I was a bit dismayed last night at Norman’s when comments that I had posted here were brought to my attention. I was a little upset to have been “outed”. Enough so that I seriously considered resigning my position as moderator and stepping away from this site forever.
I don’t hide the fact that I post under Durins Bane but I also don’t go around with it tattooed on my forehead either. For me to answer questions honestly about schools and teaching I have always felt that it is best that folks don’t know who I am oustide this site…especially in Kaohsiung. I certainly don’t want to be the topic of conversation at one of my favorite drinking holes. I don’t need people coming to where I work and giving me a bad time because I bad mouthed their school or whatever. We all know that pair of nutters down the street from my main school. I bad mouth them all the time and I would not put it past them to visit me. Though it would give me great pleasure to paddle their fat asses right out my front door.
This is the one place where I am free to speak my mind and if you go around announcing who I am in real life you take that freedom away from me.
I hope that you can respect my wishes that when I am not on this site I am known by my real name, Rupert von Teflon, and not Durins Bane. Thanks.
[quote=“TainanCowboy”]Of course there is always that time proven code-
“Don’t say things you’ll be sorry for later.”
But then that implies personal accountability.
“If ya talk the talk, ya better walk the walk”[/quote]
The whole point of an internet forum is that it allows for freedom of speech without fear of repercussions. The neanderthal view may be that it’s OK to beat people up if you don’t like what they say, but more advanced human beings do not agree with that approach.
I recently had a dispute with a forumosan who happens to be smaller, lighter, and less able to defend herself physically than me. Are you saying that she should have kept her mouth shut in case I decided to smack her for disagreeing with me?
I believe that she whould be able to express her views without fear, just as Mr Teflon should be able to speak without having people leaving dead chickens on his doormat because they don’t like his valid criticisms.
Now, and I can only say this because you don’t know where to find me, you’ve defended racism on these boards and now you’re saying that it’s OK to not respect the anonymity of our members. I suggest that until you learn to repsect the rights of the people who post here you just fuck off and find some hairyknuckled bigots to consort with. You’ll fit in there a lot better.
Hey, er, Prince Rupert. Why have you stopped using your title, your highness?
[quote=“TainanCowboy”]Of course there is always that time proven code-
“Don’t say things you’ll be sorry for later.”
But then that implies personal accountability.
“If ya talk the talk, ya better walk the walk”[/quote]
No, I didn’t write anything offensive and that isn’t the point. I stand behind everything I have ever said in these forums. My personal accountability is not in question. I have said many stupid things here and I’ll stand by the bad as well as the good.
All I asked is to respect my privacy outside these forums.
[quote=“Loretta”]The whole point of an internet forum is that it allows for freedom of speech without fear of repercussions. The neanderthal view may be that it’s OK to beat people up if you don’t like what they say, but more advanced human beings do not agree with that approach.
I recently had a dispute with a forumosan who happens to be smaller, lighter, and less able to defend herself physically than me. Are you saying that she should have kept her mouth shut in case I decided to smack her for disagreeing with me?
I believe that she whould be able to express her views without fear, just as Mr Teflon should be able to speak without having people leaving dead chickens on his doormat because they don’t like his valid criticisms.
Now, and I can only say this because you don’t know where to find me, you’ve defended racism on these boards and now you’re saying that it’s OK to not respect the anonymity of our members. I suggest that until you learn to repsect the rights of the people who post here you just fuck off and find some hairyknuckled bigots to consort with. You’ll fit in there a lot better.
[/quote]
Loretta -
My apologies for your again choosing to misconstrue my posts. This is 2x’s today that you have deliberately chosen to take the lowest level of interpretation for my thoughts on a thread.
As you say, the internet does indeed make it easy for a person to post intentionally, or in some cases ununintentional, replys that lessen or demean the intellect of others. You illustrate that quite well with your post re:my comments.
You ably post that “The whole point of an internet forum is that it allows for freedom of speech without fear of repercussions.” Of course this is true in a physical dimension. Short of someone actually having sufficient real or imagined motivation to hunt someone down and attack them for expressing their views, persons are fairly safe in being whatever type of person they chose to be.
Another factor is that this also allows some people to wreak psychological havoc on those they interact with with complete impugnity. As is shown, more than a few are quite capable, thru the use of their own words, and by manipulating those of others, to bring pressure on those who chose to share/be a member of the internet community of their choice.
