Snark in GD

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So, I don’t think I’ve ever done a thread in here before. Generally they come across as someone whining about getting slapped down or some sort of rules lawyering. But I’m genuinely puzzled, so wanted to ask a few questions of Jonathan Chance in this thread in GD about ISIS being America’s supposed problem.

Basically, it started with the usual…up_the_junction doing his deflection bit instead of answering questions directly. For me, that’s around post 79 with his non-answer of ‘Why do you hate America?’. Ok, I’m all for off the wall snark, so no harm, no foul…just another indication, to me anyway, that he’s just playing games. It gets a bit weird further on, though. Basically, he’s called by several posters on his denial of possible genocide that ISIS is purportedly doing in the ME. He’s shown several cites, and basically deflects with handwaving about how the articles are a year old. I decided to be a bit snarky, to be sure, and basically pointed this out. Hey, it’s GD…a little snark is supposed to be ok. He then comes back with this weird thing about me stalking him, and keeps pushing it.

Basically, I’m thinking he’s got some issues or is just trying to cover for the fact that he didn’t know anything about accusations of ISIS related genocide, though why anyone would think that they would stop at just sex slavery, cultural destruction and beheadings is a mystery to me. At any rate, it’s odd behavior. But then, Jonathan Chance comes back with this:

While I can see why up would get a non-warning about this (I thought you weren’t supposed to post that you are going to report someone, or that they are on your ignore list or stuff like that), I’m not seeing what I’m doing in there that would rise to said non-warning. Back off…what? The snark? Am I going over the line and being too snarky? I mean, I’m pointing out that he’s just handwaving. Hell, when I handwave I’ve been called on it (rightfully in most cases) in much harsher terms than that in the past. This guy NEVER posts anything substantive and constantly deflects. At least with me you occasionally get a drive by link or something and a few quotes. :stuck_out_tongue: I’m genuinely puzzled here, but maybe my calibration is off. No warning was issues or anything, but I feel like I’m a bit down the rabbit hole on this one. Am I over the edge with the snark for the modern GD or something?

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It was mostly the multiple reports from both of you that made me go for the ‘calm the hell down, both of you’ approach there. Simple as that.

In terms of his debating style that’s really a matter that I’m leery of getting involved in. Not to say I hadn’t done it before. There was that one guy in the same sex marriage thread who kept coming back to his ability to marry his dishwasher (or something like that) that I eventually ended up telling him was officially out of bounds.

He was saying snarky things about you, you were making a point of what you perceive as his past history (you may be right, I’m not digging to find out right now). At that point it’s generally best to send all parties to their opposing corners and tell them to come back another day.

A certain level of snark is acceptable, even encouraged even. But when it turns into the centerpiece of a thread it’s too much.

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Ok…good to know. I guess we were both hoist on our own petards. It was kind of a twilight zone moment for me, that’s all, so figured I’d ask. Appreciate you getting back to me on this.