Now here I am spending all my efforts and valuable time totally ignoring these specious yet thought provoking arguments about the nature of the atom, the universe and Flyertalk and I get dragged into the discussion.

What was it that Michael Corleone said in Godfather pt 3? Everytime I try to get out they suck me back in!

I broke the rules, I was given a time out. Doc broke the rules, he was given a time out, He's off brooding about it. (His choice - our gift.) Others were given time-outs, and do not have the ability to see their responsibility. Randy acts anyway he **** well pleases - just as he should - it's his board. From what I've seen and know, he's worked very hard to split the baby in every case.

OK, so the complaint here is a thread was locked down that "might" have errupted into a flame war, but it wasn't one yet? About F-----g time! The more consistently people are forcefully shown where they can not go, the less they will try. More forceful moderation and stricter adherance to the TOS has been needed here for years.

Are there problems and idiots here, sure. But we're all too smart now to believe that anyone posting in public about them cares a wiff about them. If you want a soapbox, here:

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IIIIIIIIIIIII
I S IIIIIIII
IIII O IIIII
IIIIII A III
IIIIIIII P I
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But, if you have a problem with any flyertalker, or Randy's judgement, e-mail that flyertalker, or Randy about it.

We're all adults (at least most of us - as some are teenagers and some are multiple adults and teenagers) who should know the difference between writing a letter of complaint to the NY times, and publishing a letter of complaint in a full page ad in the Times. Each represents a different agenda. I wonder which one this is.

[This message has been edited by NJDavid (edited 04-14-2002).]

eddy culd be arturo's elias.........KNOT !

or, eddies culd bee abbhorashun fore freddies.

punki,

An yur arturo's luv, two. yu ar bewtiful an yu ar awl rite.

(edetid fore spilleng)

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Loving, Caring, Honest, Intelligent, Empathetic, Creative, and Giving.



[This message has been edited by arturo (edited 04-14-2002).]

As I was the third person, apart from doc and NJDavid who were given the timeout, how am I to interpret this statement? It is very presumptious of you to talk about other people's abilities.

I know of a cat called Eddie

arturo kno "ser edwerd lanseer" eddie.

scotsea, es thet gato thet yu kno?

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Loving, Caring, Honest, Intelligent, Empathetic, Creative, and Giving.

My apologies PG, I was not referring to solely the three of us in that incident, but to many other time outs that I am aware of. The "given" here is that the entire FT community does not always know when action has been taken by Randy, and that is his preference. Many people bellyache that "so and so did this and nothing was done..." when they are in no position to know if anything was actually done.

NJDavid: Punki started this thread to inquire about locking about other threads, but the subject is certainly allegorical about rules on FT in general. Speaking for myself, I used to think I understood the rules. Now, while it's true that Randy has the right to do whatever he wants, since the practice does not seem to be actually to delete postings that violate the TOS, if the purpose of time-outs is to be to modify people's behavior, then if reasonable, intelligent people can't figure out what someone did to merit a time-out, then the purpose is not served. None of us are idiots, except for the idiots, and we ought to be able to figure these things out, assuming that we care enough to spend the time, and in doc's case I did try to. Having done so, I can well understand why doc is mystified, since I am too, and I've spoken to four or five other long-time FT'ers who feel the same way.

So I can well understand why Punki thought it might be useful to explore the rules for thread locking.

The quote, from "Godfather III", as I recall, is "Just when I think I'm out, they pull me back in." It applied just as well to Al Pacino as to Michael Corleone.

And I'm pleased that Arturo has found a way to escape the red kryptonite, or whatever it was, that was preventing him from leaving the Public Library.

I am a firm believer that Randy SHOULD publicly announce punishments, but he does not choose to. That is his right.

What I think that quite a few people are missing is that the TOS is about more than flaming. The TOS also spells out that posts should be on-topic and that Cross-Posting is a no-no.

If members are to be given punishment for flaming (Rightfully so), then members should be given punishmnent for off-topic posting and cross-posting.

I do not profess to know why doc was given a time-out. But, the punishment may have been for some other offense than flaming.

Say, how about those miles and points!

Those are topics for another forum. This one's for talking about FT's "issues".

FewMiles..

Rich, it would serve no purpose for me to use a public forum to detail what Doc or any other FT'er did to warrant sanction. If you want my explanation, e-mail me and I'll be happy to give quotes and links. For the present discussion, it is sufficent to state that while some may be mystified about it in his case, there are others, including myself, that share the perspective that it was a long overdue response to multiple TOS violations of both the procedural and personal atack variety.

And as I've explained in the past, after extensive e-mail discussions with Randy, I believe that he sees TOS violations of more of a minefield than a fence. You may walk through just fine, or you may blow-up on your first step. He is one man doing this all by himself (also his choice). I'm sure, rather than work toward finding the absolute limits, he'd much prefer we avoid the minefield.

NJDavid-- you do not stop to amazing me. Its fine for you to violate rules by insulting others, and now I guess its up to you to decide that one member or another was well banned....?

Dorian summed it up very well in his thread "this place of double standards". I guess you, NJDavid didn't violate any rules because you have a special set that apply to you.

Wrong. This user's punishment was announced publicly. And, while he who offended me was let loose to continue his business as usual, I was given a time out.

umm, that would be Eddy.

We must be very careful about what we say about Sir Edward Blanchard. First he is a gentlemen of impeccable manners and I have it on good authority that he not only reads FlyerTalk, but also paws out deadly responses worthy of his peer, Sir Winston.

[This message has been edited by Punki (edited 04-14-2002).]