Cyprus-Forum.com

[Get Real!]

After the recent disruptive events, a return to normality can only be conditional:

I will agree to return to normality and assist in the quick recovery of the forum, subject to the following new rules layout...


First ask yourselves, why are we here?
I like to think we’re here because we are interested in current affairs and other topics up for debate/argument in the company of mature adults. If you’re here only to just “get” at someone you dislike, then you are here for the wrong reasons and don’t belong here. In other words, a vindictive obsession is the wrong reason to be on a forum so to separate the wheat from the chaff we urgently need to introduce Self Policing to the forum.


The introduction of Self Policing:
Self policing is the act of being familiar with some basic rules laid out and everyone being part of the Executive in carrying out or executing those rules (law). If everyone is part of the Executive then you’ll find that threads/debates run much more smoothly and civilized but one needs to actively participate for this to work so don’t get lazy. Self Policing means that EVERYONE is a forum moderator pursuing justice. Now let’s move onto some basic rules…


Rule 1: Posts must be relevant to the subject at hand:
Example: A “Ronald Reagan making jokes” video, in the middle of the Ukraine thread is NOT relevant to the topic at hand.

You are the Executive: This behavior should be condemned by ALL and sundry and failure to condemn it means you approve of this behavior and encourage chaos. You are expected to confront the offender with a…”Mate, this is NOT relevant to the topic at hand!” or something along those lines.


Rule 2: The art of countering and personal attacks:
When countering an argument one must quote and address the specific line or lines they are responding to, but NOT the person.

You’re meant to stick to the CONTENT posted when countering, not the person! A simple example…

Bad counter: “I think you’re stupid!” <-- this is a personal attack because there’s no argument.

Good counter: “I think you’re stupid because... blah…. blah… blah” <-- this is a spicy argument

You are the Executive: A personal attack with no argument should be condemned by ALL and sundry and failure to condemn it means you approve of this behavior that can lead to forum chaos.


Rule 3: Refraining from obsessions with other members:
If you happen to be obsessed with someone go see a therapist but don’t keep bringing up that person’s name in every other sentence and every other post, as we don’t care about your obsession and you should learn to recognize your obsession (the person lives in your head like 24/7) and withdraw from the forum until you are cured! Obsessions are CREEPY and horrible and need to be stopped immediately!

You are the Executive: An obvious obsession should be condemned by ALL and sundry and failure to condemn it means you approve of this behavior that can lead to forum chaos.


Rule 4: The dreaded incessant videos:
Videos, although good as supporting material to an argument like links, can never be the argument itself in the middle of a debate!

The notion of “Watch this for the next half hour!” is not an argument but a distraction, unless the video is the subject of the thread itself with some relevant text above it. ie: A “soldiers captured/surrendering” video in the Ukraine thread.

It’s therefore important to limit the number of videos posted unless it is absolutely relevant to the topic and argument at hand.

You are the Executive: An obvious abuse of video posting should be condemned by ALL and sundry and failure to condemn it means you approve of this behavior that can lead to forum chaos.


Rule 5: Other, you name and clarify it.


That’s all I’ve got for now.

NB1: The sooner this matter is sorted the sooner we can get back to normality, so ensure you post you feedback/opinion on all this asap.

NB2: Failure to addressing and doing something about the obvious forum problems can only lead to forum failure, and I for one will no longer support the status quo.

[Get Real!]

Miscellaneous addendum:

We have a couple of bad apples on the forum that need to be confronted with systematic relentless policing until they either get it and settle down like everyone else, or don’t get it and fuck off… whichever option they choose, I for one don’t care, but I will no longer tolerate them until they are sorted.

It HAS to be done or there cannot be a functional forum for mature adults but a circus, and frankly I’m sick of the circus and I will NOT support it anymore!

It must also be highlighted that some of us go out of our way to research and present either write-ups and/or some other type of posts that are useful contributions to the subject at hand.

This is a time-consuming effort that should be respected and while there’s nothing wrong with not being one of those who regularly go out of their way to add good relevant material, what you don’t want to be doing though is to be making counterproductive posts that violate rules and reduce the quality of the thread!

