Tim, Thanks for your feedback. I'm sure all of us can stand a gentle reminder now and then to be Courteous. Hopefully the behaviours you have noticed have been in the Issues and Politics forum where things occasionally get wild. Please stick around and share your experiences and viewpoints.

Tim,

Thanks for the reminder. Of course, I, and I'm sure most of the other posters, will immediately think "thanks for reminding all those other posters to be nicer."

As you note, any internet forum suffers from the anonymity of the participants. It's hard to moderate the behavior of the users, but notes like this from the community are a good reminder.

Not everyone views themselves as a keeper of the flame here - some people aren't focused on how they come across to all of the other posters, the lurkers, the general public. They just want to make their point.

Welcome to the forums, though! And believe it or not, the forums are better than they used to be.

I'm usually pleasantly surprised by the reasoned arguments people make and the minimal amount of hate visible on these boards.

People are typically pretty decent to each other in my experience.

Tim,
Don't hold your breath. I've made several requests for more respect among members but mostly they go ignored.

Nice to meet you too, Tim.

hmmmm, scratching my chin........

Who me?????

You bet your whimpy, white, suburban, Lexus drivin, latte' drinkin, car campin behind.

I am blunt, will say things to shock you, ask questions, try to make you think and move you out of your comfort zone.

I will not blindly follow anyone or anything.

But at least you're respectful when you do it

We don't have to agree but at least we should agree to be respectful.
If you want to avoid the heat stay away from the political forum.

Tim,

Welcome and thanks for the reminder. To many long time posters, we tend to forget how some banter may appear to a newbie or a lurker on the boards.

That said, I have seen very little in the way of put downs or personal attacks on these boards. There used to be a couple folks, but they have moved on to other endevours, or they got their accounts closed down.

With that said, I like the fact that there is spirited debate on these boards. Especially in the controversial topics of the big 3 (gays, girls, atheists) for the BSA. It involved passionate beliefs on both sides of these issues and it is one (if not the only) place an open and honest discussion on these issues can take place in the organization.

The fact that some folks are very blunt shows me you are at least getting an honest heartfelt response. Many times in live conversations, folks will hold back or attenuate their opinion because they don't want to offend, or not to hurt someone else's feelings. The good (and bad) part of being online, is this is less apt to happen, so you get a more honest reply.

My 2 cents, hang around, share your thoughts and get a thick skin. There is a LOT of useful info to be had on these boards, even from the people who disagree.

Just because someone's idea or view is different then yours does not make it wrong.

Sure it does. At least, in my opinion.

And that's all any of us can really post, eh? Our opinions. Hopefully among friends and fellow scouters who will do us the kindness of tryin' to read our drivel in the best light, or who will challenge us just because we need to be challenged in our thinking. Sometimes who will go 'round and 'round with us because that helps us refine our own thinkin' while seein' other arguments.

Yep, we all run off da rails from time to time, but at least we're doin' it among friends. I confess I don't care much for folks who just post snide remarks about individuals, rather than engaging with da matter being discussed. Even those very few I have no reason to believe are not wonderful scouters in their units or councils.

So sit and stay a spell. Try not to hold on to your ideas too tightly, because ideas should be challenged and refined. And stay away from Issues and Politics for anything other than entertainment value.

Beavah

I have to say, I don't see much of that. Of course I try to stay away from the Issue & Politics threads, so......

On the other hand, I think Scouting is too often lacking in honest feed back, at least between levels where it matters. I've seen policy folks lay some real eggs and all the little happy-faced council types fold their hands and all chant, "Well, we must all be Scout-like, mustn't we?"

Supposedly, BP (the original, not the one here) said if he were to add a point to the Scout law it would be "A Scout is No Fool." Roger that.

I'm all for Courtesy and Kindness, but sometime Loyalty, Bravery and Trustworthyness require rather emphatic use to be effective.

Hi Tim,
Maybe, just maybe? I should take some of the blame for your disappointment.
As a moderator, maybe I'm not doing such a grand job of moderating?
But... (Yes you knew it was coming!)
While it might be wrong of me to speak for the other moderators, I like to think that for the most part we try and keep out of the way and try not to interfere.
Of course just because everyone doesn't see what we are up to, doesn't always mean that nothing is being done.
For my part, if I think someone is behaving badly, I do send them a message asking them to cool it.
A good pal of mine is a moderator on one of the other Scout Forums and that forum seems too, at least for my of thinking at times go a little over the top and if anything is "Over-moderated".
I would hate to see that sort of thing happen here.
Some topics (The 3 "G's - God, Girls and Gays.) Do at times get a little heated.
Then there are times when a couple of Forum Members seem to want to take each other on.
While there is entertainment value in this, sadly after a very short time it just gets old and doesn't show adult Scouter's in a very good light.

There are times when I sit here at my keyboard and see something that upsets me. Someone posts what I think is nothing but twaddle. I've lost count of the times that I've written a smart reply, but have got to the "Submit Your Message" and hit the "Clear".
Of course there have been times when I wasn't that smart and ended up looking like a real twit.

While many of us have been posting and around this site for sometime and we feel that it's OK to let someone have it. In part because we get a feel that they can take it. We forget how it might look or seem to a young Scout or a Scout parent who might have just stumbled across this site by accident.
If you choose to stick around for a while, I'll bet that over time you will get a feel of who you respect and who you might want to ignore.
One of the best bits of advise I ever got was from a wonderful barmaid, a little Irish girl who when she seen I was getting upset or hot under the collar, would say:"The best thing is to take plenty of no notice." (Then I'd have a pint and the world looked a lot better.)
Ea.

Probably add "friendly" to the list. I just tend to filter through the replies looking for the info that I'm looking for.

Now, with that said, I'll also say that there is a core group of posters that keep this forum alive and I respect that while they have strong opinions, if they did not post, the forum would shrivel up. I know that I come and go, but the Senior Forum members are fairly consistently here and deserve us reading what they have to say, even if we don't heed the advice. I have a feeling there are plenty of lurkers with little opinion but that doesn't make a forum happen.

I can appreciate your position, but in my experience the lively conversations here reflect many folks true feelings on scouting, for good or bad. Now I do agree that a few may be a bit more vocal on this board than they may be in person. A few write or imply things that I at times find down-right offensive..Out of my years of being a youth and an adult in scouting, I have had the pleasure of meeting a great deal of good peopleand a few folks that are not truly in it for the boys. (Being polite here)..I would say the same for this group.

We are an imperfect organization, dealing with imperfect boys and ADULTS. Striving for perfect ideals.

The vast majority are good decent folks..a few are more imperfect than others.
It is up to you to pick through the junk and find the gems.

I have learned a lot on this site.most of it good..

Please stay,
I have learned a great deal here even when I am just lurking.what you do with that is up to you

Thanks for your all's considerations. Don't worry about my skin thickness, I was raised in a firehouse and now have 10 years on the floor myself. 2 things you can count on in the Firehouse is good food and colorful debate (usually about the most trivial things.)
-Tim