OK,

So I've been thinking about our problem. What I'd consider the primary problem between the blue and red flairs on this sub. As happens when I think I've been sorting stuff into a metaphor...

I think of TRP being the equivalent of an Ancient Greek Gymnasium. In that gymnasium there are all kinds of things going on.

There is a locker room. Where the big dicks come out, and guys tell jokes and tear about the place doing their equivalent of "waving their willy in the air" and flicking other males on the arse with a rolled up towel. Us guys find this very amusing, a lot of us spend time having fun there. Blokes like a bit of funny and offensive silliness.

Then there is the gym proper, where blokes are working hard on improving themselves. From the biggest and flabbiest, to the most toned, there are whole areas of the sub that are guys improving. Other guys advise and help. Everyone's keen to talk about the latest improvement technique here.

Then, like the Ancient Greek gymnasium, there is the courtyard. This is where the philosophers gather, talking of their theory of life and discussing and critiquing with fellow philosophers. The model they use in this gym is RP, but the talk is wide ranging and interesting. Some guys are great philosophers, they put truths in funny and useful ways. The debates are also good. It's genuinely interesting to see 3-4-5 philosophers arguing out the truth of the world. This is one of the most special parts of the gymnasium for me.

So there's my metaphor. At TRP all these functions of the gymnasium are there, often on different threads, but also in different parts of the comments on a single thread.

How does this help ?

This metaphor has been constructed to describe our most common problem.

You see... RP guys walk into the TRP gymnasium, and generally walk past the locker room. They go to the gym, if they are noobs... Or to the courtyard if "wise old hands"... But the locker room is just a bit of fun. Offensiveness to be enjoyed after a hard workout, or a long think. To unwind after a long day.

BP posters walk into the TRP gymnasium.... And head straight for the locker room. Do not pass go. They walk past the philosophers, past the guys working out to improve, straight to the guy "running around the sub waving his willy in the air" and the bunch of guys cracking up at his antics.

They can't help it. They are drawn there. They came to see that guy. That's what they turned up for... To take a screen cap of "that guy Trevor acting like a dick". When they've seen a few of those guys in the locker room, they leave again. Pocket full of links.

Then they post, on TBP or here, their dick pics captured in the locker room.

"Look at the dicks" they say "look how much these RP guys are dicky, dicks who are just being dicky"

When we reply "Yeah, Trevor was hilarious yesterday. But why did you read him ? You must have walked past GLOs latest philosophy post to see Trevor. Didn't you stop and listen in the courtyard ?"

"No" the blooper says "No, I don't listen in the courtyard. I go straight for the silly dick antics. They outrage me !"

RP men reply "Lol. I know Trevor is funny, but you're missing out. Check out the philosophers, the guys offering gym tips... That's where the action is... We like ol' Trev but we walk past him on the way to philosophy/gym class."

"No" says the blooper "you lie and obfuscate. Defend Trevor. I will not listen to anyone else"

RP men reply "I know Trevor is funny. He gives us a good laugh. We like the offensive shit. I'll defend Trev on that basis... But if you want me to defend what we believe listen in the courtyard to the philosophy, tune out the gags and offensive metaphors, listen to what is being said. We'll defend those guys on the basis of honest debate, with Trevor we will just laugh and joke."

And there is our problem. TBP and TRP effectively read two different subs.

TBP reads the locker room, looking for the biggest dicks, the best outrage porn, Ignoring any post or comment that isn't the biggest dicks waving their genitalia around in the most offensive means possible. As a result of what they come to seek, they do not see the gym or the courtyard... They walk right past it drawn by the dicks straight into the locker room.

TRP reads in the courtyard, we read in the gym. We walk past the dicks to get to the interesting and useful stuff. When were done we hang out with the dicks a bit, after a long workout, and have some fun.

Then bloopers can't understand why we think they are so ignorant... They say "but I've been listening to a lot of dickheads. Therefore I must be informed"... And the RP men chuckle, point the bloopers to the courtyard, say "read there" and saunter off knowing the blooper never will. Even if he tries he/she will be distracted by the dicks in the locker room.

So, my discussion subject for all flairs is...

How could RP explain our POV or our way of understanding RP such that our posts here drive blue flairs and non-aligned flairs to the "gym" and the "courtyard" rather than the "locker room" ?

Also did you see Trevor the other day ? Wasn't that bit really funny ? Anyway... Back to learning stuff....