Should AMT be shut down?

HughFreakingDillon said:

it should change to a Dave A mugshot instead.

dankind said:

The bars and "user banned please carry on" images are Vanilla forum defaults. I know that subscribers can request their own images for banned users (not sure about the bars), but that makes it a little too personal.

That being said, I humbly suggest an Ogie Ogilthorpe avatar for all banned users.

jeffbr said:

I believe the bars are automatically overlaid on a user's avatar when they are put on a warning in the system. It isn't something the mods can change apparently. Just like they can't change the banned avatar when a user is banned. I think it is goofy, and agree with Hugh, it seems silly and designed to "shame" the poster. I also think that the bars can be used by trolls to bait a user into jumping from warned to banned. It would be nice if the warning was something between the mods and the user, rather than a public thing.

As far as the original topic goes, the AMT should absolutely not be shut down. If someone is easily offended, the solution is not to enter the AMT. If someone can't control themselves, the solution is to take a little break from here, hopefully self-imposed, to chill out, and then come back with new perspective. This is the one place here that allows people to really be challenged and to engage in interesting and important discussions, and that shouldn't be stifled. I would suggest that anyone who thinks the AMT should be shut down should examine themselves instead of the forum to see where the problem is.

Enkidu said:

HughFreakingDillon said:

I have never understood why the trolls get a pass (until SEVERAL offences) and the responders defending themselves get the paddle, but whatever. just don't respond to them. simple as that.

Yes.
Isn't one of the points of AMT to keep asking questions that people do not answer to try and get at some truth? (Or to ask questions again when you think the answers provided are total BS?) Why should 98% of the good people on here have to deal with 2% of the donkey-hole? And if the answer is 'just because' then nobody should be banned. We should be able to call a spade a spade.

Why wouldn't the trolls --- (especially the Excessive Flaggers) -- be sent bars and then packing? I don't see bars over the Avatar that told everyone to sack up and see what happens if you offend them. ("Deal with the consequences"....same thing) Clearly threatening behavior and if I were a whiny baby I would have flagged the post.
Seems silly to ban people who are good people and not the people who get off on being mean spirited/argumentative just to pass time.

brianlux said:

HughFreakingDillon said:

jeffbr said:

I believe the bars are automatically overlaid on a user's avatar when they are put on a warning in the system. It isn't something the mods can change apparently. Just like they can't change the banned avatar when a user is banned. I think it is goofy, and agree with Hugh, it seems silly and designed to "shame" the poster. I also think that the bars can be used by trolls to bait a user into jumping from warned to banned. It would be nice if the warning was something between the mods and the user, rather than a public thing.

As far as the original topic goes, the AMT should absolutely not be shut down. If someone is easily offended, the solution is not to enter the AMT. If someone can't control themselves, the solution is to take a little break from here, hopefully self-imposed, to chill out, and then come back with new perspective. This is the one place here that allows people to really be challenged and to engage in interesting and important discussions, and that shouldn't be stifled. I would suggest that anyone who thinks the AMT should be shut down should examine themselves instead of the forum to see where the problem is.

correct, the bars and the user banned thing is part of the software, and the mods can do nothing about it. it used to be private. you'd look at your profile to see what warning level you were at. 1 was one warning, 2 was second warning, 3 was permanent ban. levels 1 and 2 would decrease incrementally after 90 days based on good behaviour.

I've taken self-imposed breaks. I was gone for a few months not long ago. with the full intent on never coming back, initially. but then I got bored at work. LOL.

I used to get vexed by people trying to goad me and then I'd swear I was done here. No more though because I realized that it's better to ignore bating. For example, a while back someone here implied that my life as a book seller must be really cushy. In fact, just today while I was scouting for books in a thrift store a guy came up to me and starting calling me a capitalist pig and telling me that I'm taking advantage of others and then he told me to go fvck myself. Like most trolls, he has no idea what he is talking about. He has no idea that I'm 64 years old and have no financial means of ever fully retiring (not that I would anyway) or that my knees are shot such that it's difficult for me to get up from a crouched position or that my back, hands and elbows are shot from years of lifting tons of books. But so what? I figure he's the one who is weak. I just laugh. Ignore the trolls.

brianlux said:

HughFreakingDillon said:

jeffbr said:

I believe the bars are automatically overlaid on a user's avatar when they are put on a warning in the system. It isn't something the mods can change apparently. Just like they can't change the banned avatar when a user is banned. I think it is goofy, and agree with Hugh, it seems silly and designed to "shame" the poster. I also think that the bars can be used by trolls to bait a user into jumping from warned to banned. It would be nice if the warning was something between the mods and the user, rather than a public thing.

As far as the original topic goes, the AMT should absolutely not be shut down. If someone is easily offended, the solution is not to enter the AMT. If someone can't control themselves, the solution is to take a little break from here, hopefully self-imposed, to chill out, and then come back with new perspective. This is the one place here that allows people to really be challenged and to engage in interesting and important discussions, and that shouldn't be stifled. I would suggest that anyone who thinks the AMT should be shut down should examine themselves instead of the forum to see where the problem is.

correct, the bars and the user banned thing is part of the software, and the mods can do nothing about it. it used to be private. you'd look at your profile to see what warning level you were at. 1 was one warning, 2 was second warning, 3 was permanent ban. levels 1 and 2 would decrease incrementally after 90 days based on good behaviour.

I've taken self-imposed breaks. I was gone for a few months not long ago. with the full intent on never coming back, initially. but then I got bored at work. LOL.

I used to get vexed by people trying to goad me and then I'd swear I was done here. No more though because I realized that it's better to ignore bating. For example, a while back someone here implied that my life as a book seller must be really cushy. In fact, just today while I was scouting for books in a thrift store a guy came up to me and starting calling me a capitalist pig and telling me that I'm taking advantage of others and then he told me to go fvck myself. Like most trolls, he has no idea what he is talking about. He has no idea that I'm 64 years old and have no financial means of ever fully retiring (not that I would anyway) or that my knees are shot such that it's difficult for me to get up from a crouched position or that my back, hands and elbows are shot from years of lifting tons of books. But so what? I figure he's the one who is weak. I just laugh. Ignore the trolls.