This is a lounge. I wasn't aware of being able to lounge about productively, haha. Anyway, bong hits are extremely productive, bro. How dare you insinuate otherwise!
but there IS an us and a them. of course we are all people who share similarities, and i have compassion for everyone. but we also share differences. and when it comes to this topic, we are on different sides. we are not the same. if you ask me, it would be unproductive to ignore this reality. that's not to say that we should be pitted against eachother, but that there should be no denial about the fact that on certain topics, we disagree. the objective is not to separate ourselves from anyone. and to be honest, i would welcome theists in our lounge. but their intentions would have to be genuine curiosity and desire to talk with "us" ( ). as far as i've seen in the past, that's almost never been the case. instead, "they" come into "our" lounge in accusatory fashion. often building strawmen and attacking them or being derogatory towards "us"
oh and also @[member="pickledpie"] .. dude really? do we have to make an "Atheists and pickledpie lounge" to keep you outta here?
Just cos this is called 'lounge' doesn't change it from being just another thread on the RBS sub forum. Getting all protective of 'your' space is the problem. Perhaps the fact that you even feel you need one. Seems to me there are a few chips on a few shoulders about what this place is. All can post in ALL threads if they feel they have something to contribute. Attempting to create a fence around any one won't work. You have a point to make about this or that, make it, start a new thread, whatever. But don't think you can start a thread and then get all funny when someone you don't think should do so posts in it. Constantly thinking, worrying, that people are trolls, makes no sense. Someone says something you don't agree with, don't like, doesn't mean you have to react and defend, you could just ignore, as you would anywhere else, and just carry on with what you DO have to say to those you ARE talking to. Don't be so attached to your idea about what this ought to be. It isn't real. Too much time talking about talking about something, not enough time actually saying anything. Perhaps the idea of just hanging out in a thread is what the Mods felt became so unproductive?
I don't get it. If people don't like what we're doing in here, why do they keep coming in here to tell us so? Don't you guys know what to expect by now? If you want to have a productive discussion, create a thread with the thought you want to discuss and I'm sure you'll get that. We aren't entitled to anything. We just asked nicely. Some dudes wanna be that guy who is obnoxious despite being asked politely, that's their business. We should also face a fact: the majority of this subforum counts as unproductive. If you consider our nonsense nonproductive, you have to judge the rest of this place with the same criteria. Aside from a few instances where interesting discussions take place, there's just a lot of people tooting their own horn and busting on people who push back. If productivity is suddenly the bar, most of this forum needs to get closed.
I'm not sure what productive discussion has to do with anything, that's a pretty subjective thing. I think the problem lies with the defensive mentality. I don't think most anyone don't like what's happening in this thread except the same stuff they wouldn't like happening in any thread. Sometimes it's all cool in here and shit, but if some perceived "anti-atheist" wanders in, suddenly everything they say is some sort of "obnoxious" and "trollish" remark. It's this feeling of being oppressed or attacked that's your problem. Most people just want to contribute their own little thing without wanting to antagonize anyone. It's disappointing to see so many people shutting others down here and in places like the science forum. We all have something to contribute, there's never a reason to get defensive, it just doesn't make sense. It creates a problem.
Tell us more about how problems are created, world's loudest ever lurker. The most productive thing anyone in this thread can do right now is put you on their ignore list. You desperately troll for attention wherever we post.
Labels only apply for the present, I can don myself anew whenever I wish. I am no longer a lurker. I am now a pokechu.
The forum for me has gotten so much better when a few weeks ago i did just that "This post is hidden because you have chosen to ignore posts by pickledpie. View it anyway?"
So speaking means I desperately troll for attention wherever you post. I won't use the word delusional to address you and your state of mind, but I'll leave the word here so you can think about it. Delusional.
Speaking in terms of productivity. I think the other atheist lounge was shut down because of your shitty interpersonal skills and your overreaction to every little thing.