So you can stop throwing stuff, okay?
b.
**
I’ll take your word for it. After 10, 12 hours, I’m pretty much done.
I remain, as always, Boris to your Natasha.
<caressing his hair, slithering up next to him>
Bhorees, darlink… you know dat vateveer hippins, I alvays adoor you.
forever yours,
Natasha
That stupid son of a bitch? 
Wait, Stoid’s real name is Natasha? I thought it was–
Ow!!
Stoid, don’t smack me!
You forgot the R. It’s PLUR… peace, love, understanding and respect.
Which is sometimes in short supply around here.
Presonally, I enjoy a good fight. I don’t start many, being a generally amiable, non-confrontational sort of fellow, but I think a good 'net fight is damned entertaining, and a well-crafted insult is a thing of beauty. And I don’t see anything wrong with that. All drama stems from conflict, and an internet message board allows these little dramas to play out with all the passion of a fist fight, but nobody gets hurt. That said, I do agree that 90% of flame threads backfire on their creators. I’ve only ever started one flame thread, back when I first started posting here, and which I do sort of regret, but only because the target (another damned Apollo-hoaxer) was seriously not worth the effort. That doesn’t mean that I think they are never appropriate. Take Guin’s Wildest Bill thread, for example.
Anyway, speaking only for myself, here are the answers to your questions, Stoid: “No,” “Yes,” and “It doesn’t tremendously effect my life or self-image one way or the other. It’s just a message board.” Also, I’ll make the call on what is or is not worth my time and spirit, thank you very much. Oh, and congrats on yet another condescending “I’m so much better than all the worthless trash who flame each other” post. You’re very good at them. Sort of a stealth flame. Keep up the good work: as much as you’d like to deny it, you’re already one of us.
Not to mention, I think it can be, oh what’s the word-cathartic? (is that right? It’s late and I’m almost about to fall asleep…)
For example, I’ve noticed often that after a HUGE flaming Pit war, I’ve cleared my differences with some people, and then I actually can get along better with them. Sometimes, ya just gotta let it out.
Arguing is GOOD, see. And besides, if you don’t like the Pit-DON’T BLOODY COME HERE!!!
Hehehehe…I said ‘come’…
!!!
:eek:
<slyly>
Y’know…I’ve never had so much sex that I was bored with it. I don’t believe it’s possible.
Somday, I’ll find the right someone and we c’n do a research project.
Purely in the name of SCIENCE of course.
Fenris
Really? Well, now that you’ve cleared that up, forget everything I said.
:rolleyes:
Yes, Stoid, no one gets hurt. Care to respond to more than just those four words from my post? Or, and here’s an idea, would you like to elaborate on the idea that people are going through genuine pain and suffering because somebody on the internet called them a dirty name?
What are you going on about? Is this some sort of too clever by half post for your own amusement that you’re making in The Pit of all places. If you want to bemoan the current state of board politeness why don’t you do in a forum whose manifest pupose is not to entertain flames.
A lot is good is done in these boards by exposing people to ideas and perspectives they may not have considered previously and occasionally providing swift and brutal digital canings for those who cannot defend their arguments or observations. If SDMB posters here are going to take every slap personally they had best go back to lurking.
I know this wasn’t directed at me, but I’d still like to comment on it.
Not only do I think others get truly upset by it, but I’ve actually found myself upset at things people have said about me here.
And all this is coming from a guy that is as detached from this board as anyone. My life is my life and it has tons of avenues to pursue. My sole pursuit here is for humor and a bit of learning, if not for the shear pleasure of it. If I can smile and still learn something, then damn, that’s a miracle.
Because learning something, anything, reminds me of the days of constant cramming for tests and trying to remember tidbits I knew I’d forget in only a matter of days. The fact that I can come here, and learn something while still having a good time, is such a novel concept, I’d give my right nut to have that been the case in my schooling years.
But back to your point.
I don’t know how long you’ve reading things around here, but there are a number of people who I feel this place represents their sole outlet for communication and a sense of friendship.
