Yeah Socrates,  I never bother with chat so I am completely in the dark.   Can you elaborate more, please ?

There are some very infantile contributions made on the forums too, and it seems that certain people are more apt to make them than others.

But that's about the score all round with internet messageboards and chat rooms, even those which are well moderated. Taking personal offence is a matter entirely up to yourself, and I neither know nor care very much about what might have happened in the chat room, but my own attitude is that the main function of this site outweighs in importance the inevitable trolldom, bickering, and plain nasty insulting behaviour it sometimes attracts, even on the odd occasion when that behaviour might be directed against me.

Incidentally, I've even been taken aback sometimes by the childishly vulgar and outright "insulting for the sake of insult" remarks made by the site founders on occasion, but to let that detract from the valuable amenity they run (and run generally very well) would be just silly.

A more serious criticism of that behaviour is that it makes any half-witted delusional contributor appear urbane and reasonable in comparison simply if he or she refuses to sink to that level of impoliteness, and since this is a form of publishing medium in which such juxtaposition of attitudes on the forums remains on the record for all who care to see it and for as long as the site lasts, then it is even more a shot in the foot than similar transgressions of common sense in a chat room (where the record tends to disappear a lot faster).

So my advice would be to hang around and contribute, but don't be suckered into "defending" a fellow atheist who you find needlessly offensive. Keep it real.

This is what happens when you insist on calling the stickam conference room chat room "the Rational Response Squad."

Here is the chat log from his hypocritical (yeah, he's acting infantile) fit:

[8/2/2008 11:51:23 PM] socratesone says: You have to be careful about who you let in as admins.
[8/2/2008 11:52:06 PM] socratesone says: Please tell admins that that have to WARN people, IN TEXT, before they kick them from the room.
[8/2/2008 11:52:31 PM] socratesone says: It's fucking Saturday night and there are 6 people in the room because of some asshole admin.
[8/2/2008 11:52:41 PM] socratesone says: ...booting people without giving them any warning.
[8/2/2008 11:53:11 PM] socratesone says: I swear, every time I go in that chat room I get booted.
[8/2/2008 11:53:31 PM] socratesone says: I might be an asshole, but I'm not THAT MUCH of an asshole, you know what I mean?
[2:58:15 AM] Brian Sapient says: i don't run that room now, stickam closes the room upon inactivity, and someone else just has the balls to open it
[2:58:22 AM] Brian Sapient says: im not even a mod if i go in
[2:58:32 AM] Brian Sapient says: it's bullshit really
[2:58:34 AM] Brian Sapient says: sorry
[2:58:42 AM] Brian Sapient says: if u can figure it out let me know
[2:58:47 AM] socratesone says: I guess I'm just an asshole.
[2:59:07 AM] socratesone says: I don't understand why I'm ostrocized from the atheist community.
[2:59:29 AM] socratesone says: But it only seams to be from "rational response squad"
[3:00:29 AM] Brian Sapient says: nope, [it's] not even me
[3:00:35 AM] Brian Sapient says: nobody has my password anymore
[3:00:41 AM] Brian Sapient says: just me
[3:00:47 AM] Brian Sapient says: and i haven't been in room for months
[3:00:49 AM] socratesone says: I can figure out that RRS is a buch of fucking assholes.
[3:01:23 AM] Brian Sapient says: or that someone who doesn't likes rrs devised something to fuck with rrs
[3:01:28 AM] Brian Sapient says: i have no clue
[3:01:40 AM] socratesone says: Maybe RSS has become its own worst enemy?
[3:01:56 AM] Brian Sapient says: no
[3:02:07 AM] socratesone says: Maybe you allowed people to represent RRS that don't represent the values that you hold?
[3:02:15 AM] Brian Sapient says: are you hearing me?
[3:02:33 AM] Brian Sapient says: someone else set up the room without my permission
[3:02:40 AM] Brian Sapient says: it could be a christian for all i know
[3:02:52 AM] Brian Sapient says: but i wouldn't assume, i'm a skeptic
[3:02:57 AM] Brian Sapient says: and u?
[3:17:58 AM] Brian Sapient says: ok, i just went to the chat room to check in, mr gawn says he spoke to you in skype for 30 mins about it, you should've provided that detail
[3:18:30 AM] Brian Sapient says: he says you were booted for playing sound clips through the room, then coming back and cursing everyone out or something
[3:19:08 AM] Brian Sapient says: anywho... just stick to the forums if you want moderation from people who are actually monitored, that room is not monitored by rrs

No issue with the core members.  We don't frequent the chat room that he insists on calling "RRS."  He posted his goodbye post well after he was told to stick to the forums.  As you can see by his 35 posts, he doesn't really spend much time at the actual RRS. 

I think Bumbklaat and Mr Gawn are cool, but they basically run the show over there.  And I don't get my panties in a wad if they run it differently than I would.  Neither should Socratesone. 

