Oh, you're back. I missed you!

I heart you dekeguy, but you're a little off.
 

As far as JAM, if I remember, it was something in the politics thread that she took completely the wrong way, not a "nest of vipers." I don't remember ANY personal attacks - everyone pretty much loved her. If you can't separate the person from the opinion where politics are concerned, you need to stay OUT of political discussions. Period.

As far as Tom, I supported him as long as I could - because he's from a different generation and I understand that, I dealt with it with my parents - but it got to the point where no matter who said it or how nicely they said it, he didn't get it and just wanted to do whatever. There was a nutjob supposedly AIing my sorority and he didn't understand why I didn't want her encouraged or why I didn't want the thread deleted. What she was posting was injurious to my sorority (i.e. implying that we found the nutburger in question suitable for membership) and he JUST. DIDN'T. GET. IT. That's when I got off the bus.

We should have never created that AI forum in the first place, but by the same token, he should have been cognizant enough to realize that his moderating a forum that was 99.9% NPC membership questions was no more appropriate than my moderating the (example) Kappa Alpha Psi forum would be. Instead he held onto it and refused to listen to any suggestions.

I miss him being a productive (if odd) member of GC, but he's shown by his subsequent actions and affiliations that banning him in his current state of mind was probably the right decision.

Exactly. If I recall correctly, JAM posted a political joke that had been determined in an earlier thread to be incorrect. When called out on it by conservatives AND liberals, she took her ball and went home. She just didn't like being disagreed with. Let's not forget that. If anything, JAM was a universally loved member of GC.

As far as Earp, the first 5-7 years, he was coherent and okay--more like the crazy old uncle. Over time, he got more and more offensive--and used his friendship with someone off of GC to jeopardize someone's membership. This happened more than once. Earp of 2000? Kind of miss him. Earp of 2008? Can't stand him.

Maybe "that special thing" was she was going to leave us hanging, sequined hose and all?

Chuck Norris should just go ahead and write the ending to that story for us. That would be an interesting read.

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Speaking of Holier than thou ... you seem to consider yourself qualified to pass judgment.

Actually, regarding my post, I don't recall proclaiming myself to be a "bigger, smarter, cooler, maturerer (is that really a word?) person. I was under the impression that I was simply stating my opinion and not handing down holy writ on tablets of stone.

I also came to GC as an alumnus after active service as an Army officer, an MA(Oxon), and a year and a half of Law School. Shortly after joining GC I was recalled to the Army for service in Iraq, commanded an Armored Cavalry Troop, and then returned to Law School, graduated, passed the bar, completed the BVC, was called to the English bar, etc. Whether or not this qualifies me as bigger, smarter, etc, whatever, is irrelevant to that which is offered as my opinion. To lapse into legal usage I would like to think my opinion could be viewed as persuasive but I certainly do not view it as binding.

I do believe that anyone who has been on GC for any amount of time has seen it change from friendly and welcoming to somewhat forbidding. It seems to me to be given to comments which might well be viewed as a form of hazing to a new member or even an established GCer who does not have the hide of a rhino.

Personal attacks and hurtful comments are, in my opinion, the domain of small minded nasty children and I stand by that opinion.

A few years ago MacAllan25 and I got into a dispute that led to a confrontation. We realized that the only way to settle the matter was to meet at dawn, pistols for two, coffee for one. Then we both had a stroke of enlightenment - instead of that solution we should meet for lunch and alternate buying each other rounds of single malt until we came to a mutually agreeable resolution. (Besides, dawn was far too early for either of us).
I suggest we apply the same strategy in this dispute.

"This" was a dispute?

[QUOTE=Munchkin03;2029334]Exactly. If I recall correctly, JAM posted a political joke that had been determined in an earlier thread to be incorrect. When called out on it by conservatives AND liberals, she took her ball and went home. She just didn't like being disagreed with. Let's not forget that. If anything, JAM was a universally loved member of GC.
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First: Honest question, please: by 'incorrect' do you mean PC or something else? I am not sure how that was meant. I'm not trying to be provocative here, just trying to figure this out.

Second: I also thought JAM was a universally loved member, but she told me via non-GC email that she had received several PMs that were nasty and personal and she was both hurt and offended. I asked her to stay on but she said it was time to withdraw. I miss her sage advice and words of encouragement and have never understood how the whole thing went down.

Your thoughts would be appreciated.

Peter

Actually, it was an attempt to make a humorous comment.

1. Factually incorrect. If I'm not mistaken, it was one of those Bush vs. Kerry e-mail forwards that had inaccuracies about both politicians. In fact, I believe it had already been discussed in another thread about being factually incorrect. People on both sides mentioned that it was incorrect and she took her ball and went home.

2. As far as mean PMs, we get them all the time. When I came here 11 years ago, I remember getting ridiculous PMs from B/MCGLO members questioning my decision to join an NPC group. I'm still here, none of those people are. It comes down to ignoring that shit.

[QUOTE=33girl;2029323]As far as JAM, if I remember, it was something in the politics thread that she took completely the wrong way, not a "nest of vipers." I don't remember ANY personal attacks - everyone pretty much loved her. If you can't separate the person from the opinion where politics are concerned, you need to stay OUT of political discussions. Period.

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Thanks for your take on this. I appreciate any info to help me understand a lot of what was going on back then. Please PM me if we could talk about this a little more.

Peter

I'm afraid the only thing sad about seeing Tom Earp banned was how he brought it on himself. People extended him understanding, patience and Greek courtesy for a long time, often in the later years without reciprocation. I don't think one can on one hand lament the loss of civility on GreekChat (a phenomenon I sometimes think is exaggerated to begin with -- not saying civility isn't sometimes missing here, but rather questioning whether it really has gotten worse) and on the other hand ignore Tom's lack of civility.

This has been rehashed in other GC circle jerk threads, but JAM made this thread with an e-mail forward she received, people argued about the content of the post/e-mail, and shortly thereafter she left. She made a few one off posts about hypocrisy, etc. then later came back and posted in this thread that her departure had nothing to do with the aforementioned thread and that she had just outgrown the board and had moved on.

No shit and I never pretend otherwise.

Does being smart smart?

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Damn, I think I really would like to have a single malt with you rather than drink that coffee for one, besides, dawn really is too early. We may not agree but at least the scotch would be good.

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