BPL wants input on proposed forum code of conduct

[Peter S]

I hope Ryan Jordan will start to participate more directly in the forum. I miss him.

Hope that's positive enough.

[Peter S]

And there's no need for endless rules. It is a distraction manoeuvre for sure.

Just be nice and keep chaffy subjects in chaff.

Maybe some rules for the staff would be more needed: Don't delete posts. Lock the threads if needed. Explain. More moderators than Roger.

I like this site. Let's make it better.

Ha det godt!

[Jerry Adams]

"And there's no need for endless rules."

Thn people start arguing endlessly about the rules.

It's obvious what's acceptable and not.

[Delmar O’Donnell]

I think acrimony could be greatly reduced if people were asked not to post based on personal ideology. That is, posting support for their ideology, or trying to recruit for it. Ideology includes: political orientation, gender orientation, religious orientation, nationalism, ethnic orientation, socialism, environmentalism, capitalism, etc. I've noticed that when someone has to get overtly ideological, that's when threads fall apart.

My hands aren't clean; I sometimes feel compelled to challenge other people's ideological statements, and then an ideology war breaks out. Was just involved in one of those. I let "the other guy" have the last say and didn't follow up. But I don't think the answer is to "not respond" to ideological provocation. I think the answer is to not post ideological content in the first place, or to let people know that ideological posts are frowned upon. BPL is not a place to recruit for ideology, and I get an ill feeling when it gets used that way.

[Kattt]

Delmar, I agree with you somewhat, but one could argue that BPL ( and backpacking light in general) is based on an ideology. Less weight = all sorts of things but ultimately a better experience.

Edited because I meant "better" not "batter".

[spelt with a t]

The whole premise of the site is an ideology. There is literally a subforum with "philosophy" in the title. People who engage on BPL bring their own ideologies to the table that influence their experience and practice with UL.

[Roger Caffin]

And the Monitor's ideology is better than anyone else's. So There!

Cheers
PS: :-)

[Delmar O’Donnell]

Backpacking an ideology? LOL. I assume you are making a joke, in which case, good one.

Of course, perspectives, pursuits, ideas, and hobbies aren't the same as ideologies. To call any sort of backpacking an "ideology" is either to dilute the concept down to the point it's meaningless, or to misunderstand what ideology is. Most of the recognizable "-isms" are ideologies: capitalism, socialism, religions/atheism, feminism, environmentalism, nazism, and so on. They have structures, charismatic leaders, recruit followers, hate (or attempt to change) out-groupers, have visions of "the end," recommendations for salvation, and so on. See Barnett and Jost for definitions and examples of ideology.

If backpacking of any sort is an ideology, I'm getting the h-e-double-hockeysticks out of it.

Clearly, the insertion of one's ideology where it doesn't belong is gauche. And recruiting for one's ideology in a backpacking forum will of course stir up acrimony and resentment. It's no more welcome than someone knocking on your door and trying to recruit you into their belief system.

If I were to (for example) use this forum to launch a verbal attack on liberals, or conservatives, or Muslims, or Christians, or atheists, or feminists, we can certainly all agree that would be inappropriate. Attacking back–defending–is more justified in the face of an attack, but continues the acrimony. Best to avoid ideological discussions in the first place, which are by definition, off-topic for backpacking.

If this IS a forum for attacking people of various belief systems, I don't belong here, and neither do you. But it's not, and we do.

[Nick Gatel]

"Backpacking an ideology?"

I think he meant this website, BPL, in an ideology.

Backpacking is just walking. BPL complicates it and makes it more than it really is.

[Delmar O’Donnell]

> Backpacking is just walking. BPL complicates it and makes it more than it really is.

Point taken. Well stated.

I would like to make the proposal that all MLIFE members stop visiting BPL between now and the first of the year :-D

[Greg Mihalik]

John,

A little context would be nice….

What post are you responding to?

Or, what point are you trying to make?

[Clayton Black]

Hey Greg. Obviously John won't be able to respond until after the first of the year.

[Author]

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