Owen...

Depends translates as...

Becosewesayso....


Q




;0)

I used to moderate/administrate several internet forums in years past, and it was a difficult job.  Every forum has a set of established rules or guidelines that they expect members to read and follow.  However, like any other facet of life, it is impossible to write rules perfectly to cover every possible instance of human behavior.  They are guidelines which establish the intended "spirit" of the forum, and the job of moderators is not too different than judges in a court: they interpret the rules and apply them in the context of each individual scenario.  It is impossible to maintain 100% consistency, because context is always different in each case.

It's not helpful when members constantly test the rules, trying to see how close they can probe the perimeter before they get mod-slapped, and then cry foul when they do.  There are some people here who constantly do this, and I genuinely sympathize with the moderators for having to deal with that.  It's not pleasant, and they aren't trying to be overbearing.  They just have a task to keep the spirit of this forum in accordance with what's been established.  Can we help them with that by not trying to bend the rules, please?

Well said Tobus

What if its Giant Alien Chickens From outer space making the human race a slave race?

Then we’d be clucked up.

That could actually explain a lot.

Owen, you sell yourself short *smiles*. You, and every other human deal with "it depends" questions every day. Musicians are masters of this skill - E.g. Shall I retune for this one song, or save it for tomorrow's practice? Shall I concentrate on the hard parts this practice session, or practice playing-thru-mistakes? Shall I take my car out of service and pay to have my car's tiny oil leak fixed, or shall I resolve to check the oil every day? These are "it depends" questions I have faced, and perhaps you have too.

The moderators would like, I am sure, to spend more time making music/learning songs/listening to favorite artists, etc. If they, or the site's owner, decide that spending time moderating particular topics is not worth their time, or worth the loss of friendly atmosphere on BHO, I don't have a problem with that.

Thank you Moderators, for your time and your patience (and sense of humor).

Thanks Tobus, nice summary.

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Originally posted by Owen

...anyone who can figure out the "it depends" part is a whole lot smarter 'an me.   

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Really? I always told my students in my cycling courses that any question about cycling can be answered, "It depends."

As long as you're not spelling it with a capital D. That's a whole other kind of Depends.

quote:

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Originally posted by BrooksMT

Owen, you sell yourself short *smiles*.   <snip>

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Could be, Brooks, but I have my doubts.   For sure we're continually confronted with "it depends" situations.  To me, some of them make sense "right out of the box" .... some of them make sense with an explanation ... some of them never make sense because the rationale behind them is "goofy"... and some of them are just plain light years beyond my abilities.    Now, that's not an exhaustive list, just what easily came to mind.   I suppose lots could be categorized by one of my wife's occasional observations: "I guess it just wasn't meant to be."

P.S. Wouldn't any aspiring know-it-ALL, at some point, come to know his limitations?    

I'm going to applaud this new resolve to shut down posters who violate the rules.

It was pretty interesting to watch moderators not ban posters who would bring religion into science topics. I look forward to those days being over.

Thanks!

quote:

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Originally posted by Owen

P.S. Wouldn't any aspiring know-it-ALL, at some point, come to know his limitations?    

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Not necessarily. Ever heard of the Dunning-Kreuger Effect?

...well, I have now, Paul.   Maybe I've got reverse D-KE, and that's what Brooks was alluding to?? 

Is D-K E comparable to what non-psychologists  would describe as "being a legend in his own mind."?

I

Some topics are cunningly opened with the intent of a political discussion. I we discuss the life of a slave 300 years ago we are not discussing politics. Politics usually has something to do with recent or current affairs. If an extremest group member is advocating the legalizing of slaves today we now have a problem. If it looks like S#i+ don't step in it.

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Originally posted by KE

Slavery is surely no more inherently political in today's world than celebrating Independence Day. Sure, both were political issues at one time. We literally fought wars to settle both those issues, roughly 150 and 250 years ago, respectively.

If slavery is a divisive issue, I would like to see someone on the 'pro' side step forward.

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I don't know if this is a pro se response or not. I'm just a member who's been here for a very long time.

The thing is: This is a banjo specific website. Period. Anything we discuss here has to have a connection to the banjo. 

If the topic of of a post has to do with slaves playing banjos, it's allowed. But if the topic is slavery, with no banjo mentions at all in it, it's not allowed.

