I say that’s a load of crap. What rational, well-mannered person normally speaks kindly to their friends and families, but when they’re angry takes them in the Vile Room, where cursing is not only allowed but encouraged? What rational society treats each other kindly except for that one special day a month (the Vile 17th) where fist-fights are the order of the day?
Compartmentalization doesn’t make it right. Phrases like “F— You” have specific intents and meanings, and there is a reason such phrases are not accepted in decent company.
I’m a person who never, under any circumstance, speaks the “F” word. In fact, I never even type it. The strongest oath to pass my lips is the occasional “damn”. I agree that in the real world, among family and friends, the Vile Room is probably not a good idea.
But this isn’t the real world – it’s the internet. There are different rules here. One of them is that we are a lot freer to express ourselves. And that freedom of expression leads time and time again, on every message board, whether its partipants are discussing soap operas, or baseball, or beanie babies, or the pronouncements of Cecil Adams, to excessive nastiness. If that nastiness can be contained in one small corner, so that it doesn’t infect the entire board, that’s a good thing.
And sometimes even the real world needs a Vile Room. Cut off in traffic? Should you take a baseball bat to the other car, or come blow off steam in the Pit? Your boyfriend just dumped you? Trash your apartment, or trash him in the comfort and safety of an online message board? We’ve seen this week just how ugly the world can be. If people can throw some of that anger into the Pit, so that they can approach their families and friends with compassion, and respond more rationally in the real world, then the Pit has provided a valuable service. Even though I don’t curse, I find it therapeutic to read the curses of others in the Vile Room. When I see the other ways that people express their anger, I wonder whether there’s a use for a Pit in the real world. And when I read other message boards, I am reminded time and again that on the web, it’s an absolute necessity.
Bill H., I used to be like Chronos and avoid the Pit. Didn’t ever go there except by accident. Then I got really worked up over something and needed to vent some steam. I had to scream and needed somebody to hear me. So I posted in the Pit. It was cathartic. It got rid of the frustration I felt. I felt better. I wasn’t berating a friend - my complaint wasn’t about anyone on the boards. It was just the chance to let it out.
The Pit serves a purpose. If you don’t like it, there’s nothing that makes you post or read there. If someone invites you over, you don’t have to show up. But it is there for those who need it, and I do think it helps keep the rest of the board flowing more smoothly.
What’s funny is when I read a Pit thread that starts with a rant and becomes a debate that actually stays civil.