How to prevent closed threads and win friends ;)

Pherdinand said:
I swear I don't know any hungarians that actually plan to invade Austria.
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Note to Hungarians: Pherdinand knows too much.

Tom's got some good points for the forum and for life in general.

Once, as a Peace Legion volunteer, I got strong-armed (literally) by a drunk Visigothic air force pilot (off-duty, I hope) who wanted to beat the crud out of me because Roman bombers were crossing Visigoth airspace to bomb the Scythians, who were accused of genocide against the Dacians. I tried to explain to him the nuances of democracy and regime but basically I just...ran away and hid in the bathroom. And that was under a Roman emperor I actually voted for...

I think it's too bad that Romans have such a difficult time discussing politics, not politely per se (the Etruscans don't even try to do that and they are famously political) but impersonally. Political disagreements shouldn't lead to ad hominum attacks or hurt feelings. And they do have a place on forums like RFF. It is a forum and the forum is a community meeting place where all sorts of conversation can and should take place. I'm an amatuer astronomer and we talk about all sorst of stuff, and sometimes we argue a bit, and not just about eyepiece brands. It's all good.

What I'm saying is (us Romans tend to orate overly) is that:

1. politics has a place, and
2. it should be discussed with restraint, respect and, yes, even love

(All nationalities have been thinly disquised to avoid offending living civilizations....all likenesses are purely coincidental).
 
So basically, what you're saying is that on this forum the only person we're allowed to insult, berate, belittle, mock, and generally have disdain for is Erwin Puts?
Got it.
 
dreilly said:
Note to Hungarians: Pherdinand knows too much.

Tom's got some good points for the forum and for life in general.

Once, as a Peace Legion volunteer, I got strong-armed (literally) by a drunk Visigothic air force pilot (off-duty, I hope) who wanted to beat the crud out of me because Roman bombers were crossing Visigoth airspace to bomb the Scythians, who were accused of genocide against the Dacians. I tried to explain to him the nuances of democracy and regime but basically I just...ran away and hid in the bathroom. And that was under a Roman emperor I actually voted for...

I think it's too bad that Romans have such a difficult time discussing politics, not politely per se (the Etruscans don't even try to do that and they are famously political) but impersonally. Political disagreements shouldn't lead to ad hominum attacks or hurt feelings. And they do have a place on forums like RFF. It is a forum and the forum is a community meeting place where all sorts of conversation can and should take place. I'm an amatuer astronomer and we talk about all sorst of stuff, and sometimes we argue a bit, and not just about eyepiece brands. It's all good.

What I'm saying is (us Romans tend to orate overly) is that:

1. politics has a place, and
2. it should be discussed with restraint, respect and, yes, even love

(All nationalities have been thinly disquised to avoid offending living civilizations....all likenesses are purely coincidental).
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Excellent, very well put. But please don't forget the Greeks. Especially the ones bearing gifts.
 
Nick R. said:
So basically, what you're saying is that on this forum the only person we're allowed to insult, berate, belittle, mock, and generally have disdain for is Erwin Puts?
Got it.
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Nick, I can't tell if you are being sarcastic or not ... so my apologies if I've read your "tone" wrong ...

But if "insult[ing], berat[ing], belittl[ing], mock[ing]" anyone is something to aspire to ... well, we'll just have to disagree 🙂
 
telenous said:
Excellent, very well put. But please don't forget the Greeks. Especially the ones bearing gifts.
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Or the Scots, Brits, Gaels and Picts, woad painted surrender monkeys the lot of them, ya knew where you were with Pax Romanis!

Still in joke mode
 
Pherdinand said:
Actually, i have a new german colleague that is an extremely funny guy. We still try to find out about his real ancestors.
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... Well obviously these findings will strongly depend on your own sense of humor 😉
 
Flyfisher Tom said:
Nick, I can't tell if you are being sarcastic or not ... so my apologies if I've read your "tone" wrong ...

But if "insult[ing], berat[ing], belittl[ing], mock[ing]" anyone is something to aspire to ... well, we'll just have to disagree 🙂
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I was being sarcastic. I find it distressing how everyone talks about how polite and friendly the folks behave on RFF and yet Erwin bashing is tolerated and even enjoyed on this site. Why shouldn't he get the same respect everyone else does around here even if one doesn't agree with him.
 
Flyfisher Tom said:
Just two friendly reminders that might help, or maybe not, as I see both situations happen on our beloved forum.

1) When you disagree with the policies of a particular government, please refer to that government, regime, administration specifically, rather than using a nationalistic label. Keep in mind that in modern democracies, nearly half the people usually oppose the ruling administration, regime, government. You only get one vote, and you can't control your fellow countrymen from voting stupidly 😉

Thus using nationalistic terms unfairly tars an overbroad group. In fact, it tars and offends a group of people who might very well agree with you.

For example, when you mean the former, don't use the latter :

Bush administration (not American)
Blair government (not British)
Caligula (not Romans)

Nothing worse than being lumped in unwillingly with a group you oppose yourself.

2) When a response to your answer is ambiguous, always give it the benefit of the doubt. Read it as humor rather than sarcasm. Frequently people mean well and are trying to be funny. However, communicating online, without the benefit of tone or other contextual cues, it is frequently easy to mistake humor for sarcasm, or ambiguity for personal attack.

I still think it is a futile exercise to ever try to convert someone on issues of morality, politics or religion. But if you must do it, it would help to conduct it with civility, specificity, and a sense of humor. That should prevent most conflagrations 😛
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Hey Tom, .. I see your byline is "somewhere on the river". I note your avatar says "Fly fisher Tom"

Now we're having fun! Sage make the best rods and Winston is only for rich people who can't fish. Fly fishing and those who participate in it are 'elitist' snobs.......

Gloves are off now! ;- )

Jan
 
If a photo shows your personal view of the world/the society or maybe just the scene you managed to get on film/sensor, then knowing what you think will help me to get the point you wanted to make. Simply by posting a picture in the gallery you can offend someone. Please just handle it in a polite way and keep the forum as open and international as it is and respect the other members and don't close threads just because there are two different opinions.
 
Fly fishing and those who participate in it are 'elitist' snobs.....
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Hey now! Them's fightin' words! 😡 😀

Any fool can lob bait into a hole and catch a fish, but it takes some degree of skill to get an easily spooked brown trout to hit a dry fly.

Actually, I go both ways on this. Sometimes I just want to fill my smoker, so I'll use whatever works the best, be it bait or fly. I bumped into a couple of "Trout Unlimited" flyfishermen a couple of seasons back discussing their gear while leaning on the trunk of their BMW. I was coming out of the stream bed, soaked from the waist down, wearing work pants and a pair of aqua socks, carrying a plastic bag full of brookies I just caught on worms. I thought they were going to faint.

It was mid-June and the brook was really low, but I doubt they made it back to the five-foot deep hole where the fish were hiding, as that was too far from the road. 😀
 
Jan,

Fly fishing and those who participate in it are 'elitist' snobs.......
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You are so right. Half the fun of flyfishing is looking down at the bass fisherman. I'm kidding !!! 😉

By the way, Thomas & Thomas 4 piece 6 wt .... simply to die for. But in a pinch, I'll fish with an old broomstick and a piece of yarn if necessary 🙂

cheers
 
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