil, and his comment went downhill from there.

Is it so Moe and Neal that when one sees something like that that a “clean up needed” is a good thing? or should we mind our own bidness?

aesthete

You don’t have to go off and by a “Milt Friedman is my homeboy” t-shirt, just recognize that we’re not the Devil incarnate

Scope

CincoSolas_del_Bronx

Looks like it was originally posted in anticipation of the demise of a–careful now–friend of Mr. P. Heh, you were there, too!

aesthete

Neil had to ban Kim Jong Il a while back

aesthete

they teach you to do in debate, and you should be fine.

speciallist

it’s embarrassing..

audax

…stopped reading anything by him after he called me an ass and a dhimwit (sic), mbecker who has been on here since Adam and Eve, stopped reading him too.

Common_Cents

Erick, do you have any official spokespeople at RS to represent your positions/opinion? If so, please let us know. Thanks.

http://moelane.com/ Moe Lane

How about we all drop this general line of thought, OK? OK.

Tbone

and I don’t plan on starting. Besides, it’s a Latin thingy like lawyers use.

speciallist

it came back smelling of Lemons….I can’t get rid of it

eburke

powertothepeople

it was not MBecker, but you did promise not to read him anymore as well.

eburke

itrytobenice

That’s hate speech.

No offense to Thomas Crown, of course.

eburke

nor have you ever engaged in any semblance of flaming.

I’m relatively certain you’re on solid ground.

LisaDe

and I’m not a lawyer. For that, I apologize. I promise to never to do it again.

LisaDe

and I’m not a lawyer. For that, I apologize. I promise to never to do it again.

CincoSolas_del_Bronx

It’s apparent that disputes between long-time commenters almost never result in any stated shift of position by the participants. The productivity of such arguments, however, must take into account their effect upon the audience as well. Neil can correct me if I’m wrong, but I have to assume that the reader/commenter ratio is quite high on frontpage threads.

It should be of great concern to any who characteristically make acerbic comments that the unvoiced readership is highly likely to include more than exact clones of either you or your erstwhile opponent, but may actually include some who would be open to persuasion. While we share the consensus that conservatives differ from liberals in treating our fellow citizens as adults with respect to policy, it is frequently forgotten that adults tend to rate a descent into schoolyard taunts quite low on persuasive efficacy.

Bill S

Yesterday. And it was quite fun to do so.

Bill S

AceInTX

and hope I am not the cause of this rebuke…as it is, I apologize.

I’ve been on both sides of the packs that prowl Red state as the hunted when I backed Huckabee and when I had a hard time swallowing McLame…I can tell you it’s no fun being the hunted and sometimes it’s easy to lose sight of what it’s like.

I’ve always tried to match the tenor and tone of the person on the other side of an issue from me…if they go to the gutter…I slop right in after them…if they debate calmly and in good faith I try to take the high road as well. I prefer the latter…but I guess I’m known for the former because my views are such and my style of saying things is such that it inflames passions….I’m also reluctant to back down from a fight.

I’ve always told folks I never mean anything I say here personally…and hope I can be taken at my word in that.

throwback59

against the use of doggerel, corn, drollery, rhymes ect or I would have been banned long ago.
Someone did respond to one of my wiiticisms once with: “Throw this one Back” -
I thought that was very punny.

mixplix

Many haunt these sites only to cause trouble and argue ridiculous points. Few post adult type comments. I read them all because there are many with surprising wisdom that make it worth while.

http://j.mp/onthereport soleynm

I’m a fan of civility, but as a good conservative, I also think free speech needs to be protected.

http://www.hakubi.us/ Neil Stevens

By the way, the banning of anyone we want to ban *is* the exercise of free speech.

If you want to say what you want, go elsewhere. This is non-negotiable.

pamela1631

Arrggh! They make me crazy! I ban the IP, email addy and name.
They spoof and come back in. And the bots with sales or porn site links in the sig line. Grrr.

Trolls have a special level in hell. I imagine them drenched in honey, wrapped in cling wrap, tied by the ankles and hung over a pit of dragon demons as a chew toy.

Had to look up mobying in the urban dictionary also.
Interesting attribution.

If you are tired, hungry, cranky, angry…wait to comment until after the condition has been dealt with and calm, rational thought restored. The next few years are going to be tumultuous and we need to maintain stability and endurance.

