I’m having a stupid discussion on a different message board over what I perceived to be a personal attack in an area where personal attacks are not allowed, and the mods and owner there are swearing up and down that it wasn’t a personal attack; it was just a voicing of opinion. So, I turn to you, my brilliant, ethereal friends - would you call this a personal attack? Or, heaven forbid, are they actually right and this isn’t a personal attack after all? Their biggest defense they are using is that the poster was just posting an opinion, and it isn’t an attack at all. I’ve been working at responding to this so long now that I think I’ve lost all perspective.
This is the content of the contentious post:
“I tend to think some of our Canadian counter parts here are as anti American as the dam Muslims in which case they should keep there asses in Canada. Just my view sorry if I have offended anyone ;)”
(In this case, I was the only Canadian who had posted in the thread when this post was posted, and I easily assumed that the post was directed at me, since I had been posting upopular opinions, which, incidentally, were not directed at anyone.)
I also think personal attacks from such obvious morons are utterly inconsequential, and should be met with no reaction more serious than pointing and laughter.
It is a personal attack, but thinly veiled in weaselly language to get past the mods. The person is clearly dim-witted and you shouldn’t waste your time getting worked up about it.
Don’t ya just love smart-assed comments, followed by a smiley? Like that makes everything OK.
Yes, it was a slap at you.
If there had been 30 Canadians joining in the discussion, then that person would probably be too chicken-shit to write that.
But they most certainly did single you out - albeit backhandedly - for their little dig.
But they are obviously an idiot jerk, so I wouldn’t lose sleep about it if I were you.
Let’s face it, sometimes it’s hard to let ignorant comments like that just roll off our backs, especially when they’re apparently condoned by those who should be meting out the reprimands.
I say you start planning your thinly-veiled retaliatory ambush. Surely you can win in a war of technically-allowable insults.
This seems to sum it up well–the poster would have called you something, but couldn’t for some reason (a local rule?), so he or she resorted to a generality: “some of our Canadian counterparts”; within an opinion (“I tend to think”).
FWIW, I wouldn’t bother with a response–in fact, I might go so far as to say that the poster is clearly looking for a reaction, like a troll would. May be best to just let this one ride, and save the big guns for debates where the other side can actually spell.
Count me in the “it was an attack” camp. Also in the “why are you letting the opinions of someone so obviously stupid and clumsy bug you so?” camp.
For me, had the person left out the “Just my view sorry if I have offended anyone” bit with the smiley, I’d be much more inclined to think it was an opinion–an obnoxious opinion, but just an opinion. As it is, there’s just enough backpedaling that I think if you are an obvious and only Canadian poster, you are right to think it was aimed at you.
Every time something like this comes up, involving one of the dim bulbs among U.S. citizenry, it occurs to me that I’d probably like living in Canada. I’m a bleeding-heart, tax-and-spend liberal; I love mountains and snow.
I don’t even mind the way y’all’s heads bounce up ‘n’ down.
What about the beady eyes? Can you live with those?
Ah, sweet vindication - is there a headier emotion on the internets? I agree with all y’all - that is not a poster or a board that is worth me getting upset over it. You guys have given me my perspective back, and I thank you for it. And thinly-veiled insults are going to become my trademark over there.
I would have no problem linking to the message board and thread in question, but they are a private board, and I’m also not sure that wouldn’t be classified as the frowned-upon board wars. Although I have to say, the thought of unleashing you guys on those poor, unsuspecting fools is making me grin.
Antinor, the poster knew I am Canadian, and I was the only Canadian in that thread. I’m confident that it was directed at me.