When I first joined BHO many moons ago, Eric allowed political/religious discussion, but the topics always ended up in flame wars, so he put a strict ban on both, and some others as well, like name calling. 

Even that didn't work, because there was a huge fight on here that went on for a couple of years over import vs. domestic made banjos that wove in and out of politics.

But eventually, that fight burned itself out after a bunch of members were banned. Some returned, some not, and some were never banned because they dropped out of the fight. Af ew former members started up their own banjo sites, imitating this one, and allowed politics, but they all burned out in the end too.

The point if this is simple. This website is only about banjos.

It's very easy to find another website if a person wants to argue about politics or the hot social topics of the hour. 

This is the place where we are all brothers and sisters of the banjo, where our common love for the instrument can be shared and celebrated. A good respite from heated times. 

Take it for what it is, and have a good time while you're here. We argue, but our arguments are never over things that will cause any great hard feelings among us. I like it like that. The Hangout didn't get as big as it is because it is the place it is. 

regards,

stanger

quote:

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Originally posted by stanger

. . .

The point if this is simple. This website is only about banjos.

It's very easy to find another website if a person wants to argue about politics or the hot social topics of the hour. 

This is the place where we are all brothers and sisters of the banjo, where our common love for the instrument can be shared and celebrated. A good respite from heated times. 

Take it for what it is, and have a good time while you're here. We argue, but our arguments are never over things that will cause any great hard feelings among us. I like it like that. The Hangout didn't get as big as it is because it is the place it is. 

regards,

stanger

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Mike, note that you're reading and responding in the section called "Off Topic." The BHO, like it or not, is NOT only about banjos.

I've said before and will repeat, you'll come for the banjos and stay for the [FF] recipes. Yes, what brings folks here initially is an interest in learning and sharing about "all things banjo.". But there's a lot more to this website (and to life) than the banjo. It's like the village tavern -- there's a lot more going on than throwing back booze.

Folks here get to know each other, share recipes, share life events, complain about the weather and, yes, argue sometimes. Frankly, if you want to avoid those things and stick to "only about banjos", you can go elsewhere to other subsections of the BHO and avoid this one. My own interests in banjo faded out years ago (I still bang the banjo some, but mostly pick guitar) and I stopped reading here. But I came back because it's an interesting place populated by admittedly weird and interesting people. Kind of like finding teetotalers in your local tavern.

quote:

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Originally posted by KE

Slavery is surely no more inherently political in today's world than celebrating Independence Day. Sure, both were political issues at one time. We literally fought wars to settle both those issues, roughly 150 and 250 years ago, respectively.

If slavery is a divisive issue, I would like to see someone on the 'pro' side step forward.

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Slavery = reparations/admissions quotas ect. = politics. Got to go with Moderator Bill on this one.

ken

If you want to get right down to it, weather is political, imported banjos are political, Willie Nelson is political, marijuana is political, beans in your chili is political. Slavery is just a really odd stretch, and frankly makes folks who see it as an open political question in this day and age as highly suspect in my book. But it's the mods call, I'm down with whatever they say.

KE, I don't know what other meaningful current discourse could be had on slavery.

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Originally posted by donc

<snip>   Politics usually has something to do with recent or current affairs. <snip>

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....my observation is that the prime factor is who is doing the defining.     

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Originally posted by bluegrassbanjopicker

The mentioning of politics and religion on the HO are specified no more clearly than in the rules. 

The way I see it, if someone here tries to force their religion/belief or political affiliations on someone else, they have immediately broken the rules. Mentioning politics or religion in the slightest is breaking the rules. BUT there are times, and hear me out, when even one good solid reply containing some sort of religion and perhaps politics, can make a HUGE difference.  That doesn't change my basic understanding of the rules. Eric has never said that no members, moderator or no, absolutely do not have the right to put in a sensible word now and then, when the situation requires it. Eric does not mean to be mean with the said rules. I am sure there are some members who have the mistaken idea that Eric is a harsh dictator. FAR from it! 

I am sure there is such a thing as a moderator being locked out. We all have strong feelings of some kind, that can come out violently, unless we check them beforehand.

I bet for sure that this very thread will most likely get locked. There have been several threads in the recent weeks, that Sherry has had to lock, and then hop over to another one and tell the members to keep it nice. The John Boulding thread was locked because of that very offense.

 What amazes me is the members who will routinely launch into highly sophisticated and drawn-out replies, in an effort to crowd out the others. There are also the members who believe "I am right and you are wrong. Period."