Now if I can get the mouse back from the kitten using it as a pillow, I can post .

eastbaylarry

This is a timely reminder for all members here.

Scope

That you are casting pearls before swine. While it is not profanity, does it pass for something less than offensive?

nessa

…we promised not to read to him. He’s old, which is one of the requirements for being a curmudgeon.

natalie

I’m a long-time lurker, and have refrained from posting much because there hsas been a lot of ugliness thrown at people by commenters ganging up together. I want to comment with my view points and engage in respectful debate, not fear getting verbally beat up by people who decide they don’t agree. I’m glad you addresed this and look forward to commenting more in the future.

natalie

I’m a long-time lurker, and have refrained from posting much because there hsas been a lot of ugliness thrown at people by commenters ganging up together. I want to comment with my view points and engage in respectful debate, not fear getting verbally beat up by people who decide they don’t agree. I’m glad you addresed this and look forward to commenting more in the future.

Wubbies World

… your presence has always brought a smile. I always envision a “Walking Tall” version of the Red State enforcer lurking and silently smiling in the background.

Oh BTW…

I am glad to hear your doing well. I am doing great as well.

I am hoping to get back into posting here again. My work situation has finally eased off. I look forward to the interaction and exchange again.

Oh, and to everyone else, I am still a Sarah Palin fan as well.

powertothepeople

if he is that old, I can only hope to be as feisty when I get to that age.

http://www.redstate.com/tnjim TNJim

At least not just you. I think it was the whole brouhaha that erupted and was carried across no less than 3 different diaries, 2 by Erick, 1 by bjwilson over the Pence vs. Palin. vs. whoever else debate. If nothing else, I think it was the “straw that broke the camel’s back”. And what a straw it was!

melissatx

I did call someone ass and a moron, in the same post no less, but I never stooped to” lawye”r or “etc.”

I would never use that type of profanity.

**walks to the principles office for a paddling,head hung low**

SoFiMil

Be careful, eburke, as the lefties think any word, including “a”, “an”, and “the” are racist code words.

Thanks Erick, your diary was well-written with a good tone as well.

SoFiMil

.

Doc Holliday

really redefine the word hubris. I mean, some should know it is better to keep quiet when one is called out, in 3rd grade terms “he who smelled it dealt it”.

I left the site a couple months ago because the rules did not apply to some of the most frequent posters, and it was not even close. Some are in this thread thanking Erick lol.

I know no one cares what I do but me. But if words are followed by actions, I might come back to engage in discussion here again. I know I have certainly used harsh rhetoric in the past when logic and reasoning was not working. But I NEVER demeaned just to demean, not a single time, I might have shut off the brain to defend someone attacked unfairly, but I never attacked anyone for sport. The same can not be said about my detractors.

In the end, when we see someone who has been here a long time, and has broken the rules banned, then this call out will have teeth. As someone who has been banned before, over a technicality, I can say I have experienced it, so I am no protected species here.

Mike Ferguson

LisaDe

to come back and enjoy this community again. Looking forward to reading your posts again. Welcome back and remember to keep them irons holstered!

banzaibob

The last thing needed here is to devolve into a common liberal website.

SoFiMil

..

Doc Holliday

I will try not to skin my smokewagon, at least for no good reason. You might have to keep a watch on me, my trigger finger is itchy lol. Now if law and order is for real this time, I will gladly follow it.

Goldwater_Conservative

I am concerned, but I dont think I”m a troll.

audax

…..anybody who is 6 foot X inches and weighs over 24 stone and dances around their living room (naked?) Hey, I’m stayin’ OUTTA their WAY! Got that Ace!!!

AceInTX

eburke

audax

…now if I could only get these glass shards out of my hands and knees. we “wub U 2 wubbie”!

tankertodd

Has been a complete turn-off on the site. Site moderation has gotten to be a big part of the site. People don’t visit web sites to be moderated.

AceInTX

and called him a Dumb AXX. I regretted it as soon as I posted it…partly because it drew me down to his level…but also because the name calling took away from the points I made,

Worse part was I put Dumb A in the comment title so it ended up on the comments column for all to see on the front page….that’s why I worry it was me who caused this.

http://www.conservative-compendium.com brian_garst

But let’s be honest, it’s not just the “community” that has caused this problem. It starts from the top. If you get ganged up on, but have the temerity not to slink off into a hole, but instead defend yourself, you’re the one who gets banned. At least, that’s the policy of Moe Lane.

audax

http://pocketchangeproductions.net/ anotherindyfilmguy

It’s one thing to disagree with what someone says civilly and something radically different in attacking people personally for having a different viewpoint.

