I have five minutes before I have to be out the door, but PERHAPS NO BIG SURPRISE I completely agree with Roger, including (and especially) the points that involve my own shortcomings. It has nothing to do with "don't post things that Nigel and Roger don't like"; it has everything to do with "if you post something you know will stir shit up, be prepared to defend it with reason and citations if necessary, and don't go all whiny and passive-aggressive if you can't."
And seriously with the unending blog shit and personal drama. I am FAR from innocent on this front, and I am even sick of my own shit. If you can't tell an interesting/funny story about it, maybe reconsider whether posting about your ass polyps is going to be interesting or elucidating to anyone but yourself, in which case, that's what your diary is for. Just my opinion.
I am more tentative about #10, but only if we all redevelop the intestinal fortitude to just ignore stupid trolls, which used to work just fine.
And FFS stop acting oppressed if someone you feel intimidated by for some reason disagrees with, challenges, or critiques your post, and if you go all monkey screechy about it don't whine when they decide that for their own personal purposes you're a fucktard and don't deserve the respect or time of reasonable discourse.
Lastly, n00bs. Sometimes people show up and don't post anything intended to impress anyone or push anyone's buttons. Sometimes they just sort of read a bit and then start making thoughtful contributions to threads they read. Not unsurprisingly, those people tend not to get jumped on, and in fact for the most part nobody ever makes a big deal about them being a n00b. We seem to have picked up one such in just the past week, but nobody's noticed because he/she/it hasn't said anything button-pushy enough to receive pushback. These are the new people who tend to stick around, and the ones that go all "ALL WOMEN SHOULD BE PROSTITUTES" or "MAGICKS IS REAL" are seriously not really people most of us WANT the board to be populated by. Am I completely off-base? Even so, I do agree that we should exercise a little more restraint when it comes to the 50-post rule, unless they're being all-out offensive.
That said, when we go trolling and people follow us back here, it makes perfect sense to give them more wiggle room because we're the ones who got them riled in the first place.
I have more thoughts on all of this but I have to go. More tomorrow.