Maxie Zeus
09-16-2001, 02:34 PM
Hey folks--
It's been a bad week all around, for reasons that don't need repeating. I'd like to start by thanking everyone for the support that they've shown to each other, especially to those who have been specially touched and hurt by Tuesday's events.
I would also like to praise everyone for their public behavior here. A lot of emotions have been vented; fortunately, almost none of the anger and rage has been misdirected at people who do NOT deserve it: Your fellow posters and members of this community. It speaks volumes about the character and the maturity of all here that for all the volatility that we feel, there have been no explosions or flame-wars, and in only a few cases has pre-emptive action seemed warranted. You guys are the best I've ever seen.
But even if the world has changed forever out there, we all of us want to keep some parts of our lives unchanged. These forums are one of those places. So, behind the scenes, we've decided that we want to start steering these boards back toward more "normal" discussions and habits.
PLEASE NOTE: This does not mean that discussions regarding the crisis will be closed or forbidden. As has been made clear, the community wants this to remain an open topic. But it does mean that the mods will be closely monitoring all discussions and posts, and will step in quickly if a thread is veering in dangerous directions.
About our grief there is no controversy; about our anger, there is only consensus. But as we grope for ways to respond, to punish, deter and bring to justice those who have hurt us so deeply there will be much room for disagreement, and much opportunity for anger and hurt feelings. Even on such a benign subject as the cancellation of a favorite TV show, or the postponing of a much anticipated episode, we have seen people lash out in provocative ways. We're not going to let this happen.
Please be careful, and remember the rules: Show respect for others, especially on matters over which you disagree. Go out of your way to avoid giving offense. And remember that your comments are being read by many people, not just those particular ones you are arguing with.
It's been a bad week all around, for reasons that don't need repeating. I'd like to start by thanking everyone for the support that they've shown to each other, especially to those who have been specially touched and hurt by Tuesday's events.
I would also like to praise everyone for their public behavior here. A lot of emotions have been vented; fortunately, almost none of the anger and rage has been misdirected at people who do NOT deserve it: Your fellow posters and members of this community. It speaks volumes about the character and the maturity of all here that for all the volatility that we feel, there have been no explosions or flame-wars, and in only a few cases has pre-emptive action seemed warranted. You guys are the best I've ever seen.
But even if the world has changed forever out there, we all of us want to keep some parts of our lives unchanged. These forums are one of those places. So, behind the scenes, we've decided that we want to start steering these boards back toward more "normal" discussions and habits.
PLEASE NOTE: This does not mean that discussions regarding the crisis will be closed or forbidden. As has been made clear, the community wants this to remain an open topic. But it does mean that the mods will be closely monitoring all discussions and posts, and will step in quickly if a thread is veering in dangerous directions.
About our grief there is no controversy; about our anger, there is only consensus. But as we grope for ways to respond, to punish, deter and bring to justice those who have hurt us so deeply there will be much room for disagreement, and much opportunity for anger and hurt feelings. Even on such a benign subject as the cancellation of a favorite TV show, or the postponing of a much anticipated episode, we have seen people lash out in provocative ways. We're not going to let this happen.
Please be careful, and remember the rules: Show respect for others, especially on matters over which you disagree. Go out of your way to avoid giving offense. And remember that your comments are being read by many people, not just those particular ones you are arguing with.