Management

[XOXO]

Ok, so this is your sandbox at the moment. You just posted a whole laundry list of sox fan's alleged offences. Then you locked it. I am curious, did you correspond with sox fan at all to see if your assumptions were right? For example, I saw the post in Anthony's behave thread and thought it was funny and playful and not intended to be taken seriously. I know my post in that thread was 100% tongue in cheek. There were a couple of other posts that you mentioned that I took differently than you as well.

So, what I am wondering is if you pm'ed sox fan to make sure you understood where he was coming from before you made your decision. He is banned so, I assume he cannot clarify any of this with you, is that correct?

It comes off a little bit like you are going a little overboard with your sandbox, that's all. I feel there is your side, his side, and the truth. Right now we only have your side and that doesn't sit well with me, especially given that he was attacked on the bye sox fan thread, and was not allowed to respond.

That said, I do appreciate that both sides were abolished for their oil spill comments.

xoxo

[Lex]

From my experience, Anthony is generally much more willing to discuss things privately than he is on the forum.

[Pete (Mr. Marcia)]

I suggest you consider your access to this forum to be a privilege and not a right. We are guests here. Guests do not speak to their hosts in such a manner.

[XOXO]

Lex, I agree with that. I have asked anthony for clarity a couple of times and he has been very open.

Pete, you are reading me wrong if you think me question is disrespectful.

Xoxo

[DaveS007]

I suggest you consider your access to this forum to be a privilege and not a right. We are guests here. Guests do not speak to their hosts in such a manner.

I'm not a guest. I'm a customer, drawn in, to use the advertisers. The advertisers pay because of the "hits", nothing else. Not content of said hits, just the numbers. You know that. It's not rocket science. This is a business.

[Connie]

I wanted to clarify something because one of the posts was started by me "Hands across the Sand".

When I posted that I did not expect the replies that I got. Some people saw them, some people probably didn't.

I did not want to make it a political post at all, but it became one, almost immediately and not on my end. When I started reading the replies that were coming back at me, I couldn't believe it.

Why do so many posts here have to turn a thread into a political discussion? Within 24 hours I had asked Anthony to remove the whole thread. Know why? I'm not going to argue politics with people that obviously know more than I do. I was called a couple names in that thread and I didn't think that was necessary at all.

There are so many topics on the off topic board. Why couldn't I post that one thread without getting hanged for it. That's what I was p*** about.

I think the Management has come to the conclusion that they need to shut down any threads that will start a heated discussion in this board and that's what they're doing. It really has gotten out of hand lately.

[XOXO]

I did not want to make it a political post at all, but it became one, almost immediately and not on my end. When I started reading the replies that were coming back at me, I couldn't believe it.
I think the Management has come to the conclusion that they need to shut down any threads that will start a heated discussion in this board and that's what they're doing. It really has gotten out of hand lately.

Connie, I believe that you didn't want it to turn political and that you thought it was not a political topic. But it certainly stirs up political emotions in most people. If you don't believe me, just turn on the tv and pay attention, each and every time the topic of the oil spill comes up so does the topic of politics. Whether it is the current administration, past administration, regulations, odd apologies, etc. It always comes up. Why would it be any different here?

xoxo

[jmq]

I'm not a guest. I'm a customer, drawn in, to use the advertisers. The advertisers pay because of the "hits", nothing else. Not content of said hits, just the numbers. You know that. It's not rocket science. This is a business.

I'm no economics expert, but maybe the decision was business based. Perhaps the owner of this business has received a preponderance of feedback and/or has other metrics that indicate that defections of participation due to the actions of certain individuals have reduced the number of unique hits received on the provocative threads. One would assume its better for an internet business to have 400 different users clicking on a thread with 500 total views rather than 50 users accounting for those 500 views.

[bevm]

THIS IS A TRAVEL FORUM! What don't you people get?

[augie]

Connie, I believe that you didn't want it to turn political and that you thought it was not a political topic. But it certainly stirs up political emotions in most people.

There's the crux of the biscuit for me.

If someone had started a thread titled "Political implications of Hands Across the Water" then those that wished to debate the merits of that subject would have a place to do so. As it was, those that wanted to discuss the "Hands" event without political debate were deprived of their place to do so.

I saw the same thing happen with a "Prayers for the Gulf" thread. Obviously drilling for oil is a subject that has great potential for political discourse. But I feel that there should be a place where people that would like to talk about the implications of the current oil "spill" (isn't it really a leak?), and those in harm's way because of it could do so.

XOXO, the point you made to me in another post that some topics seem more political to other people than they do to me is absolutely correct.

My point is just that some of us here (OK - me) don't necessarily want to discuss (argue) politics, or even have to wade through others doing so, on threads that weren't intended to be about that.

[toes in the sand]

I wanted to clarify something because one of the posts was started by me "Hands across the Sand".

I did not want to make it a political post at all, but it became one, almost immediately and not on my end. When I started reading the replies that were coming back at me, I couldn't believe it.

Why do so many posts here have to turn a thread into a political discussion? Within 24 hours I had asked Anthony to remove the whole thread. Know why? I'm not going to argue politics with people that obviously know more than I do. I was called a couple names in that thread and I didn't think that was necessary at all.

There are so many topics on the off topic board. Why couldn't I post that one thread without getting hanged for it. That's what I was p*** about.

I think the Management has come to the conclusion that they need to shut down any threads that will start a heated discussion in this board and that's what they're doing. It really has gotten out of hand lately.

I don't understand why you would think that a post encouraging organized demonstrations against an industry or political hot potato would not continue as a political or heated discussion. I did not see the thread past the original post and I believe that I was the second post in the thread. I find name calling rude, inconsiderate and out of place anywhere and would not condone such actions. Heck, that is as bad as posting a picture of someone here and making light of their appearance. I actually applaud Managements tactics to police this board but I ask that a more evenhanded treatment of those who abuse the privilege of using this board. While it is obvious that some users post with a more inflamatory tone, there are many who attack other users, ideas and practices with a more subtle manner and do not receive admonishment.

[DaveS007]

THIS IS A TRAVEL FORUM! What don't you people get?

Is that why there is an "off topic" forum included?

[toes in the sand]

THIS IS A TRAVEL FORUM! What don't you people get?

Bev, I think that we all get that but there are many many things discussed on this forum that are far from travel related. I am sure that you have engaged in a topic or two that is not travel related here. Different people have interests in different subjects. I hope we don't have to limit the discussions here to only subjects I like. I know that I have the ability to stay out of the postings that do not interest me.

[sea-nile]

I do agree that Off topic means OFF topic, but I think that everyone just needs to keep an open mind. Their opinion is an OPINION and not necessarily what everyone believes. Just respect each other.

There are a lot of political forums. I just checked it out. That would be a forum I would NEVER visit. That is why I don't argue politics here.
There is one called argue with everyone.

I didn't see a lot of the name calling because I don't read most of those threads. But there is no reason for that. We are all here because we have something in common - the USVI. The off topic was made so we didn't clog the other forum with topics like other vacations, hobbies and questions about various other subjects.

But if one does not like a topic one can just not read it, correct?

[California Girl]

The off topic was made so we didn't clog the other forum with topics like other vacations, hobbies and questions about various other subjects.

You are right sea-nile. If I remember correctly one of the first topics to be moved into the OT Forum was the Food Porn thread, followed by trip reports to other locations. Ahhh... those were fun posts and for a while the OT Forum was the first forum I clicked on when coming here.