by Andrew Forbes » Thu Nov 11, 2010 6:25 pm
Thus ends my little behavioral experiment.
My perspective: I did not call you a trafficker of child pornography. I was explicit--or, perhaps, blatantly implicit--in denying your involvement in such. The very nature of the thread makes that position clear, given that I am to believe it is utterly groundless and false in order to state it here. Frankly, I'm interested in how you reacted, not because I necessarily think it's unexpected, but because there's obviously been a line crossed somewhere despite the point of the thread being about making absolutely untrue statements. I'm rather intrigued that accusations ranging from mild eccentricities to sexual transgressions to who knows what all have been made, in good humor, and yet this is seen as unacceptable. I'm willing to concede the fact and apologize for any offense caused. Believe me when I tell you that it was a deliberate attempt at probing a boundary, though not an attempt to legitimately offend.
I liken the reaction to those who make clear delineations between the fictional and the real until a character in a movie kills a dog, at which point they revolt against it. That's something I've always found curious.
As an added note, I deliberately avoided making such an extreme statement about any of the users who post under their actual names, and made a point of choosing an extreme suggestion while steering clear of a more direct violation against children, such as molestation. I wonder how you might have reacted to a lie about slipping mickeys into cocktails. How about something vaguely about driving a van with tinted windows and having pockets full of candy.
Anyway, ever since I saw a US news report on pedophiles stalking Comic Con dressed as Pedobear (look it up), in which the program warned parents to be on the lookout for costumes of that description, I've been rather interested in the (from my perspective) irrational reactions to content related to children often displayed.
I just find this thread, while amusing, a tad absurd. It inherently encourages insults and slander, while failing to provide any concrete idea of how far is too far.
Again, no offense intended. Just me being curious.
Formerly chamucamel