It is for this reason that I chose to follow the dictum I posted on this thread. Rash words can come back to one. I think its just karma. And I do believe in karma.
Now as to the 3rd part of your post, the “…you’ve defended racism on these boards and now you’re saying that it’s OK to not respect the anonymity of our members.” Both of these statements are blatant lies.
I have never defended racism, never in my life have I done so and have on occasion paid the price economically and business wise for my stance. I consider your statements as an insult to what I personally believe in and have practiced throughout my life. You are speaking from personal ignorance.
As to the 2nd part regarding “…and now you’re saying that it’s OK to not respect the anonymity of our members.”, where the hell do you get this from? I have made no such statement or inference or implication. Again, you are very incorrect.
As to this little gem “I suggest that until you learn to repsect the rights of the people who post here you just fuck off and find some hairyknuckled bigots to consort with. You’ll fit in there a lot better.”
Just a word of caution, if you put up your picture or details about your personal or professional life online, sooner or later people who know you in real life are going to put two and two together and figure out who you are. If you’ve posted stories about incidents at your school - well, maybe your teachers also surf Forumosa? They’ll recognize you instantly. You have to start being more careful.
[quote=“TainanCowboy”]Of course there is always that time proven code-
“Don’t say things you’ll be sorry for later.”
But then that implies personal accountability.
“If ya talk the talk, ya better walk the walk”[/quote]
Perhaps you meant something other than what I interpreted it to mean.
Usually when people say that sort of thing they mean that you have to be prepared to fight with people who disagree with you, or keep your mouth shut.
It’s a very caveman sort of attitude, as is the idea that you can post ads specifying that only people of certain ethnic backgrounds can do certain jobs. I’m not in favour of fighting with anyone, not even people who need to be educated about equal rights for people of all races, genders, sexual persuasions, and physical stature.
Everybody is entitled to their opinions, regardless of whether they can ‘walk the walk’. Everybody should be entitled to apply for a job and be given fair consideration without their race being an issue. And everyone should be entitled to keep their online lives and their offline lives as separate as they like.
Normally you seem like a decent sort of guy, so I’m assuming that what we have here is a failure to communicate. I apologise for being so insulting, which it appears that I was, but not for the way I interpreted your comments. I’ve read them again and the meaning hasn’t changed with my mood.
That I don’t mind. I have never said that I don’t want people to know that I post under Durins Bane.
What I don’t like is when people tell their work buddies who Durins Bane is. “Hey, that guy is Durins Bane.” type stuff. It is really none of their goddamned business.
Mr. K here. Let it be known that I did not purposely try to out you. We both know of each other and have mutual friends. Some of my good friends work for you and some of yours work with me. We(friends and coworkers) share stories and comment on our mutual friends while at work or at the pub. You brought up that your identity was made public because of all things...the diet thread!
Yes, I did bring up your name to my coworker because of the said thread. As you are aware, my coworker just returned from a 3 week hike down in S. America and upon returning was noticably thinner from his trek. As he mentioned one Wed. afternoon that he was off to Norman’s that night, I’d asked him if he’d seen you since your diet started. My purpose? To see how successful you had been with it. That was it. Nothing more. I thought it was great that you had set such a great goal for yourself and was simply trying to find out how you had been progressing! It had nothing to do with getting your identity out in public. Yes, I should have been more respectful of your privacy and I apologize. I did think that Mr. X would have been a bit more discreet about it but obviously I assumed too much. Mr X did tell me the next day that he told you it was me who brought up the whole diet thing but that was only after getting so many phone calls(5) from you the next morning to find out who in fact told him.
Since I never did get the answer that I was looking for, how is your diet going Mr. Bane? I am curious though. You did mention in the diet thread that if you didn’t reach your goal of shedding x amount of kilos that you were going to do a thong dance up on the bar at a local pub on X date. Well, you made it public and so what happens when a bunch of Kaohsiung posters show up that day to catch a glimpse of the show? Won’t that make your identity public?
If I don’t lose the weight goal I set myself and I do the thong dance over at the Lighthouse yes I will be outing myself but that would be my right, wouldn’t it?
As I stated before, I have no worries about people knowing that I post under Durins Bane. But that Wednesday night Norman’s crew can be a tough bunch. They deserve all the abuse I heap upon them but they unfairly attack me.
I wouldn’t worry about our mountain climbing friend’s weight. I sure he will get it back…beer has a way of helping one put on weight.
I hope she allowed you to use the bidet this time.
