I have used my name since Day One as my identifier.  It makes life easy.  It's akin to always telling the truth so you don't have to struggle with what you told to whom.

And just when things were normal on this site the last 48 hours until today!

Barry, it's simple. Look at most of the other fan sites which don't seem to have the problems this one has. It boils down to a few (2) who want to talk about irrelevant and inflammatory topics like politics, lynching, suicide, personal and family issues, etc.

Can you get these individuals to stick to GW Basketball? I doubt it but you certainly are trying.

I don't know Brian's "intent" nor do I wish to speculate on it either way. I don't know how anyone else knows his "intent" either based on message board postings alone when things are open to competing interpretations unless you are a mind reader. That's sort of Barry's point I think - without the context of being able to know context, character, tonation and body language, etc. - things can get misconstrued.  

Yes Brian we all have agendas even you.

I love levity. Be funny, please!  

But it doesn't take a Rhodes Scholar to know that in creating this board, I've inherited a community of GW Hoops fans who have had some challenges getting along, history that just won't go away.  I have no problem with that...conflict is natural. 

We all know that something that can be said with a smile and a laugh in person doesn't translate the same in text.  I won't rehash the arguments, but (and this is for those who've been involved in these kinds of debates that have gotten personal), I ask you, did you go into these discussions thinking you were going to say something that would get someone upset?  Did you intend to create a personal attack?  

I believe in human decency as the norm, not the outlier. 

I look at some of you and having done research on social media (yes, I've done that), I just don't believe that the attitudes and tone of this board (for those who've been attacked or have had perceived attacks by them) were intended.  

My comment about BP's comment was not about him.  It was intended to illustrate how things can get misconstrued (as my comments, in fact, did; sorry for that, truly).  

OK, I hope/think I've made my point.  Whether it makes a difference or not, that is yet to be seen.  

Thanks to all.

Barry


(FYI, I am unpinning this thread as I think everyone who is a "regular" has seen it.)

B.

Sadly, the larger point is still being missed and therefore, some of the angst on this board is likely to remain.  I won't speculate as to whether this is inadvertent or by design.  

The larger point is to say that as long as I know what I intended and those intentions were above board, anyone else who doesn't get this is the one with the problem is just wrong.  Everyone here has to give more serious thought to how their words could reasonably be interpreted.  I have stopped a few posts in the past because I realize that there may be a dual meaning or another interpretation to what I am saying that I do not mean to project.  

Clearly, there must be room for levity here without bringing racially charged imagery into the discussion.  Not really a huge bar when you stop and think about it.

BrianPaul, I "claimed" nothing of the sort.  I actually said that I find myself taking on the role.  There was nothing connoting vigilantism, fascism, ignorance, or for that matter, literal about the statement.  You must be hellbent on stirring up trouble if you find my remark to be offensive.  

Speaking of board administrators, he asked that old feuds be dropped.  Are you able to do this or not?  He was also the one to point to your post and mention the problems with it.  Around 8 other people are saying the same thing.  Are you incapable of being wrong, or just listening to anyone?

Joel Joseph, thanks for the advice.  I'm not going to shut it down (I might eventually delete some posts if it gets off topic or into attacks, but that's not happening yet.

As for the people who are attacking each other under the guise of a discussion about the semantics of what I said and/or meant, I encourage you to keep it up.  Happy to make you the first to disappear from the board for a while if you can't just keep from attacking each other.

B.