Category: Meta

Admins, Contributing Editors, and Guest Bloggers please pay attention!

You know, I’m actually a great believer in transparency.  On The Great Orange Satan I’m the one you turn to to explain how things really work and here I am not merely an Admin I am a-

That story will be the punch line at the end.

After about 48 hours of food fights, pie fights, near and actual GBCW diaries and comments, and complaining to and about each other, this blog is still here.  And the stories on the front page are all really great.

I admit it. The past couple of days have been hell here. I missed most of yesterday’s events because of work.  I’m thankful for that.  And today there were plenty of very intense, often unpleasant exchanges, and at least two explicit treaties.  I thought about throwing myself and my keyboard through the window on a couple of occasions, and I also thought about leaving sans GBCW without turning the lights off.  I didn’t do those things. I wondered why I didn’t do them.  And then, all of a sudden, poof!! a front page that is precisely what imo makes this blog worth it.  That must’ve been why I stayed.

So, to all of you, thanks for sticking around, thanks for writing, reading, and commenting.  And especially, thanks for building such an incredible community.  And if you left and are reading this anyway, please consider coming back.

This document represents the standing policy on civility here at DocuDharma.

Originally Published 9/16/07

Food fights happen.

A food fight is a spontaneous form of chaotic collective behavior, in which food is thrown around a room, usually a cafeteria, in the manner of projectiles. It is usually started by one person, sometimes by accident. When it is not started by accident, the starter would normally scream “FOOD FIGHT!”, and throw any food at hand to get things started. Those who participate in food fights in cafeteria settings are usually punished severely. Food fights are a common element in slapstick comedy, with the pie in the face gag being especially prominent. Food fights are frequently featured in children’s television and books, usually as an example of destructive or reckless behaviour. It also seems to show some degree of coolness.

A food fight looks like this:

A pie fight looks like this:

We are informed by the all knowing Wiki

One famous food fight scene in a movie took place in National Lampoon’s Animal House, another took place in Hook, however the food fight was named a ‘Bangarang’ in the Lost Boys terminology. Food fights are rare in real life settings, despite being extremely common plot points in media such as cartoons. Though usually associated with juvenile settings such as schools, there are notable incidents that take place in more refined locations, such as the food fight at a lunch meeting of the Legislative Yuan of Taiwan.

Obviously, the all knowing Wiki doesn’t know about blogs.  Oftentimes food fights break out on blogs.  We’ve had an outbreak recently.  But unlike analog food fights, on blogs the food fight does not end in uproarious laughter at the sight of ridiculous and unnecessary waste of food, stained clothing, and floors covered in glop.  And unlike analog food fights, on blogs the food fight isn’t broken up by the principal of the junior high school.  Or the police.  Or the warden.  No, on blogs food fights can become an unpleasant epidemic, because while one is continuing the typing and expanding the food fight, one cannot see the face and the eyes of the person who is getting a pie in the face.  Or a hamburger in the hair.  Or a mustard stain on the shirt.  Or a cream pie.  Anywhere. And, of course, one cannot see the cream cheese in one’s own eyebrows, the pickel in one’s own pocket, and the chocolate cream in one’s ear.  If we could just see that, even for one nanosecond, we’d have to laugh at our spectacle. We’d be human and laugh at our absurdity.  We wouldn’t think it was all deadly serious and in earnest. How could we be doing this? we’d ask.

And we’d also laugh warily at any food that seemed still to be edible, all those claims of aggression and  bullying and victimhood and bad manners. All just typred words. We’d laugh at the epithets and name calling.  More typed words.  We’d laugh at them as being ridiculous because we all know that we’ve been throwing food.  Or watching others throw food.  Or egging them on.  Or decrying the food fight.  Or participating in the food fight.  Or wearing a garbage bag so we don’t get our clothing messed up.

Look.  When a food fight breaks out, there’s no avoiding it.  Everybody is affected.  Everybody gets involved, whether they want to or not.  And we all have our own style of involvement. If we looked, we’d see that we, all of us have food all over us.  We’re, all of us, responsible for the colossal mess.

We might even laugh that in a wonderful blog with a great community devoted to making a better world, the people who are going to make the world better are right now indisposed.   And distracted.  And otherwise occupied.  Some are actually in despair and angry.  They’re not talking about making the world better.  Or making the world better.  No. They’re making a mess. Or reacting to the mess. For reasons they themselves cannot really explain, they cannot stop finding offenses that lead to more throwing of food.

What is wrong with us?  We should laugh.  Our humanness, our distractions, our follies, our beliefs, even those, things we often take so seriously, are so fallible.  They should make us laugh.  We should be howling with laughter.

How can you take seriously anything said to you by somebody wearing lunch?  Even if it seems meanspirited.  How can you throw another creme brulee?  Haven’t we had enough?

If someone would be so kind, I have some questions I would like answered.

I must leave for the evening, so I will check back in the morning to see if anyone responds.

