Tired Of The Cheaters And Skeptics

[KaitiUSA]

I agree Beverly...the way things are perceived different online then when they are in person.

I can also have humor without it being malicious and I know alot of women can.

I definitely love this board...it's one of a kind and filled with people who I have got to know and become good friends with:D

[ianm]

I work with two women who are worse than a boatload of drunken sailors so I should have said most but not all women tend to misunderstand dry humor. Some men don't get that type of humor either. I was speaking in more generalized terms of some of the observations I have made.

[ianm]

(Blame it on Monty Python.)

I was always more of a Benny Hill fan.

Nini, I always got your humor. Anyone who is a fan of Beavis and Butthead rules in my book.

[Guest BERNESES]

Totally- count me in on the boat load of drunken sailors! I've got quite the mouth The problem is that online or in email (and I learned this the HARD way) I can't poke you or make a funny face to show that I'm being sarcastic or dry or whatever. You can only read my words. And I think that is why we have to be careful on both sides of the situation- with our own words and not reading too much into other's words. And asking for clarification if we're unsure of someone's intent. You're right. Think before you hit the reply button. there are a LOT of people on this board who have been through HELL and they need support, not something more to upset them.

Not everyone can laugh when they poop their pants on their own couch (yes- it happened to me and I burst out laughing- what the heck else was I going to do? ) but not everyone would find that funny. For some people, it might be the end of their rope. Everyone's rope is a different length and I'd hate someone on this board to reach the end of theirs because of a careless post.

[gf4life]

Berneses, I would be laughing at myself, too!

Ianm, in my family I am the one with the dry, sarcastic sense of humor (I love watching BBC, too!) and my husband just doesn't get the jokes. So this general statement that women tend to misunderstand dry humor doesn't apply here! In fact I was bursting at the seems with mmm..gluten's comments. I feel that humor is one of the healthiest ways of dealing with a medical diagnosis like celiac disease.

My six year old and I were at school today and I was helping her with a project. She was making a paper doll to look like her. The teacher had a whole set of "skin tone" colors and we went through them all trying to find a close match to my daughters skin. Wouldn't you know the color ended up being called WHEAT! We both just had to laugh at the irony. Even at six she can understand that kind of humor.

I do tend to leave my sense of humor off the board, because I don't want to inadvertantly offend someone. I learned this the hard way when I accidently offended a few family members in an e-mail newsletter about 6 years ago. I've been extremely careful since.

God bless,

Mariann

[kvogt]

I'd like to share a few observations - in typical masculine form.

I've observed in life that the first to take offense is often the first to offend.

They are hipersensitive to criticism and are critical of others.

Criticism is a good thing. If we express an idea, we should be ready to stand behind it and substantiate it.

Some people view disagreement with their ideas as a personal slant.

People generally never intend to offend and are surprised to learn they have.

Kindness is giving the person the benefit of the doubt.

A gentlemen is never unintentially rude.

Some people seek to be the victim in every circumstance.

That way, they are never accoutable for their own problems.

Political correctness has watered down dialog to half-strength, or less.

[burdee]

WOW!! I love the insightful posts under this topic. Despite the differences of opinion and passionate protests, I appreciated reading EVERYONE'S opinions here. We have expressed so much of our views on life and communication as well as self-care here. HURRAY FOR ALL WHO POSTED!!

BURDEE

[skbird]

At this point in the thread I am laughing my butt off, rolling on the floor and cursing like a boatload of drunken sailors. This stuff is pure poetry!

It is so difficult to know how someone is coming across online - it's difficult enough to figure that out face to face.

I think for the most part this is a really friendly and helpful board. I hope whatever tension has been kicked up recently will die down and we can get back to laughing about pooping the couch...

Dang, wish I had a good anecdote like that...

Take care y'all!

Stephanie

[Canadian Karen]

Please forgive me but I just can't control myself:

Did you fall off your chair?

OKAY, OKAY!! I'll stop!!!!

I just couldn't resist!!!!

Hugs.

Karen

[skbird]

I wanted to fall off of my chair but my back is funky and I was practical about the whole thing and controlled myself... so I simply got up and lay down on the floor and rolled around...

OK, so you caught me, I didn't do that at all but I REALLY wanted to! And I did curse like a boat of drunken soldiers! (oh, yeah, at about that time an email went out office-wide saying "donuts in the breakroom!" - that should make any gluten-intolerant curse like a boat of drunken soldiers!!!)

Still laughing...

