Posted by Friend [Friend] on April 03, 1999 at 17:42:48 {Ed9c7782HMagf9NbHbU2OgnjR4Br/g}:
In Reply to: **If Covert goes... posted by 5GJW on April 03, 1999 at 17:04:39:
5GJW
No one was innocent last night, Rick and Covert went toe to toe.
I saw the posts. A friend received them via email and sent them to me requesting an opinion.
My opinion cannot be separated from what I have observed from both Rick and Covert in the past. It is difficult to ruffle Rick�s feathers and he never uses derogatory language except on a rare occasion when he has been provoked. Generally, Rick believes strongly in turning the other cheek and acts accordingly. Last night Covert needlessly insulted and provoked Rick, a strained man for our sakes. Covert�s unnecessary comment about pond scum was totally uncalled for and started the whole thing, that is, as far as the insults. On the critical side of the issue having to do with the NIV, I actually mostly agreed with what Covert was saying and Rick would have too had Covert respectfully disagreed instead of what s/he did, which was rude to the extreme. Rick had a view of the NIV and was debating his understanding. He would have seen the point had Covert sought to educate instead of insult. Otherwise, yes, Rick made some derogatory statements towards Covert.
Covert, on the other hand, is easy to start the insult business. That, IMO, is what separates how those two behaved last night. You and Cygnus have basically said, "Give Covert another chance," Well, I have news for you, IMO, Rick and other moderators already have done just that for Covert. Relative to our discussion here, my own experience on this forum has taught me this: They do not ban first time offenders unless it is for pornography or something just as bad. If you look down the board you will see where Covert actually baited one H2O moderator. That is Covert�s style and it is diametrically opposed to Rick�s. There is no comparison between the two.
Now, let me ask you a question: Do you think H2O would have banned Covert from this board if last night had been their first and only episode of insulting behavior?
Beside all the above, everyone here should cut Rick some slack regarding his behavior last night. We all know he is overworked and certainly that he is underpaid. Rick�s actions and contributions toward this board have been sincere and impeccable since day one. Can Covert say the same?
What are your thoughts on M14?
I think he gets a bum rap. You can learn far more about M14 if you look at the posts s/he leaves rather than the ones he deletes. M14 leaves posts that deviate from accepted WTS views. M14 leaves posts that are respectfully critical of this board or its participants. M14 leaves posts from professed "apostates" like Jan, Alan, Doug and others. M14 leaves my posts which have sometimes been scathingly critical of WTS policy. M14 leaves your posts that have likewise contained language critical of WTS views. M14 deletes posts that in his/her opinion violate the FPP. Usually those violations have to do with abusive language, whether it is unproved accusations of dishonesty or outright insult. Of course, M14 deletes for other FPP violations as well, but the ones I mentioned seemed to be the main reasons for post removals. On the other hand, I have experienced being deleted. It was my own fault, I should have used a bit more self-control.
Friend