It’s your site built for a specific good purpose, bring out the troll-smackers if needed. Do whatever it takes to keep it from being hijacked or smeared by trolls and those in the opposition who won’t bother to learn something here beyond what the limits are…

AceInTX

I welcomed you back…but pointed out the name calling to make the point that you are as guilty as anyone of the very thing you point the finger at some of us for.

I’ve gone over the line before and I’ve apologized for it….but let’s not play the innocent while pointing fingers aye?

Since we both know you’re talking about me here…since I was the reason yosaid you were leaving let me make this clear as well. Ive been blammed as well…and spent a good amount of time with it hanging over my head having to parse every sentence and filter every thought for fear of it being wielded permanently on me…and I can tell you it’s no fun. So I wouldn’t say I’m exactly a protected species either

I like you Doc…Always have…we’ve only got one set of issues we keep crossing each other over and that’s about it. I’ve never meant anything I’ve said to you personally…calling you a liar vwas a bridge to far and I wish I could take the words back…but the ink has been spilled literally and figuratively…and I can’t put it back in the bottle.

All I can do is ask for your forgiveness…and try to argue my points more civilly going forward.

AceInTX

Finrod

I’ve certainly participated in my share of heated threads during my history here, and sad to say I’ve deserved every reprimand I’ve gotten. But, I have also complained to the contact address when a frontpager was going over the line, and gotten a reply agreeing with me and telling me that they had been spoken to; and indeed for at least a month afterwards I did see a change in their behaviour. I didn’t want them banned, I didn’t even want it handled other than behind the scenes. Some dirty laundry needs to be handled that way.

Unfortunately said change only did last about a month.

SoulEspresso

nt

Doc Holliday

I do check the site every day, but have posted only a few times in a couple months. I don’t think any name calling I may have said reaches the limits of what you said of me. However, I believe I said I accepted your apology before and if not I accept it now. While it is true the discussion with you did cause me to leave, I do not consider you the worst offender here. There is someone else I find really creepy, she knows who she is. I do think you like to fight, heck, I have some of that in me.

But I do remember you said some kind words to me recently and I took them to heart. I don’t wish you banned, I hope we can start over. And I say that to the other person I referenced. Erick made a timely diary, we all need to take heed and treat each other with respect. Personally, I think certain people are here for the mind games and not so much the politics, if I am right, time will tell. But I am willing to at least discuss the issues fairly, in an amiable manner, and realizing we are on the same side. I do not want you banned Ace, I don’t think I could be more clear on this.

Change Jar Conservative

is people who feel the need to attack certain candidates whenever their name is mentioned which stokes the fires of the people who want to defend a certain candidate.

People who continually bring up the same argument against a candidate for months on end are a part of the problem as well.

AceInTX

It was a couple days ago…I remember the title of the threaed was something like…now now…”we shouldn’t call names now should we” after you called someone a name, (i am thinking you called them an idiot)…

It was a wink and a nudge….kind of a strong nudge at that because I was taken aback at the Irony.

I went on in the rest of the post to welcome you back and suggested you grow a thicker skin and not take things so personally…and live up to the standards you are holding others to…

I then told you you were in my prayers and wished you well. It was the first comment I made to you after our original dust up.

Bill S

Don’t know how you read that as anything different. This is about behavior in the discussion threads, not about how we toss troublemakers (which will occur when necessary).

Bill S

use the Contact link at the top to file your complaint. We are not going to simply allow carte blanche posting of garbage that is in contradiction with the site’s mission. This is not a debate society – it’s a conservative/GOP activism site.

http://www.hakubi.us/ Neil Stevens

rogershru2

I had decided a few days ago to stop reading the comments when the infighting kept escalating. We are better than the progressives. We should act like it. Maybe I’ll give it another shot. Thanks again for your great work.

AceInTX

no need to go crazy with the blam stick when a simple Jethro Gibbs type slap to the back of the head will do the trick.