Except he was reading.  So where do we take our assessment from there? 

Here is what happened, from my perspective:

I was in a chat for about 1/2 hour. Nobody was talking so I tried to keep the conversation going.

During the conversation, I remembered a clip that I thought would be of interest and was relevant to the discussion. I ask if it was OK to play the clip. Nobody objected. I played it and was immediately booted without warning.

After I was booted, I learned later that the people in the room decided that it would be a good idea to talk about how lame I am. I talked to Mr. Gawn in skype and he said that he agreed with me and I shouldn't have been booted when it was just him and me talking, but then I found out that he was talking shit about me in the chat room when I wasn't there.

I came into the room after the '1 hour ban' was lifted, asked why I was booted, and was told that I "was playing sound clips". This pissed me off, as it was not a characterization of what I was actually doing, and in the process of speaking my mind, I was booted AGAIN by these children.

This frustrated me to no end, and I was pissed off. I decided to send Sapient a message which in retrospect doesn't make any sense.

Look at this thread. Look at the messages. If you don't see the comments made here as childish, reactionary group-think,  then I guess the simplest thing I can say is that I disagree with you.

Last night really pissed me off, and I probably did say a few things that were beneath me, but I don't care. I'm actually sick of attempting to be civil in the face of people who just act like assholes.

I'm obligated to sit there an take it for fear of this kind of reaction in this thread? A bunch of people posting their 2 cents about how I shouldn't have a problem with it, or if I do have a problem, I shouldn't say it, or I should tell somebody, but I need to find the right person, or whatever else I did wrong. I got pissed and posted a message and all of a sudden everybody thinks its important enough to weigh in?

I've posted a lot of things on a lot of forum. What gets the most response? This! BULLSHIT DRAMA.

It gives you all the opportunity to get together and tell me what a dick I am.

I think your comments were weak as well, if we're keeping tabs... dare I say childish. 

That's ashame, you weren't dealing with "THE RRS" and should hang out on the forums if you don't want to be booted for bullshit.

An apology instead of not caring would be the less childish tact.

You acted like an asshole in your first post.  You were told that the room doesn't directly represent rrs and then post a thread saying you're leaving RRS because of the chatroom that we don't run.  That pissed ME off.

You didn't have to post the thread.

You didn't have to be so vague leading people to believe that Kelly, Rook, or I was involved.

You didn't have to visit the stickam conference room. 

Would you like me to delete the thread so you don't have to deal with this reaction?

Why did you post a message if you didn't want people to weigh in?  That's the point of the forum... for people to weigh in.  Was your only intent to talk shit about us in a vague manner to make us look bad and have everyone shut up and bow to your whim?

That's not accurate.  There were 11 total posts in this thread when you made this post. 

This thread started by you has 15 posts: http://www.rationalresponders.com/forum/13664

This thread started by you has 66 posts.

You made it into bullshit drama, and you don't post that often here, let's keep your activity on other forums out of the equation.

I don't actually think you're a dick, I think you're not putting yourself in our shoes. 

EDIT - formatting issue - dead_again

Possibly. I thought I was just pissed off and wanted to vent. However, if I DID want attention, this seems like a good way to get it. My point about the reactionary group-think that goes on here is obviously a valid one.

Amazing. You know, I hear people talking about what a bunch of assholes the RRS are, and I have defended the RRS. I hear how they are all childish and arrogant, and I have attempted to explain why this is an unfair mischaracterization. Even though I read things like this in the forums, and hear things like this in the chat room, I still defended them. I WANTED to believe that people like you are worth defending.

You saw this thread as a opportunity get a stab in, when you could have used it as an opportunity to show why I'm wrong, or simply ignore me altogether.

Obviously, you do care. You care enough to respond. You care enough to suggest I go kill myself and take the time to point out what a douche I am. However, you don't care enough to actually understand what my issue is. Instead, you exemplify my point and then claim that the point isn't valid.

Well thank you Sapient...Nice words, and they are very much appreciated, and reciprocated.

It's amazing that after a whopping 37 posts that anyone claiming rationality could make any connection between me & the RRS....

Sorry Socrates...were you hoping for a "Oh please dont go...we need you and your superior intellect and keen insights?" It astounds me when people are so desperate for attention, they will even accept rejection, and when they receive it, they'll whine about  it.

*Mr Gawn stands up from his throne*

Mr Gawn - I came into the rrs chat room and this guy was blareing some kind of comedy standup routine (david cross) directly into the room. It was very loud and since he has no idea what hes doing as a broadcaster he was echoeing as well. I asked him to mute vocaly and he didnt. i then groaned in an annoyed fasion and repeated my request, still nothing but a huge echo and a comedy routine with a decible level that could rival a NASA launch pad. Other members expressed discomfort as well, so one of them booted him and we felt it was the right move to make.

