Diogenes, go take a nap

The BBQ Pit
1

I don’t participate much in Great Debates; I’m an avid reader, but I’m more interested in facts than opinions, and opportunities to inject new facts into GD are rare. I also don’t care to repeat myself (or anyone else), and the ability to strenuously repeat yourself is key to GD culture.

This is why DtC probably won’t recognize me, and may feel baffled by my outrage. But I’m tired, tired, tired of the Diogenes Show, and I, like many others, want it to go away. I’ve been posting here for over 7 years, and I could swear that DtC used to be reasonable – opinionated, sure, but aren’t we all? I don’t remember this bizarre insistence that his opinions are facts, that his morés are universal, this goddamn inevitable hijacking of every thread to a referendum on his opinions.

I read these threads in the hope that useful arguments will be presented, that conclusive facts will be revealed, that light will be shed on dimly-comprehended opinions. I don’t read them with the expectation that my mind will be changed about anything, though it has happened, and I don’t read them for “point-and-laugh-at-the-retard” amusement. With a few regrettable (and regrettably loud) exceptions, I think that what people go to GD for.

Screaming “settlements are illegal, and that’s final” or “sex workers are damaged, and that’s final” or… well, anything, without support, argument, or a concession that it’s a matter of opinion, doesn’t belong in GD at all (in my opinion (y’see that right there, Dio?)); doing it over and over and over in thread after thread after thread is inconsiderate, rude, irrational, stupid, and no goddamn fun.

Diogenes, you’re a jerk. Get a job, get a hobby, get a keeper – just get the hell out.

2

Really? You read GD threads for that? It must be difficult to find the 1/300 posts that satisfies those criteria.

3

Well, it’s true that I don’t read most of them. I certainly don’t follow any.

4

Thanks for caring.

5

Thanks for posting.

6

I must say, as far as pit threads go, this was rather tame.

Unleash the beast! Tell us how you REALLY feel about DtC!

7

I wouldn’t mind him posting his opinions once and then shutting up about it but his taking over every thread drives me crazy.

OP: Kids should not be spanked.
Dio: I’ve raised kids and can prove by my post, they should.
Everyone else: Your opinion is not a fact.
Dio: Yes it is.
Everyone else: No it’s not.
Dio: Yes it is.
Everyone else: No it’s not.
Dio: Yes it is.
Everyone else: No it’s not.
Dio: Yes it is.
Everyone else: No it’s not.
…

Of course the posting community shares some responsibility.

8

Could we trick him by saying “Yes it is” and having him say “no it’s not” reflexively?

9

Ah, the old ‘Daffy Duck’ defense. Brilliant!

10

Thank you so much for posting what I have been thinking, Nametag!

I also like to read Great Debates threads because they can be quite interesting sometimes, even when they turn contentious. I find it enlightening and informative to see the various viewpoints being batted around. I would bet that there are many other posters and lurkers who value GD and would agree.

Diogenes has become a real discussion killer with his petulant, little girl, stubborn "Am not!, Am too!, Did not!, Did too! threadshitting attempts to dominate and end the discussion of any subject that goes again the grain of his personal view. And he will keep it up until almost all posters leave the thread. What could have continued to be a valid discussion is shitted into the toilet.

Why this is tolerated by the moderating staff I don’t know. Must be married to somebody’s sister or have naked pictures of the right person.

Dio used to have interesting things to say, in GD and in other threads, it is kind of sad the direction his posting has taken over the last year or so. Like that petulant little girl at school who used to be such a good student, there are likely larger problems that are the cause.

11

::Checks calendar::
Yup, right on time. :slight_smile:

12

More than a bit. People need to learn not to rise to the bait.

13

…

14

I’ve been thinking of the same thing. Maybe a gentle reminder of some sort… lovely choice, Nader, might be of some use? Just a ‘Dio, you’re being dogmatic,’ thing?

15

Yeah, I’ve reported him a few times when he’s clearly stopped adding anything to a thread but a re-statement of his position in response to every single other person who tries to post anything to the thread. The mods apparently seem to think that if someone hijacks a thread, that it’s the duty of the other posters to ignore the hijacker – or so I have to assume.

If I were king, this would not be so.

Certainly everyone should have the right to voice their opinion and maybe flesh it out a bit more if people challenge it, but only for maybe 2-3 posts, not every other post for the next 5 pages.

16

How do you pronounce “Diogenes”?

Die-oh-genies?
Die-oh-jen-es?

17

Die-AH-juh-knees.

18

“Ass-hole”.

19

Yeah, I’m not sure when Diogenes turned from mostly reasonable and sometimes eloquent poster into the message board equivalent of one of those yelling talking heads you see on MSNBC or Fox News hollering at each other from their little boxes, but it’s annoying as hell.

You’ve turned into a terrible poster, Diogenes. A useless, annoying, terrible poster.

20

The reason I have such a problem with Dio is that he does have lots of knowledge and that he clearly is a very intelligent poster, yet falls short.

But he is primarily agenda driven, and his impatient style of dismissal and abandonment of reasonable argument serves only to show disrespect to his opponents and is actually counterproductive to persuasion.

As a result of Dio’s style , I can only view Dio’s agenda is to assert his view that his mind is superior to anyone else who opposes him.

It is quite unfortunate, because if he cleaned his act up only a little, we would all be the better for it. I think most of us realize this, because we are so patient with him.

He knows that too, and that can only stroke his ego. Having said that, I’m beginning to wonder if that is not his primary agenda.