taykair
Member
- Messages
- 363
...or, at least, be given a slap upside my head every now and then.
This post is a critique of this forum's rules. It is also a listing of my violations (sort-of) of those rules.
I'm writing this because there may be a few of you here who have read these rules thoroughly, and have said to yourself, "Hey! If you guys are so serious about these rules, then why is Taykair still here? That SOB violates them practically every time he posts!"
Calm down, dear. Calm down. Allow your Uncle Taykair to explain:
(In the following, I will use yellow type to highlight the forum rules, and boldface to indicate my chosen point of focus.)
What is Paranormalis?
Paranormalis is a community forum and information resource dedicated to the discussion and exploration of paranormal, time travel and alternative topics. We want to offer to all of our members the best community experience as possible in order for everyone to be comfortable discussing all kinds of paranormal topics. We also aim at being a resource, for everyone who's searching for information about the topics we cover.
For me, the best community experience includes me making people uncomfortable. I want folks to focus and really consider the things they say here, and one of the ways I do that is to "stir the pot" from time to time. My intention is not - and has never been - to provoke people, but rather to provoke discussion.
Why Rules?
The following rules are in effect to make sure our community is a happy one, and that out of the box discussions can take place in a perfectly fluent way for everyone interested.
"Out-of-the-box" discussions are fine and dandy. I can't get enough of them. But "making sure that our community is a happy one"? I could not possibly care less. I mean, come on. If happiness is the goal, then why not just mail all the members here a lifetime supply of Valium? Sure, it would be a fake kind of happiness, but then again so is an enforced happiness.
We Discuss Paranormal
Paranormalis is a paranormal forum, not a debunking or skepticism forum. Debunking is therefore prohibited, because of its destructive nature. Our primary focus is to discuss about paranormal, strange, unusual and weird subjects in the most fluent and constructive way possible.
No matter how crazy or weird an idea is, we are the best forum to discuss it without concerns or boundaries of any kind. On Paranormalis, you don't have to fear being made fun of or attacked just because you believe in, or thought about something unusual. We actually want to discuss about it too! While we encourage it, we are aware that rational and critical thinking might not always perfectly apply to some of the wildest discussions you'll find here.
Okay, you got me. I debunk sometimes. I do. I won't deny it. Then again, so does everyone else. Think about it: If I were to provide evidence refuting (for example) the Ancient Astronaut Hypothesis, am I debunking their theory - or are they debunking history? It's a two-way street. Hell, sometimes it's a multi-lane highway. As for debunking being destructive: It certainly can be. So can practically anything be, if done with bad intentions. I think it's also a constructive thing, in that it offers a different point-of-view.
Respect
Respect other members and their beliefs, ideas, opinions at all times. We also expect members to be polite and courteous with one another. Aggression, disrespect, baiting, flaming, homophobia, racism, name calling (this includes calling people trolls or accusing them of trolling.), belittling, sarcasm, bullying, gossiping, are all unacceptable behavior and will result in Disciplinary Action.
Simply because you do not agree with a thread's subject does not entitle you to attempt to end it with rude witticisms. Allow people to tell their stories at all times. Attempting on every occasion to point out something or someone is a hoax is rude and doesn't encourage discussion.
Members who are not respectful of their fellow members or their ideas are going to be warned or banned by the forum staff and their disrespectful messages will be deleted.
Hey, I'm all about respect - although it honestly doesn't disturb me very much if a bunch of people I don't even know, who happen to inhabit a little-known paranormal forum, choose to think ill of me. Nothing I can do about it. Doesn't mean I won't respect them, though. And I do.
And yes, I can be very sarcastic at times. I once tried to get into a Jackasses Anonymous program, but those folks just gave up on me. No. Not really. I was being sarcastic, you dope.
As for the gossiping, I will admit that I once - in a private conversation - discussed one of the other members here with somebody else. In my defense, however, I was mostly on the receiving end of the discussion, and tried not to gossip myself. I still felt rather uncomfortable about it, though.
And, yes, sometimes I will throw a one-liner or a cheesy joke into a thread every now and then. But it's not because I want to derail a discussion. Indeed, sometimes I do it even when I agree with the person I'm mocking. It's not that I'm rude - it's that I'm a jackass. (sigh) Does no one understand the wonder that is Taykair? (sigh)
Forum Discussions
We currently have many types of discussions, but 2 of them are most important. Those 2 types of discussions are there to allow everyone to be able to discuss paranormal without boundaries. We protect and encourage the believers to discuss and share openly about paranormal subjects, while giving some place for debate and arguing.
