Definition of two words.

[Father Bill]

Okay. Look: I'm going to be a lot more direct than I usually am, but folks, these are the rules of the forum and that's just the way it is.

There are lots of places that have other rules, but these are ours. Steve owns the forum outright and personally, and the moderators have each been selected for the task after a great deal of soul-searching and consideration by their peers and personal soul-searching about whether we even wanted the job. I for one have done this for 3 1/2 years and some for much longer than I. We're volunteers. We don't get paid for it. I usually enjoy it. We've worked together for years to keep this a pleasant place, and for weeks to develop these particular definitions to clarify the rules and hopefully make and keep this as pleasant a place as possible for those who want to talk about kilts. If you don't appreciate that, then stick it in your ear.

We've tried to explain what we mean by the words in question. These are our definitions. We've hammered them out and in some cases, annoyed one-another in the process, but we're sticking together as a team. They may be defined differently in various nations, in various dialects of English, in various cultures, and in various dictionaries, but for the purposes of this forum, these are the definitions that will be used for the forseeable future, and I for one don't really care in the least if you don't agree with what the words mean here. You can stick that in your other ear.

We've worked very hard to make the rules as kind as possible, as flexible as possible and as inclusive as possible without opening the floodgates to the problems that plagued and cursed the forum in the past. If it happens again, there may soon be no pleasant place left to discuss kilts, so bluntly, I have no sympathy for those who like to whine, grepse, grumble and complain.

On the other hand, if you want to talk about kilts with others who like them, good. That's what this forum is for, and nothing else. If you don't really want to discuss kilts, then don't. If you like the way the rest of the Internet attacks and trolls people who try to say something thoughtful and nice, then you're welcome to go there. You don't need an exit visa. Go discuss your various weaponry, politics, religion, or other topics someplace where that's the welcome topic and come back when you want to talk about kilts without looking for a way to weasel past the rules of this forum. Slinking about and nit-picking eventually gets disgusting and contemptible.

For those who find my statement harsh, too bad. I've already edited it before I clicked the button and you'll get no sympathetic ear from me. It's not aimed at any one person or any one post in particular, just at the various and frequent attempts to bend our home to the personal and conflicting pleasures of various members.

Yours in absolute sincerity and fairly high dudgeon,

Bill+

Here endeth the sermon.