[ RadSafe ] Radsafe rules and SOME people's conduct

[Flanigan, Floyd]

C'mon Rick. Stop sugar-coating it. Let us know how you really feel. It's not good to keep such things bottled up. One might blow a proverbial gasket ... Okay ... All facetiousness aside ... So F.S. has railed on the occasional poster in a public forum. Yup ... I can't argue with that. But what did you just do Rick? You just railed on F.S. in the same public forum. We, as members of the scientific community, need to look deeper than the surface of a thing in order to gain a more meaningful understanding of it. This is no different. People have bad days. Some more than others. F.S. may have been having one. We don't know ... and that is the point. Yes, there have been anti-American comments made on this list from time to time ... But that is the whole point of America ... freedom of speech/expression. If our patriotism cannot survive opposition in ideology, maybe we have some inward searching to do. I'm an American ... born and raised here. F.S. isn't. He doesn't HAVE to love America. He doesn't HAVE to agree with a single other poster on this list. If the list moderator finds his conduct of a serious enough nature, the moderator will take any action he deems warranted. Not us. As for the "certain European's" comment, not necessary. There are enough reasons one can come up with to think someone else is a jerk without stooping to the level of national bigotry. We are all, in some respect or other(and to varying degrees) scientists on this list. We strive to answer questions and gain insight. Personalities will clash, tempers will occasionally flair ... but a constant effort must be made to keep ourselves from straying from the path we initially set out on when joining this list ... the path to knowledge and understanding. They go hand in hand. Has anyone here got an in-depth understanding of why F.S. says some of the things he says? For that matter, has anyone asked? I know I haven't. While railing against him for his comments, I have seen postings maligning him for being old/European/fat/lazy .... get it? Even while scolding him for his posts, the scolders are emulating his actions. 

I won't be endorsing either side of this argument because, in my opinion (and we ALL have the right to have our own) I find nothing valid on either side worth standing up for. There will always be things on this list which are inflammatory to some. The important thing is to get past that and to what matters. Sift through the thing and extract what is useful. Throw the rest away. Look past the personal comments and gouges and seek any value you might exact from it. Then YOU come out on top regardless because YOU have gained from the exchange. Anything less is a waste of your time.

My humble apologies to anyone who might have been offended by what I have written here. None was intended.

Floyd W.Flanigan B.S.Nuc.H.P.

-----Original Message-----
From: radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl [mailto:radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl]On
Behalf Of Richard D. Urban Jr.
Sent: Thursday, February 10, 2005 9:57 AM
To: Kai Kaletsch
Cc: radsafe at radlab.nl
Subject: [ RadSafe ] Radsafe rules and SOME people's conduct


Kai posted

"Friends,...

1.    Personally, I do not think the list is being overwhelmed with 
commercial postings and I find Sandy's news list a valuable resource.    AMEN
2.    On the other hand, I do believe that this list is being overwhelmed by 
comments about the relevance or value (or lack of) of other posts.... WHY SHOULD I NOT BE ALLOWED TO ASK A "STUPID" QUESTION ABOUT BIOLOGY, WITHOUT BEING TOLD (ON LIST) THAT IT IS A STUPID QUESTION?....  ....we should consider a new rule that puts an end to the running commentary about whether a particular post was a good question or a stupid question (regardless of the tone of the comment)"


All, although in agreement with Kai and Mike, I wish to opine myself on this matter.  
I also have sat and read for years a certain European's comments with disdain and irritation.  We have all seen this person hold a "Smarter than Thou" attitude when dealing with questions HE deems unworthy of HIS time and bandwidth.  HE then proceeds to waste everyone else's time telling the questioner how incompetent, stupid, and unworthy of their job/title they are.  For some strange reason, HE seems to think that everything sent to the list is addressed to HIM PERSONNALY and must be answered the same.  How DARE this unworthy questioner waste HIS time asking HIM a question!

After the explanation of this persons email title, a vision of an Out to Pasture, Grumpy, 'THINKS' he Knows-It-All Old Man who goes around telling others how to live their lives comes to mind (eg. Wilford Brimley)... No wonder I disagree with most of what he says... (43 yr old "Whippersnapper" that I am)

I have tried to have patience, knowing the limitations of his understanding of the English language (Americanized in particular) and his OBVIOUS political leanings, but on one occasion, I myself let him drag me down to HIS level (after several of his anti-American rants and then an innocent question by a state govt. employee) and responded to him on-list, requesting that he basically just keep it to himself if he did not want to waste HIS time answering the question.  Apparently it didn't sink in...  

I don't wish to block his address, as he SOMETIMES offers good sound commentary, but if HE could just stop the 'diarrhea' of the keyboard (someone will have to explain it him), I personally would be much happier.  You would think that it would catch on after awhile, that he himself brings on these flames, seeing how HE is SO SMART.   

In other words everyone (FS in particular), if YOU don't want to provide helpful, constructive answers or commentary, then just keep it to yourself!
   (FS, this means don't reply to tell the stupid person that you won't be replying)

Rick Urban
Yuma, AZ
Another member of the .mil thought police (for another 3 weeks anyway)


_______________________________________________
You are currently subscribed to the radsafe mailing list
radsafe at radlab.nl

For information on how to subscribe/unsubscribe and other settings visit: 
http://radlab.nl/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/radsafe