# What were you THINKING? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 13, 2023, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532 "2023-10-13T19:36:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Showing post:** 3320
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2024, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/3320 "2024-10-16T20:54:06Z")
> [@Mild Pitting of Beck](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mild-pitting-of-beck/1008691/457): > > > [@Mild Pitting of Beck](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mild-pitting-of-beck/1008691/457): > > > > “Angry”? Not really, although that excuse to dismiss differing opinions has been used in the past, I guess. > > You have been coming across as more and more angry and aggressive over what appear to be very trifling things recently. > > I would also have characterized your response that led to the above exchange as “angry”, and… Why? In the mood of constructive criticism upon which this thread is founded, no, I wouldn’t say “Angry” but I’d probably call it confrontational. No, it’s not wrong, not actionable, and probably not a big deal at all, but it _can_ be a bit off-putting. I would never, use the term “hater” even in the diminished meaning of @Czarcasm’s later response for his posts. But confrontational, perhaps even aggressive in his arguments? Sure. The more accurate term though (IMHO) is “painfully frustrated”. That attitude has nothing to do with the validity of his opinions or feelings, whether or not I agree with him (which I do most, but not all of the time to be clear). But yeah, it’s mostly a low-stakes argument about “tone” such as @LSLGuy is (legitimately) complaining about. If we weren’t such nitpickers, it wouldn’t be worth snarking about, but, well, we’re both on _this_ board and in the Pit, so really, 'tis to be expected. 🙂 If we were seriously considering trying to grow our userbase (the subject of many a thread) then _perhaps_, just _maybe_ we’d want to consider how tone might affect new posters, but in our current circumstances, where 90+% of our new posters are trolls, trocks, or blow-ins seeking to score points, it’s a non-issue IMHO. [leaving out spammers of course, as they should be ignored, shunned, and disappeared, though granted, _probably_ not shot] And we’re generally pretty nice (keeping the gloves on at least) to new posters who don’t immediately jump into controversial subjects and topics with both boots (see the 90+% above). --- _[View the full topic](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532)._