Commentary on the Influx of New Questions

Asked by brownlemur (4086

) March 3rd, 2008

I appreciate variety and diversity in many forms. I am thrilled that so many new users are joining fluther every day. In some way that I can’t explain articulately, I feel somewhat protective of fluther, and I don’t want to see it turn into a forum for our baser realms of the mind. I am not by any means saying there should be any sort of censorship on this site; I am, however, urging users to think of this site as more of a very large family (like a Man-O-War) that supports its members and doesn’t make personal attacks against one another.

Questions about sex and guns and violence are fine, provided that they are real questions that you have, not just crude fodder for the entertainment of the person asking it. Think of it this way: if your grandmother (or someone you respect a great deal) were reading over your shoulder, would you still ask the question?

If you disagree with me, that is fine. In fact, I encourage disagreement, provided that you can back up your argument logically and it isn’t just for the sake of disagreeing with me.

If someone asks a question that can be answered just as easily using google, point that person in the right direction. If someone asks a question that has already been asked on fluther, help that person. I can’t remember half of the questions that I’ve answered on this site, and sometimes it’s hard to search for the right one. Questions will inevitably be asked several times.

I eagerly await the hurling of anathema in my direction.

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9 Answers

Don’t feed the trolls, they’ll wander off on their own.

PupnTaco (13895

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Response moderated

http://www.fluther.com/blog/index.php/2008/03/01/stemming-the-tide/
Should we up the bar for removing questions?

andrew (16543

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Well put brownlemur.
Andrew I think what you guys are doing is adequate. Add the flag, to the I-phone maybe.
And some may be offended by an offensive user name. Any others?

ironhiway (1370

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i’ll help you off your soap box.

Patrick_Bateman (747

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UP the bar? You mean you think it’s too difficult to have the inane questions removed?

cwilbur (14236

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Let me remind the newcomers that I AM the equivalent of your grandmother reading over your shoulder. Nothing shocks me anymore but I am bored and irritated w. many of the new questions, particularly the ones that are incomprehensible. We have a thoughtful, original, intelligent, literate, clever and kind community, by and large. I’d like to keep it that way.

@Brownlemur; eloquently said. (And not that I am planning to, but can one “hurl an anathema?”)

PS. Age range is from 13 to 71…Freshness and curiosity to experience and common sense… Spelling counts; being clear counts; knowing your homonyms counts.

gailcalled (54644

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I have had anathema hurled at me in many forms: invective, vitriol, jeremiad, harangue, angry discourse, tirade, declamation, screed, fulmination…knowing your synonyms counts too….

brownlemur (4086

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@gailcalled: hear, hear. (For newcomers: no, I did not mean “here, here.”)

The biggest sin you can commit here is to be boring. Bathroom humor, once you’re above the age of 20 or thereabouts, is boring. Incomprehensible SMS-speak and incoherent typing might not be boring, but it’s too much work to parse to find out.

And @gail again: yeah, I know homonyms. They can get married now, right?

cwilbur (14236

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