Locked Threads (fluff)

Twilight, you most certainly can make friends on this site! The objection is for using the site as a dating agency!
Petrarca has given the age limit as 13. It might be better if it was older, 18 or above.
Yes, Twilight, I am of a different generation; but I have children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.So I do understand the young.
I am well up with modern technology; even though I often joke about only just getting used to a ball-point pen! I know what a Kindle is. I know the difference between a gigabyte and a megabyte.I can use a computer. (If I could get it to make coffee I would be in paradise!)

Well said Twilight.

I didn't mean that friends cannot be made here. Certainly, it is encouraged to interact and grow together as fellow magick practitioners. It's always nice to be able to find like minds to relate to and share with. It's very difficult to do so as witches or magicians within our society outside of the internet unless you have the luxury of a local coven, lodge, or other form of group that meets regularly.

I was pointing out that it is not the main objective to meet new people as it is on social networks like Facebook. It's an additional issue that causes problems, especially when flirting occurs. There are also many attention seekers that create unnecessary drama.

Chucks comment "many of us want what's best for everyone" demonstrates the misconception that this site wants to please everyone. We cannot please the ones that seriously want to learn if we do nothing against those that disrupt that environment. What's best for the community is not going to make everyone happy, only those that are here for the true purpose of the community.

I hope that's clearer :)

If computers could make coffee I would be in paradise too!!! XD

But Windows 8 is still horribly confusing!!! If it could make coffee, sadly, I don't think I could ever figure it out.

Chucky, several times you have been going on about this and in the public chat as well. Yes, Fluffy is a derogative term towards Body Image and Sexuality. However, here that is not the case, nor do those definitions mean anything here.

Here, and in the Occult/Pagan Community it is a term used to describe people whom are calling out that fantastical feats are possible and refusing to acknowledge proper study and proof (Reason and Logic) hence why they are called Fluffy.

'The Fluffs' are a problem in our community (The two other defintions have actually no longer valid because most of society don't actually use them, in my cases as a young Gay person; I have never been called a Fluff) we try our best to educate them but they take it the wrong way, yes sometimes we do appear a little bit more nastier because we are sick and tired of dealing with it day in and out.

The only thing we can do is shut them down and educate them, it does look like bullying but there isn't much else we can do when trying to preserve the image of the Community, which already gets abuse for believing in Magic - even from people of other religions (Something that I have experienced personally)

As White said, we cannot please everyone, people will get hurt, but they will learn; best from people who have been practicing for years and that have a lot of sense than to end up in a bad position in their Spiritual/Magical journey where they may or may not have gotten into some form of trouble.

As far as I can see on this post, it is just a bit of whinging saying that 'it's unfair' well life unfortunately is unfair, but better get used to it, because there are a lot worse people out there in the Community, such as the Heathens whom follow the Neo-Nazi movement, who do actively hurt people of other races, giving a bad reputation from the decent people, there have been a few cases of these people on the website, so think about it, a much larger problem than a simple matter of 'you called that person a mean name'.

I'm very sorry, I didn't explain myself properly there but really love the points you guys are raising there, Weatherwax that's exactly right. Nothing can be perfect, the system on this site developed and changed over time but it can't please everybody, it just does the best it can to cater to those who want to connect with other like minded folk, to share explore and grow in their knowledge of magic.

Brysing I am deeply sorry for giving you the impression that the generation gap would somehow be a barrier on your side of things, but now you mention you do have children and even Grandchildren, and I have a Grandfather myself (someone who I also see as my closest and best friend) would more than understand the inclinations and attitudes of the young. I think more its about the young not understanding the old, thinking that they are out to say that life is unfair as if it were deliberate.

Well yes that is so, but the old don't do that to put us down. They do so because they have lived and lived to tell the tale, and if the younger generations are to survive and model the previous notions of societal values, then standards have to be set, lessons learned and the odd lecture every now and then. Apologies Im going off the beaten track a little here, but relating this back to the site and how members interact and perceive one another.

What changes need to be made are not such physical ones, its more about how we feel inside and the only way, the only way that how we feel, perceive and interact with one another that goes in accordance with the site rules in a way that functions well is to bring about understandings and acceptances through positive reinforcement and good education. And of course our computers making coffee along side of that would be a truly wonderful thing indeed!