I remember my not so humble beginnings here…back then there were I don’t know how many Mods but it seemed like a hundred with blam sticks…and I managed to step on every one of their toes…almost at the same time…Adam C was the only thing that saved me or no one here would know my name.

I think there is a natural tendency for the pendulum to swing too far one way or the other…things have gotten a little wild west like around these here parts…and I recon it’s time for the town to have a Sheriff and a deputy or two cleaning out the saloons one in a while

Bill S

They just aren’t entitled to do it in a way that’s abusive. That’s the point being made here. No one gets a free pass on pimping their candidate.

http://www.hakubi.us/ Neil Stevens

Bill S

the use of terms like “McLame” are precisely the kinds of behaviors that trigger the battles. If you don’t like a particular candidate/politician, say why (especially if it’s someone on our side). Just throwing out a name is gonna piss off their supporters. I just use this as an example.

Doc Holliday

actually I called the guy an imbecile. He said Aesthete was a “thug”. I have given Aesthete too many plaudits, not my style, but he, of any of us, is not a thug. I do tend to go off more when I think someone else is attacked unfairly. But that is beside the point, your comment did not bother me. Look, we both have engaged it harsh arguments here, I never said I was above it. I have made my mistakes but I do think I have been consistent. I don’t attack for the sake of attacking, I might make the wrong call but at the time I thought it was right.

but again, we all have been admonished. I showed by my leaving I really don’t want to fight. I do want to say what I believe politically, but I don’t want flame wars, life is too short, and I am living it.

JSobieski

What hurts the site when the debate is all heat and no light. When people fall into mere name calling and insults–it doesn’t make the site fun or useful.

When it comes to presidential primary politics, a lot folks just start throwing out labels and arguing against “the other side” generally rather than the person that they are actually talking to.

I think wild vigorous debate is compatible with civility. I remember getting into long arguments with birdmojo before he was banned, but those debates never fell into name calling.

JSobieski

What hurts the site when the debate is all heat and no light. When people fall into mere name calling and insults–it doesn’t make the site fun or useful.

When it comes to presidential primary politics, a lot folks just start throwing out labels and arguing against “the other side” generally rather than the person that they are actually talking to.

I think wild vigorous debate is compatible with civility. I remember getting into long arguments with birdmojo before he was banned, but those debates never fell into name calling.

bassethound

I sympathize.

I don’t post here often. I usually don’t get noticed when I do.

I don’t bother to post on the Dallas Morning News except for one narrowly defined topic because of the vitriol.

I appreciate Eric’s efforts to manage the posts. I also post frequently on another unnamed, but well known conservative site. The comment threads are excellent, but overrun with bot posters, and trolls who log in only to entertain each other by posting demeaning and vile comments to the conservative posters.

Thanks for making this a place where I can come for a healthy dose of sanity.

http://www.gmsplace.com/ civil_truth

joayn

I remember when I first found Red State. What I really liked most was the respect and friendship (and intelligence!) that existed – like one big family. There were dust-ups and disagreements but nothing like the past six months or so, when reading the comments or commenting has been something of a painful ordeal.

It’s very strange that we all come here to sustain the principles of conservatism then turn around and be very cruel and demeaning to another’s point of view. Not at all like the Red State of a year ago.

Thanks for writing this, Erick, it’s timely and should remind us all why we’re really here.

P.S. Special thanks to Moe for always adding humor before banning – I always LOL!

joayn

I remember when I first found Red State. What I really liked most was the respect and friendship (and intelligence!) that existed – like one big family. There were dust-ups and disagreements but nothing like the past six months or so, when reading the comments or commenting has been something of a painful ordeal.

It’s very strange that we all come here to sustain the principles of conservatism then turn around and be very cruel and demeaning to another’s point of view. Not at all like the Red State of a year ago.

Thanks for writing this, Erick, it’s timely and should remind us all why we’re really here.

P.S. Special thanks to Moe for always adding humor before banning – I always LOL!

http://moelane.com/ Moe Lane

You’ve been nursing this grudge since I threw you off the site in 2009 for calling Bill S a moron*, and I had to look you up. The truly funny bit, BrianGarst? I could care less if you keep your account; but retreading was an instant-ban under the old system, so I may have to idly whack you again. It all depends on how nice the Directors are feeling.

