Bye Bye

[Whalebot]

Well crap. Another one bites the dust. I like the regulars around here and hate to see them go. Good luck in you future endeavors Samilyn. Oh and Abando? Do us all a favor and drop off the forum. Uncalled for man.

[Tralfaz]

Another vote for switching off the avatars. It's been so long since I've seen avatars here (even my own) that I forget that they're a feature here.

[MattSkibaIsGOD]

I'm gonna go ahead and say it's really not that big of a deal. :poke:

[S~R~O]

____________________________________________ we would hope graciousness, manners, maturity, and self-respect would be in abundance. More often than not it is. Trina

Well said Trina.............

As I heard it once said; "It's like training Dogs!!! - You Have to be smarter than the Dog"

I will be seeing Samilyn on friday....We gonna play some guitar and shake that tambourine...That's what it's all about;)........

[C70man]

Sorry to hear you going. Its the diversity of the group that makes it such a nice place to visit. And by the sounds of everyone, it would be a shame to just leave so many forum friends. Sometimes a little venting does help though.

I have to add that there's a lot of crap on tv too. But you don't have to watch it. You can switch it off... just like the avatars.

[missedmyexit]

Sorry to hear you are leaving us.

[rjoxyz]

I too, hope you reconsider. Your participation on this forum has been a positive addition. I understand your point and perspective and happen to agree for the most part. I simply try to ignore such offenses, and when I can't, I simply shake my head and write them off as immaturity or the product of a needy ego, seeking attention. People like that are everywhere and can't be completely avoided.

[Abando]

Whalebot, thanks for the suggestion, but I'm not going anywhere. Whalebot, I never knew that you spoke for each person in here. "Do us all a favor" indeed. If you don't like the avatars, turn them off. If you don't like the radio, turn it off. If you don't like what's on the television, change the channel or turn it off or don't own a television. In that respect, Samilyn is doing just that. Instead of censoring, she has decided to leave. She didn't even attack a particular person. I guess I was a bit too harsh.


Abando

[Fred Fartboski]

Samilyn- You come across as a great spirit on this forum. Please don't stay away for good. You will be welcome back anytime.

[Samilyn]

Okay, folks, here goes.....

 

First, thank you all so very much for your support. I am quite humbled that I have so many friends who understand where I'm coming from.

 

I have spent the entire morning answering PMs and email concerning this issue, and again, I thank each and every one of you from the bottom of my heart. I am truly blessed to have so many good friends and wish I could personally give each of you a huge hug.

 

Yes, I do indeed know how to turn off avatars and chose not to do so, simply because so many of them are tasteful and creative and downright attractive.

 

My ignore list is a long one. The "Asian Skin" poster has been ignored by me for so long that I can't even tell you who that person is without checking my User CP. Same goes for the person whose sig mentions nonstop "prison-style" rape.

 

Now that I'm a little more calmed down, I will fill you in on the details of what freaked me out this morning.

 

While perusing the forum early this morning, I never heard my little granddaughter creep up behind me on the carpeted floor wearing her footed pajamas. On my screen was a post bearing the avatar below.

 

(offensive pic edited out)

 

I have no idea of how long she'd been standing there when I heard a tiny voice:

 

"Grandma, why is all that stuff coming out of that hiney?"

 

To say I absolutely freaked is a gross understatement. I slammed my laptop closed so fast and hard that I broke one of the hinges.

 

I can only say that when it comes to a child, any child, not just my own grandkid, I am as protective as a she-grizzly.

 

I spent a good while explaining to the child that it was only a fake picture, not a real person, and that some people made pictures like that when they're grown up, but they are not meant for children. (I hated lying to her about the pic being fake, but a lie was needed in this case.)

 

Lord only knows, it won't be too many more years before this child learns that the world has a seedy side.

 

Now if that makes me self righteous or prudish or "square" or straight-laced, so be it. Those of you who have come to know me well also know that I don't generally have a problem with extending cordial invitations to certain persons to "smooch my patootie" and then get on with my business.

 

In view of the overwhelming support and requests to reconsider my withdrawal from the people who really matter here, I will remain a member, albeit with an excessively long ignore list.

[rjoxyz]

Good news and nuff said?

[drnihili]

Interesting. You should be aware that that picture has appeared in posts, not just avatars IIRC.

 

As a parent, I'm afraid I don't see a huge issue with this picture. I would simply reassure the child that stuff wasn't coming out of the lady's hiney. She (the child) was probably more focused on pooping than on sex. If the child was still perplexed, I would explain that someone painted themselves that way to show how the shape of many string instruments is like the shape of a body. They thought it would be funny to paint themselves as a string instrument to show that. This would then probably have turned into a game trying to find other things with shapes similar to each other.

 

That's how I would handle it, though of course everyone is welcome to parent in whatever style seems best to them. A child isn't likely to see anything seedy in that picture unless you give them reason to.

 

For the record, I am NOT advocating that children should have free access to pictures such as the one above. However, when our best efforts to prevent their access fail, as they inevitably do at times, our reaction counts more than the picture.

[Hudman]

I was thinking the same thing, but didn't want to say anything. After all, wouldn't that be kinda self-righteous?

 

 

No, it was not self-righteous. I made a simple observation and questioned the motives behind his post.

 

I don't think Samilyn is self-righteous. She told us that she found some of the content offensive. It's her right to do so. I think it's foolish to try to tell a person how they should feel about anything.

 

Samilyn,

I'm glad you decided to stick around!

