Steph, everyone gets a say, but not everyone's say gets the same weight in everyone's head.

But the board I heard so many good things about featured posters considering other posters' points, extending true consideration to ideas - whatever the source, newbie or veteran.

I also don't appreciate the implication that there is little to no consideration of others, or politeness, in the current board culture.

Rafmun, it's these assertions that bother me, that I disagree with completely, and that you are just throwing out there and insisting we take at face value.

I'm interested in what you have to say, and engaging you in discussion, but it really seems to me as if you're descending deeper into hyperbole with every post.

Okay, I guess I can't let things die. But when I posted essentially the same thing -- though in a much more aggressive tone -- people stepped up and said "Nope; everyone gets a say." How is what I said so different?

Both points effectively ignore the issues raised by said newbie and instead focus on the cred. It's a fantastic way to undermine a posters' value and avoid dealing with uncomfortable issues, and a really horrible way to encourage insight and input from new sources.

the cyber equivalent of "Do I look fat in these pants?"

"Do I look fat in this font?"

Rafmun, do you think we are ignoring the issues you are raising?

Ideally, a decision made in the center only makes the edges moderately unhappy. If you know you're on the edge of popular opinion, you have to know that most things won't go your way most of the time.

What Jesse said.

I feel like we already do a lot to bow to the most sensitive posters on things like spoilers and thread proliferation. But to agree with Trudy -- it is important that we keep in mind that sometimes, the extreme desires of a few are more important than the slight desires of many.

And Scrappy's point is fair*, I should have asked "is it me?" rather than just automatically taking up the "there is no problem" banner.

(*tangent - Do you have any idea how hard it is to stop calling you Scrappy?)

I'm interested in what you have to say, and engaging you in discussion, but it really seems to me as if you're descending deeper into hyperbole with every post.

Asking for compassion and a little less harshness translates to 'descending deeper into hyperbole'?

This is a tough room.

Dude, friend, man, comfortadore - as I said a few times above, take it or leave it, and value it as you will.

I think that it's important to note (as I believe David touched on) that when you criticize someone/thing, you have to have some cred to do so.

Okay, I guess I can't let things die. But when I posted essentially the same thing -- though in a much more aggressive tone -- people stepped up and said "Nope; everyone gets a say." How is what I said so different?

First, I touched on it, but only to disagree with it. I know that some people (most vocally, Steph, Allyson) think that seniority confers certain privileges. But, I'm probably more invested in the notion of sweat equity. Which is why I personally grant Allyson's opinions a bit more respect, even though she joined us later in the game. Since I believe in sweat equity, then joining in and contributing is one of the essential ways to earn it. (Though people contribute in many ways, aside from in-thread discussion.)

But I really don't like, on a gut level, a council of elders vibe.

Asking for compassion and a little less harshness translates to 'descending deeper into hyperbole'?

No, and now you're engaging in misdirection. That's not at all what I said.

Asserting that there is no compassion already present is hyperbole.

Your statement, by it's structure, flat out accuses us of having no compassion, and engaging only in harshness, and it is these implied assertions that are really beginning to bother me.