Hint: apologizing RIGHT NOW to Bill S for calling him names will probably help, there.

acat

Your willingness to listen is one of the nicer gifts I’ve received this year.

A. Cat

acat

And .. the larger the site gets, the harder the job of the moderators gets. Thank you all.

Mew

acat

.. otherwise the conservative coalition (i.e. SoCon / FiCon / libertarian) will come apart at the seams, and the Liberals win.

Mew

smagar

I’m not sure exactly why she left*, but the tone on this site in recent times had something to do with it.

I’ve shot my mouth off from time to time, but I don’t recall her ever doing it. If she left, there’s a real canary in the coal mine.

*Technically, I don’t think she’s left—but I do remember her posting recently that she was disappointed with and disgusted by the tone on this site.

smagar

Site moderation has gotten to be a big part of the site. People don?t visit web sites to be moderated.

I agree with you to some extent—I thought the moderators were using a very heavy hand in the past six months. But I chalked it up to the site’s transformation, from a forum for exchanging ideas into a fighting unit. (“Fighting” as in activism and politics).

Good units insist that their members stay focused on the mission, and comply with the commander’s intent. Once the boss gives out guidance, you don’t debate it, you execute it. And, the NCOs enforce discipline. I see the moderators as the NCOs and the frontpagers as the commanders. We commenters are in the ranks.

This isn’t the same Redstate many of us grew accustomed to years ago. Things change. And, to their creidit, the moderators have been very clear that Redstate isn’t the same place it used to be.

bk

If you would like to
Then you most certainly can
Make use of haikus

PS I know that one’s lame, but hey it’s 2:30 am here so GMAB.

The_Gadfly

it’s that the trolling throws off your golf game,

throwback59

in the ’60s?

sroiretxesr

It is going to be a heated primary. Hopefully whomever wins will be supported by all this time around.

sroiretxesr

By Neil Stevens and his band of followers. They are major violators of what you are saying.

I was banned because I spoke up about how they were treating the poster of a diary they did not like because it was pro Christine O’Donnell. They called the guy IDIOT numerous times and Neil even posted that the guy must be GAY.

They go around from diary to diary and if they disagree with you they FLAME you until you fight back and the Neil bans you.

I will still stop by to check the front page for posts by Erick, Moe, and the other great front page guys (minus Neil Stevens), but I have better things to do then to defend myself or others from the “group thinkers” who try to destroy you if you do not agree 100% with them

RSEXTERIORS

sroiretxesr

By Neil Stevens and his band of followers. They are major violators of what you are saying.

I was banned because I spoke up about how they were treating the poster of a diary they did not like because it was pro Christine O’Donnell. They called the guy IDIOT numerous times and Neil even posted that the guy must be GAY.

They go around from diary to diary and if they disagree with you they FLAME you until you fight back and the Neil bans you.

I will still stop by to check the front page for posts by Erick, Moe, and the other great front page guys (minus Neil Stevens), but I have better things to do then to defend myself or others from the “group thinkers” who try to destroy you if you do not agree 100% with them

RSEXTERIORS

sroiretxesr

http://www.redstate.com/grassroots1773/2010/12/31/liberals-lie-march-20-2009-christine-odonnell-filed-as-candidate-for-us-senate/

read the diary and the comments and see if the person writing the diary or myself (who just pointed out that they were unfairly attacking this guy) should have been banned. It appears from the comments that Neil banned the guy who posted the diary also because he did not bow to him.

carolina

obnoxious. I ignore him.

carolina

obnoxious. I ignore him.

vital0gy

Among other things, I was extremely rude to Bill S, IBJ, and many others with my few comments over the last several months. I let my emotions about a candidate that I believe in get in the way of logic and reasoning. In effect, I became an instant troll. After reading this diary, I looked back at my past comments and was deeply ashamed and embarrassed. Hopefully with time and continual education I can prove myself to be a decent member of this great community. Erick, thanks for the reminder and apologies to all.

http://vladenblog.tumblr.com Vladimir

http://moelane.com/ Moe Lane

Ignoring site moderators is contraindicated.

http://www.hakubi.us/ Neil Stevens

Hey Retread

Psst.

Erick Erickson is the one who banned you, not me.

So all your ranting at me just embarrasses you.

Heh.

