Dragon

You make some very good points Qsilv. I don't think to much pressure should be put on Rachel to "Police" the site. It raises the question of what should be removed and what gets to stay.
It seems to me like the people on this site pretty much monitor ourselves. Those who are putting innappropriate comments and pics get a comment or two about it, most of us will keep the insults to ourselves and ignore the insults handed out to us.
I've not really been involved in any other sites with forums or a community like this, but I always find myself coming back because of the friendly atmosphere. Here's hoping that feeling continues.

Qsilv

Open voting has been discussed here... it's not real popular.

The voting issue is sort of a subset -- and since the biggest problem with low votes seems to be simply that they cause good works to get hidden, the most DIRECT solution is to empower us by installing a SEARCH & SORT BY _______ feature.

LadyO

Failing that, we make the voting open ... if you vote, your name appears as well.

Qsilv

Well, brandon's page still shows a few comments made by him, altho' he's got no pix now... they've been deleted, presumably by himself.

TD staff may or may not step in. So far they appear to have a hands off policy, and I can understand that, whether I admire it or not.

In the 'net, there are two huge truths--

1- people's inner natures get a LOT of encouragement to spill out unrestricted, because of the layer of anonymity (all people... all ages)

2- any site owner who begins to take on censorship becomes open to lawsuits demanding that they take on even more, to impossible god-like standards, so a good many prefer to leave us in a state of anarchy.

It's sometimes inconvenient, unpleasant, distasteful, scary even... and yet the price of freedom is personal responsibility. Every group winds up leveling out... and no, not all of them become sordid flame-war pits. Far from it. But it's really up to us.

Gwinny's advice is sensible and kind.
Lilalee's comment on a kid acting out to make herself feel better had an important element of truth in it.
Marg's assessment of the shock of learning to deal with the open world of the net is spot on.

My advice? You won't like it, because it runs so counter to everything we've been raised to value in the physical world -- "Learn to ignore the offensive stuff even when it's all around and right in your face".

How well can I follow my own advice?? (quiet, half-rueful laugh...) What do you think...?

lynnspotter

Over time I also have tried to talk to those showing inappropriate pics or comments. Brandon was one of them. Maybe we 'niced' him out!?!