1. Regular Discussions
Those are regular threads. Discussions are constructive and encourage the sharing of ideas and the expression of opinion in a civil and respectful manner. Even if you do not completely agree with an idea, you are welcome to share your opinion and your thoughts, as long as you do so in a respectful and constructive way, as expected. Regular Discussions are not debates: No debating is taking place in such discussions.
2. Debate Discussions
When needed, members can start a Debate Discussion using the "Debate" thread prefix. Debates are not exactly the same as a regular Discussions, as they are more challenging and will invite members to argue and defend their point. If a message posted in a Regular Discussion is too challenging, or encourages debate and arguing too much, it will be moved out of the thread to allow the discussion to take place without interference. The debate will then take place in the Debate Thread.
This whole thing reminds me of the TV show "Seinfeld". It claimed to be a show about nothing, and so is this "two kinds of discussion" rigmarole. "No debating is taking place in such discussions". Yeah. Right.
Off-Topic Posts
Off-topic posts are comments that have nothing to do with the discussion at hand. Such posts are going to be moved somewhere else or deleted and the concerned member will be warned if the staff considers it necessary.
Yeah, they have nothing to do with the discussion, and I'll admit that they can (if they are allowed to go on for too long) disrupt the flow of a discussion. But, damn it, sometimes it's just too powerful a thing for me to resist. And sometimes, it might even be necessary: A witty (or even shitty) non sequitur may just be the thing that cools down a heated debate. It's possible.
Politics and Religion
Politics and religion (to only name a few) are very sensitive subjects to some people, that can spark huge arguments out of nothing... We encourage members not to turn a regular topic into an unrelated and unwanted debate about religion or politics. In other words, such posts are considered off-topic too.
If you wish to discuss politics or religion, for instance, each one has its dedicated forum section. Some people are strongly opinionated when it comes to these subjects, so everyone should be careful to remain calm and civil at all times. No hate speech of any nature will be tolerated.
Okay, I won't argue about this one. I'm also sick of everything being turned into the "Us vs. Them Show" and politics does tend to do that - which is one of the reasons I pay little attention to it. Now, religion, on the other hand...
Spam
Spam is not accepted, no matter if related to our topics or not. If you are to repeatedly and shamelessly plug your website or web contents in our discussions, you're not welcome here.
Who, me? Why, I would never lower myself to the level of shameless, self-promotion! (By the way, have you read Traveller's Tale, yet? Great story. Check it out!)
Personal Stuff and Drama
Personal disputes, conflicts between members or disputes from other forums, among other things are not meant to be discussed on a public forum. Ex: "That other forum banned me!!" or repeated personal debates/attacks between 2 members. We don't want that kind of drama to take place here. That being said, if you want to complain or comment about our community, let us know about something you like or don't like... anything at all, feel free to post it in the Site Discussion section made for that purpose. The staff will be happy to listen to you and discuss about it. Finally, If you don't like another member of the community, you can use the Ignore function in order to hide his/her messages.
We now come to the one - and only - time I was warned to stop posting certain material at this forum, and where some of my posts were actually removed. The circumstances are unimportant and, even though I felt (and still do) that Num7 was a bit heavy-handed, I still respect and approve of his action - and his determination not to let outside forces disrupt this site. This forum is his baby, as far as I am concerned, and he can raise his child any way he wants to. (Umm... By the way, this rule applies to the forum, right? Okay! Great! Discord chatroom, here I come!)
Multiple Accounts
No sock puppets! Members are asked to use a single account at any given time. Members caught having 2 accounts are going to be warned. Banned members who are caught posting on the forum using another account are going to get this new account banned as well.
You'll never get an argument from me about this one. Sock puppets are cowardly and self-indulgent. Why, I remember, back at another site , there was this guy who... oh... sorry... never mind.
Staff and Moderation
The rules are there to make sure everyone on Paranormalis is active and happy at all times. Members who do not abide by these rules will be warned or banned if necessary for the continued prosperity of the site. The rules are enforced by the Administrator and Staff Members. There will be no arguments on these points; all rulings made by the Administrator and Staff Members are final.
"Active at all times"? I'm totally for that. The more people who bask in my brilliance, the better. "Happy at all times?" Well...
Contacting the Staff
If you have a general question regarding the forum, want to provide feedback, or suggest a great idea, you can do it in the Site Discussion section. You can also contact the administrator, or any member of the staff in a private conversation at all times.
I just did. Were you not paying attention?