I am the one who locked those threads, and in at least one of them I explained clearly why it was done. Mods make their calls based on many things, the rules of course being one of them. But we are also looking at threads that have run their course and become simply arguments. People post threads against the use of the term "fluffy" all the time. Posting other such threads, especially when there were already two other threads on the same topic currently active does nothing.

The Site Administrator chooses the Mods here because he trusts us to use our judgement. If we do something of which he does not approve then he lets us know. If I might refer you to rule #1 on this site; " Mods may choose to end topic discussion of non website/magic talk at anytime. " So I was following the site rules that you agreed with in joining this site.

As White Raven said, the Mods do not have to explain their actions to you, but since you asked I have given you your answer.

I would like to thank you all for your replies, especially Lark, Whit3raven, and Brysing who rose to the challenge instead of deleting the post and gagging me. I sincerely applaud that, and thank you all for taking this seriously.

However I feel that we are avoiding the main issue, which is why we should be calling people "fluff." It was pointed out that this site is not supposed to please everyone. I never said that, but the fact is, we should want what's best for everyone, and that is what the rules on this site are supposed to accomplish. Simply reiterating how some people define fluffy here is not solving this problem, even if to you it doesn't mean gay or fat. I have heard it used both ways, and whether you agree with these uses or not, using the term is not preventing roleplay, and it offends people unnecessarily.

Calling people "fluffy" is in fact bullying and it has done nothing to improve relations here or stop people from goofing around in the chat with fantasy topics.

I agree that the fantasy and role playing take a toll on serius magical learning, however if eradicating that were the top priority, then Pet would have deleted the thousands of ridiculous fake spells here that draw roleplayers to the site. (I've heard the dictum about it reawing traffic to the site)

As I said in my post, the issue of using the term "fluffy" has been debated over and over on this site. Please do not turn this thread into another such discussion.

I've said this before, but I'll say it again, I've only ever heard someone being called 'fluff' when referring to people who claim they're a werewolf/vampire hybrid sense [aka role-playing] the thing about words is their meanings can change. You claim fluffy means to insult gay people. 'Gay' by textbook definition is another word for 'happy' the second it's associated with something else should we ignore the original meaning? I'm not saying we should reclaim the word, but my point is it's the context behind the word. Fluffy can still be insulting, but in the pagan community it has nothing to do with sexuality or body image.

Anyway, some people are rather quick to call someone a fluffy bunny, but perhaps take a step back and look at the person who called Fluffy. Maybe they're not a horrible person, maybe they're tired and this is the tenth time this week they dealt with this person's nonsense, or the hundredth 'I'm a vampire!' Thread and they're at their breaking point. This isn't a role play site, but it is a site for fun and we are all human. Sometimes we get joy out of typing out a 5 paragraph lecture detailing an answer to a question, and sometimes we groan and scream 'not another person who wants to grow wings!' And in that instants they respond accordingly.

It was mentioned how teachers deal with a lot of repetition but can't name call, I can think of a few times in high school and even elementary where teachers called out a student for idiocy. My favourite was probably my history teacher, he kept trying to explain to this girl in the class [stereotypical dumb blond] why natives on reservations couldn't get work and what resulted was this 15 minute look that went

Student: why don't they work at wal-mart.
Teacher: there is none.
Student: well why don't they work at McDonald's.
Teacher: there is none.
Student: well why don't they move?
Teacher: they can't afford to.
Student: well why don't they work at wal-mart?

For 15 minutes, the exact same questions until my teacher [nicest funniest teacher in the school] went red in the face, then took a deep breath and said slowly 'listen you privileged suburban twit, there is nothing for miles. They are trapped in the woods with nothing.' And he walked away. The girl tried to say something but we all yelled at her because we were all sick of it.

Now imagine being a moderator and dealing with this over and over for free. Sometimes locking forums are the best option. Calling someone a Fluffy Bunny is something I see more regular users doing over mods. I think it's a phase, the first couple years my friends and I use to laugh and roll our eyes and go 'oh, Silver Ravenwolf, what a fluffy bunny!' We don't really do that anymore, so I think it's just a phase. You can't really stop people using the term though.

A word which holds many meamings is only a slur given the context for being that slur. Mainly, among magic users, the word 'fluff' will almost never be a slur against large or gay people. If we were to take the original post inits full implication, a Persian cat could no longer be called fluffy for fear of offending someone.

There are so many terms for which this applies.

Some people really do take things too seriously.