I have a question

[ray_MAN]

How could you say, "If you really want to discuss this, google up mens health and find a forum better suited to it.", or "If you want to talk about drugs, go to a drug forum."? If it is truly "General Off-Topic Chat" why can't we talk about what we want? Rename it to General Off-Topic Chat (Except for drugs, circumcision, sex, genitals, etc.) if you want that to be valid. :\

 

[Danimal]

The circumsicion thread went a little too far..

 

[ray_MAN]

Still, if it is truly General Off-Topic Chat, there is no too far. Bliink didn't have to close it. All she could have said is, "Get back on topic or feel my wrath."

 

[DiSTuRbEd]

All she could have said is, "Get back on topic or feel my wrath."

I agree but she is a mod, so she can close it if she wants. :|

 

[ComradeBadger]

There is too far. There are certain extremes that are unsuitable for a games forum.

Drugs threads devolve into flame wars so fast - that's why they are disallowed.

Sex - imagine if someone's parent saw their child involved in such a discussion, and they wished him not to be - WE are responsible for that.

We are responsible for what goes on in this forum, and funnily enough, we don't want to get shut down.

I hope that answers your question.

 

[ray_MAN]

So make a warning:
[SARCASM]General Off-Topic Chat (DISCLAIMER: Some things are more than Generally Off-Topic )[/SARCASM]

 

[The Dark Elf]

Still, if it is truly General Off-Topic Chat, there is no too far. Bliink didn't have to close it. All she could have said is, "Get back on topic or feel my wrath."

Well if you don't like it, you don't have to post here do you? I mean, how many times have you quit and come back now. That thread should have been closed pages before.

And before you give the whole "freedom of speech" crap.. Don't. This isn't a free forum its a private one.

 

[joule]

Well, I do believe that they should change this too a more suitable description of the General Off-Topic Forum.

The place to discuss absolutely anything.

 

[The Dark Elf]

Well, I do believe that they should change this too a more suitable description of the General Off-Topic Forum.

Well you should really take that up with Munro or one of the Admins then. But really, lets be honest. Who REALLY believed _anything_ was allowed? I mean any intelligent person knows there are limits, even when its anything allowed, especially on a forum like this. Otherwise it turns into a right mess. Go look at the forums that allow anything, Ogrish comes to mind *shudders*

 

[ray_MAN]

Well if you don't like it, you don't have to post here do you? I mean, how many times have you quit and come back now.

Are you going to hold that against me forever? The first two times were accidents. I wrote them up because I anticipated being kicked off my computer for a while. I accidently pressed Sumbit instead of Preview. The third time was a mistake. I got bored with the forums. I got fed up with the mods, as I am now. And I decided to leave. However, the addiction was too much, so I came back. Shame on me. The fourth, and final, time was because I did get kicked off my computer. I was off for three months. When I got back on, I came back here. Big whoop, I actually did leave that time, but not under my will. Now if you want to continue to hold it against me, fine, you big baby.

 

[The Dark Elf]

Are you going to hold that against me forever? The first two times were accidents. I wrote them up because I anticipated being kicked off my computer for a while. I accidently pressed Sumbit instead of Preview. The third time was a mistake. I got bored with the forums. I got fed up with the mods, as I am now. And I decided to leave. However, the addiction was too much, so I came back. Shame on me. The fourth, and final, time was because I did get kicked off my computer. I was off for three months. When I got back on, I came back here. Big whoop, I actually did leave that time, but not under my will. Now if you want to continue to hold it against me, fine, you big baby.

Your complaining cause a thread that went completely off topic and wasn't very nice to have around at the top of of the forum section all the time was closed.. And I'M the big baby?

lol

No but really, read the forum rules, it might be offtopic but there are STILL limits to what you can discuss, sensible ones. This isn't an 18+ forum, its for people of all ages and a lot of people dont want to see the kinds of things you want to discuss. Saying "well just don't look" isn't really a good enough reason. IIRC could say the same about you with the tub girl threads, you know, the ones you reported often.. hmm so yeah, off-topic on this forum means off-topic WITHIN REASON.

 

[ray_MAN]

What I am trying to get across is that if it is off-topic, why can't we go off-topic? And, what's this about *******? I never saw ******* or reported threads about it. I've never used the report button.

 

[StarMonkey]

Just because something is off topic doesn't mean you can discuss things which are against the forum rules. Where would the line be?
We have a topic where you can discuss things other than hl2, but that doesnt mean you can discuss things which go against the forum rules. If that were the case then it would just be full of porn, flaming, arguments, illegal discussions, and generally not be a forum worth keeping.

 

[oldagerocker]

I completely agree with the limits, they seem fair imo and as they are down to a mods discretion, i think sometimes they are quite lenient (cant spell that ).
But the term 'illegal discussion' scares me...

 

[sabre0001]

So make a warning:
[SARCASM]General Off-Topic Chat (DISCLAIMER: Some things are more than Generally Off-Topic )[/SARCASM]

There are warnings on porn pages (or so im told :angel: ) yet kids can "somehow" get past these..."Are you over 18, yes/no"..Hmm - its so tricky...

Off-topic is well and good but flame-wars and sketchy topics should be closed...

 

[Fat Tony!]

This is what halflife2.net is, if we didn't have restrictions like this it would turn into steam forums
/me shudders

 

[bliink]

We need to keep the place suitable for the widest possible audience, and also prevent activity that is bad for the community (flamewars etc)

I can't believe you made a thread to complain about me locking the penis thread.

This is WAY more lenient than the steampowered forums as well, so dont complain. This is quite possibly the foremost hl2 community on the net, so little things like this hardly seem as bad as the llama riddled grounds of other forums, who dont know where to draw the line.

Sometimes control is excercised to direct the flow and nature of dicussion, keeping it all in moderation (hence "Moderators"!), it aids the atmosphere of the forum, rather than giving everyone free reign to destroy the place with complete junk; garryporn, threads about genitals, flamefests- we dont have that here because it makes the place loose its class.

An analogy:
You wouldnt wear a singlet and short shorts in a 5 star resturant, even though they are "clothes". The waiters would still boot you out. (or at least give you a jacket )
If you like wearing crappy clothes, then go to a fast food "resturant."

 

[15357]

There are warnings on porn pages (or so im told :angel: ) yet kids can "somehow" get past these..."Are you over 18, yes/no"..Hmm - its so tricky...

Off-topic is well and good but flame-wars and sketchy topics should be closed...

or, every single internet site could make you type your social security number (like some countries do) and verify that you are indeed over that age.

but you people would actually have to know your numbers.....

 

[eatbugs]

standards pal, standards and reputation count.

 

[15357]

standards pal, standards and reputation count.

*confused*

please tell me the meaning.

 

[Lemonking]

chill everybody
were all friends are we?
if so relax....and smoke a nice sack of shit..ups I broke the rulz ahhhh.
for real now a forum needs rules and limits. and rules here are pretty fair
so I think that dick thread was kinda weird anyway...