This thread:
Did you think/ hope that the Covid 19 pandemic might unite us in adversity?
http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=894410
Was closed and given a warning by Colibri:
While I could see this being moved to the Pit, I disagree with the Official Warning.
Thoughts?
The reason it received a warning was because the OP consisted entirely of this:
Do you think this was good start for a reasonable discussion of the question?
The question itself is perfectly reasonable, and it would be fine to start a new thread in the Quarantine Zone about it. But starting off by ridiculing the proposition was deliberate trolling. It might have been permissible if it had started in the Pit, but it was pretty stupid even for that.
I can’t call it trolling, not here. But Colibri could, and did. I agree with his judgment.
If a mod makes a judgment that it’s trolling, you can call it trolling. And specific instances of trolling can be discussed in ATMB.
I’m at a loss to see what else it could possibly be.
Pretty much textbook trolling. If I had to explain what trolling was, I might link to that post. Start off with a reasonable question, and then when someone opens it to respond, reveal you didn’t really believe what you posted at all. And laugh at them for falling for it.
Even if it hadn’t been trolling, it was too stupid to waste so many perfectly good pixels.
Hi. I’m the OP. I’ve never been accused of trolling before. It feels shitty. My intent, which apparently was not obvious (or poorly conceived) was to use sarcasm (maniacal laughter) to contrast other periods of monumental crisis such as 9/11 or WW 2 for example, when Americans “pulled together” to a great extent, with what is happening now.
It’s definitely a useless post, but I also can’t agree with it being trolling. Nothing about it suggests the OP was trying to piss people off. Just that they wanted to mock the concept in the title.
The only reason it’s useless is that it doesn’t actually given any examples or add discussion. And, yes, it would be a Pit thread.
As for it being textbook trolling–I’ve literally never seen any trolling like it in my life. I guess it could be an advanced version, counting on people like me to defend them, but most trolls try not to call attention to themselves.
Plus there’s just the poster’s other history which does not make them seem like the type of person with no empathy that is required to actually troll. Textbook trolling is by a new user.
It’s just a misplaced Pit post that needed some fleshing out. I agree with closing it, but not assuming bad faith on the part of the poster who posted it. It’s that old adage about not assuming malice when poor thinking will suffice.
If that’s what you wanted to do, 2bits, then you should have done it. Your post did not include any comparison to previous crises. It did not include any examples of the contrary happening. It did not include any discussion of why the difference might be, or of the implications for the future of the country. It did not, in fact, include anything of value.
Gotta be honest, I don’t see it as trolling at all. Trolling means you’re posting something, possibly but not necessarily dishonest, with the purpose of riling people up.
This did not come across as dishonest, and it did not seem designed to rile people up. It was a flip joke, and that’s not the same thing at all.
I think the warning should be rescinded.
Indeed.
I (apparently wrong-headedly) believed that the “point” I was attempting to make was obvious and that other people like me, those who briefly thought a “common enemy” might somewhat unite us, would slap our collectives heads at the apparently ridiculous notion.
Oh, well… I ain’t no damn troll!
I can’t see how anyone could disagree with any word of this post.
I believe it was sarcasm mistaken for trolling.
mmm
There’s nothing obvious about your conclusion. When I think about how many people have participated in the lockdowns around the world, it’s truly impressive that people have come together as much as they have. There’s really nothing stopping people from going on about their business, especially if they don’t believe there’s a real danger. There wouldn’t be enough enforcement to stop people if enough people decided they didn’t care about the orders. The small amount of people in the protests are insignificant in the face of how many people are actually obeying the rules.
I don’t have an opinion about the warning, but I’m glad the thread was locked. No one should have to work that hard to create a balanced discussion in the thread from where it started.
I was (and remain) shocked and appalled by the tone of recent protests against the coronavirus “restrictions” here in the U. S. and imagined (erroneously) that my post would be a vehicle for others to express their similar exasperation.
In retrospect it was a poorly-conceived post.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
I was (and remain) shocked and appalled by the tone of recent protests against the coronavirus “restrictions” here in the U. S. and imagined (erroneously) that my post would be a vehicle for others to express their similar exasperation.
In retrospect it was a poorly-conceived post.
And now I’m repeating myself. Crap! That’s no way to make friends!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
These two posts are inconsistent. The first post says that you wanted to contrast the Covid-19 crisis with the 9/11 crisis or WW2. The second post says that the OP was about just the protest part of the Covid-19 crisis. Those are very different things.
That’s why the OP needed some words beyond just laughter. It’s not possible to know what you meant with your OP. Even after your explaining your intent twice in this thread, it’s unclear.
I don’t disagree at all that my original post lacked clarity. But as to your finding “inconsistencies” in my explanations…
SIGH…
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
You’re right.
I read your two posts again and realize how those two posts might be talking about the protests (with the link in the first post), although I still disagree with comparing the whole crisis with the protests.
The problem is that the title of your thread and the content of your thread made no mention of the protests.
And again, I’m not advocating for or against the warning. But I’m glad the thread was closed. It could have led to a lot of confusion.