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WHAT'S NEW?
Like democracy, this site is a never-ending experiment. I periodically effect major layout and content overhauls for the site, page by page. As I learn more about Web development, the site will improve...or that is the theory, anyway. Feel free to email me and tell me what you think of the site.
As of mid-May 2001, I am maintaining a "Weblog" under the auspices of Blogger.com, a free Weblog provider. This Weblog, or "Blog" as it is also known, effectively makes this page obsolete...right? I mean, the Blog allows me to easily publish my thoughts to the Web, right? Right. Thus, I can update you on the things concerning the page AND the world, right? Well, maybe not. I intend the Blog to be a part of my Rant section of the site. So on THIS page you will find SITE updates...usually. When I am not lazy. On the Blog you will find "What's New" concerning my thoughts on current events. I KNOW that I could do that on the Forum, but what the hell. I wanted to have a place other than the Forum to publish my thoughts. And maybe I want to create an ever-growing labyrinth of a Web site for shits and giggles. Whatever.
SOOOOOO...GO AND ENJOY MY BLOG, ANT'S RANTS!
AND DON'T FORGET TO JOIN THE CONVERSATION IN THE SITE'S FORUM! ENJOY!
Webmaster's Editorial:
A few months ago, there was a controversy surrounding my Guestbook and then my Forum. There were some weird and wild postings on those pages, and some were pretty rude. Some attacked me, saying that I was "pompous", among other things. I thought the perpetrator or perpetrators were just some people that I never met having a good time at my expense. So, when someone started posting personal info concerning my whereabouts on the planet, I decided to nip things in the bud, and took down the Guestbook. Being a fledgling Webmaster, I supposed that I wasn't quite prepared for the atmosphere of a Guestbook. But then again, I have looked around the Internet and I have seen Guestbooks filled with postings that pertain entirely to the site in question and its themes. And I wanted my Guestbook to be like that. But then again, I am sure that those sites do get some non-sequiter postings, and probably do a lot of editing.
Anyway, I put the Guestbook back up after cooling off and after an anonymous email from someone saying sorry for the crap and please put the Guestbook back up. This person claimed that they knew the people responsible for the personal posts, and that those people said that they were going to stop posting at my expense, and that they also wanted my Guestbook to go back up. This made me reconsider, as did my own thoughts. I thought: "Why should I have to take down my Guestbook just because someone is trying to use it against me? Screw that!" So I put the Guestbook back up.
I have been told numerous times in my life that I trust people too much. I think that came into play in this situation.
To make a long story short, a good bit of conversation started up in the Guestbook, which is not really suited to conversation. SO then I created the Forum and the person (or people) that caused all the earlier chaos resurfaced to make a mess of THAT, just like they had the Guestbook. Eventually, when rage had motivated me enough to do some sleuthing (and an anonymous tip or two brought to light some interesting facts), I came to find that someone I had worked with for a while (and who barely knew me) was the main perpetrator of the whole mess. Things got tense then, angers flared, and the end result was a truce between me and my attacker(s). Still not entirely sure who really was and was not involved (I have my doubts sometimes about one person being the only one that created the majority of the stuff that was done), but I guess it doesn't matter. My stance toward the Guestbook/Forum in the aftermath of it all is this:
In my opinion, just like there are chat room rules that determine whether someone gets booted off, there need to be rules for guestbooks and forums. I despise censorship, but some people go too far under the cloak of free speech. These people use the First Amendment as an excuse to post profanity, pornography, and personal attacks. That, to me, is an abuse of free speech and frankly immature. It is a slap in the face of the good old fashioned tradition of friendly debate and argumentation.
Therefore, I reserve the right to delete all posts that involve content that I deem innapropriate for the Guestbook and the Forum. I will not allow people to post personal information regarding another person. I will NEVER censor honest debate, heated though it may get. I will NEVER censor criticism of the site. But I WILL not tolerate people that are obviously trying to disrupt the Guestbook or the Forum, for the protection of the people that use the forum and for myself.
Thanks to all of those who come here in the name of honest conversation. And thanks for listening to me vent.
ACS
P.S. Don't forget to stop and admire the collage of our latest primate...er...president, "Curious" George W. Bush! Sorry D, I think this is hilarious!
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