Important Forum Stuff :: Please Read

[roscoe36]

I've received my share of PMs about the tone of the board, particularly since the playoffs ended. Those Private Messages tend to revolve around, "Someone is trampling my idea" or "This person is not being very nice to me"

And so, to not have to deal with each PM I've been offering to make a post, and in light of some recent discussions, feel that tonight is as good a time as any.

Now, this is not a mandate, but some food for thought and presented by me because I run the board which means that ultimately it's issues and challenges are my responsibility to address.

It's easy to criticize an opinion, and the fast track to dominance is sometimes aggressiveness, although it doesn't benefit anyone in the longterm.

I'm big on a meritocracy. Not of individuals, but of ideas. People here teach me things everyday but only when I listen (read) and take the time to thoughtfully evaluate what they are saying, not jumping the gun on my preconceived notions. I love being right. But I can't be right if I am wrong or my ideas won't hold water when they come under scrutiny.

If someone presents an opinion, and a series of facts (that may or may not be factual) that we don't agree with, it would be a lot more productive to counter the basis of that opinion, than discredit it outright.

We can all have various approaches, styles and interests when we present our thoughts and rightfully so because diversity makes us more knowledgeable and educated as a whole. It also makes us a lot more personal and entertaining to hang around with.

But diversity in opinion, posting style, language should not be a vehicle or license to escalate debate into argument.

These concepts work as long as the right of each person to be heard and not dismissed casually or with disrespect is maintained.

We have a fantastic group of people, who will sometimes get on each other's nerves particularly when there are no games to watch, and no Pistons (at any level) to channel our frustrations towards. But as long as we stay cognizant that our strength is in our intelligence and civility, and try to exercise those characteristics, I think we will make it with very few tears and fewer hard feelings.

Participate. By all means, keep participating. Just please try to consider if a response or post may limit the participation of others.

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