Apologies

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Biollante

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Hi All,

My loss of decorum was inexcusable and I do apologize to Greg Watson, Tom Barr, the fine people who operate The Barr Report and to anyone who witnessed my inexcusable loss of composure.

It is quite probable that Tug is right that I am just an old gasbag :gw with nothing relevant to say.

Experience is meaningless.

I am not sure why Philosophos chose to assign motive and bad intention to what is simply my opinion in a rather specific situation. Dan’s slander and misstatements do not justify my loss of composure. At no time did I denigrate Dan or his views, I simply do not agree with all of them.

I appreciate those of you who sent me your kind words. :)

I started here on the Barr Report as I suspect many did. For a couple of years I read and I asked a few questions, due principally to health issues I stopped and started a couple of times as a “Junior Poster” then a "Prolific Poster" this past year as I regained my health I signed up as a ‘real’ subscriber, I could not believe all the stuff I had been missing! I got my monies worth the first week or two. (Not to mention I found out I really had nothing to worry about health wise, ‘cause when you become a Lifetime Subscriber, they tell you how long that is.) (Which caused me to wonder if they send you your Lifetime membership and it expires next week, will they give you, or your heirs, a refund?)

Then I made my next mistake, which was to think I had anything relevant to add.

I am a tinkerer, I try out just about every situation I can, that I am not familiar with, I find myself rather excited about ‘new’ discoveries. I change my mind about things all the time, based on the evidence. I have found that for the most part people do not care and do not want to hear about ‘discoveries.’

I will withdraw from interaction on the forums.

This probably belongs in “Off Topic Chat,” given my ‘meltdown’ occurred in non-subscriber areas, I thought it appropriate to apologize in a non-subscriber area.

Biollante
 

Tom Barr

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Just stay on topic with the ideas discussed, then no off topic stuff occurs.
We all stray, we all cannot communicate perfectly.

So a grain of salt helps.

Even old gasbags can learn.

Regards,
Tom Barr
 

Philosophos

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I'm not sure where I made any comments about you or your behavior until you started cross posting. At worst I said that I found your behavior immature (not you as a whole) after you started cross-posting; I'm not sure I'd call that slander. By telling other people to private message you over what is being publicly discussed, you only offer your one view to one person and eliminate the possibility for discussion over what could be a valuable concept. By doing it without letting the debate end calmly first, praising yourself as some sort of controversial/revolutionary thinker, and then inferring that I was angry about the entire thing, it honestly seemed to me that you had a malicious intent.

I'm sorry if I misunderstood your premise; I'm still not sure how it varies from what my understanding was at the time. I was not trying to frustrate you by making a straw man out of your arguments.

Either way, we're both heavy posters here and it won't do to continue dragging this out. It's pretty much an unspoken rule that the entire core of regular posters on a forum need to get along if the forum is to do well. I'm willing to set this all aside as a misunderstanding of intents on both our parts.
 

Biollante

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I Understand You Well

Hi,

Good one Left C, my theme song! :D


I have enjoyed the interaction, on ideas. I cannot believe how much I have learned and continue to learn. Following the empirical rather than some priori, turns amazing results. :gw

Dan, there is no misunderstanding. I understand you well. :)


I have always been happy to argue any point, heck I will even take a side I do not personally agree with, but assigning motive and relying on misstatement, premise without foundation and a priori, oh please.

There is legitimate discourse; there is legitimate disagreement that is not the case here. The possibilities for public discourse are severely limited, private discourse becomes an alternative. :cool:



If I should choose private messaging for discourse, given the limitation on public discourse you have imposed, private messaging is one, legitimate avenue for me to proceed, allowing me to express my opinions without reducing me to your tactics.



Should I see a topic I think I may have opinion or fact I wish to share I will offer it via private messaging; to ensure I am not bothering people with private messages they do not want, I choose to let the readers choose to contact me or not. :)


You may well regard me as unworthy of polite discourse, you are not the first, since I know that I will live a long (Yay!:D Lifetime Charter Membership!) enough to run into your sort again.



Biollante
 

Philosophos

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Once again, how am I supposed to react when you pull the issue out of the thread and make it forum wide while basically accusing me of being emotionally compromised while praising yourself for your ideas being controversial? Am I supposed to presume you're trying to diffuse the situation by cross posting several threads to tell everyone to speak to you in private about your opinions and how they disagree with what I have to say? How much more foundation do I need?

