Sure, they didn’t make very good arguments, but as soon as I saw the thread, I knew there would be a pile-on.
Speaking from one newbie to another, lobley, (although I was a lurker for a year), I just read most of your (few) posts at the SDMB to see what all the fuss was about, and I have some advice. After a few harmless enough posts and threads concerning butter, freezer doors, and Spam, you opened a Great Debate. Now, don’t take this personally (although I know from your defensive attitude shown so far,* you will), but posters opening threads in Great Debates should:
-
do a search and see if the issue has already been discussed – chances are, it has, and you can always put in your opinion,
-
not admit that they know nothing about the subject except what they just learned in a conversation the other night, and
-
present their side of a debate in a logical, fact-supported, well-argued way, inviting others to present the other side as best they can; it is Great DEBATES, after all. When one invites debate on a topic, he should not take it personally when someone debates him and points out the flaws in his presentation.
I’m just suggesting that you learn the lay of the land, post to IMHO and Cafe Society, even the Pit, if you must, but just read Great Debates for a little while before starting a Thread. There are some brilliant minds here in the SDMB from which we can all learn. And don’t take everything so personally!
*You think a great number of posters are patronising and presumptuous, for example.
Well, at least you’re not feeling invisible.
AlaItalia said…
I won’t take it personaly. Your whole reply is sensible and friendly. Your kind of criticism I can take easily. On bad days (like I had that day) I can’t take ill-thought-out criticisms which border on pure insults.
I think I’ve learned my lesson. I just hope SexyWriter saw my other, more sensible apology. And I hope she and the others I ‘fought’ with can forgive me.
Again, I can take the most serious and cutting criticism if it is done in a sensible, friendly, human way, like yours.
And on most days I can take the nasty malicious ‘criticism’ too.
In fact If it is done as well as you’ve done it I welcome criticism.
Thankyou.
Well mebbe yer not so bad after all. I for one am staying the heck out of GD. Way outta my league. Unless the subject is nutrition, the only thing I know anything about.
I’d just like to say, without getting involved in the specifics, that lobley’s supplementary apology was pretty decent.
Ah, don’t be scared to post in GD. After all, most everything I post there is utter drivel. The thing is, when people ignore me or tell me that I’m an idiot I just shrug it off and go right on posting my drivel.
Look lobley, a little advice. There are things known as “hot button issues”. Things like abortion, creationism, gun control, and…communism. If you start a thread about communism you have to be prepared for some pretty strongly held responses, by people who feel they have good reasons to have those strong views.
Of course people are going to pile on someone espousing Marxism, just like they are going to pile on someone espousing creationism. EXPECIALLY if that person doesn’t bother to debate. People who espouse unpopular views need to grow some pretty thick skin, because people will respond to you, and they often won’t be nice. Doesn’t make them right and you wrong, it just means that you need to work harder…if you want to convince people.
And lobley, if you’re going to post in the Pit, expect to get roasted, no matter what your intentions - it’s the way of the world. (Frankly, I think this probably should have gone into MPSIMS, but that’s just me.)
Esprix
Lobley, people keep quoting “Everybody has the right to his own opinion.” Well, in Great Debates, somebody here once revised that to “Everybody has the right to his own informed opinion.”
If you’re convinced that abortion equals murder, or communism must ultimately succeed, or that allowing gays to have sex will bring down the wrath of a vengeful God on us all, or that the Devil Raccoons of Luna are behind a worldwide conspiracy – your privilege to have that opinion, but provide us with evidence to support your contentions. (Of the four examples I gave, the best supported in my opinion is the last – OpalCat and SterlingNorth regularly post updates on the raccoons’ activities.;))
You can say whatever you like (though it’s considered trolling, against the board rules, to say something that is not your opinion in order to raise tempers) but you must be able to defend it by authority, example, proof, data, cites… You get the idea.