Q&A sessions with LANSAM and PinPics
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I have been quietly following this thread since its start and deliberately not posted anything, but it has gotten to the point where I no longer can remain silent. The lightning rod is up, storm clouds are gathering - and we need to take this down a few notches before we all get electrocuted.
First, let me say that drama is not new to pins and pin trading. As long as there have been pins and pin trading, there has been drama - and I do not believe that drama had anything to do with the decision to close Dizpins (but that's a discussion for another day and another thread, so I won't digress).
That being said, as I've said on numerous times, the Internet is a place where people come together to exchange and share thoughts and ideas. Not everyone is going to agree all the time, which is fine; I believe that when two (or more) people agree all of the time, at least one of them has stopped thinking. One of the great things about DPF is that the administrators and moderators provide a forum which encourages and permits open discussion and exchange of ideas. They trust us to act like adults and post responsibly and maturely at all times, expecting us to treat each other with respect and courtesy, giving us a privilege that isn't found on many other sites.
Which brings me to this thread and, really, the entire series of threads about Pin Pics and Lansam. TiggerNut is posting facts and opinions in a manner that is within TOU (I have no doubt that the administrators and moderators are watching these threads closely and, if they had any problems with what she was posting, they would make said objections known). Like it or not, TiggerNut is a member of this forum and she has just as much of a right to post here as any of us. If you disagree with or don't like the facts and opinions contained within her posts, you have several options:
1. Respond to what she is saying, but make it a mature, adult discussion that focuses on the subject (without making it a personal attack)
2. Just ignore her - Grim has an excellent thread with instructions on how to ignore a member or, if you ask, almost anyone can tell you how to do this
3. Just read the posts but don't respond; if you don't believe you can post something constructive that will advance the discussion in a positive direction, maybe you don't need to post
However, telling members to shut up, stop posting, and go away just is immature and not an appropriate response. IMO, only administrators/moderators have the right to tell a member to stop posting and/or go away - and that would come in the form of a deserved suspension or ban, not posted in frustration or anger in a thread on the boards.
The reason I'm posting this is because I believe in the importance of open discussion. When there is an issue like the future of Pin Pics, we need to be able to discuss the facts (such that they are) and our opinions openly in a mature, adult manner. I think that if threads like these are closed, either another one will emerge to take its place, the discussion will get shoved to the background into whispered rumors and conversations (which I think will be far more damaging to the hobby), or both. Right now, the administrators and moderators are treating us like adults, but that may not last much longer. If we want to be treated like adults, we need to act like it. Otherwise, we may start getting treated like children - and if that happens, we probably won't like it.
First, let me say that drama is not new to pins and pin trading. As long as there have been pins and pin trading, there has been drama - and I do not believe that drama had anything to do with the decision to close Dizpins (but that's a discussion for another day and another thread, so I won't digress).
That being said, as I've said on numerous times, the Internet is a place where people come together to exchange and share thoughts and ideas. Not everyone is going to agree all the time, which is fine; I believe that when two (or more) people agree all of the time, at least one of them has stopped thinking. One of the great things about DPF is that the administrators and moderators provide a forum which encourages and permits open discussion and exchange of ideas. They trust us to act like adults and post responsibly and maturely at all times, expecting us to treat each other with respect and courtesy, giving us a privilege that isn't found on many other sites.
Which brings me to this thread and, really, the entire series of threads about Pin Pics and Lansam. TiggerNut is posting facts and opinions in a manner that is within TOU (I have no doubt that the administrators and moderators are watching these threads closely and, if they had any problems with what she was posting, they would make said objections known). Like it or not, TiggerNut is a member of this forum and she has just as much of a right to post here as any of us. If you disagree with or don't like the facts and opinions contained within her posts, you have several options:
1. Respond to what she is saying, but make it a mature, adult discussion that focuses on the subject (without making it a personal attack)
2. Just ignore her - Grim has an excellent thread with instructions on how to ignore a member or, if you ask, almost anyone can tell you how to do this
3. Just read the posts but don't respond; if you don't believe you can post something constructive that will advance the discussion in a positive direction, maybe you don't need to post
However, telling members to shut up, stop posting, and go away just is immature and not an appropriate response. IMO, only administrators/moderators have the right to tell a member to stop posting and/or go away - and that would come in the form of a deserved suspension or ban, not posted in frustration or anger in a thread on the boards.
The reason I'm posting this is because I believe in the importance of open discussion. When there is an issue like the future of Pin Pics, we need to be able to discuss the facts (such that they are) and our opinions openly in a mature, adult manner. I think that if threads like these are closed, either another one will emerge to take its place, the discussion will get shoved to the background into whispered rumors and conversations (which I think will be far more damaging to the hobby), or both. Right now, the administrators and moderators are treating us like adults, but that may not last much longer. If we want to be treated like adults, we need to act like it. Otherwise, we may start getting treated like children - and if that happens, we probably won't like it.