This is a GAMING list not a RELIGION list!

I direct this set of comments generally to the 
list and not specifically to any one member. No 
one is being singled out or exempted, and I 
include myself. 

Everyone has a right to their opinion. However, 
there is no obligation for each of us to share 
his opinion in inappropriate forums. 

Regardless of ones opinion on races, religions, 
or cultures, there really isn't a need to make 
this list a place for debate. There are three 
good reasons this is so:

1) We're mostly all of the "already have an 
opinion" variety hence all we're doing is 
creating noise and changing the SNR of this list 
in an unfavourable way. So why bother?

2) Some people are easily offended. It doesn't 
really matter if this is a great way to be. It 
doesn't also matter that speaking your mind 
(regardless of content or lack thereof) is your 
right. These facts are irrelevant to the fact that 
some people will be upset and since that upset 
will serve no particular function and perhaps 
suggest to them going elsewhere is wise, then 
the community suffers. You have the right to 
say what you want. You have the right to say 
that what somebody else said is a load of crap. 
You have a right to be absolutely ignorant to 
one another. NOT ALL RIGHTS NEED BE 
EXCERCISED! Ultimately, the value of this list is 
its diversity of contribution and opinion. Another 
(IMO) value is interchange of ideas. Once 
people retreat from interchanging ideas to 
sniping at one another in harsh ways, the ideas 
get lost in the mix and the value of the list 
drops. So, let us TRY to not go their needlessly. 
Politeness and discretion (the decision not to 
say things that are controversial, upsetting, or 
offensive to others) aren't requirements. But 
they are how one behaves in a community. 
When civility goes away, and controversy and 
offense is all that is left, you no longer have a 
community. 

3) Getting a rise out of people and setting them 
off isn't a mature way for anyone to entertain 
themselves. Most of us gave that up after 
puberty. 

4) (BONUS POINT)

People stirring things up for no other reason 
than because they feel the world needs to know 
their opinion (whether it is backed by fact, 
personal experience, or messages from their 
alien masters) _piss_me_off_! 

My time is (at least according to me and those 
who pay me) valuable and I'd rather not have it 
wasted having to parse through digests whose 
contents have value except in outlining 
entrenched views (on both sides) regarding X 
religion, Y cultural group, or Z race. 

In simple fact, one can argue that X cultural 
group appears today to have a cultural or 
historic tendency towards behavior B. What that 
says about an imaginary future 200 years away 
is ENTIRELY CONJECTURAL. If one can make 
these conjectures and projections in a civil 
manner with the willingly admitted caveat that 
this represents one possible view, then they 
probably won't offend. If one appears to 
offhandedly slander X because of B and asserts 
without question that with certainty B will 
continue to be the behaviour of X and that 
anyone who thinks otherwise is an <insert 
insult>, then one is claiming a clairvoyance that 
suggests they shouldn't be wasting their time 
on this list but should be busily advising world 
leaders, making themselves rich, or heading off 
major future crises. Clearly this game is beneath 
their inestimable talents. Don't waste my (and 
presumably other peoples time) stirring up 
tempests in a teacup (or responding to 
temptests stirred up in the teacup) - it won't 
help the list, it won't convince the people you 
are in conflict with, and it usually has bugger all 
to do with an IMAGINARY FUTURE WHICH IS 
ALREADY UNLIKELY AS HELL AND EXISTS ONLY 
IN OUR MINDS. 

Here endeth the sermon. Flame away OFF-LIST 
or just decline comment. I'm going to spare the 
list by refusing to comment again on crapulent 
behaviour by long-time listers. Even 
commenting on such petty churlishness leaves 
me with a befouled feeling....

Tomb Raider

---------------------------------------------
Thomas Barclay
Co-Creator of http://www.stargrunt.ca 
Stargrunt II and Dirtside II game site
"In God We Trust... on Cold Steel We Depend."