I'm surprised at the number of purely personal insults that're
allowed, and unmoderated, on this forum, to the extent that
some topics are started solely as a vehicle for insulting other
members.
I've also noted a small but regular coterie of members whose
sole purpose seems to be bad-mouthing others with puerile,
often offensive insults—Setanta's, and others use of the term
"mong" for example.
Anyone who is disabled or who loves someone with a disability
knows what that word means because they will have heard it
used about them abusively at some stage. Along with "retard"
and "spaz", it's a prominent verbal feature of the bullies' toolkit.
The term Mongoloid—or "mong"— has had a second usage referring
to people with Down syndrome, and is now generally regarded as
extremely offensive. As it should be by anybody with a rational
sense of common decency. Would Setanta and people like him
dare to use that face to face with a Down sufferer? I'm betting
not—but they're more than happy to throw the term around behind
the anonymity of their keyboards.
Having said that though, it simply reinforces my opinion of the poor
moderation that this forum exhibits repeatedly. It would seem that
the moderators—and the site administrator—are more than happy to
let the site devolve into a turgid cesspool of abusive insults, racial
vilification, homophobia and transphobia, and smug laughter at the
expense of the less abled—both physically and mentally.
And of course I understand that some of it is just intended as good-
natured pub talk bullshit between members who've been here a long
time. Which is perfectly fine as long as it stops there.
But when it crosses the boundaries of social sensibilities, as it does
all too often here—on an open public forum—then it's time for the
moderators to step in and put the brakes on.
The second forum rule states:
Quote:Do not post personal criticism of other members. Do not respond to personal criticism of yourself or other members. This is the biggest problem on OzPolitic. Too many members are easily baited into off-topic personal exchanges. If you participate in any kind of flame war you will be suspended, regardless of who started it or who you think ‘deserved it’.
Is this rule ever enforced? So many threads are derailed by endless
sniping at other members, and their sniping in return, such that beyond
the first couple of pages of debate, the entire thrust of the original topic
has been lost, and the thread unnecessarily dies.
So... in response to this topic header. No, the rule is seldom if ever applied.
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