FWIW, the questions are important to me this evening, and relate to larger questions rattling around my noggin’.

Because those who whine most loudly about it write comments like this:

He is not in control of his speech or his actions when he attacks people (0.00 / 1) [delete comment]

And that makes him a victim of them, as well as a perpetrator of violence.

I am not going to continue this.  You can investigate what I’ve advocated, accept it or reject it.  

I am not advocating silencing anyone – but I am advocating placing limits on actions – in this case, hate speech and ad hominem attacks.

I also see in Armando’s attacks and escalation, acute signs of mental illness, and it’s that which is manifesting in the extreme speech which I believe is also a manifestation of Armando’s distress.  Limiting his ability to hurl invectives while he isn’t in control of himself is similar to providing privacy for patients who are not in control.  The intent is to preserve their dignity and worth, and to provide that in an environment with the least restraint possible to effect the goal.

You as site administrator/owner can schoose to have a PFF-like site, but that should be made clear so that visitors can make an informed decisions about participating.  

I came based on Turkana’s recommendation and your “be excellent to each other” motto.  I see that isn’t the case.

I choose to withdraw.  

Now, did you really want this to be on the site?

If not, then please zero it out.

Okaaay then. Accusation of acute mental illness seem a tad bit uncivil. “Verbal violence” in fact, no? What would Gandhi say?

I know what I say, “civility” seems to depend on whose ox is being gored.

So now comes the phony Kumbaya Brigade to ignore facts and realities.

Let’s assume you do not agree with me that accusations of race baiting are racist rhetoric. I think you have no understanding of the use of the phrase if you think that and I think even if you do, you should understand that people of color do not agree with you. Perhaps, with that in mind, you might refrain from such scurrilous charges. A true progressive would, imo.

But let’s get to what really exercises them – “people” being “mean.” And by “people” I mean me. Faheyman wrote an off topic comment in a Buhdy post attacking ME:

“Bad Karma” Alert! (2.00 / 2) [delete comment]

“So we need as loud of a voice as possible…and we need new ways to present our positions clearly and simply. …and to move the candidates AND to promote some form of unity…”

We must yell louder, but yell with good will, if unity (solidarity and united action) is the goal.  To wit…

I came across this comment on the front page earlier today:

[hidden comment] Fuck you (0.00 / 2)

Fuck you you racist bastard!

Hey Buhdy. Fuck this guy.’

Fuck this piece of shit racist.

by: Armando @ Tue Nov 27, 2007 at 05:48:50 PST

This particlar diarist routinely spreads extremely bad karma on your site.  And, since he’s a frequent front-pager, this happens all too often.

He resorts to name-calling (not to mention basic rudeness).

I don’t get it.  It’s more appropriate for the Planet Orange crowd, IMHO.  I thought I had found a refuge from that kind of shit over here.

(Also, thanks for uprating my diary.  You’re too kind.)

Peace.

So I am attacked personally in an off topic manner. The KUMBAYA! Crowd says Hurrah! But that’s not my problem. My problem is with the dishonesty this person displays. He ignores the comments I am repsonding to. For example, this one from a person who then writes this shameless diary. The comment stated:

The only racist statement is yours (1.00 / 2) [delete comment]

“I am sure access had nothing to do with white man Solomont’s decision to bundle for Obama. Riiiiight.” Perhaps your goal is to drive this website into irrelevance?

by: notlightnessofbeing @ Mon Nov 26, 2007 at 09:17:09 PST

Faheyman was not concerned in the least about that person calling me a racist. What of the Karma of that Faheyman? But Faheyman is simply dishonest. In his diary he wrote:

Having been “called out”–not once, but twice–by an essayist here this (yesterday) evening (Eastern Standard Time), I would like to respond.

Why does Faheyman act the victim here? He ORIGINALLY called me out. He has not responded to why he ignored the charges of racism against me by NotLightnessofBeing. He is a dishonest hypocrite. He had nothing to say about Night Owl accusing me of race baiting. What of the Karma Faheyman. But Faheyman is a dishonest phony.

Let’s make this clear. All of the accusations against me are false. I initiated NO HOSTILE exchanges. It was the KUMBAYA crowd who has attacked me personally. It is the KUMBAYA crowd who called ma a raicst FIRST. It is the Kumbaya crowd who called me a race baiter.

It is the height of dishonesty, hypocrisy and phonyism from the Kumbaya crowd to attack me for being mean while they spare no opportunty to attack me personally and call me names.

I have said from day 1 that I do not give a shit about civility and Kumbaya. This is no secret. I do not complain about being attacked. I do complain about dishonest phony Kumbayers here who play the innocent when they are the instigators.

I know that many of you do not have the desire to call out this dishonesty. That’s fine. But rest assured, I will. ESPECIALLY when it comes to race issues.

I will not be silenced by the dishonest Kumbaya crowd here. Only Buhdy can do that.