Someone gave me these dismal statistics...

[Crazee Cat Lady]

Originally Posted by Mr. In-Between
It gets pretty frustrating, doesn't it? What bothers me the most about it is that many people come here asking questions about what Kentucky is like because they are thinking of moving here - which is one of the most important decisions they'll ever make in their lives. They're looking for factual, objective information to help them make this decision, and they deserve honest answers. But if you say a single negative word about Kentucky, the cheerleaders jump all over you and call you out as a hater and even a liar. Many objective posters have grown tired of it and left the forum, and I think some have even been banned for it. The forum is doing those people a real disservice.

I don't know that people have been banned here for voicing the opinion and you claim how this forum is doing a disservice to people...well the fact that this thread is still here....over six years later speaks volumes for the free speech that is allowed here in the Kentucky thread.
But free speech works both ways, we have just as much right to speak our minds here as you do.
And the thread with the "facts" that you call them, is here for anyone to read.



Kentucky isn't for everyone.... (no place really is)Most people either really love Kentucky a lot, or they really hate it a lot. Just because one group loves it, it doesn't make the people that hate it wrong...or visa versa. And both should be able to speak their minds.
Most people are going to be a little offended though by being called "poor and stupid" and by the stereotyping.

[Mr. In-Between]

Originally Posted by Crazee Cat Lady

I don't know that people have been banned here for voicing the opinion...

I can't prove it either, but I have good reason to believe it's true. I've had contact with people who used to post negative things about Kentucky and are no longer members, and from what they told me, I suspect that's not a coincidence. And based on my own past experiences here, that is all I'm going to say about it in public. You'll have to read between the lines.

Originally Posted by Crazee Cat Lady

...and you claim how this forum is doing a disservice to people...well the fact that this thread is still here....over six years later speaks volumes for the free speech that is allowed here in the Kentucky thread.

What???

Well, why shouldn't it be here? I'm dumfounded that you believe this thread proves your point; exactly the opposite - it supports my point very strongly.

Take a look at this thread, and break it down.

71 posts.

24 posters.

Of those 71 posts, 1 of them is arguably a cheap shot against Kentucky, as you point out. Even though I privately agree with it, I would not have said it in public, because I don't feel it is appropriate. The valid point that it makes could have been made better. But the thing to note is, that is the only post in this entire thread that actually represents an attack on Kentucky and/or the people who live here. That's it - the only one.

Of the remaining 70 posts, 3 more are clearly critical - Alpha Dog's post listing all the areas in which Kentucky ranks poorly, his later post expressing puzzlement at why people are so defensive, and my post later on agreeing with him. All 3 of which could be construed as critical, but overall very neutral and objective in tone and nothing even close to constituting any kind of an attack.

The 67 remaining posts posts from the other 21 posters appear to be relatively evenly divided between 3 categories - #1, neutral commentary and discussion; #2, people twisting themselves into pretzels trying to find some reason that the rankings are inaccurate ("Kentucky is NOT the most obese state, because I saw this really fat guy in Alabama once!" or "the rankings are skewed by the large number of fat or uneducated people in the state; if there weren't so many fat people or uneducated people here the rankings would be better!"); and - #3, people attacking Alpha Dog.

All Alpha Dog did was post a list of rankings that reflected negatively on Kentucky, and...

1. The original poster (the person whose question he was trying to answer) attacked him, insulted him, and told him to "get a life".

2. Someone who was unfortunately a moderator at the time insulted him, accused him of trying to start a flame war, and repeatedly accused him of being a troll, and assured the rest of the forum that he was going to conduct a thorough investigation into how someone who doesn't say only nice things about Kentucky could have gotten on here, and "take appropriate action" to correct the problem.

3. Over the next 7 pages, the better part of 2 dozen posters ridiculed and belittled the poster and the information he presented.

And you offer this thread as an example of how tolerant Kentuckians really are of criticism, as though it represents some kind of unjustified attack against Kentucky. I agree it's an accurate representation, but I don't agree that it's a flattering one.

Originally Posted by Crazee Cat Lady

But free speech works both ways, we have just as much right to speak our minds here as you do.
And the thread with the "facts" that you call them, is here for anyone to read.

Why do you put quotes around the word "facts?" Are you suggesting that Alpha Dog was lying, that he made up all those rankings? Or if you are suggesting that the rankings are not valid, perhaps you could explain why?

This looks to me like just one more example of someone from Kentucky refusing to accept any information that challenges the way they prefer to look at their state. Again, making my point.

And yeah, it does speak volumes. I'm glad it's here. Thank you!

[Oldhag1]

Originally Posted by Mr. In-Between

I can't prove it either, but I have good reason to believe it's true. I've had contact with people who used to post negative things about Kentucky and are no longer members, and from what they told me, I suspect that's not a coincidence. And based on my own past experiences here, that is all I'm going to say about it in public. You'll have to read between the lines.

I have not banned a any posters from the Kentucky, Lexington, or Louisville forums, other than spammers, since I became the moderator. Not a single one. Which means no one has been banned for expressing negative things about Kentucky (or its two subforums). I have deleted or edited comments that crossed the line from saying negative things to being rude, inflammatory, or trolling - a handful of posters have gotten infractions with short posting vacations. I get complaints all the time for allowing threads like this one but you notice this thread is still available for you to comment on.

I will say it again, every place has its awesome and awful factors, whether a person enjoys a place is highly dependent on where on the continuum the factors that are important to them fall. As long as everyone is respectful and not engaging in ugly negative stereotypes, posts will be left alone. The minute the postings start devolving into personal attacks or rudeness, though, deletions, editing, infractions, and thread closures will happen. This goes for deliberate inflaming and trolling too.

Bottom line, if you follow the TOS and remain civil you have nothing to worry about.