 

 Let's try and keep the rules unbroken, shall we? 

 

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I thought it was the circle that was to be unbroken. 

I'm rather fond of quoting Irish Aunt Kathleen. "I love a good set of rules. There's nothing like a good set of rules to ignite the spirit and sharpen the wit, figuring out ways to get around them!" 

quote:

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Originally posted by KE

If you want to get right down to it, weather is political, imported banjos are political, Willie Nelson is political, marijuana is political, beans in your chili is political. Slavery is just a really odd stretch, and frankly makes folks who see it as an open political question in this day and age as highly suspect in my book. But it's the mods call, I'm down with whatever they say.

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To consider it a stretch would be to deny it continues to be common place.  I won't say more because I'd rather not be the one to lock the thread.

quote:

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Originally posted by KE

quote:

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Originally posted by stanger

. . .

The point if this is simple. This website is only about banjos.

It's very easy to find another website if a person wants to argue about politics or the hot social topics of the hour. 

This is the place where we are all brothers and sisters of the banjo, where our common love for the instrument can be shared and celebrated. A good respite from heated times. 

Take it for what it is, and have a good time while you're here. We argue, but our arguments are never over things that will cause any great hard feelings among us. I like it like that. The Hangout didn't get as big as it is because it is the place it is. 

regards,

stanger

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Mike, note that you're reading and responding in the section called "Off Topic." The BHO, like it or not, is NOT only about banjos.

I've said before and will repeat, you'll come for the banjos and stay for the [FF] recipes. Yes, what brings folks here initially is an interest in learning and sharing about "all things banjo.". But there's a lot more to this website (and to life) than the banjo. It's like the village tavern -- there's a lot more going on than throwing back booze.

Folks here get to know each other, share recipes, share life events, complain about the weather and, yes, argue sometimes. Frankly, if you want to avoid those things and stick to "only about banjos", you can go elsewhere to other subsections of the BHO and avoid this one. My own interests in banjo faded out years ago (I still bang the banjo some, but mostly pick guitar) and I stopped reading here. But I came back because it's an interesting place populated by admittedly weird and interesting people. Kind of like finding teetotalers in your local tavern.

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Yup. Everything you say is completely true.

But even the BHO's social topics are pretty banjo specific in cause, if not in practice.

The banjo has never been the most popular stringed instrument, and never will be. But it's uniqueness attracts different people than the other instruments do. And banjo beginners always find they are the only banjo player anyone knows.

That's nice in some respects, but it's also not nice to be the only person around who knows how to play like you play. Lots of banjoists are pretty lonely musicians, and the inability to learn from hanging out with other like-minded folks is a harder thing to accomplish than if we were all guitar players or fiddlers.

So the social aspect of playing the banjo is indeed very important to us all.

You're right- we are all weird and interesting people. We have to be, to dedicate ourselves to such a weird and interesting instrument. Who understands any of us better than another banjo player?  

Our music dominates much of our lives, and playing our instrument is like becoming a commando- we are always surrounded and outnumbered by all the other instruments, and we like it that way. So naturally, we like to seek each other out.

But keeping the BHO so firmly grounded in only topics that have some connection to the banjo- in all its different forms and playing styles- has allowed BHO to thrive when almost all the other banjo websites have failed. l

You're right- it is like a neighborhood bar in some respects. Like the bar, there are members here who like to hang out in the local saloon, and there are members who prefer to pass it up to go to Banjo Church instead. This is the place where either kind of person can drop into the place he most prefers.

And like a hard-nosed bartender, we can argue over stuff as long as it doesn't become too political. When it does, the bartender will do what they all do- tell us to knock it off and behave ourselves in his join, or he will 86 us out the door.

Nothing at all wrong with that. Good discussion often requires a bit of dispute to make it worthwhile. As long as everyone stays civil, it's all good as far as I can see things. Eric's rules tend to promote and enforce civility. It's in short supply these days, which makes the BHO even more welcoming.

regards,

stanger

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Originally posted by From Greylock to Bean Blossom

KE, I don't know what other meaningful current discourse could be had on slavery.

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There are lots of other things related to slavery that could be discussed such as whether it is appropriate to have the Confederate battle flag painted on your banjo head and whether that indicates a support for slavery.   

That was an outstanding post, Stanger.

Really on point. Especially the parts about how weird we all are.