Stephanie

[jknnej]

I think everyone has a right to post on this board, even if their opinions differ from mine, or even if I don't like what they have to say or even if I'm offended by it. They STILL have that right. Even though I was offended by things mmm...gluten said and that darlindeb said, I still wouldn't complain about it to a moderator b/c I believe in free speech, even if I disagree with it.

But I in turn have the right to say that I'm offended by it because I believe in handling it the mature way, and that is what some people may have found fault with.

In any case, I LOVE this board AND the people on it. It is a lifeline for me and I thank everyone here for being such great people, whether I agree with you all of the time or not!

Darlindeb or whatever her screen name is said there are a few "idiots" here. I don't know if she was referencing me or not but even if she was that is OK. I can't find that post...maybe she took it off? In any case, I HIGHLY disagree and feel that there are no idiots here and even if we thought there were we shouldn't voice that publicly. I wouldn't ever call anyone an idiot even if they frustrated me beyond belief and I personally didn't like them. That is not what our board is for, anyhow.

Thanks again for being a support system for me and I hope somewhere along the way I can help someone else as well.

Jennifer

[Guest BERNESES]

OK- I have a great idea. If we want to show the disbelievers and skeptics just how serious Celiac's can be, we can have a National Smelly Poop on a Mean Person's Couch Day. I've got my list prepared (no one on this board- first my boss, then my professor), and believe you me, I've got enough poop left over to spread it far and wide!!!! Beverly

[celiac3270]

I think for the most part this is a really friendly and helpful board. I hope whatever tension has been kicked up recently will die down and we can get back to laughing about pooping the couch...

I can definitely agree on that--I think we really are good friends when we're not engaged in cyber warfare about interpreting rules and posts...

[celiac3270]

OK- I have a great idea. If we want to show the disbelievers and skeptics just how serious Celiac's can be, we can have a National Smelly Poop on a Mean Person's Couch Day. I've got my list prepared (no one on this board- first my boss, then my professor), and believe you me, I've got enough poop left over to spread it far and wide!!!! Beverly

LOL

[Scott Adams]

In response to the post by jknnej

The forum's rules are very basic and important--you can have a look at them at:

Open Original Shared Link

and they were designed to make the forum better--and NOT to stop free speech. For example dozens of spammers have been banned from plastering the forums with "buy viagra here" junk posts--you don't see these because the spammers are almost immediately stopped and their posts are deleted (although some manage to plaster the forums with dozens of junk posts before we can stop them). Stopping this type of "free speech" just serves to make the forum a better place, and does not in any way stop the "real" free speech that continues to happen here. There have only been two regular forum users that I know of who have been banned--this in over three years and more than 4,500 users, and those two users were first warned (one multiple times), and the other once (but their extremely rude response to my very polite warning was what got them banned). In my opinion both of these individuals got themselves banned and the forum is a better place because of it.

The forum's users should not have to face the fear of insults or ridicule by other forum users when they are making a post. I would not allow such insults to occur if these conversations took place in my home--so why should I allow such behavior in the forums? Rule #1 (below) was created to protect all forum users from abuse, as was our warning system: "Generally speaking users who break these rules will get two warnings, and if there is a third rule violation they will be banned from the boards. Serious board violations can result in an immediate ban."

In my opinion these very basic, non-draconian rules and the warning system have served the forum very well over the years, and have helped it to develop into the positive, helpful "celiac community" that it has become.

Rule #1:

Do not be abusive or otherwise out of line towards other board members. Show respect for each board member, no matter what you think of their post(s). This is not a place to quarrel.

Take care,

Scott Adams

[Guest BellyTimber]

How about ALSO show respect for other board members in matters beyond the remit of the board?

And move threads to the right sections?

[skbird]

Beverly - you are KILLING me! Tonight, when I get home, I just know I'm going to look at my sofa and start laughing. It's even possible that for the rest of my life, when I think of poop humor, I'll think of you. In a fond way...

Thanks for brightening up this thread!!!

Stephanie

[Guest BellyTimber]

Also no coded language any more please.

[darlindeb25]

i sent this to jknnej and now i will add it to this thread----deb

I didnt call you or anyone else an idiot--i said that sometimes when a newbie comes in and asks a simple guestion, that they are made to feel like an idiot--here is the post i made--page 3 of the skeptics thread:

I have been on this board for a long time and I have always been ready to help anyone--I am a moderator on this board and I quit coming here for a while because I was so sick of the nit picking going on--I am not going to name names, but I was finding that a new person would come in and ask a perfectly innocent guestion---like, "can i have .........?" and it would be something that was quite obvious to we who have been gluten-free for some time, but not so obvious to a newbie and some of you would jump all over them like they were idiots--I would privately email them and let them know that not all of us were so cruel and I would give them my addy to ask me guestions directly--one newbie told me she would not come back to the forum because she felt the answers were rude---so I think its time you all remember--when you are pointing a finger and accusing someone of being of guestionable character, then you better remember at that same time, 4 fingers are pointing back at yourself--remember that------by the way--everyone was so upset with mmm gluten--I emailed him and then added him to my messenger--he is really a very nice man with a wonderful sense of humor--dont tell him though, cause it would ruin his image in here---Deb

