Partisanship, Who Needs It?

Partisanship, Who Needs It?

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Open thread for any banned at TMV


With one of my favorite comment boards having the ban hammer held over heads in a threatening matter (and in some cases certainly justified), I figured I'd open this thread up so that any banned folks could let us know where they are posting now, or where they might like to join up and another board and post together. This goes to those I tend to see eye to eye with and those who I tend not to. I don't care what your views are far-right to far left or anywhere in between you are welcome to use this thread to let others know where to find you if you wish and to vent.

The invitation extends to any TMV moderators or staff if they wish to comment on any bannings or to vent.

18 comments:

gcotharn said...

LOL. Thanks for this. I'm pretty sure this will soon enough be my only connection. Although, as I will be commenting less and less at the other place: maybe the lack of frequent comments will distract the executioner from remembering to chop off my head? Or not. Which means you will have a tale to tell: of victory.

If you ever want to reach me, email gcotharn via yahoo's mail.

Leonidas said...

Well, I'm not as frequent a poster at this site http://riseofthecenter.com/ , (the comment section is a tad awkward at the moment with e-mail confirmations, but it actually is a centrist site with intelligent commentary if your interested. At least some of the people there used to be authors and commenters on TMV before they left due to the strong leftward swing. Anyhow might want to check it out if you want a more intellectual and decidedly more centrist site.

gcotharn said...

thx. I will check it out, awkwardness and all.

BTW, I was just making the "tale to tell: of victory" comment b/c I was thinking of Thermopylae. If/when I am banned at TMV, please do not defend me. I would be horrified if you put yourself at risk by doing so: I do not want that. I would rather fight my own fight and be the only person to suffer the consequences of the choices I make.

Have a good week.

Leonidas said...

No worries, I'll defend whomever I want whenever I choose and there is not a single repercussion that TMV could threaten me with that would make a bit of difference. Its a political forum not some rare jewel.

I went there originally for some serious moderate thought and that was good for a while, but after they chased off most of the moderate writers there, or after those writers left in frustration of what was becoming almost (Patrick and Logan excepted)an entirely leftist and mostly far-leftist blog, that was no longer the case. At that point I switched to enjoying presenting a alternative perspective and often down right debunking the skewed perceptions, liberal spin and in some cases downright falsehoods of the authors there. As someone on a centrist forum commented about TMV, "how can they claim to remotely be a moderate cite with an ideologue like her (Kathy Kattenberg) on their staff."

I still enjoy my time there, but if I were banned my life wont come to an end, I have too many interests and there are plenty of political forums and smarter folks to read than the writers at TMV.

Unknown said...

Just two comments: The word "cite" means a source or reference. The word "site" means a place or location. I believe that is the spelling you intended.

And second: My last name is spelled KATTENBURG not KATTENBERG.

Thank you. Have fun with your vent-about-TMV-and-specific-writers-on-TMV site.

Kathy

Leonidas said...

Thanks for the spelling correction Kathy and you are welcome here as is everyone, I'm just having this as a link for folks who want to keep in touch.

You know your not a moderate and you never have pretended to be. Nothing wrong with being who you are, just misleading to call a site Moderate and pack it with so many non moderates. It used to actually be reasonably moderate, but that was before your time there I believe so you likely don't realize how far it has shifted.

Leonidas said...

Looks like I got it first, LOL. Well no worries like I said many times Joe can ban whoever he wants and I support that. He has no obligation to be fair and hold his writers accountable like he hold his commenting guests, more power to him for using his authority to promote his goals.

Leonidas said...

I don't fault Joe at all for my ban, I overstepped his rules and that is fine, I just note his unwillingness to apply the same standards to others particularly those he invites to write article on his site. That doesn't justify not banning me, however, and I support his decision there.

gcotharn said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
gcotharn said...

ack, electronic Google ghost - possibly in concert with a jumpy mouse, removed my genius comment! Dang it. (if you removed my comment, then feel free to remove it again. So long as you saw it)

Resummary:

This is a blessing for you.

TMV is a denigration of and debasement of any commenter with moxie. Here's why: the comment rules are overdone, oppressive, and conflict with each other; setting up a circumstance in which any commenter with moxie is a guilty felon. This sets up a banana republic dynamic: oppressive laws conflict with each other, setting us a circumstance in which any citizen with moxie (i.e. any citizen who ventures out of their house) cannot help but violate some of the conflicting laws. The effective result is that all citizens who venture forth from their homes become at the mercy of an arbitrary and capricious ruler who can have them executed at whim. The effect is to keep citizens under the thumb of the government. The only citizens who escape this fate are citizens without enough moxie to venture out of their homes and live life fully.

That blog moderation is damnably difficult ... is no excuse for incompetent or capricious blog moderation. If blog moderation rules do not work (and they don't), then change the rules. I would let the commenters fly, except in the very most extreme and obvious cases of oppressiveness.

As is, TMV has allowed blog commenters to drive 80 mph, then punished you for flowing with traffic. Unacceptable, imo.

Yet, ironically, a blessing for you. You are better than that blog. To life, my friend. L'chaim! Your life is better, today, than yesterday.

Leonidas said...

I still think its Joe's blog and he has everyright to do whatever he wants and even if he treats guests as second class citizens and the authors as being above the rules that is his choice.

In real life he is a ventriloquist, and his blog reflects that, with his far-lefty dummies like Kathy and Shaun doing the talking/posting so he can try to hide behind a false "Moderate" while the dummies spread the message he wants which has long ago ceased to be advocacy for moderation and turned to one sided partisan demonization.

Sad really.

gcotharn said...

That Joe has every right .. does not mean his actions are right.

It is interesting that he is a ventriloquist. Your analogy is legit.

It is also legit to mourn your departure from TMV. Yet, even as mourning is a normal part of life, all round the year, it is also absolutely true that you are better off today than yesterday. You have outgrown that blog and those commenters. They are beneath you. We can mourn the loss of fellowship, yet, they do not deserve your good fellowship and good humor.

And it's not that you are Churchill, or Twain - though you are a better blogger than either. But, rather, it is that TMVers have not displayed the integrity, good humor, and intellectual acuity which is deserving of your fellowship.

Onward. New fields to plow. Attractive, enticing fields.

gcotharn said...

Could you email me? If so, I used yahoo email. Tx.

Leonidas said...

No need for a pep talk, a lefty blog masquerading (and pretty badly) as a moderate one isn't going to ruin my day. Not like I don't have an internet full of other places to go and comment, TMV isn't even the one I commented on most.

Leonidas said...

What did you want me to e-mail you?

gcotharn said...

I want to briefly correspond via email.

Anonymous said...

I don't know what is going on with the email verification thing at Rise of the Center... I suspect it had something to do with the Wordpress upgrade not too long ago... I'm going to take that down and see if I can't find something similar that isn't buggy. Sorry about that.

I left TMV... I dunno... a year and a half ago? Its bullshit how they make you jump through hoops to comment, the number of ads make it spammy, and there are some really flaming liberals there. Its absurd that they still call themselves the moderate voice... and amusing that the flaming lib TMVer Kathy Kattenburg came here to comment.

If any remaining TMV people want a blog that caters genuinely to those who are moderate right, centrist and moderate left, Rise of the Center is always open to contributors, either occasional guest posts or regulars.

Leonidas said...

Well my e-mail is Ogrier@Carolina.rr.com