TROLLPUPPET: What are you getting at?

The BBQ Pit
#1

Are you suggesting doing away with the SDMB??

In “A special note to Punditlisa,” TROLLPUPPET says:

And in “DavidB should resign or be replaced,”:

The message board isn’t forcing anyone to do anything. People are free to do and feel whatever they want, and how they feel as a result of the message board is their own responsibility.

I admit, I have felt bad after reading some messages on the board. When I got into my first debate as a newbie, I’d sit and weep after reading the responses to my posts. When posters dissected my post line by line, disputing or mocking my assertions, I took it personally. If you don’t like my ideas or thoughts, then you must not like me. If you think my posts are stupid, you must think I’m stupid. But I didn’t have to react like that. I didn’t have to hand that kind of power over my emotions over to nameless, faceless strangers. It is just a message board. I like to think I’ve gotten passed that, but if I haven’t, it’s my own problem.

Even if posts on the MB were the catalyst to Opal’s latest episode, her problems go back a lot further than the MB’s existence. Doing away with the MB wouldn’t make her or anyone else feel better (except maybe trolls and sock puppets who seems to delight in disruption and destruction). If she hadn’t been on the MB, something else may have triggered this outburst. She’s already stated that she’s been under the weather a lot lately, and her doctor recently switched her meds. Having had a little bit of experience with depression myself (though no where near as extreme as Opal’s), I know either one of those factors can be jarring or unbalancing and leave a person upset and hypersensitive.

A lot of people enjoy the MB and find it a good way to kill a little time, get a little education, and blow off a little steam. Opal’s illness and the cretinous actions of a few like N/A, FORMERAGENT, Phaedrus, et al, don’t warrent doing away with the whole thing. So what’s your problem? Why do you want it to go away? And if you dislike it so much, why don’t you go away?

“I hope life isn’t a big joke, because I don’t get it,” Jack Handy

The Kat House
Join the FSH Muscular Dystrophy Webring

#2

My response to you is as curt and pointed as your own comments to me. Its about treating people with dignity and respect. If they are ignorant they can be educated or ignored. If they are trolls then by all means dont feed them. The atmosphere of the boards is becoming increasingly hostile and very unpleasant. All I suggested (even in the name I chose) is that we begin to look at ourselves and out posts and ask “will that hurt or damage a person in ways that arent right?” or “could this be overstepping the line between fighting ignorance and mauling a person for my own sick sadistic pleasure?”. How long before we can get a poster named Marquis De Sade (sp)? His job would be like the small one I do now, to remind a poster or group, “hey was that really needed or was that just hurtful?” We need to really crack down on this. So my piece is said. Becuase this is the pit I say this too; Im letting you be a bitch just because Im nice.

Troll Puppet: A well paid conveniently placed lobbyist and supporter of anyone having enough funds to retain him/her. :slight_smile:

#3

Actually, I’m 42% bitch.

“I hope life isn’t a big joke, because I don’t get it,” Jack Handy

The Kat House
Join the FSH Muscular Dystrophy Webring

#4

Well, I know that my life is changed forever just because of what Trollpuppet wrote. Yup, it is all sunshine and puppies from here on out.

Forget letting personalities come out. Forget about this being a microcosm of society. LEt’s just keep this as a numb and faceless message board absent any noticeable personality. There is no other way to keep from hurting feelings, or offending someone, or saying something that makes someone angry.

It is going to happen. Just deal with it.

Oh boy, my first official case of sig line writer’s block.

#5

Well, Mullinator, there is a difference between forbidding people to display personalities and recommending people consider how what they write is going to be read before they hit ‘send’. One difficulty that is constant in email communication is that there is almost no affective behavior possible. (Except via smilies, which I personally despise.) So your words are read at face value, through whatever filter the reader happens to put on them. Often, immediate responses can come across far more bluntly and even insultingly than the author actually intended. Giving a little care to grammar and phrasing can, sometimes, both enhance your ability to communicate your thoughts and avoid inadvertent misunderstandings and hurt feelings.

As a ‘for instance’: I try not to use profanity or vulgarity in my postings. Not because they offend me-on the contrary, I routinely use both, in my everyday speech. But although such terms are not heavily weighted for me, they are extremely weighted for other people. So, I try only to use words that will be interpreted the way I mean them, that will not be in danger of being misinterpreted or misconstrued.

Felice

“There’s always a bigger fish.”

#6

I try to avoid profanity also (except on the basketball court, and I tend to not even realize I am using it.)

I do feel that what Trollpuppet is talking about will lead to a sense of board sterilization. I may have been overly dramatic in my first post.

But it does happen that people dislike each other, and that won’t ever change. I do wish it were easier to convey sarcasm or gentle asides, etc, but both sender and reader know this, so if a person reacts to something they read incorrectly, it’s not like they couldn’t have taken a moment to think about other connotations.

