Some time ago we posted a set of guidelines designed to help keep comments on STFU civil and constructive. However, they have been ignored by some who have posted offensive comments, lowering the tone of the discourse on the site and even, in some cases, being personally abusive. In future, any comments that are judged to be aggressively personal, blatantly off-topic, or even excessively simple minded will be removed from where they were posted and put in this space as examples of bad internet behavior that we deem to be unacceptable on this site.
This is indeed a form of censorship, the rationale being that no one has a right to foul a public space established and maintained by others. However, we are not permanently removing unsavory comments, we are simply relocating them here, where folks who don't want to waste time reading such childishness can avoid them but those who might be amused by them can more easily find them concentrated together. Relocated comments will be identified on the basis of violations of our now slightly modified commentary guidelines, below. However we also reserve the right to invoke additional criteria and will also delete any scatology and other naughty words, profanity, sacrilege, sexual innuendo, misogyny, homophobia, and gratuitous name-calling, etc.
STF is our club-house and we are within our rights to insist on a minimum dress code.
Some simple rules for the Screwtape Files Comments:
1) No profanity or sexual/sexist language.
2) No Ad Hominem irrelevancies
3) No gratuitous, insulting name calling or disparagement
of others (even if you think it is really clever, funny, and especially deserving)
4) No identity spoofing (e.g., pretending to be someone
else who also posts on STF or elsewhere)
5)
No multiple identities - if what you have to say is worth other people
reading, then do them the honor of presenting yourself consistently, but with an anonymous name/avatar if you so desire.
6) No advertising or crass promotion of your own site(s)
7) No blatantly off-topic comments completely unrelated to the article you are commenting on.
8) No obviously confrontational comments made just to get a reaction (as opposed to rational and/or evidence-based disagreement, which is very different)
1. First Example:
8) No obviously confrontational comments made just to get a reaction (as opposed to rational and/or evidence-based disagreement, which is very different)
1. First Example:
We may as well begin with this recent one:
duggo said...
@SU
Dear Stuart,
Do try to grow up. If you are only 12 then I apologise.
You seem to carry some unrequited hurt.
I follow FOFOA because he has a certain "thoughtfulness" that is interesting if not blinkered and is certainly lacking in many of his followers (you are a glaring example). I keep explaining this to you but I notice that if things are not presented in a child's colouring book you are unable to grasp the point.
Just because I quote your "God" now and then doesn't mean you have to leap to his defence like some deranged religious follower.
Dear Stuart,
Do try to grow up. If you are only 12 then I apologise.
You seem to carry some unrequited hurt.
I follow FOFOA because he has a certain "thoughtfulness" that is interesting if not blinkered and is certainly lacking in many of his followers (you are a glaring example). I keep explaining this to you but I notice that if things are not presented in a child's colouring book you are unable to grasp the point.
Just because I quote your "God" now and then doesn't mean you have to leap to his defence like some deranged religious follower.
Relocated by Slow Loris Larry on the basis that it is an unambiguous example of ad hominem personal abuse. Apologies to Stuart for not doing this earlier, and for repeating it here as an example of what we will no longer tolerate..
2. SugarLover said...
I didn't realise the aim of this forum was to 'be a nice place' JdA.
Why do you imagine anyone is interested in your bottom-calling?
Serious question. Relocated by JdA as it's clearly confrontational (rather than constructive or rational disagreement) and adds nothing to the debate. A response detailing why bottom calling could be a futile task, or making note of previous failed bottom call attempts and using that as evidence of lack of credibility, politely worded, would have been more than acceptable.
3. SugarLover said...
@SLL,
Who wants to hang out in a latrine? No one I imagine?
But who wants to hang out on a discussion forum related to gold where the....ah, forget it, you guys are just good mates with Fofoa, and he's told you to shut it down.
Enjoy the silence looking at trend lines. Relocated by JdA as it's clearly confrontational, coupled with a ridiculous accusation (Screwtape consists of five main contributors, three of which have no interest in freegold/FOFOA and who do not assign freegold theory any credibility, as has been well noted numerous times on STFU) For the record, I - and I believe most of the other contributors - have never exchanged so much as an email with FOFOA about any topic, let alone shutting down anti-FOFOA comments on Screwtape.
4. This exchange...
SugarLover said...
@Milamber,
Yes, that's about the level of discourse I've come to expect from you and your ilk, you never disappoint. Well done. Sat Jul 06, 03:41:00 PM GMT+1 
milamber said...
@ SL,
Sorry. As a Texan I was raised to have manners and always thank people when they compliment me. I'll try not to thank you in the future when you compare me to FOFOA.
Of course we were also raised to call BS when we see it too, so I can understand the deeply rooted source of your hostility.
But, alas, it is most unrequited.
Milamber Sat Jul 06, 04:17:00 PM GMT+1
SugarLover said...
There is no try, only do or do not.
Typical Yank, serve you all right, that attitude will be knocked out of you all soon enough when you're a big version of North Korea.
Free speech, liberty, except when it doesn't agree with your (Fofoa-esque) world view. Petty jibes, ignoring the facts of the argument, for obvious reasons.
Well, that's why we're here at another blog I imagine. Sat Jul 06, 04:30:00 PM GMT+1
milamber said...
FIOS internet connection: $106
Dual XEON 2Ghz processor. 8GB Ram & 8 TB of hard drive storage (primarily to run VM's for labs & software testing): $1000
Two 24 inch monitors: $500
Watching SL twirl around in circles like a cat chasing a string: Priceless!
Oh, Happy belated 4th!
Milamber
SinBin, here I come!!!!! Sat Jul 06, 05:47:00 PM GMT+1
5. SugarLover said...Good old Milamber, chuck us a few irrelevant quotes and then disappear, tail between his legs.
They are all the same.
Very amusing.
Relocated by JdA. SugarLover continues his brave battle against basic civility. Future comments of this genre will simply be deleted rather than 'sin-binned'.
2. SugarLover said...
Why do you imagine anyone is interested in your bottom-calling?
Serious question.
Who wants to hang out in a latrine? No one I imagine?
But who wants to hang out on a discussion forum related to gold where the....ah, forget it, you guys are just good mates with Fofoa, and he's told you to shut it down.
Enjoy the silence looking at trend lines.
4. This exchange...
SugarLover said...
Yes, that's about the level of discourse I've come to expect from you and your ilk, you never disappoint. Well done.
Sorry. As a Texan I was raised to have manners and always thank people when they compliment me. I'll try not to thank you in the future when you compare me to FOFOA.
Of course we were also raised to call BS when we see it too, so I can understand the deeply rooted source of your hostility.
But, alas, it is most unrequited.
Milamber
Typical Yank, serve you all right, that attitude will be knocked out of you all soon enough when you're a big version of North Korea.
Free speech, liberty, except when it doesn't agree with your (Fofoa-esque) world view. Petty jibes, ignoring the facts of the argument, for obvious reasons.
Well, that's why we're here at another blog I imagine.
Dual XEON 2Ghz processor. 8GB Ram & 8 TB of hard drive storage (primarily to run VM's for labs & software testing): $1000
Two 24 inch monitors: $500
Watching SL twirl around in circles like a cat chasing a string: Priceless!
Oh, Happy belated 4th!
Milamber
SinBin, here I come!!!!!
5. SugarLover said...
They are all the same.
Very amusing.
Relocated by JdA. SugarLover continues his brave battle against basic civility. Future comments of this genre will simply be deleted rather than 'sin-binned'.
