New guy in town

[Seamus]

I'm new here...  I enjoy a well thought out discussion as much as the next person.  What I'm wondering is, are there discussions here, or name calling and accusations? 

I'm looking for a thoughtful and insightful place to bounce off ideas from, without being flamed for them.  I will be the first to admit I don't know much about much, which I believe is a good place to begin learning.  But I don't want to be called an idiot, etc. for having a differing opinion than other people.   Honestly, I don't have a thick enough skin for it, nor do I have the patients.  If people can't be polite around here, please let me know and I'll find somewhere else to play. 

Thanks!
Seamus

[Plane]

Welcome Seamus

    Although we encourage civility , our rules are purposefully lax , you may call them as you see them here and embarrass yourself if you wish.

     It is wonderfull when truely cogent postings volley in two or more directions and the contributors eschew ad hominum invective in favor of well thought out logic and well researched facts.

      I can't offer you a garuntee that this is what you can expect to see here , sometimes it does and sometimes it doesn't. You may sample the postings from the previous months to get the feel of the situation as it has been , but also please consider the situation as it shall be with the addition of yourself.


       You have an ability to garuntee a quality level  for your own contribution , which perhaps you can become known for in our circle , even more importantly the qualitys you can demonstraste are good for your self respect.

     Perhaps you are the sort who can pull the curve and raise our advradge and be a good example of good behaviors, being also ,effective and persuaseive behaviors, that would make you a good thing for us.

      But you will not be protected much , the real world intrudes here with its emotional baggage and some people contribute passion to us because they are genuinely passionate on the topic in discussion. Only the most gross infractions have ever gotten anyone tossed out of here .

      In the real world we deal all the time with real people , this discussion group is more like this, than it is like a Senate, where the rules of civility are clear. Each person must set the standard for himself that he wants to be known by here , and it is possible here, as it is in the real world , for  respect first given, to be returned.

[Seamus]

Thanks Plane.  As long as I am here I can tell you I won't be name calling or finger pointing.  What's the point?  I will try my best to be respectful, because I really do want to hear about and understand the people I live with on this rock.

Thanks for letting me know how things are here.  Lax.  Got it.  Easy to embarrass myself.  Do that all the time. Check.    This is more like the real world than the Senate.  Copy that. 

Thanks for the welcome!  I'm looking forward to seeing where this takes me.

[Plane]

Excellent !

[Xavier_Onassis]

Welcome, Seamus.

[sirs]

A big saloon welcome, Seamus.  Pull up a barstool, and enjoy the cocktails     

[Stray Pooch]

Hello and welcome, Seamus.  I think I could add little to Plane's well-presented explanation, but I can tell you that I recommend this place very highly for people who describe themselves as you do. 

As you might have picked up from the history, we got our start when Yahoo did away with Clubs a few years ago (in favor of "groups") and BT decided to start his own forum.  Our erstwhile venue was the Politically Incorrect Cafe (another offshoot of which moved to MSN).  I joined that forum after Bill Maher made his infamous remark about cowardly US soldiers soon after 9-11 and i googled "politically incorrect" to get the scoop.  I came in pretty opinionated - as I still am - but after weathering a few flame wars and hashing out a few issues with some pretty darned intelligent posters on both sides, I can truly say I have learned a lot about issues I knew little about and clarified several issues I thought I was pretty sharp on.  This place can get intense sometimes, but all in all its a pretty nice place to hang out.

I am glad to say that a lot of those intelligent posters came over to BT's little gem of a forum here, and there is much to learn.  There are, of course, a lot of strong personalities and some (myself included, I'm sorry to say) occasionally abdicate intelligent posts in favot of Post Toasties (HAHA!  Pooch make funny!) and a few are more roasters than posters (someone stop me, seriously) but adversity builds character.  Your initial post seems quite promising and I would like to encourage you to jump on into the fray and say what's on your mind.  Welcome aboard!

[Cynthia]

A big welcome, Seamus.

You're in a good place, for the most part. The history of the saloon has its shadows, but humans will be humans...lest we are frogs??
Some folks here carry one in the pocket. ha!

You just post away.

Cynthia

[Michael Tee]

Welcome, Seamus.  There are some very strong opinions here but that is what makes the group interesting. 

plane was very astute not to issue any guarantees, but generally speaking, you'll get about as much respect as you give (nineteen times out of twenty with a three per cent margin of error.)  Whether or not everyone admits it, we're all capable of being mistaken and we're all here to learn.  So I would say, thicken your skin just a little bit, jump in and start making some waves.

