Shopsmith Forums

pennview wrote:The simple solution to avoid contentious issues is to avoid reading the thread. Or, if someone finds an individual's postings particularly egregious, one could simply add that person's ID to the Ignore List that can be found under the User CP (control panel). In any event, private or not, like it or not, the Community Forum was set up to "for general discussion not related to woodworking."

Exactly! If you don't like what you read here, there's 3 great woodworking forums I know only pertaining to woodworking.

Sometimes I attempt to watch TV, but I can hardly do it anymore without cussing up a storm. I simply turn it off and go to the ShopSmith forums or mess around with my ShopSmith.

The person you were before asked you a question?
Stupidity could please even the most demanding follower of Freud.
An idea says goodbye to the shooter.

Apologies for the political content above.

[quote="algale"]... have felt it necessary...... any one......must be a......Contrary to what these members may think......your impeachment fantasies* ...You are, however, turning off......where people go ...hurl insults at each other ... may drive off ......
Al* Regarding impeachment fantasies: ****it has nothing to do with**** the Department of Justice]
[Legend: ****glaring error****]

Let's do away with the insult "impeachment fantasies" first. That last comment ("it has nothing…") is at least misinformed. I suspect worse, going by the rest of the message. I can say misinformed on the one hand because facts are involved, but I reserve suspicion for the other since I, unlike the author, do not pretend to know what the other person is thinking.

I find it entertaining how one person can chide another for intemperate speech by using intemperate speech, here, for example, in the form of Personal insults, misstatements, overbroad generalizations, baseless assumptions and a seemingly arrogant attitude.

And the bottom line- bold faced, italicized, underlined and in Header II font- is that no one has to read it! Or this!

Imhso

:-)

algale wrote:Over the last few days, various members have felt it necessary to post to the effect ...

etc.
I find it even more entertaining when the above referenced message berating those who would express their opinions is signed off thusly:

""Ideology is the science of idiots."
---John Adams"

who said "curiouser and curiouser"?

BuckeyeDennis wrote:...progress, ...mutual respect... compromise ... the greater good.

wow.

scary...

skou wrote:" Everyone has a right to his/her opinion (right or wrong) and IMHO no one has the right to stop them from expressing it."


George, while I agree with what you posted, I need to point something out.

A while ago, I was a Mod, at a motherboard maker's Forum. I voiced the opinion, and was backed up by ALL the other Mods, that as a private entity, a Forum owned by a private company DOES INDEED have the right to censor what they want. PERIOD!

If my old Forum, or Shopsmith now, wants to say, no discussions on short, redheaded cows, then we'll have no discussion on short, redheaded cows. (Yes, that is a ridiculous example, but you get my drift.)

Here (I'm assuming that most of us fall into this group) in America, "freedom of speech" only applies to "public" speech. This group is privately held, and SS, since they're "paying the piper" gets to call the dances.

Oh, just so you know, I had an uncle that was a Az state congressman, and later a state Senator. His nephew is now the junior Senator from Az, in Washington. Knowing that, my favourite political thought]"Because his mouth is moving"[/color]

steve

Steve, you are absolutely correct in that the forum owner has that right, but, and this a big but, I was referring to an individual forum member trying to stop another members comments simply because they disagree with what is being stated. This happened to me on this forum once in the past where another member PMed me that he was going to report me to admin. and have me barred if I didn't cease making "certain political comments" because "he" didn't like what I said.

skou wrote:"How do you tell if a politician is lying? (See if anyone can guess the answer.) steve

His lips are moving...everyone knows that, it's just common sense.

With regards to the rest of the post, I tend to agree that forums like this one that are somewhat specific to a subject or group, are not the place to vent our political views. I think that way because political views have no real connection to woodworking & Shopsmiths.

Yes, I know the "Community" one is kind of an open thing, but I look at the SS forums in general as a pleasant diversion from my real world. A way to slip into a virtual club of sorts where we all share a common connection. In that respect, I enjoy discussions that have the effect of bringing us together.

I think polarized political view based discussions have, in my opinion, the potential to push us apart. I see enough of that all around me in the real, day-to-day world. I don't need it here.

For that reason, I don't ever reply to those kinds of threads. I don't wish to expend any of my energy in that area. I think the best way to limit that kind of thing in any forum is to not reply. By ignoring those threads, they may ultimately just fade away of their own accord.

While I do have my own political opinions, all you'll get out of me here is a comment I learned from my brother-in-law, a master of diplomacy.
"I feel strongly both ways."

There seems to be a level of agreement that no one is being forced to read, let alone react to, any post on this forum.
As it should be imho.

An old question arises then, one which has been bothering me off-n-on for 4 or 5 decades: what really is the motivation for anyone to take any measure to control (some say censor) content?

A turn for the worse here? It's still free, how can that be?

As for the "freedom of speech" thing, we can forget for a moment the Constitution. It confuses things sometimes. But go back to what founded this country- the Declaration- and we are reminded that the rest is based on that freedom and others being God given-- not government given or controlled- Unalienable rights.

The "question": why fight that?

trainguytom wrote:I think that way because political views have no real connection to woodworking & Shopsmiths.

Trainguytom, you are wrong, sir. Very, very wrong. In reference to your quote above, tell that to Europeans whose politicians have decided that my Shopsmith is illegal for them to own because it doesn't have a riving knife and because it is capable of accepting a stacked dado blade set.

There are Democrat politicians here in our own country who are trying to enact very similar laws. California is one example. I am not aware of any Republican politicians who are attempting to enact such laws.

Consequently, I disagree with you: political views do indeed have a very real connection to woodworking and Shopsmiths. It is highly unfortunate, but the Democrats have made it so. It is up to us to hold them accountable to ensure that they do not abuse the power those who elected them entrusted to their care.

It looks like it's time to start putting "Molon Labe" bumper stickers on our Shopsmiths!

I'll show some restraint and stop there before I start getting passionate in my typing.

Culprit wrote:It looks like it's time to start putting "Molon Labe" bumper stickers on our Shopsmiths!

I hadn't heard that phrase in its original language before, thanks for using it. Although, I do have doubts about the government starting a Seize the Shop Smiths campaign