Quote - Everyone has a different way of posting/answering, etc.  For instance, I remember a loooooooooong time ago, before I became a mod, becoming publicly frustrated with the way Xenophonz used to respond to my questions and/or posts, and freaking out at him in my own not-very-subtle manner.  Looking back...you know, seriously, it wasn't that annoying.  It's just that I expected everyone cater to my ADD and condense their posts, while I still posted my mini-novels (case in point, this post.)

Heh -- I was totally oblivious to having had such an effect, Jen!  It was strictly unintentional on my part, let me assure you.......

As for the central theme of this thread, I take the same approach to this as I do to all such:  it's Renderosity's site, so it's Renderosity's rules that apply here.  From my point of view: the matter is just that simple.  So.......if I'm in a mood to argue politics, then I'll go to places like Townhall to do it.  Places like that are set up specifically for the purpose of discussing politics.  In fact, I've been toying with the idea of starting my own blog over at Townhall -- but I'm not so sure that I'll have the amount of personal time which would be required to do adequate justice to such a blog.  But it might be fun to try.  Maybe.

Some people can handle the typical give-and-take of a heated debate without batting an eye in the process.  Some people are secure enough in their own skins not to feel personally insulted (and run off pestering the mods about it via IM) when a forum debate opponent starts in with the standardized name-calling, or with the usual tack of questioning the personal motives of their debating partner(s)......... (BTW - such tactics usually derive from being in the process of losing the discussion, when it's based purely upon things like reason & logic)  If you don't like the message -- then attack the messenger (commonly referred to as ad hominem -- sometimes it's subtly done, but usually it's not).  So what?  Actually, it's rather amusing to have near-total strangers hurl the accusation that you are harboring evil, vile intentions -- especially when those who are pointing jabbing finger(s) in your direction are people who you've never met at all in RL, and who've never known you beyond some glowing words on their monitor screen.

Stepping totally outside of any "official" position on my part, the mods here do an excellent job, IMO.  What's more, they do a job that frequently comes without the thanks from the community which their job actually deserves to have from us.............it's often completely thankless.  And the mods deserve better than that from us.  They make this forum work.

You'll see less of me in the 'heated' threads from this point forward.  Not because anyone's instructed me to keep out of them (they haven't) -- but frankly: because such hot-topic threads in the Poser forum are -- generally speaking -- a good way to waste of gobs of personal time.  Time which could be much better spent doing something productive.

So folks, IMO the mods deserve the support of the community.  Even when they do or when they say things that might happen to irritate you.  In no way, shape, or form are you personally belittled -- nor is your life in any way changed for the worse -- because a forum thread gets locked, or because a post gets deleted.  Speaking for myself (the only person who I can speak for) -- I have far more important things to occupy my time than losing sleep over something that is as.......ultimately useless........as whatever transpires in a forum argument. shrug.

If anyone wants to argue politics -- then maybe we can do it over at Townhall.  They invite it there -- that's the purpose of their existence.  By contrast, the purpose of this forum is to discuss a software program called Poser, and ancillary subjects pertaining thereto.  So, yeah -- the OT topics which they allow in here need to be of a relatively placid nature........frankly, people can get hot enough just arguing with each other about lighting techniques in Poser Pro -- with no debates about politics or personal faith even entering into the discussion..............

If we want to argue with each other over the things that Man as a race of thinking (?) beings has argued about since he first had a thought (things that he hasn't solved yet, in spite of thousands of years spent arguing & fighting about them): then there are specialized websites to pursue that type of big-league game-playing.  But be forewarned: there are some pretty smart people who hang around places like Townhall.  And they aren't affected by being called names, or by having their motives called into question............they aren't that insecure.

There are some pretty smart folks who hang around here, too.  A fair number of them, in fact.

I salute the mods.

Something To Do At 3:00AM