How much of a motive did you really have in avoiding argument? How many times have I actually ended up disagreeing with you in any major way that's overrun a thread? How is asking others to message you so that you can offer a different point of view without criticism even a reasonable response given that this is the first time anything of this sort has happened? Can you really say that accusing me of being emotional, speaking highly of your own opinions, then cross posting a bunch of threads as a result of pretty much our only disagreement was a clear-minded response?

Should I have waited until your private messaging did become an issue? I'd rather drag things out like this then tolerate that sort of drama. I would have to be naive to think that it wasn't personal given your lack of motive to have anything but personal intent over a silly debate. If it wasn't intended to be, you should've handled the situation much differently. You didn't though, and you don't seem to think any of your actions were out of place. I'm honestly not sure what you're even specifically apologizing for in this thread.

And what sort am I? What are you implying here? Are you saying that I'm not going to be here regularly? I never said that I will never debate with you again. I'm just not interested in engaging you, or anyone else, who responds to a hobby-related debate in a personal way. I'm having a hard time seeing evidence for anything else; your response was disproportionate to past history.
 
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Gerryd

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Hi folks,

I am unfamiliar with the events referred to in this thread but would like to offer the following unsolicited advice:

I would take this discussion private via PM or e-mail or an actual phone conversation to work out any differences of opinion, as I do not see a specific topic or idea debated on this page so far such as 'does the sun really set in the west?'.

It appears to be heading in a personal direction and that is never a good thing.

Web postings and e-mails are tone deaf by nature and tone can be critical in a conversation or discussion. It can be very easy for mis-understandings to arise.....

Can you two 'shake hands' and put any potential 'personal' difference aside and continue to contribute to the forum?

I have benefited from both of your posts and assume that others have as well. Healthy debate and discussion is vital for any community and to promote a healthy learning environment.

Thanks,
 
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Tug

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Being an old gasbag, doesn't mean you have nothing relevant to say.

It's my fault. PM sent.
 

LoudCreature

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Oct 17, 2009
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I wouldn't sweat it Biollante, the old gasbag, has a way of co-opting these things.

Biollante is not hurt by a little name calling, it was the nasty twist of what should have been a good-natured disagreement among friends. Biollante is a funny old-fashioned sort, honor means something and what Dan did was dishonorable or at best disingenuous. Not merely poor communication skills, not a poorly thought out moment, Biollante gave at least two opportunities to step back from over the line, Dan chose not too.

Such behavior may be fine with the folks that run things here but it is not all right.

LC
 

Philosophos

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LoudCreature, you've done nothing but antagonize this situation by attacking me and accusing me of insulting Biollante. I haven't insulted him yet; I disagree with his current behavior, not his general character as a person. I think taking this whole thing to PM would be a good idea. The rest of the forum is probably getting tired of seeing it, and the only reason you actually show up here on this forum is to speak on his behalf.
 
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Tom Barr

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Kids, am I going to have to close the threads and play baby sitter??
I do so only extremely rarely.

Stick to the topics at hand, some off topic stuff, maybe jokes, maybe funny, maybe a recipe of your fav food, place, etc........

None of the rest really matters, nor have I seen anything that is really personal/insulting etc.
I have thick skin and know when someone is getting personal however.

I suggest all parties do the same(hint hint).
Let it go, move on, none of this is worth pursuing further.
No good shall come.

Regards,
Tom Barr
 

deucebiggss

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Aug 31, 2009
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I agree with Tom. This is a great forum, why ruin it with pettiness. I have really enjoyed myself on here and I am sure others are too. But this is high school garbage. Time to move on...
 

LoudCreature

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Oct 17, 2009
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' Neurological Event'

Hi Dan and Tug,

I am sorry Tug, I did not see your note... or spaced it.

I was going to write you and Dan.

I just brought Biollante home from the hospital, there had been some problems, that ended in a 'neurological event'.

Biollante has been on an IV therapy for a rare and strange immune system disorder, leave it to Biollante to get something no one has ever heard of.

The doctors say that a change they made at the beginning of the month is the cause. The doctors noted that agitation and difficulty focusing were symptoms.

Heaven alone knows why, but I know Biollante thinks the world of both of you. He sees something worthy in both of you, that is not something Biollante gives lightly. Perhaps a little of the young Biollante.

While I do not really approve of the way you treated Biollante, My over-protectiveness combined with the 'neurological event' were most responsible.

Biollante is doing fine and already tried to get online, sleep first, computer second is the rule though. For the time being we are going to limit Biollante to blogs and I or one of the pa's will watch any posting or reply to comments. Biollante receives a bit of e-mail from people wanting help so we will watch that as well.

Thank you for understanding.
LC
 
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