In other words... if your post is not a counter but a new addition let's call it... then don’t TAKE AWAY from the thread but rather look for ways to ADDING quality to the thread.

[Paphitis]

I would like to raise the first issue to the CF Security Council.

It seems that a well known prolific member who is spouting criminal Russian Propaganda and calling upon the destruction of the West and constantly wishing Nuclear attack against western cities of the world like New York and other cities.

The hysterical hatred against NATO, the west and the general promotion of Russian lies and justification for Russian War Crimes and Genocide against the Ukrainian People, brings disrepute to this forum and all its members, and possibly brings ill repute to Cyprus as well.

As a result, I call for immediate resolutions that the said member self flagellate himself and beg forgiveness from his creator, and gets a Netflix account.

[Get Real!]

This is no time for jokes Paphitis.. I’m serious.

Those who ignore my warnings will have forfeited the right to complain about how I will then handle it, in the absence of support for the above.

[repulsewarrior]

...except for Rule #4, i find your terms no different than what was expected of us before this imbroglio. I will add furthermore that you do not have to watch a video, although knowledge that such content exists may be just as useful to the reader of a thread. For example, you post a lot of links; should i be reading all of them: they are just like video, History, welcome documentation if they are enriching as content to the thread's subject as a whole (read or unread, watched or unwatched). Readers may choose to do whatever they like, (glance, engage, or ignore) content, ours included; we compete with other providers of content with content ourselves, more of it is not bad: 50% may be boring (beside the stuff the other three rules cover), who is to say which 50% exactly that is? None of us here should have the capacity to limit any other member's willingness to share, as such, (who remembers tsuk?).

Video is not boring, (that may be your experience GR), neither is clicking a link to a provider you've never read before, it's content, worth adding because there are many sides (and media), to a debate, not just comments on the last post; especially if the topic is very broad, like current affairs, Historical events, especially if we have taken to inform each other our readers and ourselves, of them, as an ongoing event.

Striking Rule #4 would not be onerous to your aims GR, or to the public which is in effect who we serve beyond our own motives for being, here, taking the time to support the only Forum not on facebook with the word Cyprus before it.

...reading piles of psychoanalysis on the same subject(s) with the same conclusions over and over again, name calling, character assassination, and swear words that do nothing toward the healthy exercise of the mind, are boring.

...swearing, like how Lordo does it, now that's another thing.

[Get Real!]

.i find your terms no different than what was expected of us before this imbroglio.

Yes, but did you notice the “Self Policing” part which is very important, in other words all of us taking more direct responsibility in preventing fallout?

[repulsewarrior]

...in any Free society, isn't that the Custom?

...and who is to say the Ronald Reagan's Russian jokes are not relevant to the Ukraine today; can "Russians" laugh at themselves, yet? (Russians of course are still not allowed to laugh, at "Them")

[Get Real!]

...in any Free society, isn't that the Custom?

I really can't answer that... other than point out that it's not the custom on the CF.

[repulsewarrior]

...in any Free society, isn't that the Custom?

I really can't answer that... other than point out that it's not the custom on the CF.

...sorry GR, as a second edit to the post i was editing mine while you posted your own,
i will try to make myself more clear,

Rule #1, is relevant, confronting the power of this medium, although the example is a poor choice; it is about hijacking, as opposed to redirection, some humour is medicinal, when in it we find perhaps more truth, the time for reflection.

...imagine page after page of the most gruesome episodes of this war in videos, as an attack like this one, polluting many topics, and threads; one member of this Forum against another(s).

Such an exploitation of such videos (and images) is and would be as much a pornography as words said in Hate against each other to stimulate more Hate toward each other.

...if we are to police ourselves, let it be against Hate. Let us remember Hate's place is in our hearts to fight against real enemies, like our own willingness at times to be ignorant of/to each other: individually, as persons, or as a Human race.

And no, it is not the custom on CF; at the moment, but i agree that we can demonstrate the change within ourselves which as Cypriots and Citizens of the world we need to solve the Problem and our problems.

[Kikapu]

As an executive CF member, I agree to abide by the rules set forth to get back on track to debate topics at hand rather than distrupt them. Respecting views of others is a must, even when not agreeing with them. It will be the duty of those with opposing views to convince the member with counter views respectfully.