Actually, I joined back in July 2000 under another name (yeah, sockpuppet, I know. Sue me.)
I will say that my skins a little tougher for it, and it doesn’t bug me much…it just seems so, unnecessary. More like the folks are doing it to make them feel better, rather than contribute to the conversations, which are what keep me here. There’s no other place with the breadth of topic that I’ve found. It sure as hell ain’t the You Tube comments section, but for a group that’s fighting ignorance, we do seem a little egotistical sometimes.
Back in the old, old days people came here because they were drawn by the newspaper column and wanted the same combination of offbeat, but correct, information and attitude. While other forums were spun-off, they shared that sort of GQ-like, fact-based spirit.
As Google (and later, Wikipedia) got bigger, people could find the arcane information there. At some point many GQ posts were effectively answered with Google/Wiki links. Eventually, you didn’t have to be an expert to answer a question (just first with a link). The experts faded away, but the snark remained.
What I’ve noticed more is someone stating what is clearly a generalization and meant to be a generalization and someone has to come in and say, “well NOT ME!” and goes on about how that generalization is not true in their case. Great, have a cookie. The poster wasn’t implying that everyone in [insert demographic] is going to fit what he/she just said.
(I’m hoping that if any of you felt I was engaging in this behavior that you would point it out to me. You now have my official permission to do so. Not that I post often enough to stick out anyway.)
This, or more to the point, You mention a rule of thumb, then you’re an evil narrowminded Nazi* Fascist for thinking that rule of thumb could ever possibly be true.
Fair 'nuf. I’ll amend my statement to say, “I’d date the beginningof the big swing in 'tude to the Nov. '00 election.”
I don’t know if you recall, but a certain poster started multiple “OMG, DOOOOOOM!” threads in multiple forums about Bush’s first election ("Bush was never elected, he stole the election!!!11111111’), never staying in one thread beyond the first couple of replies before flying off to another thread to start up again, like some demented mad-person in a crowded hotel, running from door-to-door in the middle of the night screaming “FIRE! RAPE! MURDER!”
It’s why I’ve mostly avoided GD and The Pit for a good while. As far as I’m concerned, GD ain’t so great, or even much of a debate; it’s a thinly disguised Pit.
This one sentence so perfectly encapsulates what I’ve felt about this place (but haven’t put a finger on nearly so succinctly) that I had to yank it out and repeat it.
I noticed it a lot and I am very pleasantly surprised when it doesn’t happen. I suppose that you have to catch certain folks after they have gone to bed or just finished an exhausting abuse session in another thread.
I think it has gotten better lately. Could just be my selective reading of posts.
My feelings are similar to those of **olivesmarch4th, ** I think. In the past if a post or poster annoyed me, I would just close the thread and move on, but lately I’ve been less inclined to do that. I’ve been nasty to people here and there lately, and it’s a sign that I need to go. I mean, even if I think people are jerks, doesn’t mean I have to be a jerk in return. They’re not making me be a jerk; I’m doing that.
Not sure what to say - I mean, I see the behaviors that the OP describes, but I simply choose not to be part of that online, here at the SDMB or anywhere. I try to embrace the rule that “don’t post anything I wouldn’t mind hearing read in court.”
I have a hard job (I am clearly not unique here). To take mental breaks, I hang out on the 'dope, read cool threads, and post to some that are fun and geeky in my areas of interest.
If I felt that the SDMB was affecting my mood in any other way than as a nice diversion, I would move on…fortunately, so many Dopers do and think about so many interesting things that I continue to find it fun to be part of…and thanks for that.
MY problem is that the SDMB fills such a large hole in my life. It really is a found of ‘smarter than average, more open minded folks’, and I don’t know what I’d replace it with, if I decided the nastiness was too much to bear. I’m seeing similar decrepitude in other online communities that I’ve been a member of for years. Folks move on and the ones that stay get set in their ways. It’s a lot like the run-down, corner pub.
I’ve seen a couple of the forums of folks that have left, but they seem to be SDMB lite. I guess the big problem is that I’m mentally giving the crapgivers a louder voice than the rest of the goodniks.
I’ve found that the ones I’ve put on ignore can’t be ignored because people quote their posts to respond to the stupidity and anger so you end up reading it anyway.
I think WordMan nailed it. I love this place and used to be a huge Pitizen, but I’ve mainly given that up because of the repetitiveness and disrespect that almost permeates every thread. But fortunately for me, I’ve rediscovered other forums and that’s helped a lot. Plus I could never give up all the wonderful people here.
Heh, everyone is different. I only have one poster on ignore and it helps me. If noone quotes the poster I’m fine. If someone does quote the poster, I have a heads up that something stupid is coming AND that someone is rebutting it.
