To tell the truth, at the time it really looked like NOBODY was EVER going to post here, so I didn't care if the discussion I stirred up was germane to the thread header or not.
Unless I am mis-reading you, your positions can be summarized as follows:
[1] because I am the thread moderator I have some higher moral duty to accept personal attacks, because by not allowing such attacks, I am harming the purpose of the thread, which is to allow a place for civilized discussion of politics;
Response: I reject this argument completely.
[2] when someone attacks me, it is I, not the attacker, who has "personalized" the attacker's post;
Response: I reject this argument completely.
[3] by posting an opinion piece which I received in an email from my mother, without first commenting on it, I invited any and all who read the board to denigrate her value as a human being;
Response: I reject this argument completely.
[4] in order to foster civil discussion I must be willing to be attacked, and/or to let others be attacked, and respond only by requesting that the attacker please not attack people anymore;
Response: I reject this argument completely.
You suggest that I insert the following language into the thread header: There is only one rule here: NO PERSONAL ATTACKS. Those who engage in personal attacks will be warned. If they persist, future posts which contain personal attacks may be deleted.
My response:
I tried the soft approach in the thread header at Guideline #1, to wit Please be respectful of other people, even if you hold their opinions in utter contempt. We are all just humans after all.
Frankly, I fail to see how your suggested alternative would make a bit of a difference.
With all of this said, I again request that you ... respond to the posters giving them a warning about their personal attacks, and give them the opportunity to be contributors to the thread.
I really cannot see any logic to this request. I have denied "the opportunity to be contributors to the thread" to NO ONE. There is no "banning" function on IHUB. These posters are free to post anytime they want to, so long as they do not attack other posters as people.
maybe they personalized the posts they were responding to, just as you have.
No. For the last time, I did not personalize their posts, they did. And, frankly, I find your repeated assertions to the contrary rather insulting and increasingly annoying.
I again request that you restore the deleted posts
In a word, NO.
I will, however, put a more explicit warning into the thread header.
This is my last word on the subject. I have discussed it with Matt from IHUB, and he has no problems with the manner in which I wish to run the board. Furthermore, I told him that if he ever has any problems with the manner in which I run the board, it is my request that he simply delete the board itself from IHUB, because I don't want him wasting his time on it.
News 
Market Data 
Discover 
