Pappa wrote:Coito ergo sum wrote:Either the words/statements are allowed, or they're not. That should be the rule, IMHO. Otherwise, it winds up being arbitrary.
We had a long discussion about that before and concluded we preferred to deal with it on a case-by-case basis.
Yes, and that results in some people being able to say quite a bit of trolling and baiting type verbiage, and be judged "technically within the rules" (thereby resulting in no action), and others being "warned" to "play nice" because of the "perceived intent." It winds up being arbitrary.
It's fine to be arbitrary, of course, at least in a larger sense. Whoever runs rationalia.com can moderate how they like. But, IMHO, it is better to go by what is actually said, rather than what some complaining party characterizes it as, or how a moderator thinks he perceives the intent. When a forum has a political leaning and religious/nonreligious leaning, as this one does, then people who don't fit those molds will inevitably be given less leeway than those who do adhere to the political and religious leanings. Based on what I've seen, that does happen here.
That's why Mandy is getting all this attention for using the word, "mate." It's not for any reason than people think he is a religious loon who posts ridiculous crap.