Forum Business: A different take.

[thatguy]

Originally posted by Xavier Bush, Power Forward:
  Puff, the magic dragon, lived by the sea
 And frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honalee.
 Little Jackie Paper loved that rascal Puff
 And brought him strings and sealing wax and other fancy stuff, oh
 Puff, the magic dragon, lived by the sea
 And frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honalee.
 Puff, the magic dragon, lived by the sea
 And frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honalee.
 
 Together they would travel on boat with billowed sail
 Jackie kept a lookout perched on Puff's gigantic tail
 Noble kings and princes would bow whene'er they came
 Pirate ships would lower their flags when Puff roared out his name, oh
 
 
 A dragon lives forever, but not so little boys
 Painted wings and giants's rings make way for other toys.
 One grey night it happened, Jackie Paper came no more
 And Puff that mighty dragon, he ceased his fearless roar.
 
 His head was bent in sorrow, green scales fell like rain
 Puff no longer went to play along the cherry lane.
 Without his lifelong friend, Puff could not be brave
 So, Puff that mighty dragon sadly slipped into his cave, oh
 

it really isn't hard to act like a real person on the internet.  is it hard to act like a real person on the phone?  when writing a letter?  at a cocktail party?  there should be no acting involved.  the natural thing would be to present yourself as you normally would, and should require no effort whatsoever.  the acting comes in when you consciously choose to behave differently, and that takes work.  so, it's actually harder to act differently than it is to be yourself.
 
 i've met hundreds of people in person that i met first online, and the only ones i want to spend any time with online or off are the ones that are themselves no matter the situation.
 
 this is not a theater.  we aren't playing d&d.  there is no reason to play a character here.  if you think it's weird to share yourself with strangers, i pity the world you live in.  i'm not saying that you have to share everything about yourself with everyone, but to hide behind an online persona is truly sad to me, and i think this would be a much more interesting space if people were themselves and shared their actual thoughts and feelings.  but we established long ago that i'm just some damn hippy.  or an "emo-fag," whatever the hell that is.
 
 sure, everyone makes judgements about people based on what they post here, but why would you want those judgements about you to be based on anything other than the truth?  the caricatures would be a lot closer to accurate if people weren't hiding behind some created character.
 
  <small>[ 09-15-2005, 11:33 PM: Message edited by: econo ]</small>

[muschi]

this emo?    

[thatguy]

Originally posted by MTB-Markie:
  Ahh the good old days!
 
 But mostly we were having a good fight about something. Not just calling each other names.

exactly.  discussion/debate/arguments are all just fine, especially between people that know each other to some extent.

[thatguy]

Originally posted by Xavier Bush, Power Forward:
 
    I'm willing to wager there are hundreds of lurkers out there who read this board for pure comedic value, and the shenanigans that go on here keep them coming back time and time again. This leads to a greater overall knowledge of what is going on at the club, and more of a likelihood of attending a show.
 

thousands of people used to come back time and time again to watch people get fed to lions for pure entertainment value.  doesn't mean that feeding people to lions is an acceptable thing to do.
 
 i think you are struggling to justify this behavior, which really has no justification.  i see no comedic value in people hiding behind the anonymous nature of this site to bully and abuse strangers.  i see a few people that really need to figure out something else to do with their time and energy.

[muschi]

thatguy is right. this forum's clique really does dominate. and its really boring, gets old quick. its just non-stop bickering, nothing much original is said. i will probably end up to be that next newbie to abandon the forum. u really hit it dead on thatguy.

[vansmack]

Originally posted by thatguy:
  i see a few people that really need to figure out something else to do with their time and energy.

The understatement of this whole saga....

[Charlie Nakatestes, Japanese Golfer]

I'm not trying to justify anything. I would argue that I've been a victim of bullying, meanness, and abuse by strangers as compared to me being the bully at a ratio of 10:1 by strangers on this board. I get people I've never even had a conversation with online, much less offline, calling me "mentally retarded" and calling my wife a "dog". That, for simply comparing the band Stellastarr to Rusted Root.
 
    But because I'm not a newbie, I guess it's ok in your eyes for people to be abusive and mean to me, right?
 
 
 

Originally posted by thatguy:
   

Originally posted by Xavier Bush, Power Forward:
 
    I'm willing to wager there are hundreds of lurkers out there who read this board for pure comedic value, and the shenanigans that go on here keep them coming back time and time again. This leads to a greater overall knowledge of what is going on at the club, and more of a likelihood of attending a show.
 

thousands of people used to come back time and time again to watch people get fed to lions for pure entertainment value.  doesn't mean that feeding people to lions is an acceptable thing to do.
 
 i think you are struggling to justify this behavior, which really has no justification.  i see no comedic value in people hiding behind the anonymous nature of this site to bully and abuse strangers.  i see a few people that really need to figure out something else to do with their time and energy. [/b]

[ggw]

Originally posted by Xavier Bush, Power Forward:
  I'm not trying to justify anything. I would argue that I've been a victim of bullying, meanness, and abuse by strangers as compared to me being the bully at a ratio of 10:1 by strangers on this board. I get people I've never even had a conversation with online, much less offline, calling me "mentally retarded" and calling my wife a "dog". That, for simply comparing the band Stellastarr to Rusted Root.
 
