Mind you, I mostly lurk, but one thing I’ve seen time and again is posters getting into arguments among themselves, particularly in posts where the OP has asked for advice. Arguments (or disagreements, some mild and some -not- so mild!) that essentially have nothing to do with the original poster’s question. LOL I’ll give cites if you ask for them, but honestly, all you really have to do is pick a thread in IMHO or even MPSIMS, sooner or later, some of the threads are bound to deteriorate into this disagreement between posters. Probably the majority of them are mildly amusing to read, but some of them have gotten downright nasty. And I’ll admit that from time to time I’ve felt like getting involved in them, but have shown restraint thus far.
Anyway, I guess this is just a mild rant but it’s something that I’d noticed recently. Probably happens more often than I’ve noticed.
First, because people are always going to disagree, it’s just human nature, especially when the subject matter is touchy.
Second, it tends to happen in this sort of forum specifically because of the medium, facial expressions can’t be seen, tone of voice can’t be heard, things “sound” much harsher, in type than they are meant by the author, someone “reads” it the wrong way, and takes offense, etc…
That’s ridiculous, too. I can see all of your facial expressions through my handy-dandy SuperCam, which receives images even where there are no cameras to transmit them. . Hey! HEY! Stop sticking your tongue out at me, CanvasShoes!
Oh, I stay out of Great Debates! Only forums I follow are: Cafe Society, IMHO, MPSIMS and I check out the 'Pit every so often.
Yah, thanks Canvasshoes–I kinda figured that was what it was; the most heated arguments are where one poster takes what another poster has written the wrong way. It makes me realize how much tone of voice, inflection and even facial expressions mean in communication. Which (probably) accounts my tendency to use the “smilies” in my posts.
You fool. If she’s making quote marks with her fingers, what’s she typing with? Her nose? One more careless remark like that, and I’m taking you to the Pit.