Apon his fresh boot, Socrates send me a pm via skype complaining and making accusations that i was the one that kicked him. I let him know that this was not true and clued him in on who it was. Let be known i also did agree that the boot was quick but there needed to be a resolution. I spoke with the member that kicked him. Usualy we do a "room vote" to kick if there is somebody that is acting rediculous, child-like or just trolling.

I then posted some of the text he sent to me through skype so they (the people of the room) could read directly from him what he was so mad about. I guess Socrates didn't like that, but people cry everyday and why should this one be any different.

He keeps mentioning that there was only 6 people in the room like that number matters. If you manage to bother everyone in the room should the number be relevant? 6 to 600 the entire room was annoyed and thats that. Besides he felt 6 memebers was enough to come back in the room, get on mic and yell into the room to bother the "insignificant 6" as if he was a mongoloid school marm. The number didnt seem to mean much to him then, did it?

I was being polite and extremely cordial with him on skype as well as  back in the room. but he was irate and acting like a madman all worked up after the issue had passed claiming that he had been kicked numerous times which wasnt true. He was kicked once and the other 2 times he left of his own god given free will (ahem, notice the clever pun). the more i tried explaining to him what was going on the angrier he became so he kept leaving all pissy and crying.

I feel we should all get together and have a pity/drama party for Mr socrates. maybe if we give him that kind of attention he can finaly be happy, and every member of the "insignificant 6" can feel fullfilled that we finaly did right by our master.

Now, ive tried to be nice and indeed being nice is very trying for me accomplish. But when you lie on me i will not stand up for you. You have become a cyst on the grey, unshaven armpit of self loathing and should learn to close your mouth when adults are speaking. And know now that your roll is in the same bed as all the other liars, pity seekers and undesireables until you appologize to me for your fraudulant claims and accusations.

i never had a problem with mr socrates until then. He broke one of the rules of the room (NO Broadcasting) and he was dealt with acordingly and thats that.

*slumps back down into his throne*

I for one would rather not see this drama running over into these forums.

Having had my share of Skype, Stickam and Myspace PM's from people whining about "he said this" or "she said that" -->  It has left me with very little tolerance anymore. The OP's concern has me rolling my eyes.

Since the room isn't representative of the Rational Response Squad perhaps Ashie is right to ask if the room is to be left named as such or the password changed.

you know how stickam is. Even if you did get modded, the room would crash prolly 2343432 more times before you visit again.. that or someone else recreated the room. and to be honest.. usually the creator of the room isnt paying attention to the room.. but left the name up so the room wouldn't delete itself. its a constant cycle. come in now, we'll mod you up

Oh sure, so you can all make fun of me and shit, right?  I guess I'm an asshole. 

I haven't been there more than a couple times - todays the first I ever heard it's not actually affiliated with the RRS. I would say you should definitely change the name in that case - since it has the name and is linked to from here most people are going to believe it is run by the RRS.

It's affiliated in the sense that people that are part of this community, use it.  It's not however the "RRS" in that the moderation of the room isn't done by the same team, actions by mods in the chat aren't governed by Kelly, Rook, or I, and the room leadership can change hands quite frequently.

The name will not be changing, but some standard rules and operating procedures are being devised by Ashie and will be on this site tomorrow so that people can be on the same page.

It's because I'm an asshole.  Oh also... I have a dry sense of humor, picked it up from a 7 year old friend I play hide and seek with.

Fuck RRS!

Goodbye everyone, I'm going to leave this community because of you. Right now. After the last few weeks or so of posts (and the often aggressively and needlessly snarky comment storm that accompanies several of them), I feel that I must leave this community. If I were a hacker, I swear to Goddess you people and your stupid forum would be down tonight and never come back. I am soooo outta here. I left highschool a long time ago i don't need to be back there.

Goodbye everyone, it's become clear that I can't post anything in this stupid forum without being the subject of ridicule and persecution without anyone even bothering to stop and wonder if they're being worse than the fluffies they pretend to despise. you are all assholes. If I were a hacker, I swear to Goddess you people and your stupid forum would be down tonight and never come back. Fuck off.

WTF is a fluffy? And to be more accurate they should add spelling errors. Still it's fun to mess with.

Goodbye everyone, I no longer feel welcome here, or that kinship I was searching for. Well I tried pleasing everyone and it's just waisting my time. Besides, the hunkdorkins don't work. Hello! (oops - algorithm glitch)

(Edit: Waisting time, I assume, is the time required for a non-American to assume the midriff proportions common to that country's average citizen.)

Switch to linux. It comes with a free wetwipe.

Good, coz you suck at it.

I gotta get a credit card again so I can start paying monthly dues, I miss doing that.... thanks for inspiring me to start sending the RRS cash again.

- Chris