Normally I white out retread comments but yours I’m leaving up, so that everyone can see how you’ve made me your White Whale, while again it’s Erick who banned you.

http://www.hakubi.us/ Neil Stevens

I’m not the ravenous bugblatter beast of traal. Ignoring me does not make me ignore you.

barry915barry

You are very beastly! ***smiling***. Barry

Scope

one of the most unwise, and disrespectful comments in recent memory. It’s interesting that you make this comment on EE’s diary stating clearly, that site rules will be followed. One of those site rules is No Personal Attacks. You just personally attacked a site moderator. I don’t know for sure, but, I would guess you just put a bullseye on your forehead. That was not a smart thing to do at all.

E Pluribus Unum

Then haikus are actually the preferred mode of communication

E Pluribus Unum

In your bass boat?

I know I do. And I am occasionally concerned too.

E Pluribus Unum

Nt

E Pluribus Unum

Which I think is alot like an “etc”.

E Pluribus Unum

Well done, good timing, and coming from a man who I have the utmost respect and man-love for. But there are points I and many others are not clear on.

But I will pose my questions to you in private. I would like your personal view and nobody else’s.

E Pluribus Unum

Well done, good timing, and coming from a man who I have the utmost respect and man-love for. But there are points I and many others are not clear on.

But I will pose my questions to you in private. I would like your personal view and nobody else’s.

Goldwater_Conservative

but I only get concerned at night

tankertodd

In the end you got to keep things in good order. It’s a balancing act, and I respect that as long as the moderators respect their roles and the necessary balance required. I would presume they have some written guidelines that are adapted as required to ensure they apply the same decision logic to all folks.

GOPer

Erick, I would LOVE to believe that you actually mean this. But I have trouble doing so, after you failed to reverse my banning for a completely fabricated reason by Neil, which you insisted was “very clear.” The only thing that was very clear was the completely rude, disrespectful, RULE-BREAKING hypocrites that made around a hundred comments on my post – about THREE of which were actually to DISCUSS the post. I had high regard for RedState, Erick; but that experience taught me something, and it will be hard to overcome it. I did nothing wrong; I “jacked” no thread; I wrote a pithy diary post, and was IMMEDIATELY attacked.

Tell me, Erick: why in the world do you have, right below the comment box, where everyone can read it every time they post, these words? “Be respectful, or be banned. No Profanity.” I was disrespected from the very first comment by “Swamp_Yankee”, and it just took off from there. These were regular commenters on RedState, and not only were they INCREDIBLY disrespectful, they repeatedly used profanity directed at me.

Who was banned, Erick? “Swamp_Yankee”, for being the first poster and calling me a Troll without apparently bothering to read the actual post? No. “Beasley Beesmeal”, who calls me a fool, and later a “A-hole”? No. “bs”, who calls me a “smart a__”? No. “Neil Stevens”, who swooped in with his comments, “I’ll ban you just for being an annoying twerp” and “Martin is allowed to be snotty” because “he’s a front page contributor”? No. “Aaron Gardner”, whose first comment accused me of “supreme idiocy or disingenuous behavior”, and who then called me a “pompous a__”? No. “Martin Knight”, who took the time to write an actual response, but had to pepper it throughout with slurs like “bad faith actor… your spew… your idiotic PAC… mental mastur______…”? No. “mbecker908″, who posted very clearly that he had “no idea” about anything that my post was actually about, but then launched into a tirade against me personally (“drivel… trolling… smarmy… your slimy face…”)? No. “Achance”, who called me a “jacka___” and a “troll”? No. “Scope”, who called me an “idiot” and a “jerk”? No. “HappyBunny”, who called me a “schmuck”? No.

None of those people, every one of whom broke the most basic of rules at RedState, were banned. No, only I was banned – for breaking a “rule” against “promoting a third party candidate” that I can’t even find anywhere on the site. In fact, here’s the posted rules of what NOT to do:

* No profanity.
* No personal attacks.
* No harassment or demonization of a particular individual.
* No disruptive behavior or off-topic remarks for their own sake.
* No trolling or mobying

I used no profanity; these posters did. I personally attacked no one; these posters did. I harassed or demonized no one; these posters did. I exhibited no disruptive behavior or off-topic remarks; these posters did. And I certainly wasn’t trolling or mobying, no matter how much these posters tried to throw those names at me without reason.

