Why does John McCain hate D&D players?

[Fyrestryke]

The story's on the main page.

http://www.johnmccain.com/McCainReport/Read.aspx?guid=181471d0-5456-4434-9f78-2f30ffc39459&rating=1

 

[Grimhelm]

That sort of irks me. I hate censorship. And I really don't like being told what to do. What do they care if we talk politics?!!?!? I am really growing to dislike ENWorld.

 

[Odovacar's Ghost]

Most, but not all forums, have issues with Politics, Religion, and another that I can't remember right now. Typically it ends up in a rather large cat fight.

BTW, I do not support Obama. I'm a board gamer not a D&D gamer.

 

[Relique du Madde]

That sort of irks me. I hate censorship. And I really don't like being told what to do. What do they care if we talk politics?!!?!? I am really growing to dislike ENWorld.

Um... you have been a lurker on this site for how long? The no politics, no profanity, no religion, and grandma rules are not new. They have been in effect since the start of this site.

 

[InzeladunMaster]

Um... you have been a lurker on this site for how long? The no politics, no profanity, no religion, and grandma rules are not new. They have been in effect since the start of this site.

Grimhelm has never lurked here. He has been an active participant of the World of Inzeladun/Conan d20 forum since its inception. Other than you and DM Matt, all the people on this thread are my RL players. I doubt they look around much at ENWorld proper. However, I know them all in person and this is not likely to turn into a flame war over politics. We know each other, like each other and can deal with disagreeing with each other.

As another moderator of this forum, I see no problem with the discussion here. I do see a problem with random people "reporting" us when there has been no flames, no name-calling, no comments made in anger, no foul language, and no problems with this thread - until you claimed someone was a lurker when someone has not been a lurker in this particular forum. You started the labelling/name-calling right there. Among us, you may notice, the discussion was quite civil, much like the participants, who I have found to be polite and quite civil in RL as well.

Further, I see no problem with the discussion here when the front page of ENWorld itself displays the link to the news item in question. Reporting us for civilly discussing a topic mentioned on the front page is utterly ridiculous.

Someone was just tattling to feel like they have power over a bunch of faceless strangers is what this "reporting of the thread" amounts to. It is not that we were causing problems with our "rule violation" (which I don't think the topic is, else ENWorld wouldn't have posted the link), but that someone else felt the need to exercise control and power over some strangers for no reason other than to feel powerful. It's pathetic.

 

[InzeladunMaster]

I also wonder... I think that ever since there has been political debate there has been political mudslinging. I applaud the conservatives for their ability to do just this, and to attach labels to people. When we attach labels and names to people, in a way, we control them. We dictate others' perceptions and thus, for all intents and purposes, their reality.

The liberals are not so good at this, but they had better get better if they wish to survive.

I feel the same way on each point, actually.

 

[APewty]

I'm guessing that private forums avoid (or ban) certain subjects because people invariably come and complain, which eats up owner time and also eats up bandwidth. One or the other is the deciding factor.

Censorship can take many forms, but we agree to the rules of the house in order to post here. I personally don't consider it censorship under these terms.

 

[Grimhelm]

IM, I could not have said it better! Thank you for eloquently stating your own feelings regarding this blatent attempt to silence honest dialogue. The whole issue burns my biscuits, and then to be attacked by someone I don't even know and be accused of doing something I have never done just adds to my extreme irritation.

I was not aware of any such rules on this site, as I mostly regarded it a personal site, as is stated in the headings. I am certainly glad to oblige the owners of the forums in general, as I do understand that we are provided with this service free. However, I must honestly question why the moderators really concern themselves with the goings on of individual forums and their conversations.

Something tells me I could find something far more disgusting to talk about than politics or religion, and this would be well within the rules, I guess! The whole issue is somewhat absurd, really. But, then again, so much of life is, I guess. Someone is always attempting to control someone. It is petty and pathetic, but it is also business as usual. Sigh.

 

[InzeladunMaster]

It is as I have always said - the anonymity of the internet gives some people a strange sense of empowerment and/or entitlement. People will say and act differently on the internet because of this anonymity. People feel entitled to control others that they don't have in real life, perhaps. It is akin to the idea that people are more likely to act unethically if they are certain they cannot or will not be caught.

One reason this particular board avoids flame wars is possibly because most of the people who post here know each other and interact with each other in real life. We are not anonymous to each other. For the most part, we have been to each others' houses, met each others' spouses and children (or at least discussed them), and look each other in the eye.

The random stranger who peeps in here at our doings doesn't realize this - but that really doesn't excuse the pointless reporting of our doings to the "authorities." We have been derailed by the use of "the Power of Anonymity."

Maybe Thormagni can make a supervillain named Anonymous Man who has power because no one can identify who he is...

In many cases, someone who is vocally critical of others is concealing something about himself.

 

[Grimhelm]

I would also argue that we are an intelligent group of people who find it rather silly to become enflamed by debate. But, surely it is because we know each other too.