 

[Scott Fonseca]

It is great that you will be sticking around!! I enjoy your posts, and I do agree with the statement of some avatars are inappropriate. I think it is a shame. I am twenty years old, and I do not see a need to have questionable pictures as avatars. It is too easy for children to go on and see some not-so-nice things. Sorry if it seemed a bit self righteous, that was not the intent. I just wanted to voice my opinion.

[kwakatak]

I dunno. I'm biased since I was an art major and took two semesters of nude figure drawing so I often tend to view the human body from a purely aesthetic point of view. There are exceptions but getting married has drastically reduced the number of them!

 

That being said, I don't like tattoos. The human body in and of itself is a work of art and IMO tattoos are like spraying graffiti all over it.

[Samilyn]

It is great that you will be sticking around!! I enjoy your posts, and I do agree with the statement of some avatars are inappropriate. I think it is a shame. I am twenty years old, and I do not see a need to have questionable pictures as avatars. It is too easy for children to go on and see some not-so-nice things. Sorry if it seemed a bit self righteous, that was not the intent. I just wanted to voice my opinion.

Scott, that doesn't sound self-righteous to me. Quite the contrary. I enjoy reading your posts and you strike me as a very mature, level headed guy. I'm glad you voiced your opinion and I must say, I concur with it. If kids become immune to such things at a young age, what kind of adults will they turn out to be?

Hard to believe you are only 20 years old. Obviously some folks do grow up faster than others.

I'm sure a lot of folks here are thinking I overreacted or handled the situation badly. So be it.

[drnihili]

 

If kids become immune to such things at a young age, what kind of adults will they turn out to be?

 

 

I'm sorry, but this makes no sense to me. What do you mean by "such things"? What would it mean for kids to be "immune" to them? And finally, why do you think that would have a negative impact on them as adults?

 

Remember, we're talking about a picture that you found sufficiently inoffensive that you posted for all, even those who have avatars turned off, to see. Before we start predicting gloom and doom as a result of it's having been seen by a child, let's at least try to be clear about the kind of gloom and doom that is meant. What, precisely, are you worried about?

[daklander]

..... In view of the overwhelming support and requests to reconsider my withdrawal from the people who really matter here, I will remain a member, albeit with an excessively long ignore list.

 

 

Good to see.

 

Personally, I'm much more offended by some of the signatures here.

Though there are some avatars that maybe shouldn't be posted unless the site is for adults only, I seldom see anything I find really horrid here.

[Freeman Keller]

First, and most importantly, Samilyn, thanks for staying. I, for one, would have missed you tremendously.

Second, I happen to leave avatars and sigs on because it tells me a lot about the person posting it. An avatar is like a tee shirt - we all wear tee shirts with some special message - Boston Marathon, Hard Rock Cafe, Martin Guitar - usually something we are proud of and want to show off. If someone wants to wear a tee shirt with a nearly naked lady or one with a string in her butt - fine, you just won't wear it in my house.

And a sig is like standing on a corner and shouting for all the world to hear - tell me what you want to do to women if you want. But I sure as heck will form some opinions and they probably won't be favorable. And again, whatever else you might want to say, you won't be saying it in my house.

I'll say that again - I leave avatars and sigs turned on because it tells me something about a few of our forumites. It tells me they are not welcome in my house.

[Broadus]

First, and most importantly, Samilyn, thanks for staying. I, for one, would have missed you tremendously. Second, I happen to leave avatars and sigs on because it tells me a lot about the person posting it. An avatar is like a tee shirt - we all wear tee shirts with some special message - Boston Marathon, Hard Rock Cafe, Martin Guitar - usually something we are proud of and want to show off. If someone wants to wear a tee shirt with a nearly naked lady or one with a string in her butt - fine, you just won't wear it in my house. And a sig is like standing on a corner and shouting for all the world to hear - tell me what you want to do to women if you want. But I sure as heck will form some opinions and they probably won't be favorable. And again, whatever else you might want to say, you won't be saying it in my house. I'll say that again - I leave avatars and sigs turned on because it tells me something about a few of our forumites. It tells me they are not welcome in my house.

 

 

Well said.

 

Bill

[knockwood]

There are exceptions but getting married has drastically reduced the number of them!

 

 

I sincerely didn't know whether to laugh or cry over this remark. I'm still thinking...

[babablowfish]

Holy Cow! I have been checking in a lot less lately - kind of taking a mini break, but I just checked in and saw that we almost lost you Samylin. Boy am I glad that you decided to stay - you have been a great member of the forum. I haven't seen the offending sig but every now and then someone posts something with intentionally offensive material and I can understand how upsetting it was for you to have your grandchild see that.

[Stackabones]

Well, I just got back in town and look what's going on?!?!?!

Samilyn, I'm really glad you're sticking around. I think you justified your actions well enough -- and I'm glad some folks around here care enough to talk you into staying here. I dig your posts. You seem like good folk.

FYI ... While I keep avatars turned on, I turned off sigs a while ago and don't miss them one bit.

[eor]

eor makes happy you stayed!

but sad i didn't get to see the picture it takes all kinds, i guess. even misanthropes and perverts.

love,
eor

and for the longest time, eor didn't have an avatar or sig, to avoid being pigeonholed or judged. if anything, the pictures help me identify who's who. it's like looking at someone's face. i see the photo, i know who's talking. so it's very disorienting for me when people change them, unless i know them to do it regularly.

ps- footy pajamas are the best, but i can't find them in eor's size.

pps- samy, not sure if you ordered them, but my bridge pins came in like a week ago.

[outdoorgb]

eor makes happy you stayed! if anything, the pictures help me identify who's who. it's like looking at someone's face. .

I only slightly resemble my avitar...not the tallest, but for sure full of hot gasses;)

Quick eveyone: what Mt. is it???