Rhetoric and Decorum on the Web

18 Dec 02 | TPartyType

[TPartyType]

After getting frustrated with the incessant flaming, and rather degenerative quality of discourse here at FR, I put together |this web page|.

Decorum is the hallmark of civil discourse. Many people who participate in online discourse show a deplorable lack of decorum, IMO. I don't really care what goes on at other sites, but I'd sure like this forum to engage in civil discourse. Why? Because I believe conservatives should value it, and I know the founding fathers considered civility an indispensible support to free society. |Read this|

Enjoy the links!

just a minute here . . .

Okay. . . . Flame away!

[TPartyType]

Is it the background that makes it hard to read?

[x]

Nice site. You might appreciate this. It also comes with a good bibliography.

The problem is that the Internet allows instant response and it takes time to really grasp and argument and think up objections and defenses. Also, we typically want to annihilate opposing arguments, when in fact it's usually not possible to prove things so conclusively.

[babylonian]

Obviously, you weren't here for the flame wars of '98-99. Since then, FR has been revamped to be the internet equivalent of the Big Mac. (Some of us still can't force ourselves to be civil to the WWF crowd who has since invaded FR.)

[headsonpikes]

Hah! Reduced to Chat, I note. QED.

;^)

[TPartyType]

I know and respect Zarefsky. Thanks.

[cornelis]

Is it the background that makes it hard to read?

Yes, I think so. And there is limited contrast with the blue font.

x thinks time is a factor. It may be lack of education or limited knowledge. Also, a forum is often last resort for those who have failed to get respect elswhere.

The best advice I know is to find the good posters on the forum and do a search on them. Off the top of my head, these posters have things worth saying and responding to (excluding otherwise worthy hit-and-run pundits):

x

Dumb Ox (when he speaks)

Diamond

Iron Jack

Cicero

betty boop

Nebullis

Huck

KC Burke

And more whom others should add because I know this my list would be incomplete.

[boris]

I fart in your general direction!

[boris]

"And by the way, a plagiarist is someone who illicitly reproduces the artistic work of another."

Not even close, spawn of inbred hillbilly beastialists.

Main Entry: pla-gia-rize
Function: verb
Inflected Form:-rized ; -riz-ing
to present the ideas or words of another as one's own

–pla*gia*rism \-*ri-z*m\ noun
–pla*gia*rist \-rist\ noun

Daddy seems to qualify.

--Boris

[TPartyType]

Speakest thou not thy blasphemy lest I instruct my servant to consult the Book of Armaments!

[Grampa Dave]

Thanks for posting this great remark. My Dad and Grandfather taught me this and added a club or a rock. I used this motto when I was 3-4 with a Billy Goat which tried to hurt me. First, I hit it with a rock and then followed up with some my Grand Dad's scrap lumber. The owner came rushing into my Grand Dad's yard to rescue his Billy Goat as I was laying the wood to its head, eyes and ears.

"Compromise is the art of saying "nice doggie" until you can find a big rock."

[Grampa Dave]

Play nice now or I will tell the playground monitor about your agressiveness. Don't you know that mean people suck!

[SierraWasp]

Ya but... Grampa!!!

Some 90 lb weakling just kicked sand in my face!!!

[Grampa Dave]

Well, quit yer bitching and kick his 90# butt! Then drag him face down in the sand until his teeth are really clean, and his skin has been derma abrased.

[SierraWasp]

"Don't you know that mean people suck!"

Yeah, I've heard they suck canal water, or worse yet, they suck from the new Davis revenue stream... listen!!!

Did'ja hear it???

That giant Steve Peace/Gray Davis SUCKING SOUND in Suckramento, coming from the Crapitol!!!

EEEEEEEEEUUUUUUUUUUUW!!! (Better put your wallet in a new middle pocket in the back of your pants!) BOHICA!!!

[TPartyType]

The link in #9 is truly funny! I'm going to add that to the HTML Sandbox! (I never bothered to read it before . . .)