Comments on: Glazers, Gill, Some Red Knights and Lots of Lies

By: Red Ranter

Red Ranter — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 15:52:30 +0000

@NorwegianDevil: Thanks for understanding. I don't enjoy banning people, and over the past few years I can count on my fingers the number of regular commenters who've been banned. And secondly, freedom of speech extends to the public domain where you as a taxpaying citizen is allowed to express yourself freely. When it comes to a site which is privately owned, you have to play by the house rules. And I've never actually constrained people from expressing themselves freely (even allowed most of you to veer freely off topic) as long as you are coherent and not make it difficult for people to understand intentionally.

By: CraigMc

CraigMc — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 15:36:36 +0000

@NorwegianDevil: Thanks for the Orwell information mate – and his insights have already happened, and that worldwide .

By: NorwegianDevil

NorwegianDevil — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 14:16:25 +0000

@CraigMc: If you don’t know what the Orwell thought Police is, try reading 1984. An excellent book that in many ways predicted our modern day surveillance society. Though it’s not as bad as the book predicted just yet

It’s about a society where free thought and speech is not allowed and the thought police monitor everything everyone does thorugh two way TV Screens.

Regarding the banning of scotjimland I agree with you that it was maybe a little harsh, but then again he broke the blogs comments policy several times and made it quite clear that he didn’t intend to ever follow it either.

Heres a quote from the comments policy:

Text messaging (sms) lingo: Similarly never — and by this I mean, never — use text messaging (sms) lingo. So, for example, a comment that’s entirely written like, “mkl carrick iz da cool plyr, mez thinkz” or too much “roflmao or lols” would be outrightly deleted. No second thoughts. Use smileys. They convey emotions much better. We don’t mind the occasional “lol’s” or “rofl’s” but too much of that and we’ll start getting annoyed.

Based on this RR first warned him that such language is not allowed on this blog. A warning that he made quite clear that he didn’t give a flying f**k about, and by his actions he really gave RR no choice but to ban him.

By: CraigMc

CraigMc — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 12:40:55 +0000

@phoenix red: – hate to reveal my ignorance Phoenix, but who are Orwell’s thought police mate? Please enlighten me, because it’s the 1st time I heard of them .

By: phoenix red

phoenix red — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 23:49:19 +0000

just my opinion, but the banning of ScotJimland was harsh, i totally agree with Craig on this. I’m sorry, but Orwells Thought Police comes to mind

By: CraigMc

CraigMc — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 19:45:00 +0000

@Grognard: As far as I remember, he was pissed off with the naysayers, and yes he is a rah-rah party liner, who doesn’t like his team being criticised I suspect. So when he took some flak on the blog, he decided to hit back with silly inuendo’s and Celtic idioms and expressions. I don’t think any United blog should be ELITIST, because United fans come from all walks of life and educational levels. If we don’t like some folks ways of blogging, just ignore them and chat with someone else – only exception to this rule should be if the person gets personally abusive – which ScotJim wasn’t. The one time people thought he was, he quickly apologised!

By: CraigMc

CraigMc — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 19:39:09 +0000

@Johnsom33: I support everyone’s right to express themselves in the way they want – even if the way they express themselves does get up some peoples NOSES! ScotJim used to write his posts ok, until some folk started giving him aggravation, then he hit back by playing silly devils with you all. I think that folk should just ignore him if he gets to you – I do .

By: Grognard

Grognard — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 17:48:20 +0000

@CraigMc: You often have a similar attitude to him Craig. The difference is that you are also capable of some humility, a great sense of humor and your thoughts and beliefs on the game you share and in the process allows us to notice your passion and enthusiasm is coupled with intelligence as well. Call us sanctimonious but not all of us like to be surrounded by drunken stupid bastards at a game who belch and spill beer down our backs in the middle of a deluge of swearing and screaming. Personally I think there are more than enough cheerleader blogs on the Internet to attract and appreciate the likes of Scotjimland. Again, I'd like to think that this blog which is a top ten blog for United supporters has attempted to be something more. Many who come on here for the first time comment on how they enjoy the intelligence and well informed debating on this blog compared to others. Many who rarely comment also claim to continually read this blog even if they are too shy to comment themselves on a regular basis. Why? Because we are not a trash rag blog like "Shoot" that offers nothing of intelligence to readers but pictures and cheerleading. We are like "Four Four Two. The scholars choice for the football purist and for the intelligent football enthusiast. There is no shame in being elitist even if that is not RR's aim with this blog. I love this place because of the members we have who have something concrete and interesting to say. Otherwise, why waste time reading the juvenile rantings of drunk cheerleader?

By: Grognard

Grognard — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 17:38:47 +0000

@CraigMc: Another fair point. I totally forgot about that Gerrard incident. You got me. Scrap him too. Hargo would have been a no brainer except for two things. He is always injured and secondly, I don’t care what England thinks, that boy is Canadian and a Canadian born player should never be captain of England much like a foreign born American can never be President of the USA. It just aint cricket mate.

Now as for captain, the two other choices would be Rooney or Lampard. Both great players and staples in the first squad, and both leaders. I honestly cannot think of a better leader or flag carrying Englishman than Wayne Rooney. Rooney should have been named captain for United and England well over a year ago as far as I am concerned.

By: Grognard

Grognard — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 17:34:59 +0000

@CraigMc: Fair point Craig but you have always been a bit too tolerant a person from my point of view, where I am probably too much of a whiner from yours. Seriously though mate, he was irritating as Hell for a number of reasons. First, you could barely make out what he was saying. Secondly, he had a “fuck you” attitude towards people who politely asked him to write better and be clearer with his thoughts. Thirdly, he offered sweet fuck all to the proceedings.

I admit to being an elitist and although this is not my blog, I take pride in this blog for it’s content, it’s administration and mostly the attempt by most on here to offer intelligent and stimulating banter and debate. When one cannot form two sentences properly and when all he does is a really poor imitation of a high school female cheerleader, well lets just say, this blog deserves better. I like to think I am fair but that doesn’t mean that when an annoying fly is buzzing around my vicinity and won’t go away, that I won’t get the fly swatter or my can of Raid and end my misery. He was just a teenager and unfortunately, not all teens who come on to this blog are as fun, interesting, intelligent and as likable as Eddy. Like I said yesterday, good riddance to bad rubbish. I will miss the Gaelic though………NOT.