Can we try to tone down the flame wars? PLEASE?

[BreweryYardRat]

It gets old after a while, you know. Especially when you're in Florida, where the whole state's covered in smoke from REAL fires.

We're all on the same general side here:

1. The Republican leaders are corrupt, incompetent scum.

2. The War in Iraq is an unmitigated disaster, as a result of Point 1, and we need to pull the troops out.

3. We want a Democrat to win the 2008 presidential election.

4. We want action taken on global warming, universal health care, etc...

Everything else is just squabbling over details.

And yes, I'm aware that this is rich coming from me and my over-100-person ignore list, but, honestly, more people need to learn to walk away from a flame war in the making, or hit ignore on the opposing person.

Reasoned discussion and disagreement is fine and dandy. It's one of the founding principles of our country, after all. Flame wars are not fine and dandy, nor are they a founding principle of our country. ;)

The only time we need to be flaming anyone is when they do something supremely stupid, like defend NAMBLA. Even then, you're probably better off hitting the alert button, then hitting the ignore button.

[Lasher]

1. Get him!!

[AtomicKitten]

2. I'll drink to that.

cheers!

[frogcycle]

3. but if we can't flame

how will all the village idiots know who they are?

:)

well put!

reasoned discourse and disagreement, even passionate disagreement, is healthy

but the number of people who seem to read the first three or four words of a post and then start their reply with "you are just a ..." is amazing. You have to wonder if most of them would in person be screaming at people from a soapbox on the street corner, spittle flying, or if, in fact, they are shrinking violets who never say anything

Of course, in my own, case, they are probably perfectly reasonable, thoughtful, understanding folk and I am so outrageous I just provoke them beyond their better judgment. Yeah, that's it. It's gotta be. Or maybe I am on all the reasonable people's "ignore" list. That's more likely. I bet you won't even see this! :)

[BreweryYardRat]

23. Nope. I can see your post just fine.

[H2O Man]

4. I would add

that Mayweather beat De La Hoya.

[trumad]

5. Bullshit!

;-)

[ChairmanAgnostic]

6. I've had it with that!

Arghghghghghggh!
:)

[H2O Man]

14. My aunt boxed

oranges for 125 years. She nose Floyd one.

[papau]

9. a split-decision victory - so now we can flame on the fight? :-)

:-)

[H2O Man]

12. A victory.

Floyd won. All democrats should be happy.

[papau]

15. Speaking for the shorter folks - it is about time size did not matter! :-)

5'8" vs 5'11"
72" reach vs 73inch reach

:-)

[H2O Man]

19. Longer arms, though.

Oscar's advantage was in total span, but not arm length.

[papau]

30. True - but the shorter guy won - hip hip horay for my side! :-)

:-)

[KG]

7. flame wars are pure comedy.

i look forward to each and every new one!

[TnDem]

8. If you are serious about it....

Then empty your ignore list and learn to get along with folks a little better. You're right...It is "rich" of you. A hundred people in your ignore list??? Sheeesh!

I have ZERO people in my ignore list because I can ignore anyone's individual's comments without disregarding them completely.

Just sayin.....

[NightWatcher]

13. I agree. I have no one on ignore

I will fight to the death with someone one day, and then forget about it and side with them a few days later.

[TahitiNut]

20. There's a bad side-effect of such Ignore Lists

Duplicate threads. How many threads do we REALLY need to have because folks have others on ignore??

Of course, those with big ignore lists don't see as many threads ... so it's a bigger problem for those of us with nobody in our Ignore List. (How much excess traffic does DU have to handle?)

[Solly Mack]

10. Attack!

Of the Killer Tomatoooooes!




Flame War!





Victory!




It's ALL in the details. :P

[Longhorn]

11. I agree with you but I'm afraid they are inevitable.

I remember we had flame wars back in the early 90s on a Mothers of Twins message board when it took up to 12 hours for your message to post! :rofl: What were mothers flaming about? Rhyming names, dressing them alike, and whether to put them in separate classes in school. :D

[TahitiNut]

16. Go and boil your bottoms, you sons of silly persons!

I don't want to talk to you no more, you empty headed animal food trough wiper. I fart in your general direction. Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries.

