Replies

It seems to me that if in order to be able to answer a question asked in this thread, someone would have to bring posts or links to posts in other threads, posts that may or may not have been made by those who are participating in this particular thread, in reality that question cannot be answered due to the forum rules.

As I understand it, quoting and/or linking to those posts would be a violation of the rules against bringing things from other threads. In addition, due to individually identifying those who made posts elsewhere as being a specific sort of person, would also be "making it personal" with regard to those who made the posts brought here in order to answer the question that was asked.

Is my understanding of forum rules correct in this case?

Maybe that is why my answer was “strawman”

Perhaps you are referencing where a poster linked 14 threads described as posts where “messages seem twisted on the posted threads?”

I think that is bringing arguments from other threads and that is not allowed and it seems to be inviting a flame war. I don't think anyone bit.

I'm not too much on pushing the abuse button, so I didn't do so on that one.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/religion/2984201/posts?page=56#56

I don't know why you pinged me to your queries, but thanks I am aware of the rules.

The objective, on the Religion Forum, of not bringing forward disputes from prior threads is to discourage flame wars spreading, in particular the needling or badgering of other posters by bringing up their past remarks, again and again.

However, if you were to say “I recall your saying something else on an earlier thread” and the poster challenged you “Oh yeah, where?” then you would be obligated to link to the previous thread and I would not pull it.

If you want to argue the previous claim, then go back to the earlier thread, ping all the interested parties and say something like “Here you say the sky is green. Why?” The respondent will be obligated then to explain the green comment in context with that particular thread and parties involved in it.

If however you are seeking to “impeach the witness” by showing he waffles back and forth THAT is “making it personal” and I will pull it to avoid a flame war.

And if you are trying to embarass another Freeper by recalling his inconvenient comments from prior threads, THAT is also "making it personal" and I will pull it to avoid a flame war.

A poster may quote himself from a prior thread. And he may link to articles he has previously posted. That is not "making it personal" - he is merely reasserting his own views. He may link to articles posted by others or other posters' remarks which are not part of any dispute, e.g. "You hit the nail on the head when you said..."

If however he is linking to an article posted by someone else - and that article was a "caucus" of which he was not a member - then I might pull the post anyway if I think it would have the affect of defeating the caucus label. Besides, he can always quote the source article directly without seemingly trying to work around the caucus protection.