Posted by tabitha on December 11, 2003, at 3:47:57
In reply to does anyone else think i was unfairly blocked?, posted by crushedout on December 10, 2003, at 23:50:59
I know it doesn't feel fair, but your block did seem consistent with the usual application of the rules here. Repeating a criticism of another poster after getting warned is a pretty sure way to get a block. Yes your words were repackaged as a complaint about the warning, but still, there they were again. Bob doesn't give much leeway after he's declared a remark to be uncivil.
The original warning also seems consistent with Dr. Bob's policy. When you are offended by a post, if you don't want to get banned, and don't want to stay silent, you have to state your reaction in a way that isn't a put-down of the other person or their post. For instance you can say 'I feel hurt by that remark' but you can't say 'that remark is condescending and offensive'. You have to get rid of all the judgement words, and you can't cheat and just say 'I feel that remark is condescending and offensive.' It doesn't matter if 20 people agree with you that the remark sounded offensive and condescending, Bob will still ban you. I've seen people here get in trouble for insulting posts that were ridiculously out of line. Bob has inflexibly refused to let anyone insult the insults.
There have also been prior cases where someone manages to offend people but doesn't get sanctioned. Bob seems to strictly judge use of language without assessing subtleties like an overall tone that some people hear as condescending. The fact that someone finds it offensive, or several people find it offensive, never seems to sway him in the least. He'll just keep banning the people who complain, if they aren't careful to phrase their remarks according to the guidelines.
poster:tabitha
thread:288655
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/admin/20031120/msgs/288684.html