I don't care! Enough!

[ThePhoneGoddess]

Yeah, I've noticed the disclaimers as well and it's annoying. But I understand why people put them there, considering how much the mods must have to deal with. They seem to constantly get messages from people offended over this and offended over that and how dare someone say this delete it now or don't you dare mention my God in a joking manner I can't take it. I found the post raps made about people sending the mods offended messages because people were making offhand references to dieties doing strange things hilarious. It really amazes me how easily some people become offended.

I knew a girl once who suffered from that particular affliction. She was really high strung and would constantly get offended over everything. She told me she had walked out of the theatre during the first ten minutes of There's Something About Mary because of the jokes made about mentally retarded people. I tried explaining that the movie was actually making fun of people who poke fun at the mentally handicapped, etc, and she was having none of it. She said "Well it just offended me, that's all. I just can't handle jokes about handicapped people. I don't know why. You know how some things just offend you? Well it just offended me.'

and I truthfully replied, 'no, I don't know. I never get offended at things unless they are directed toward me personally. And I especially don't let someone else's work of art offend me.' She was left completely speechless, as she spent a great deal of her time, as far as I could see, finding things to get offended over.

[Rapscallion]

I had to put that note in Site News because people were trying to out-do each other in having religious figures jump through hoops. I've got no objection to a bit here and there - everyone needs a thicker skin - but it was getting to ridiculous levels. It works both ways.

Rapscallion

[ThePhoneGoddess]

I'm afraid I have deleted them all, Raps. I stopped posting those stories several weeks ago so I haven't gotten any lately. The person who was sending most of them was quite clear about their feelings on the issue both in my threads and here in fratching, so I've no doubt they were complaining about it to you guys. I just found it annoying that they felt the need to try to antagonize me by PM. I ain't falling for that bait.

[CancelMyService]

I had to put that note in Site News because people were trying to out-do each other in having religious figures jump through hoops. I've got no objection to a bit here and there - everyone needs a thicker skin - but it was getting to ridiculous levels. It works both ways.

Rapscallion

Was that in reference to people saying stuff like "Jesus tapdancing Christ on a rusty 2x4"? Cause I always saw that as a way to show exasperation....like the more modifiers the more you wanted to Jedi Force strangle the SC in question. I honestly never saw it as a religious-figure-doing-silly-stuff contest.


I know it sounds condescending as all hell, but sometimes as a nonbeliever I get a kick out of how people seem to go out of their way to find (if not flat out invent) slights against the invisible spirit of their choosing.

[ThePhoneGoddess]

Yes, that's exactly what Raps was referring to. I thought they were hilarious in the threads, I love it when people get creative with their swearing. But apparently it was upsetting for some.

[Rapscallion]

I'm afraid I have deleted them all, Raps. I stopped posting those stories several weeks ago so I haven't gotten any lately. The person who was sending most of them was quite clear about their feelings on the issue both in my threads and here in fratching, so I've no doubt they were complaining about it to you guys. I just found it annoying that they felt the need to try to antagonize me by PM. I ain't falling for that bait.

I don't remember seeing any complaints like that. I don't want anyone without the moderator title acting as one. We're there for a reason, and we often know more about situations than most members.

Yes, that's the sort of thing I was referring to in the Site News. I didn't mind the occasional mention, but it got to the point where people were trying to outdo each other in making mythical figures do stupid things. Depends where you draw the line.

Rapscallion

[Seshat]

On the other hand, I think that if people were to come up with outrageous things for the Flying Spaghetti Monster to do, the mods would be fine with it.

Of course, someone would probably become upset.

[Rapscallion]

I wouldn't want to be seen to discriminate (or even condone discrimination) against any particular religious group. No sirree!

I've got to look at it from both sides - some people need thicker skins, and others need to realise that their comments will cause some distress if taken too far.

Fun!

Rapscallion

[Rapscallion]

Actually, give it twenty years and I bet there are people who genuinely believe in the FSM.

Rapscallion

[rahmota]

Forgive me my moderators but I may have crossed or stepped on some toes. I wasn't goig to mention this but I want to make sure you know about it if it should go off into somethign bigger. I've walked away from it but oh well.

Anyhow I was on Jaded car Guy's thread titled (Your music is OFFENSIVE!) and he and a lot fo the other people on there where ragging on and bashing rednecks and all. I know that most of the folks on the site are city dwellers and I know that the city is where the sucky customers all are but still not everyone from the coury is a moron.

Unfortunately that seems to be the common theme and fashion on CS at least right now and if I say, use or make a comment somewhat disparaging about the Urban dweller or otherwise take the stance of a city person being a problem then I get bitched at about it.

