b.c. said:
Very good response, Matthew. (Funny how it always seems to be the same people looking to have someone banned).
I think some here would have banning amount to a popularity contest where anyone expressing an unpopular or even an opposing point of view (or expressing it in a way "they" find offensive) would end up being banned. Based on that criteria, I think that'd apply to half of the posters here (depending on one's own point of view of course).
It'd get so people would be apprehensive about posting any commentary at all not acceptable to the "prevailing" opinion. What a boring place it would be then, eh?
Well, as for me, I've only actively sought two people being banned, one the aforementioned Fish (who was in fact banned), the second was Bella, and just about anyone who chatted with "her" thought was Fish returned ("she" popped up around when Fish was banned, and suddenly went away, but may be back as personna #3). If you look back at my posts, I'm not lobbying for anyone to be banned in them, I'm asking about banning, as a practice, and pointing out that I think that there seem to be people that cross the line that don't get banned (Bella, being a great example), as well as asking how others managed to get banned when I'd never encountered them doing anything wrong.
I really don't get offended that easily, and basically just skip over posts of people whose opinions I give no value, or simply find boring. That being said, there are a couple people that I've actually grown close to here, whose opinions I don't share in the least. Still, we find common grounds on other levels. Sometimes we spar, and it's great to be challenged by someone who actually thinks, and makes me defend my point. But that's just it, people like Fish and Bella come on here with the sole intent of disrupting things, spewing libel, and/or hatred, when the rest of us form a pretty good community, whether we do or don't agree on issues. It's not that they say things that aren't popular, it's that they say things that are hateful ("I wouldn't bother to piss on him if he were on fire", and when asked what sparked this sentiment, got, "he wore mauve pants" WTF?

), or start hate threads against a person they don't even know, and giving no sane reason for all this hatred.
I also have to give it to Rob and the Mods, because they really are "moderate". On another board I belong to, not having the "prevailing opinion" gets people banned, or threats of a ban from the owner all the time. The group is really fantastic, but it's the owner that's a childish ass, allowing for no differing opinions, even on subjects he doesn't know anything about, offering no other retort than a very bitchy, "it's MY site", then complains that we don't bring in enough new members. Unfortunately, it's a pretty specific subject, and is the only decent game in town.