[Clark2008]

28. Ni!

[noamnety]

17. I disagree

The alerting part is fine, but putting racists and sexists on ignore, rather than speaking out, condones their posts through our collective silence.

[Greyhound]

22. Have to agree with that, I took all three of my formerly ignored people

off. Now I just ignore them the old-fashioned way.

I find it ironic that a Floridian posted this.

[BreweryYardRat]

24. Ironic? How so?

[Greyhound]

29. Just that Florida is one of the two most formidable bastions of popular subjugation

in the country.

I'm sure that you personally do not fall into this category, but you have to admit that your state, along with Texas are the heart of, and model for, the modern police state. If flaming (angry, critical, or disparaging electronic message) is appropriate anywhere, it is Florida.

[BreweryYardRat]

32. After the footage I've seen of LAPD quashing immigrant rights marches, I'd put Cali at #3.

But, yeah, you're right about the authoritarianism here. I want to move to Washington or Oregon.

And I'd flame the hell out of Republicans arguing for suppressing poor/minority votes. I just don't think liberals fighting each other with the same venom we'd use on Rethugs does any good.

[Greyhound]

40. They could be #1 if only Cali would pony up the cash to hire enough

thugs. As far as police brutality goes, LAPD is the model.

I think it's the laws protecting white-collar criminals that tips the balance toward TX, & FL. California's laws are slightly less skewed.

[JeffR]

35. Wow!

As a Floridian, I agree with you completely, even if it makes me a bit queasy doing so. You nailed it.

one edit: I left the state ages ago, but I still agree.

[BreweryYardRat]

26. Mmm...I don't know about that.

I'd say that putting them on ignore --beneath notice, if you will-- condemns rather than condones. As though they were nothing more than a worm underfoot.

Good argument, though.

[dave_p]

18. I'm still a bit puzzled...

I don't want to ask which flame wars, because I don't want them revived. But is conduct so bad? I think this board's in fact a miraculous display of good behavior, given the political passion folk obviously share.

I disagree though that "Everything else is just squabbling over details". I think we need to get at those details. That's where you find your dream candidate's an oaf or a menace to humanity. But that's no excuse for personal animosity.

DU need fear no valid disagreement: there are enough folk here who know what they're talking about.

Flame wars bad. DU overwhelmingly good.

[Madspirit]

21. 100

100 people on Ignore? Wow. I have no one on Ignore. I just ignore certain posts but not the people entirely. Where's the fun in that?
Lee

[uppityperson]

25. Are you ignoring me? Alert, then take flames here...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=858649&mesg_id=858649

[tammywammy]

27. I have no one on ignore

I want to know what everyone says.

I don't feel the need to reply to everyone.

[DemReadingDU]

31. Who has time to read the flame wars!!

:)

I barely have time to read the home page, much less try to read all these flame wars, LOL!

[Swamp Rat]

33. You ain't seen nothin' yet.

Jus' wait 'til the primaries. :D

[spoony]

34. What is that, a vampire skunk man?

:P

[Swamp Rat]

36. He is the 'Witchsmeller Pursuivant'

see episode five, series one of Black Adder. :D

http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/blackadder/epguide/one_witchsmeller.shtml

[IChing]

37. One of my favorite series.

[Swamp Rat]

38. I am an addict

I am incurable. :D



Way'at IChing! :hi:

[spoony]

39. You do exquisite art!

I hate to admit it, but my parents never bought a television, so my pop culture knowledge was stunted for a long time :)

[Swamp Rat]

41. The Black Adder BBC web page is a good place to start out for info on the series

It was a British comedy series during the 1980s that appeared on PBS. Black Adder, Monty Python, Fawlty Towers, The Young Ones... all of 'em are my favorite comedies. :D