Anyhow I'm not relly sure there is anythign that needs or can be done about it just pointing out that the double standard people use is kinda irritating.

I means ometimes a person is just a universal jerk and any further adjectives are superfluous.

And yeah I am guilty of some of these things too but then i am only human.

[Pedersen]

Anyhow I was on Jaded car Guy's thread titled (Your music is OFFENSIVE!) and he and a lot fo the other people on there where ragging on and bashing rednecks and all. I know that most of the folks on the site are city dwellers and I know that the city is where the sucky customers all are but still not everyone from the coury is a moron.

Hey, Rahmota, psst. Secret for you: I'm a geek. Tried and true, through and through. Straight up, nothing but, couldn't change if I wanted to, geek.

Within the group of people who know/understand computers, being a geek is rather much a compliment. Outside of that group, it's a straight up insult. Go check out the average high school, for instance, and find out how the word "geek" is used.

I'm not a redneck. I'm a geek, a dweeb, a dork, a nerd. I'm not a jock, preppie, mama's boy. I'm the one that has the joke made about living in mom's basement for the rest of his life. Pure dork-age here.

And, guess what? I don't care how people use the word. I know what I am, and who I am. I know that I'm a good person. I know that those who choose to "insult" me with it are losing out on the opportunity to have a good friend, because that's one of the things I can very much be.

Those who call me a geek, but do so without malice, just to provide a label that others can use for reference, get the chance to learn more about me. Hell, my wife wears this t-shirt.

I'm a geek. You're a redneck. Those who choose to view the label as an insult lose out. The rest? They get the chance to experience the rest of us.

Basically, I'm saying stop worrying about how people use the words we choose to describe ourselves. We know what we're worth. We know what they are losing out on. And, in the end, if they're so shallow as to ignore or belittle us because they misunderstand the word, how is that any great loss to us?

I'm a geek. And damned proud of it.

[rahmota]

yeah I suppose I should take the advice of my own sig (the one on CS not the one here though it might work too). But sometimes it gets a bit on irritating side when the double standard comes into play and people get bent about others using certain negative urban terms yet think nothign of using negative rural terms themselves. Oh well I get a bit oversensitive this time of year anyhow and need to chill it myself....

Oh well. People will be people.

[Seshat]

Oh, I quite understand. I'm geek myself, and my father comes from a rural background. At one point, I actually laid out all the major labels that apply to me - it's an impressive list.

Yes, double standards are irritating. Stereotypes are irritating. The mod team knows it, and if you report posts that are particularly egregious or offensive, we'll do something about it. That something may be invisible to you - sometimes we opt for a PM to the offender, or a chat with them. But we take some sort of action on every report, and many of us understand what it's like to be the target of such a double standard.

The biggest glitch in the system, though, is that the offensive post has to be reported. Most often, an apparent double standard from the mods occurs because one 'side' in the double standard doesn't report the posts that offend them.

[Boozy]

Rahmota: Does the term "redneck" in the US mean something different than it does here? I'm confused as to why you would identify with the term "redneck".

Here the term is an insult meaning an ignorant, ultra-conservative, and close-minded hick (usually from rural areas). So unless the term in the US is defined as "anyone at all from a rural area", then I can't see how you would fit the description.

I grew up on a farm in the country. My family and I are all well-read and educated, liberal-leaning, open-minded, and intelligent. I have never identified with the term "redneck" and have never been called one.

[ThePhoneGoddess]

Yes boozy there is a large contingent of rural Americans who very proudly identify with the term redneck. My brother is one of them, he has a bumper sticker on his truck that says Gone Redneckin'. A redneck to them signifies someone who is very proud to be from the country and is into rural culture---which is extremely different from urban culture. Different music, different clothes, different slang, different values. Most urban Americans are like you, and don't even realize that it is anything but an insult.

It has to do with the early history of Germanic and British migration in our country. Some of the earliest immigrants were Germanic---German, Dutch, etc. They had a very specific culture, which emphasized order, obedience to society over family, not rocking the boat, etc. Later settlers were of Celtic extraction---the Scots-Irish, Irish, Scottish, etc. They were very different culturally---their culture emphasized loyalty to kin over society, mistrust of governmental authority, and fierce independence. The German peoples were quite alarmed by the rowdiness of the Celtic immigrants, describing them as wild, uncivilized, and trigger happy.

The people of German extraction are today more likely to be social conservatives---evangelical Christians, in other words. 'Rednecks' are distinct from them---they are more likely ot be of Celtic extraction. Two totally different groups that actually reside in one culture. Most people don't even realize.

I encourage you to read this. It explains it in great detail.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redneck