Blocking somebody

Nor me!

One area of philosophy in life I like to follow (I say this with tongue firmly in cheek)...

Do unto others...as you would have them do unto you.....

Unless you do it to them FIRST!

If I begin reading anything here or any place else, and I don't like the direction it's going, I leave and go make stuff at Zazzle.

Not everyone thinks like I do, and that is a GOOD thing!  There are so many people here who see things very differently than I do - and their beliefs are the opposite of mine, but I find it totally heartening to find that we can get along just fine!  I don't ignore them because they live a lifestyle, or write about things, I don't agree with.  I believe that having an open mind in this life is the most important thing - and we miss out on meeting great people if we let any one thing keep us from knowing them better.

That being said,  sometimes it is not possible to like someone.   Unfollow them and stay away from reading what they post anywhere.  I also don't think a blocking feature is necessary.  I can see that getting out of hand.

I have a suitcase full of "triggers." Most days, the suitcase is locked and under the bed...and life feels in balance. But when those triggers appear, as tempted as I am to blame externally (and yes, I'm human and I do this)...I know that my job (dammit) is to learn and grow from these feelings internally. It isn't fun, it can be maddening when a trigger is in full force...but when I start paying attention to how I feel, questioning why do I feel that way, then I can get to work on myself.

I'm not in support of a block button because I know that this experience is necessary for me to learn about myself. I know I can't change the person, event...only myself. But it isn't easy, when a trigger is in full swing...but it isn't supposed to be. I have to do the work to see results, like a stomach crunch.

However, I do believe there is an unspoken message being uttered here underneath the block button request, that truly deserves mention. The Wizzley forum, compared to others out there, feels so pure and untarnished to date. It's the only forum I spend time on anymore because it has a feel of positive energy and hasn't been infected with the unhealthy features/problems/games/users seen in other forums.

I think there is a fear that, with growth, Wizzley's forum will become like other forums. The power trips and slamming others, attention-seeking behaviors, trolling, ganging up/group formations...that it won't be able to be kept "pure," so to speak.That where there is one, soon there will be 5, 20, 50 more in the future.

Where fear of loss is motivator, I can see why it feels that blocking will "keep the bad stuff out." Even though, as we know, the reality is that this would only be fooling ourselves.

Robin - we admins read every word posted in the forum. As soon as we think there might be a danger of things getting out of control, we act by deleting posts or even their authors' accounts, closing threads, or whatever seems to be appropriate. At the current size of our community, there's no reason to worry.  

chefkeem: 02/05/2013 - 11:39 AM

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Robin - we admins read every word posted in the forum. As soon as we think there might be a danger of things getting out of control, we act by deleting posts or even their authors' accounts, closing threads, or whatever seems to be appropriate. At the current size of our community, there's no reason to worry.  

 

Yikes...I didn't think about how I sounded.

Please know I never meant to imply that the admins aren't the absolute BEST - I don't think any of you ever sleep...you're always available, and I'm so thankful for that!

Maybe I should have described it more as a "negative energy" of sorts...like a ghost...there's nothing real blatant to jump on, but you get that feeling, y'know?

But I do know the main reason this forum is so great is because you all really, really keep it clean - no BS. You don't worry about an author's "status" (meaning we are all equals, all expected to follow the rules)...if someone is out of line, you will tell it like it is...whether they have 300 articles or 3. If any forum has hope of staying positive, it is absolutely this one!!

Thanks for that!!!

Wow. Great post Paul! 

edit: and Sheri and all the rest- this is turning out to be an amazing discussion and it doesn't reek of the stench usually found on threads like this on other forums- I felt it going in a negative direction then BAM chef comes in with wisdom Jesus would high five him for :) I felt the need to inject some optimism into the thread if for no other reason than to feel myself that I was being irrational in my immediate impressions and opinions (i.e. yea me too we need a block button- now I think about how ridiculous that is- real life has no block button you just deal and move on or suffer the consequences of being ridiculous! Amazing comments you guys/gals, just cool. This is yet another brick in the wall of a community that proves that you don't have to be mean to one another to hash out something even something that lends heightened emotions and irrationality...

Paul: 02/04/2013 - 08:55 PM

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I've always been a great believer in communication. Most issues can be sorted out with a private chat, as so many of born of misunderstandings. (rest omitted to avoid dupe)

 

Jerrico:

'chef comes in with wisdom Jesus would high five him for :)'

That really made me giggle.  I have such a mental image of it.  I really wish that I was an artist, because I'd so draw it!

This should suffice (and make you giggle even more)...

(Image courtesy: https://twitter.com/jesus)