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I really enjoy Punaweb. I'm on a lot of forums, and it is, *by far*, the most civil forum I've encountered. Regarding topic hijacks, they naturally happen in the course of conversation, written and spoken. If it really bugs ya there's an easy solution we used at my last job....
If you respond to post with content that veers off the original topic, write 'starting a new thread about XYZ as topic Blah Blah Blah". Then start a new topic about blah blah blah.
An example for those who haven't seen this in action:
Someone posts about 'natural cure for bruises". I respond that I used frozen chicken lip poultice when I fell off my horse 5 years ago. Someone else asks me about horses & says they want to ride horses too...plus the line "taking the horse topic to "Horse Riders" & they start a new topic. Easy peasy. The folks who are really interested in bruises get bruises, horses get horses.
Rob, if you hate this idea, feel free to tell me 
I don't know if a new topic would help the more heated 'arguments' on the forum lately. I was alarmed to see the threat of legal action about topic replies. A question for the lawyers in the audience... if I start a new topic in direct opposition to another topic, does that still open me up to legal action? If anyone responds to this, I'll take it to a new topic, lol.
Thanks to Rob for creating PunaWeb & hall-monitoring. Thanks to everyone for posts and participation. Punaweb is my daily staple & has blessed me with laughter, knowledge, opportunities, tweaked panties and friendships...sometimes all in the same post!
Erin
Edited by - hooligal on 11/06/2007 05:37:12
* I'd rather fail at happiness than succeed at misery *
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One more thing: I can honestly say that without Punaweb, I would not have bought a house in Puna. Period. I do think that Punaweb is pretty reflective of the live-and-let live ethos that makes Puna distinctive. And that was what drew me in. There is a sense of community here, but we are also allowed to be independent and withdraw into our own jungley little world.
I am pretty sure that some of the guys I flew kites with cancelled out my vote in the last election, but there we were, flying kites in the moonlight...a pretty strange and dreamy thing to do. I don't think that stuff goes on in Princeville or Lahaina.
So Puna's cool, and so are most of the people on the site.
Edited by - glen on 11/06/2007 08:41:54
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Just to be funny I have deleted some of the postings in this topic. The reason is topic hijacking.
Hijacking is when someone posts a topic like, say, "Netiquette and online civilty" and haoleboy feels the need to immediately change the subject to himself.
I am going to be a lot less tolerant of hijacking in the future. I want people, first timers or old hands, to feel they can post topics without being hijacked by Laurel and Hardy.
Punaweb moderator
Assume the best and ask questions.
Punaweb moderator
Rob, this distinction might not matter, but as a reader, what haoleboy did wasn't so much a hijacking to make it all about him, but a way of saying "I have no respect for this topic therefore I'll talk about anything I want, in a way I think is funny or lighthearted." But which is simply disrespectful of the OP.
Kind of like responding "la la la I don't hear you"
Hijacking is a real attempt to take the discussion down another road.
As a third type of straying from the OP's subject --off-topic remarks and side-trips that are natural products of free association in conversation can produce interesting stories and I enjoy them on Punaweb and the net in general, but if you dislike that, it's your board.
Punaweb is, in general, a most civil board, and I like that about it. I've belonged to enough communities that began tearing themselves apart because people had to be snide, sarcastic,or demeaning toward others.
I don't agree with the "grow the thick skin" approach.
Yes, grow tolerance for disagreement with your ideas and beliefs.
The line can be drawn very clearly.
a) I don't agree with you, and here's why. Civil.
b) You're stupid and uninformed to think that. Not civil.
It's the line between disagreeing with another member on a certain subject and making a personal attack. An attack doesn't have to use nasty words to make a person feel put down, unwelcome, or that they want to leave the community.
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I appreciate your comments KathyH.
I am not going to make the distinction between intentional hijackings or simply thoughtless hijackings. Though I do appreciate that topics can drift - which doesn't concern me.
You know what I know - that there are simple limits to what is appropriate. I'm not trying to instill fear in everyone. I don't think I moderate in that heavy handed a manner. I am just going to pay more attention and regret the need to do so.
Punaweb moderator
Assume the best and ask questions.
Punaweb moderator
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I think the biggest problem is that there are people for whom they have an issues or issues that are very important to them. There are others that, whether in a civil manner or not, have disagreed with them. On both sides, the issue has been taken to the personal level and things like simple silly jokes or outright satire have been greeted with personal attack.
Let's all just lighten up a little and remember that the topics discussed here are not life and death issues. Some are quite important, of course, and the level of importance depends on the individual. But that doesn't mean we have to make it personal against the individuals. Just remember that behind each post here is a real person, with real feelings.
John Dirgo, R, ABR, e-PRO
Aloha Coast Realty, LLC
808-987-9243 cell
http://www.alohacoastrealty.com
you don't moderate in a heavy-handed manner, Rob, for sure.
In my experience on other boards, once the moderator does start enforcing civility consistently, those who get their primary enjoyment from heckling or getting a rise find somewhere else to play.
Those that are there to contribute learn to self-moderate better. The quality of the conversation increases.
Thanks for watching out.
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quote:
When I first starting reading this message board about 4 or 5 years ago I was truly pleased with how civil people were to each other, without the kinds of nasty rhetoric found on so many other boards. This was a welcoming and safe place for people interested in all things Puna to meet and share information.
I stongly agree with this opinion.
quote:
However, I have noticed a gradual but steady shift in the tone of many postings on punaweb over the last 6 months or so; there has been a real increase in the amount of insulting, belittling, and down right rude behavior amongst many of the most constant participants. This behavior comes from individuals of every political and social stripe, but it greatly diminishes the value of the board for the wider community and turns it into a few people's personal pigpen.
I strongly disagree with this opinion.
quote:
When my students are having intense discussions about volatile topics we try to stick to a few basic ground rules: Attack ideas, not people. Everyone has a right to be heard without being insulted or shouted down.
Again, a excellent theory.
quote:
Perhaps everybody on the board could take a deep breath and tone it back down a notch or two, for the common good of the larger community?
carol
Bear with me, did you introduce yourself in the "introduction" column? It is interesting to know a brief introduction so I know where you might be coming from.
quote:
My analysis: Too much thinking, not enough drinking.
Definately. it's 5 PM somewhere! Thanks for giving me a laugh while Carrie and I try to catch up my filing!
Edited by - kapohocat on 11/06/2007 11:49:32
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quote:
Hijacking is when someone posts a topic like, say, "Netiquette and online civilty" and haoleboy feels the need to immediately change the subject to himself.
Not that I want to get yelled at, but I don't like others getting blamed for my misdeed. I believe I was the hijacker. I had an honest interest in his humidor experiences and I recalled a previous humidor mention by him. It was an honest question. I should have posted a new thread but I wasn't intending on permanently hijacking this one. I acknowledged and apologized for my misdeed "in thread" although I realize that was insufficient. As for his original (undeleted) comment, quote:
My analysis: Too much thinking, not enough drinking.
I feel it was an appropriate sentiment to be contributed to the thread, although perhaps more blunt than some would like. The thought, if I interpreted it correctly, could have been expressed in several sentences rather than the one flippant remark, but I thought I got the drift.
It's your forum and I will try to follow your rules.
Pua`a
S. FL
Big Islander to be.
Pua`a
S. FL
Big Islander to be.
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well like they say, "there's an a**hole in every bunch"
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