This post is a critique of this forum's rules. It is also a listing of my violations (sort-of) of those rules.
I'm writing this because there may be a few of you here who have read these rules thoroughly, and have said to yourself, "Hey! If you guys are so serious about these rules, then why is Taykair still here? That SOB violates them practically every time he posts!"
Calm down, dear. Calm down. Allow your Uncle Taykair to explain:
(In the following, I will use yellow type to highlight the forum rules, and boldface to indicate my chosen point of focus.)
What is Paranormalis?
Paranormalis is a community forum and information resource dedicated to the discussion and exploration of paranormal, time travel and alternative topics. We want to offer to all of our members the best community experience as possible in order for everyone to be comfortable discussing all kinds of paranormal topics. We also aim at being a resource, for everyone who's searching for information about the topics we cover.
For me, the best community experience includes me making people uncomfortable. I want folks to focus and really consider the things they say here, and one of the ways I do that is to "stir the pot" from time to time. My intention is not - and has never been - to provoke people, but rather to provoke discussion.
Why Rules?
The following rules are in effect to make sure our community is a happy one, and that out of the box discussions can take place in a perfectly fluent way for everyone interested.
"Out-of-the-box" discussions are fine and dandy. I can't get enough of them. But "making sure that our community is a happy one"? I could not possibly care less. I mean, come on. If happiness is the goal, then why not just mail all the members here a lifetime supply of Valium? Sure, it would be a fake kind of happiness, but then again so is an enforced happiness.
We Discuss Paranormal
Paranormalis is a paranormal forum, not a debunking or skepticism forum. Debunking is therefore prohibited, because of its destructive nature. Our primary focus is to discuss about paranormal, strange, unusual and weird subjects in the most fluent and constructive way possible.
No matter how crazy or weird an idea is, we are the best forum to discuss it without concerns or boundaries of any kind. On Paranormalis, you don't have to fear being made fun of or attacked just because you believe in, or thought about something unusual. We actually want to discuss about it too! While we encourage it, we are aware that rational and critical thinking might not always perfectly apply to some of the wildest discussions you'll find here.
Okay, you got me. I debunk sometimes. I do. I won't deny it. Then again, so does everyone else. Think about it: If I were to provide evidence refuting (for example) the Ancient Astronaut Hypothesis, am I debunking their theory - or are they debunking history? It's a two-way street. Hell, sometimes it's a multi-lane highway. As for debunking being destructive: It certainly can be. So can practically anything be, if done with bad intentions. I think it's also a constructive thing, in that it offers a different point-of-view.
Respect
Respect other members and their beliefs, ideas, opinions at all times. We also expect members to be polite and courteous with one another. Aggression, disrespect, baiting, flaming, homophobia, racism, name calling (this includes calling people trolls or accusing them of trolling.), belittling, sarcasm, bullying, gossiping, are all unacceptable behavior and will result in Disciplinary Action.
Simply because you do not agree with a thread's subject does not entitle you to attempt to end it with rude witticisms. Allow people to tell their stories at all times. Attempting on every occasion to point out something or someone is a hoax is rude and doesn't encourage discussion.
Members who are not respectful of their fellow members or their ideas are going to be warned or banned by the forum staff and their disrespectful messages will be deleted.
Hey, I'm all about respect - although it honestly doesn't disturb me very much if a bunch of people I don't even know, who happen to inhabit a little-known paranormal forum, choose to think ill of me. Nothing I can do about it. Doesn't mean I won't respect them, though. And I do.
And yes, I can be very sarcastic at times. I once tried to get into a Jackasses Anonymous program, but those folks just gave up on me. No. Not really. I was being sarcastic, you dope.
As for the gossiping, I will admit that I once - in a private conversation - discussed one of the other members here with somebody else. In my defense, however, I was mostly on the receiving end of the discussion, and tried not to gossip myself. I still felt rather uncomfortable about it, though.
And, yes, sometimes I will throw a one-liner or a cheesy joke into a thread every now and then. But it's not because I want to derail a discussion. Indeed, sometimes I do it even when I agree with the person I'm mocking. It's not that I'm rude - it's that I'm a jackass. (sigh) Does no one understand the wonder that is Taykair? (sigh)
Forum Discussions
We currently have many types of discussions, but 2 of them are most important. Those 2 types of discussions are there to allow everyone to be able to discuss paranormal without boundaries. We protect and encourage the believers to discuss and share openly about paranormal subjects, while giving some place for debate and arguing.
