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Value Addition to Home Page

Submitted by raj on Thu, 2010-11-11 14:58
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Dear All,

We already have a very appropriate punch line "A FAMILY OF POETS" reflecting truly the consensus of the Spirit and Will its family Members ..

In my earnest opinion the Home Page should also highlight the following:-

- A Statement of Objectives / Mission Statement
- A Vision Statement

I believe the above could add good value to the Home Page setting out clearly the guiding principles and family values of Neopoet Family...

I would love to know the opinion of the founder members as well as other family members about this suggestion

magics02

Thu, 2010-11-11 19:39

I like your ideas and yes hopefully they are implemented. Sounds great and miss reading your work.

Love and Hugs
Mona

Race_9togo

Thu, 2010-11-11 19:54

Race_9togo's picture
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I like the idea of some kind of introductory statement about who we are, what we do, and what the site is all about, and if the warmth and eagerness and drive to help each other can be encapsulated, then I'm all for it.

But, I am not at all comfortable with "family values". In the USA, this expression is the measurement of a slippery slope that leads to things like censorship and content ratings that in my mind would put chains on the pens of many poets, myself included.

Just my opinion.

Respectfully, Race

"Laws and Rules don't kill freedom: narrow-minded intolerance does" - Race-9togo

http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/Race_9togo

magics02

Thu, 2010-11-11 21:08

I thought about what Jim said about family values and I have to agree with him. We as writers come from all different ethnic and cultural backgrounds. I got the main idea idea Raj and maybe a statement to state what this site is all about would be good. Neopoet Workshop Family- maybe since we are a family of writers, but more so fellowship of writers who love to write and learn from each other.

Just my little twitter here:)

Mona

raj

Fri, 2010-11-12 15:20

Dear Jim & Mona...

i do agree with what you have said..however by "family values" i did not mean individual families but in the context of the new punch line appearing below Neopoet " A FAMILY OF POETS"....one could call it more appropriately as a Mission Statement or something similar.. to avoid any confusion...

raj (sublime_ocean)

author comment

magics02

Fri, 2010-11-12 23:11

A Family Of Poets is fine and it is true for it is a family of poets. The mission statement could reflect this as well. I think you are in the right direction raj and we all are a team I would hope so as not to offend anyone but work together just like a family does. I appreciate your comment and clarification.

Love and Light
Mona

Psyve

Fri, 2010-11-12 16:40

Psyve's picture

As a songwriter, I would agree with not wanting to go down the censorship route, and I know I'm relatively new around this site, but since we are on this subject, I saw some pretty offensive and brutal racial comments pass off in the name of ..poetry...on this site just days before it shut down for a few weeks.

What is this site's/ Moderators' policy vis-a-vis what is clearly (to me at least) a racial attack / outright obscenity? I should clarify, that in this case, I was not the target, merely someone very new to the site who was aghast that this was tolerated by the Moderator.

Psyve

raj

Tue, 2010-11-30 14:58

Thank you for pinning in your opinion and comment. Such cpomments/remarks/opinion may help Andrew ...Paul and their team should they ever decide to have a mission statement for Neopoet as a guideline..

warmly.,..

raj (sublime_ocean)

author comment

Race_9togo

Tue, 2010-11-30 16:13

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Yes, I remember one particularly offensive piece of racist garbage that you are most likely refering to. It was in fact removed from the site by it's author, after it was pointed out how disgusting it was. The poem then appeared again, when it's owner returned after being temporarily banned from the site for other negative behaviour.

I am in agreement that overtly racist or clearly perverted material - beastiality, child sex, and other such foulness - should not be published on Neopoet, in my opinion. But it is only my opinion, and I would prefer that we err on the side of freedom of expression, rather than have a list of things that are automatically disallowed because of their content. Opinions vary, and it's important, in my opinion, that we not stifle those opinions for the sake of political correctness or people's sensibilities.

The old policy was, if you came across something clearly offensive, obviously hurtful or definitely obscene, you reported it to our elected leaders, the AEC, and they dealt with it. I think that this should be the way we should handle these things, but it's not my decision to make, just my opinion.
In the end, I think that those hell-bent on offending others reveal themselves and their true colors by what they publish, and it is their downfall. Further, everyone who posts work here has a responsibility and an obligation to speak out against such things when they appear.

And they will appear. Freedom is often taken to mean "do what thou wilt", and as I said, it is up to the rest of us to put the cabash on that kind of behaviour.

Respectfully, Race

"Laws and Rules don't kill freedom: narrow-minded intolerance does" - Race-9togo

http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/Race_9togo

Kailashana2

Tue, 2010-11-30 14:51

Just about all endeavors have a mission statement. Just about all groups have issues with implementing justice between censorship and clear "offensive and brutal racial statements". Sometimes it is totally imbalanced and I doubt that a one-size-for-all works for a community of writers who follow the dictates of
Salman Rushdie (....quoted on the Neopoet shirt: "A poet's work to name the unnameable, to point at
frauds, to take sides, start arguments, shape the world, and stop it going to sleep.)

Having said that and that there is a confluence of poets here running from those of us who have thick skins, having lived huge chunks of life to those of us who are thin-skinned and are often easily offended.

What to do?

Implement Raj's idea (I had one similar when I was an advocate), gather those who wish to implement a mission statement and let Andrew and Paul make the final decision. It took some time for a consensus opinion to be reached and agreed to in my Middle East Peace Forum's Mission statement.

And please anything but *family values* -- that has been destroyed by the moral majority, imho. Anything that is exclusive reeks of the absence of free speech for one and all.

~Anna Ruiz/Kailashana

p.s. I have issues with folks calling anyone scum and the plethora of words that are used to devalue any human being... demonizing them in the process. But that's me, and I notice that most everyone here at Neopoet seems to think this type of language is ok to say when confronting *offenders* but not ok for the offenders to make during their offenses.

Race_9togo

Tue, 2010-11-30 17:14

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First....the words "dumb" and "Glaswegian"...mutually exclusive.

;)

"Scum" is not a word I would use on Neopoet. Courtesy Costs Nothing, as the saying goes.

"Troll" is a better word, meaning a person who deliberately attacks, insults, intimidates and otherwise denigrates other on-line users for the purpose of starting trouble, causing hurt and distress, and to make his or her pathetic little life seem important when it really isn't at all. The web is, unfortunately, full of such creatures.

And that is why, in the end, it would be a good idea, imo, to have some sort of clarification, in terms of what is expected of guests and members.

I was sorry to hear about your recent trouble. From the sound of it, one or two so-called "people" you were forced to deal with might be characterized by that little four-letter word that I (ahem) don't use here!
heehee.

Respectfully, Race

"Laws and Rules don't kill freedom: narrow-minded intolerance does" - Race-9togo

http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/Race_9togo

raj

Tue, 2010-11-30 15:00

Thank you for stepping in with your frank opinion, raemarks and comment. Such comments/remarks/opinions may help Andrew ...Paul and their team should they ever decide to have a mission statement for Neopoet as a guideline..i just voiced my opinion in this blog....ultimately in a community like Neopoet consensus should count...

warmly.,..

raj (sublime_ocean)

author comment

Kailashana2

Tue, 2010-11-30 15:14

I neglected to include a *vision* statement...

For the difference please read: http://www.help4nonprofits.com/NP_Bd_MissionVisionValues_Art.htm

~

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