All the best,

Michael Tee

[Lanya]

Welcome, Seamus.
Glad to have you here!

[Brassmask]

Seamus,

Welcome.

B

[yellow_crane]

Welcome Seamus.

One can only hope you are a new guy, and not just another clone of somebody who is already here.

If you utilize a wary eye, and follow the rythym of some posters, you will pick up that they are merely themselves following their own post via another name just to support it.

That aside, here is one heads-up: 

Sirs will dart out from behind a cohort to piss on your shoes, and just as quickly dart back, yelping all the way.  That's his predominant negative.  His positives include an indefatigibleness matched by no others in here.  When the battle has moved to the ramparts, and all are exhausted and wanting only to have a finish, Sirs folds in and reemerges to begin anew, like Minnesota Fats who comes out after hours into the game, afresh with spirit and smile, and asks:  "You ready to play some pool, Eddie?"  In the beginning, I was unimpressed, but have, over the history, developed a resilient respect for his efforts.  It is not so much that you have to read more to keep up with him, but that you have to remember all you have read, just to confront his whapping you across the brow with something you thought was handled thoroughly some time back.  In a single reply, he will have you multi-linking with google and chasing a dozen sticks at the same time.  Truth is, he may be the most astute strategic player in here.  Couple that with a capricious and uncanny capacity to vex, you have a formidible foe.  If you take him on, eat a good lunch first.  You will need it.

[Amianthus]

Welcome Seamus.

ROFL.

Guess Crane would consider me another yappy little dog as well.

[Seamus]

Hello and welcome, Seamus.  I think I could add little to Plane's well-presented explanation, but I can tell you that I recommend this place very highly for people who describe themselves as you do. 

Thanks!  I'm feeling welcomed by many and, while I expect to be a little quiet at first, once I see how things are done around here I'll be piping in...

I am glad to say that a lot of those intelligent posters came over to BT's little gem of a forum here, and there is much to learn.  There are, of course, a lot of strong personalities and some (myself included, I'm sorry to say) occasionally abdicate intelligent posts in favot of Post Toasties (HAHA!  Pooch make funny!) and a few are more roasters than posters (someone stop me, seriously) but adversity builds character.  Your initial post seems quite promising and I would like to encourage you to jump on into the fray and say what's on your mind.  Welcome aboard!

As far as adversity, I get plenty of that in real life.  Honestly, if it gets rough in here, I'll simply choose to go elseware.  This is supposed to be fun and educational for me, not a distressing distraction...  But with that being said, my momma didn't raise a rude boy, or one that EASILY runs away... 

And speaking of jumping in...  I was thinking about another question I wanted to post...  Now if only I could remember what it was...

[Seamus]

Welcome Seamus.

Thanks

One can only hope you are a new guy, and not just another clone of somebody who is already here.

If you utilize a wary eye, and follow the rythym of some posters, you will pick up that they are merely themselves following their own post via another name just to support it.

Personally, I see that as deceitful.  Same as a lie by omission etc...  But if it happens here, I wouldn't be surprised.  It looks like there are some heated discussions..  That's good.  All I can tell you is that I'm me.  I've never posted here before

That aside, here is one heads-up: 

Sirs will dart out from behind a cohort to piss on your shoes, and just as quickly dart back, yelping all the way.  That's his predominant negative.  His positives include an indefatigibleness matched by no others in here.  When the battle has moved to the ramparts, and all are exhausted and wanting only to have a finish, Sirs folds in and reemerges to begin anew, like Minnesota Fats who comes out after hours into the game, afresh with spirit and smile, and asks:  "You ready to play some pool, Eddie?"  In the beginning, I was unimpressed, but have, over the history, developed a resilient respect for his efforts.  It is not so much that you have to read more to keep up with him, but that you have to remember all you have read, just to confront his whapping you across the brow with something you thought was handled thoroughly some time back.  In a single reply, he will have you multi-linking with google and chasing a dozen sticks at the same time.  Truth is, he may be the most astute strategic player in here.  Couple that with a capricious and uncanny capacity to vex, you have a formidible foe.  If you take him on, eat a good lunch first.  You will need it.

Easy enough to address this.  I rarely play games.   He has welcomed me also.  If games are being played and I'm enjoying them... cool...   if not, well.