I restrict my negative rants for the insane posters (and Lord knows we have had a few of those recently.) If I am replying to a board reg or a newbie that is above board, I do so either with humor or a real answer. Other than that, it is fair game, because the person is most likely not going to be here for long or contribute much.

Wow, that rambled.

Oh boy, my first official case of sig line writer’s block.

#7

But to me the notion that the board forces people to act a certain way is ludicrous. People can act and react any way that they want. Most of the posters here are adults and can take responsibility for their emotions.

Ever hear of Viktor Frankl? He wrote a book called “Man’s Search for Meaning,” about his experiences in a Nazi concentration camp. He realized that, no matter what the Nazis did to him, he didn’t have to hand over control of his emotions to them. He wouldn’t give them the satisfaction of making him angry or depressed. If a person can survive a Nazi concentration camp with an attitude like that, then surely we can survive a stupid message board!

If the pit is too nasty, then just leave it. No one is forcing TROLLPUPPET to read and post in the pit. (Notice how Mr. Congeniality is upset because people need to be more courteous to each other and then he responds to my obscenity-free post by calling me a bitch? I probably forced him to do that, didn’t I?)

“I hope life isn’t a big joke, because I don’t get it,” Jack Handy

The Kat House
Join the FSH Muscular Dystrophy Webring

#8

I agree with you point on clearly communicating thoughts, Felice. But as far as hurt feelings, I will say that I (for the most part) don’t care.

I’m a outspoken person IRL, and I’m sure my brashness offends people in my day-to-day life. Big fucking deal, if they are offended, it’s their problem–not mine.

#9

Can you believe they banned me for my comments in this thread!!

me TROLLPUPPET. WHY? Assholes!

#10

peligro!,

Criticizing the board and/or the moderators is not allowed. It is grounds for being banned. Been there. Done that.

Krispy Original – The original SDMB bad boy

#11

And lookie, you’re here.

Guess that disproves your claim (as usual).

#12

…and I was banned no less than 4 times David…I guess that (once again) proves that you are wrong David…

Krispy Original – The original SDMB bad boy

#13

Well, sure, Krispy, but you really had to work at it.

#14

mouthbreather:
That’s your choice, and if it makes you happy to know that you are gratuitously offending people, so be it. I choose to believe that it makes my life better to take a few seconds to phrase my words carefully, so that I convey precisely what I mean, and never **unintentionally ** give offence.

But Krispy, I disagree with you. I have certainly seen plenty of people criticize the board, and the moderators, without being banned. The only thing I’ve seen people banned for is making threats or violating the cardinal rule of the board: “Don’t be a jerk.” Trollpuppet was being a jerk. He got banned. I don’t know why you were banned, but I suspect it was because you were being a jerk. Four times over. (Slow learner, aren’t you?) You’re still a jerk, but evidently you haven’t been enough of a jerk to get banned again. I’m sure, having observed your behavior over the past few weeks, that this will happen soon enough.

Felice

“There’s always a bigger fish.”

#15

Felice, you don’t know me well enough to call me a jerk honey. You are a freaking know-it-all newbie.

I never asserted that a person would be banned for criticism of the board and mods, rather that they could be banned for that behavior.

So fuck you for calling me a slow learner and a jerk Felice.

Krispy Original – The original SDMB bad boy

#16

Oh, and David,

Please get the fuck off my back you troll.

I merely posted a message to peligro! sharing my experience and advice in a straight-forward and truthful way. There was nothing that was controversial or hurtful in my post. I don’t think it justified your trollish remark.

Krispy Original – The original SDMB bad boy

#17

The prosecution rests its case.

Felice

“There’s always a bigger fish.”

#18

Don’t flatter yourself honey. You are hardly the fucking “prosecution”. You are just some newbie that has poked her long nose into something that doesn’t concern her in order to throw some insults my way.

Your behavior is every bit the behavior of a jerk. Take a look in the mirror honey.

Krispy Original – The original SDMB bad boy

#19

KO whined:

ROFL! You really do hate it when people destroy your little fantasies, don’t you? Don’t go crying to mommy, now. You’ll always retain the special position of the biggest asshole around here.

No, you merely lied, picking up another opportunity to whine about the horrible evil moderators who are all out to get you. Boohoo.

You whined about the moderators again and there was nothing controversial? Please. Who are you trying to fool? Nobody on this message board is that stupid. And I see you’re still trying to redefine “troll” to include anybody who shoots down your whining. Alas, nobody here is stupid enough to fall for that either.

Shoo.

#20

We can see you didn’t participate in the old AOL board.

You better be nice or I’ll sic my lackeys on ya.