--------------------

Deb

Long Island, New York

always trust in your angels!

thanks---Deb

[Canadian Karen]

This whole thing is really a mute point since Scott has stated that it wasn't what happened here that got him banned, but his "extremely rude" reply to Scott's request........

Karen

[Guest BellyTimber]

A new people's or enquirers' section would be a very good idea for when the sections are next reorganised. When I was new, as you will remember, I posted in all sorts of sections one after the other.

I don't know how the list of sections looks on anyone else's computer but on mine, on the left hand side, after the title of each section in bold letters there is a description in lighter lettering, e.g "don't mention speeding on the autobahn" (Gott im Himmel!)

That would be a good place to give enquirers some subtle guidance on how to approach this.

Perhaps, it should go something like, "if mentioning your perception of your own position/problems, please don't compare it disrespectfully with your perception of someone else's".

[celiac3270]

Good idea, Michael...there's pre-diagnosis--which doesn't apply to newly diagnosed, and post-diag. is about later post-diag. primarily and recovery, treatment, etc. It would be good to have a newbies section...or "Just diagnosed"...

[lovegrov]

First let me say that I am NOT taking sides in any of this. That is NOT the purpose of this comment.

Freedom of speech as we understand it in the U.S. means the government cannot abridge your right to speak out. It can't close down newspapers or outlaw books (although I see an astounding number of people who want books they don't like banned). "Freedom of speech" does NOT apply to a forum like this. It's not in the least but different than if you walk into a shopping mall, hop up on a bench, and start lecturing people. The people who oewn that mall have every right to ask you to change your behavior or to throw you out. Freedom of speech does not apply.

richard

[jknnej]

I'm sorry, I didn't mean to start a whole freedom of speech issue. I was just kind of using that term to say that just because someone posts something I find offensive that I wouldn't complain about it b/c I think they have a right to say it if they wish, just as I have a right to respond about it.

I didn't mean to use that term so loosely-sorry!!

[Guest BellyTimber]

I know where everyone is coming from.

I'm usually somewhere in the middle and I go on about where I'm at and that usually gets all sides' backs up.

"Cheat" is extreme language though some super and truly wonderful souls I have observed here are coping with it very well indeed.

About those people that post what they are thinking without thinking first they should try and keep quiet, bite their typing fingers then ask one question at a time. Not mix the issues and not imply things or assume things.

They should start at the beginning.

If they get this wrong we should tell them clearly and nicely which they will probably have never come across before.

If Democrats and Republicans are not to be slagged off in this forum then other people's religious leaders shouldn't be either - as someone pointed out there are rather a lot of other forums.

Just because I burn cool doesn't mean threads on this forum that haven't been handled properly by the administrators don't need an administrator response.

I was at a conference and it has been proved that people don't get celiac disease diagnosis and treatment when they need it - people who are rather "asymptomatic" get told they have it but told nothing about it or why - the entire thing we are all living in and are part of is a horrendous complete mess for start to finish - except the success story of finding foods, organising shopping, cooking - if you want to cope with this read the recipe pages - I am doing so and I might find myaelf cooking - I don't despair because I don't cook much yet and am dyspraxic.

On another discussion board are people in acute pain being asked to wait a year on gluten for a biopsy - people who have been gluten-free for a year and were extremely ill on gluten and are asked to take a gluten challenge for a biopsy.

The society of gastroenterolists and the conference speakers say, someone turns up in gut agony, they get a biopsy straight away.

In my case, two and a half years later, it's been settled, they're not playing that game with me.

When a couple of conference speakers get it right and hundreds of thousands of professionals are mis-practising, we need a degree of sanctuary here, not people taking our religious or political leaders apart, not people taking us apart because we're supposedly "hypochondriacs". We gotta stay clear of the precipices. We need to let each other carry on experiencing what we each want to experience.

I wonder what I shall do when I go to a party, when it's Christmas. Most of us still do!!! Haven't been on holiday for years. Lots of us haven't!!! We're prepared to gove ourselves some more time!!!

We gotta fight for our food - read the recipe pages

We gotta fight for our health

We gotta fight for comprehension

We gotta fight for a sense of proportion

Not against each other.