1. Regular Discussions
Those are regular threads. Discussions are constructive and encourage the sharing of ideas and the expression of opinion in a civil and respectful manner. Even if you do not completely agree with an idea, you are welcome to share your opinion and your thoughts, as long as you do so in a respectful and constructive way, as expected. Regular Discussions are not debates: No debating is taking place in such discussions.
2. Debate Discussions
When needed, members can start a Debate Discussion using the "Debate" thread prefix. Debates are not exactly the same as a regular Discussions, as they are more challenging and will invite members to argue and defend their point. If a message posted in a Regular Discussion is too challenging, or encourages debate and arguing too much, it will be moved out of the thread to allow the discussion to take place without interference. The debate will then take place in the Debate Thread.
This whole thing reminds me of the TV show "Seinfeld". It claimed to be a show about nothing, and so is this "two kinds of discussion" rigmarole. "No debating is taking place in such discussions". Yeah. Right.
Off-Topic Posts
Off-topic posts are comments that have nothing to do with the discussion at hand. Such posts are going to be moved somewhere else or deleted and the concerned member will be warned if the staff considers it necessary.
Yeah, they have nothing to do with the discussion, and I'll admit that they can (if they are allowed to go on for too long) disrupt the flow of a discussion. But, damn it, sometimes it's just too powerful a thing for me to resist. And sometimes, it might even be necessary: A witty (or even shitty) non sequitur may just be the thing that cools down a heated debate. It's possible.
Politics and Religion
Politics and religion (to only name a few) are very sensitive subjects to some people, that can spark huge arguments out of nothing... We encourage members not to turn a regular topic into an unrelated and unwanted debate about religion or politics. In other words, such posts are considered off-topic too.
If you wish to discuss politics or religion, for instance, each one has its dedicated forum section. Some people are strongly opinionated when it comes to these subjects, so everyone should be careful to remain calm and civil at all times. No hate speech of any nature will be tolerated.
Okay, I won't argue about this one. I'm also sick of everything being turned into the "Us vs. Them Show" and politics does tend to do that - which is one of the reasons I pay little attention to it. Now, religion, on the other hand...
Spam
Spam is not accepted, no matter if related to our topics or not. If you are to repeatedly and shamelessly plug your website or web contents in our discussions, you're not welcome here.
Who, me? Why, I would never lower myself to the level of shameless, self-promotion! (By the way, have you read Traveller's Tale, yet? Great story. Check it out!)
Personal Stuff and Drama
Personal disputes, conflicts between members or disputes from other forums, among other things are not meant to be discussed on a public forum. Ex: "That other forum banned me!!" or repeated personal debates/attacks between 2 members. We don't want that kind of drama to take place here. That being said, if you want to complain or comment about our community, let us know about something you like or don't like... anything at all, feel free to post it in the Site Discussion section made for that purpose. The staff will be happy to listen to you and discuss about it. Finally, If you don't like another member of the community, you can use the Ignore function in order to hide his/her messages.
We now come to the one - and only - time I was warned to stop posting certain material at this forum, and where some of my posts were actually removed. The circumstances are unimportant and, even though I felt (and still do) that Num7 was a bit heavy-handed, I still respect and approve of his action - and his determination not to let outside forces disrupt this site. This forum is his baby, as far as I am concerned, and he can raise his child any way he wants to. (Umm... By the way, this rule applies to the forum, right? Okay! Great! Discord chatroom, here I come!)
Multiple Accounts
No sock puppets! Members are asked to use a single account at any given time. Members caught having 2 accounts are going to be warned. Banned members who are caught posting on the forum using another account are going to get this new account banned as well.
You'll never get an argument from me about this one. Sock puppets are cowardly and self-indulgent. Why, I remember, back at another site , there was this guy who... oh... sorry... never mind.
Staff and Moderation
The rules are there to make sure everyone on Paranormalis is active and happy at all times. Members who do not abide by these rules will be warned or banned if necessary for the continued prosperity of the site. The rules are enforced by the Administrator and Staff Members. There will be no arguments on these points; all rulings made by the Administrator and Staff Members are final.
"Active at all times"? I'm totally for that. The more people who bask in my brilliance, the better. "Happy at all times?" Well...
Contacting the Staff
If you have a general question regarding the forum, want to provide feedback, or suggest a great idea, you can do it in the Site Discussion section. You can also contact the administrator, or any member of the staff in a private conversation at all times.
I just did. Were you not paying attention?
Last edited:
-Hey! If you guys are so serious about these rules - is this a joke ?
