OK, how about this analogy:
Signs 101 is Fred's Business. It's a large portion of how he makes his living and pays his bills (I think). How would you or any other shop owner like it if some of your friends or acquaintances came into your shop's lobby and started talking about porn, showing explicit pictures and swearing loudly all the time, while you are trying to make a sales pitch to several customers? Would you ask them to keep it quiet and under control? What if they refused to exercise any self-control? Would you just let them go on and on because of freedom of speech or would you eventually just throw them out. My guess is you wouldn't put up with it NEARLY as long as Fred has. And you wouldn't think of it as any kind of "censorship" at all but more like taking out the trash.
I agree 100% with this analogy and that's the way I view this forum. I feel privileged to be a part of this forum, as Fred didn't have to let me in to begin with. Just because it's on the internet, it doesn't mean it's a free-for-all. A lot of work, time, effort and I'm sure sleepless nights have been put into making this forum what it is and I respect that, period! If Fred decided to implement a rule stating that we can no longer post about customer issues on Wednesdays for instance, I'd respect that because this is "Fred's House"! We live by rules every day of our lives, and I think most of us respect them, but for some reason, because this is an internet forum, some people don't feel the need to respect its' creators rules. Well ENOUGH! I applaud that they are taking a stand on some things.
Not that I've said that, I want to openly apologize to everyone on here for the post I made two days ago. I posted the link to the distasteful exercise video that Bradster was referring to, and he had every right to remove the post. I regretted posting it not long after I did, but was too late to edit it myself. Those of you who know me will agree that it was very much out of character for me to post such a thing and I have no excuse whatsoever for doing so.
This week has been quite an eye-opener for me in many ways. I need to be more aware of my actions and words, as they are very powerful tools when interacting with people in all walks of life. It really is amazing how one person's words and actions can influence another. I do believe that we eventually "become" like the 5 people we hang out with the most. I have made changes in my life recently in regards to who I hang out with and the conversations I have. I fully support the new "rules" implemented here on Signs101 and applaud the Moderators for sticking to their guns and doing their jobs! Call me a hypocrite for saying this after what I posted this week, I deserve it! I'm human and it was a bad judgment call. I will be keeping myself in better check moving forward, that you can count on.
Thanks for your time and I hope you accept my apology!