Erick, all I did was write a diary post explaining why I believed Joe Kennedy being on the ballot would actually benefit Scott Brown, rather than Martha Coakley. That’s ALL. For nearly a hundred comments after that, all that I saw was regular RedState posters, one after another after another, break the most well-known posting rules, in the most blatant way imaginable. Did I mention our PAC’s strategy of calling Democrats and telling them to vote for Joe Kennedy, and then ask for donations to that effort — which would help Scott Brown? Sure — but when I was told in no uncertain terms that that made me a “spammer” because I was “trolling for Libertarian candidates,” I apologized and said I wouldn’t do it again. And I DIDN’T.

I’ll re-post one of my final comments at RedState, in case you never bothered to read the whole shameful thread:

“Erick, I’m assuming you’ll read this after you’re done with Colbert and maybe Fox. You know me, you know my history, you know my hardcore conservative activism, and you know I just don’t do the things I’m being accused of, and you can see from reading the whole page that I speak the truth.”

“I wrote a diary post about why I believe that Kennedy will take votes from Coakley in the Mass. Senate election. That’s all I did. Now, it’s OK to disagree with that premise – that’s what we politicos do. But I’ve been pretty surprised at the level of vitriol I’ve seen here, instead of reasoned discourse. I didn’t think you ran that kind of site, no matter what the libtards say. In fact, knowing you, I’m positive it’s not something that you would tolerate, either.”

I was not disruptive in any way, and I had no intention to disrupt.

One final thing, Erick: these people claim I was banned for promoting a third party candidate on RedState. But here’s the irony: while Doug Hoffman actually ran as a third party candidate (endorsed by RedState), Joe Kennedy ran as an INDEPENDENT, because he was OFFICIALLY “UNENROLLED” in Massachusetts. He might belong to a national third party; but if elected, there would have been a big ol’ “I” by his name. If Hoffman had been elected, there would have been a big ol’ “C” next to his. And please don’t try the “NY allows for fusion third parties” or “RedState supports Republicans in general elections, not third party candidates running against Repubicans” silliness here – Scozzafava was the Republican nominee, not Hoffman. Kennedy wasn’t any third party’s nominee – he was running as an Independent.

So, in the end, I wasn’t banned for promoting a third party candidate at all; I think we all know, it was because I’ve been a strong conservative supporter of Ron Paul and the Campaign for Liberty, and even though I had been a member of RedState for 5 1/2 years, since Mike & company founded it, that means nothing to Johnny-Come-Lately neo-conservatives who enjoy the benefit of name-calling from the other side of a one-way screen.

I believe I laid things out pretty plainly for you back when Neil banned me, Erick. You had a choice then: you could have simply dismissed it all, and led the world to believe that RedState’s “rules” aren’t meant for everybody; or you could have stepped in and ENFORCED those rules — ALL of them, not just a select few — and reprimanded (or even banned) a whole gaggle of people who actually DID deserve it.

The choice was yours, and you chose to let my ban stand. And now, you come along with this wonderful post that “We have a problem,” and insisting that “the rules of this site apply no matter how long you have been here and your account will be disabled for violating the rules of the site.”

I’ll believe it when I see it. Of course, I expect to immediately face the “blam stick” from Neil, or Scope, or whoever feels the urge to scratch his itchy trigger finger again instead of actually doing as you say in this post. But maybe… just maybe… you actually mean it this time?

We’ll see.
Bill Greene (profg)

http://908StraightSt.wordpress.com/ mbecker908

particular whine.

http://908StraightSt.wordpress.com/ mbecker908

is not a good thing to do. Bye.

GOPer

But my (soon to be tested) hope is that my remarks are taken to heart, and I can joyously participate in community with my fellow conservatives once again. Without being smarmily attacked.

rightwingmom52

I said “Strongly Agree.” (Doc’s test.)

In even the best relationships, tension builds and every now and then you just need to have a good fight, clear the air and then make up. While I appreciate the passion of everyone here at RS, I’m looking forward to the diaries and comments that make me think and sometimes question my beliefs, but more often reaffirm them. My husband has become quite cynical about politics although he appreciates that I’m becoming more involved and supports me 100%. I told him I was inspired to do so because I know there are people like me who still love this country and want to put her on the right path (pun intended). I know this because of RedState.

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