It’s pretty damn close to being their life.
Now, that’s not how I treat this place, but I’d venture a strong guess that fits the profile of a larger proportion here than you’re giving credit to.
I mean, people have met here and gotten married as a result of this place.
Again, that’s not something I see myself doing, but it’s not anything I’m going to criticize others for doing, unless they start saying this place is for serious people only, or for people who treat this place as their yard, and you’re not allowed to play in it unless you respect and treat everyone in it like they were your real life pals.
I think there’s room for both. And while to many it’s simply a message board, it’s a whole lot more to others.
I see their point.
Put it this way- if everyone in here were saying you were the biggest ass that ever lived, and mocked and criticized your every post, would you stay here for long?
Sigh…
I think Cnote did a lovely job.
I imagine that “deciding” that no one else’s feelings are hurt is what makes it easy for you to say hurtful things.
stoid
I agree. But I don’t think it is at all necessary to personally shred people. With the exceptions already noted. That is done purely for the amusement of the person doing the shredding, and does exactly zero to advance the cause of fighting ignorance. In fact, since it can be said to be ignorant behavior by some views, it can be argued that it actually sets the fight back.
stoid
Now, now, Spoofski…Have a drink on me, bubelah.
CnoteChris: I don’t have any sort of beef with people for whom this board is their major source of social contact. Hell, I’m halfway one of them myself. I’ve never been the target of a genuine flame (i.e. someone with a good board reputation, good communication skills, and/or a functioning brain), but I have gotten righteously pissed at people here; I know this board can generate genuine emotion: you might get angry, or upset, for a while, but you’ll get over it. If being called a fuckwit by someone you’ve never even seen is going to cause serious psychological scars, well, the damage there was done long before I ever showed up.
Well, no, I wouldn’t. Then again, I don’t think anything in my behavior would cause everyone here to treat me like that. To date, it hasn’t caused anyone to treat me like that. If everyone is calling you an ass and mocking and criticizing you, in life or on the internet, maybe you should re-evaluate your attitude and/or positions. And on this board, if absolutely everyone is calling you an ass, odds are you’re a troll, and even Stoid condones flaming trolls.
What Stoid seems to be complaining about is when two posters clash violently about, say, the 2000 election, and start slinging insults in the Pit. I think it is wonderful that these people care that passionatly about the issue. I respect the importance of calm, reasoned debate, but raw emotion has its place, too. And the Powers that Be at the SDMB have made that place the Pit.
As Guinastasia said, a fight can also be cathartic. Look at the way WTC threads keep degenerating into Pit brawls. There is a huge amount of anger over the attack getting worked out in threads, and it is being done in the safest possible way. I think this is amazingly healthy. Better that the war hawks and the peaceniks work this out electronically than carrying that anger around with them until they bump into each other IRL and start a real fight.
I know Stoid disagrees with me on this. She’s made it abundantly clear that she has no interest in getting into fights and stops reading any post as soon as it turns hostile. Which is fine. I’ll respect that position if she’ll respect mine: that flaming each other in the Pit can be useful, even entertaining. Unfortunetly, she doesn’t respect that opinion. She wants to dictate how her fellow posters act on the boards. Guin (she’s such a bright lass) has once again given the traditional response to all censors: if you don’t like it, don’t read it.
I’ll admit to being hurt over things that have happened here. One notable “unpleasantness” caused me to lose sleep and completely stress out. I felt my reputation and name were being slandered, so, yeah, it was very important to me, particularly considering I’m so prolific here and have indeed met more than a few Dopers in real life. But even saying that, there were also times when I deserved it, and there are also times when people here deserve it - do something stupid, and by the sky people - especially here - are going to call you on it.
Esprix
If you mean it, post it and deal with the consequences. If you can’tdeal with the consequences, you should stick to posting drivel. And if annoymous bunches of electrons calling you an asshole in assorted creative ways throws you into a deep depression of some sort, then you desperately need a reality check.