*Ahem*
1. Ad hominem attacks, blasphemy, profanity, rudeness, and vulgarity will not be tolerated (although heresy will always be encouraged). However, vigorous attacks against a member’s position are expected and those who cannot handle such should think twice before they post.
2. Long-running debates that are of interest only to a small number of individuals should be taken elsewhere, preferably via private email (i.e. if the moderator gets tired of reading posts concerning the population density [N] of terpsichorean demigods inhabiting ferrous microalpine environments, the posters will be encouraged to “settle it outside”).
3. Pseudonyms are permitted but real names are preferred. However, if the moderator suspects that someone is posting under multiple aliases or pretending to be someone else, they will be permanently banned from the blog.
4. Mutual respect and sensitivity towards those with opposing views is essential. In particular, posts containing what the moderator feels is “creation-bashing” by evolutionists or “evolution-bashing” by creationists, will not be tolerated.
That chewing sound you hear is me, munching on Corvus brachyrhynchos. Perhaps we should have a (brief) discussion of why these rules are necessary…or are they?
Also, the first person who either indirectly or directly accuses another person posting to this list of lying will be permanently banned. This includes me.
Mea culpa
Comment by Allen MacNeill — July 7, 2006 @ 5:10 pm
Thanks for the reminder Prof. MacNeill.
Some some ancient advice might help.
We want to refine understanding:
As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. Proverbs 27:17, But in doing so lets:
Do to others as you would have them do to you.Luke 6:31 See: Biblegateway.com
Comment by David L. Hagen — July 7, 2006 @ 6:33 pm
Allen,
If I may, I think you are doing a commendable job. Let this forum be a tool for you and your students, not a burden to you. Structure the rules for the benefit of yourself and students in the learning process, and not the benefit of the outside participants.
You and your students have here an opportunity to ask the participants, particularly the IDers why they believe certain things.
Let the forum be of service to you and your students, not an irritation. Use the Socratic method on the members of this list. That way you can probably get them to articulate their positions more clearly, and perhaps they will spend less time attacking other members of the list (including you).
Finally, consider that Michael Behe and Dean Kenyon became IDers years after they got their PhD’s in prestigious schools. What changed their minds were obscure works available in the popular press, not peer-reviewed articles! I think it’s instructive that books in the popular press could be so persuasive to PhD’s accustomed to peer-reviewed literature.
It is this pop-literature that is affecting college students, grad students, working scientists, professors, engineers, and doctors. That may be a little disconcerting that pop-literature can have such an affect rather than peer-reviewed articles and college textbooks, but that is the way it is, and perhaps knowing that and knowing why may be informative.
Your class and the discussion on the internet may help clarify reasons why. That in itself may help define the value of this forum to you and your students.
Salvador
Comment by Salvador T. Cordova, IDEA GMU — July 7, 2006 @ 7:18 pm