number 1 alex was careful guy who rarely wondered from his rules...and number 2 I think Julie and Mike are in a tough spot trying to rebuild this board and may be a little more lax so as to run anybody off right now...fwiw

The guidelines I quoted are from this forum's Guide (link at top of page). If they are no longer applicable, fine -- then get rid of 'em.

I said "maybe"

"The guidelines I quoted are from this forum's Guide (link at top of page). If they are no longer applicable, fine -- then get rid of 'em."

John,

I very much appreciate you bringing this to my attention when you did so that I could quickly address it.  After deleting all the posts in that particular thread,  I immediately contacted the posters involved and they were warned but not suspended but that could still happen in the future. 

As I have mentioned previously here, I welcome views that are different than mine and as several posters know from emails that they received, will not tolerate a  pattern of posting personal attacks or unacceptable posting. 

Let me be crystal clear on what I mean by pattern of behavior, and personal attacks.

First, an analogy.

Have you ever been speeding, let's say going 15 mph over the posted legal speed limit and got pulled over by a cop?  The cop will come check you out(make sure you aren't drunk) , take your drivers license, then check your driving record.  

If you have a warrant out for your arrest, you may be going to jail...or maybe not if its for parking tickets that are 5 years old from when you went to college and he judges you to be a good person. Why did I use that example?

Because that's what happened to me when I was back in Michigan on vacation with my new wife and our daughter. He also did not give me a speeding ticket. The law said he should have not done that but sometimes, people who enforce laws, will error on the side of leniency. 

We aren't talking about letting somebody go that posed a threat to society. 

I have been stopped for speeding and received tickets before but also stopped other times with no ticket because my driving record(outside of  a few speeding tickets in my life) is pretty good. 

You obviously get the point and Alex did too. He often just gave warnings...........but I am not Alex and even if he banned every person for life that ever used a cuss word here..................I am the one working hours a day to rejuvenate the forum and am trying to do what's best for MarketForum. 

There is no need to get rid of a rule because its not enforced every time to the letter. The rules are there to provide guidelines for behavior and the potential penalties that CAN be imposed but don't have to be.

So pattern of behavior to me, is not 1 or 2 incidents from a person that made 100 excellent trading posts this year. If another person has only made half a dozen posts and a couple of them are unacceptable, the same behavior will be scrutinized differently.

I have to look, not just at a couple of infractions or even 1 of them but whether that person is making a sincere effort to help me resurrect MarketForum. If somebody comes here and uses unacceptable language or attacks and then disappears, only to come back again and repeat............I am allowed to use a judgement call to discern the intention of them being here and dial that into my decision.

Personal attacks: Though I dislike the popularity and manner of which everybody that hates Trump bashes him endlessly..............not criticizes his many flaws objectively but hateful stuff..........., I will tolerate all sorts of mean  things when they are directied at a public figure or not directed at an individual poster here.......in a very personal way. 

Again, this is a judgement call and I will not state explicitly how far I can be pushed, since mojo gets pretty close already at times(but is not in danger of being suspended) and I don;t want to give him any ideas. 

What happened earlier today was waaaay over the line and qualifies as very personal as well as a language violation. Consider the parties involved to have received a  warning that goes on their posting record but I am being the nice forum cop and not suspending.

If another personal attack happens, I will review the severity and posters contributions here. 

 The huge polarity in politics right now, focused on Trump, is not going to disappear and I can only tolerate it here by scrutinizing for personal attacks, language and a pattern of behavior........while erring on the side of leniency.

If the exact same thing happens tomorrow,  for instance, I can tell you that somebody will be suspended and the emails that went out made that clear. 

Unfortunately, new people coming here for the first time are going to read this post and think "What the heck is going on here?"

Mike -- it's all good. Frankly, what I  was reacting to was very much in the category of "coarse or abusive language" which, the guide says, "is not tolerated." The original rule called for suspension or banishment as punishment; I'm fine with discretionary warnings.

What I'm not fine with is that sort of thing going completely unaddressed -- unless the rules are changed to allow it -- in which case I'll feel free to use profanity whenever the inclination arises. Generally, though, I believe I'm quite capable of levying serious insult without having to rely on profanity as a crutch.

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If your anger drives you to abuse me,

It will only serve to totally amuse me.

Good way to put it Carl.

If I were you, I'd refrain from reciting that couplet to any woman who uses "Mistress" as a first name.