Know When To Stop Advancing A Point

[Max Power]

One of the main points in the NDF Community Standards is:

"Getting everyone to agree is not a healthy goal. If there are differing viewpoints, members must recognize when to stop advancing a point of view and let a discussion stand, as is."

Recently, it seems some have lost sight of this directive. Therefore, effective immediately, be forewarned - - anyone who is insistent upon repeatedly making the same point in a thread will be suspended from participating in the NDF for a period of six months.

On the spot. No exceptions. No debate. No appeal.

Some may be familiar with the concept of "If you jiggle it more than three times, you're playing with it." Somewhat the same approach applies here with advancing a point - - make the point, and, if necessary, address it one more time if clarification is needed. However, to make the same point a third time will considered a demonstration of not knowing when to stop advancing a point.

And, then, you'll be told to hit the showers.

Agree to disagree. It's a healthy thing to do. Thank you.

[Max Power]

A few have asked for more on this - - hence, this add-on, for clarification:

Answering a question on your point, restating it with supportive info/data or clarifying the point is fine. However, a point doesn't get any better, or more convincing, by it being repeated (alone) during a thread. It's the latter we are trying to avoid.

Posters who read and respect the Community Standards - and follow them - should have no fear. They will never be in a position where they will be suspended. This "zero tolerance" approach is actually a second step towards some (not all, but most) that have already been warned in the past about learning to "agree to disagree." Will this stifle discussion? I don't believe it will stifle "good" discussion. What it aims to stifle is situations like this:

Joe: It's racial.
Sarah: It's not.
Joe: It's racial.
Fred: It's not.
Joe: It's racial.
Mike: It's not.
Joe: It's racial..............and over and over again.

I never like doing things like this - but, when I do them, it's usually because someone forced the issue.

Note - - - it's called the "NetShrine Discussion Forum" - - not the "NetShrine Unhealthy Debate Forum" - - try and always think of it that way. You don't always need to convince the world that you are right and they are wrong.

Here's the brass tacks - - on average, we have about 60 members who come to the site on a given day.............yet, every time we get into one of those "I know what you are, but what am I?" pissing matches in a thread, it's usually 2 (or 3) of the same 5 people whose names are polluted throughout the thread.

This measure is aimed at serving final notice to that small group.

The overwhelming majority of people who know how to play nice should see this directive as a nothing to them.