    But because I'm not a newbie, I guess it's ok in your eyes for people to be abusive and mean to me, right?
 

No.  In your case it's okay because you really are a retard and your wife really is a dog.
 
 
 It isn't libel if it's true.

[Charlie Nakatestes, Japanese Golfer]

I've seen your girlfriend and she speaks plenty for your lack of taste in women.
 
 As far as being a retard, I need to look no further than the crappy music you champion as evidence of your mental deficiencies.
 
 
 

Originally posted by ggwâ?¢:
   

Originally posted by Xavier Bush, Power Forward:
  I'm not trying to justify anything. I would argue that I've been a victim of bullying, meanness, and abuse by strangers as compared to me being the bully at a ratio of 10:1 by strangers on this board. I get people I've never even had a conversation with online, much less offline, calling me "mentally retarded" and calling my wife a "dog". That, for simply comparing the band Stellastarr to Rusted Root.
 
    But because I'm not a newbie, I guess it's ok in your eyes for people to be abusive and mean to me, right?
 

No.  In your case it's okay because you really are a retard and your wife really is a dog.
 
 
 It isn't libel if it's true. [/b]

[thatguy]

Originally posted by Xavier Bush, Power Forward:
  But because I'm not a newbie, I guess it's ok in your eyes for people to be abusive and mean to me, right?

nope.  i think it's just as stupid and pointless for them to be mean to you as it is to be mean to a newbie.  difference is, you are a willing participant.  you have contributed to the negative atmosphere here plenty over the years.  what i said from the beginning of all of this is that the abuse of those not willingly involved needs to stop.
 
 edited to add:  wow, you proved my point even before i could make it.  see above post for evidence.

[Charlie Nakatestes, Japanese Golfer]

What examples of abuse of newbies were you specifically referring to?
 
 I mean it's one thing to tell someone they have lousy music taste because they like crappy band xyz, but it's quite another thing to insult someone's looks or mental capacity or other things more personal because they like band xyz, right? I will admit to doing both, and I am sorry for doing the latter, but wouldn't call the former "abuse".
 
 I think people need to get over their musical taste. Being told your music taste sucks is just about the lightest insult in the world...i wouldn't even call it an insult, more like a mild tease.
 
 

Originally posted by thatguy:
   

Originally posted by Xavier Bush, Power Forward:
  But because I'm not a newbie, I guess it's ok in your eyes for people to be abusive and mean to me, right?

nope.  i think it's just as stupid and pointless for them to be mean to you as it is to be mean to a newbie.  difference is, you are a willing participant.  you have contributed to the negative atmosphere here plenty over the years.  what i said from the beginning of all of this is that the abuse of those not willingly involved needs to stop. [/b]

Originally posted by thatguy:
  it really isn't hard to act like a real person on the internet.  is it hard to act like a real person on the phone?  when writing a letter?  at a cocktail party?  there should be no acting involved.  the natural thing would be to present yourself as you normally would, and should require no effort whatsoever.  the acting comes in when you consciously choose to behave differently, and that takes work.  so, it's actually harder to act differently than it is to be yourself.
 
 i've met hundreds of people in person that i met first online, and the only ones i want to spend any time with online or off are the ones that are themselves no matter the situation.
 
 this is not a theater.  we aren't playing d&d.  there is no reason to play a character here.  if you think it's weird to share yourself with strangers, i pity the world you live in.  i'm not saying that you have to share everything about yourself with everyone, but to hide behind an online persona is truly sad to me, and i think this would be a much more interesting space if people were themselves and shared their actual thoughts and feelings.  but we established long ago that i'm just some damn hippy.  or an "emo-fag," whatever the hell that is.
 
 sure, everyone makes judgements about people based on what they post here, but why would you want those judgements about you to be based on anything other than the truth?  the caricatures would be a lot closer to accurate if people weren't hiding behind some created character.

Thanks for sharing that with the group.
   <img src="http://www.00ebooks.com/images/dr-phil-books.jpg" alt=" - " />

[muschi]

forum design suggestion: what clutters this board most is the indiscrimninate quoting of entire blocks of text. ppl can copy and paste to quote and it'd force them to economize vs blanket quoting. or, maybe im crazy and its only me who finds it so annoying but not as annoying the ms word paper clip guy

[brennser]

I go home and weep every time Relaxer says Sleater-Kinney are shite  
 
   

Being told your music taste sucks is just about the lightest insult in the world...i wouldn't even call it an insult, more like a mild tease.

[thatguy]

Originally posted by Xavier Bush, Power Forward:
  What examples of abuse of newbies were you specifically referring to?
 

by you?  none in particular.  i'm talking about general tone between regulars, since you brought it up.  you implied that i was ok with you being abused since you weren't new, and i said that i wasn't, but pointed out that you are an active part of the back and forth banter between regulars so therefore get no sympathy from me.
 
 now that you make me think about it, i believe the term "porky midget" originated in a post by you directed at a newbie.  
 
 

 I mean it's one thing to tell someone they have lousy music taste because they like crappy band xyz, but it's quite another thing to insult someone's looks or mental capacity or other things more personal because they like band xyz, right? I will admit to doing both, and I am sorry for doing the latter, but wouldn't call the former "abuse".

my point, once again, is that there is no reason to do either of these things.  how does someone else's taste in music affect you in any way whatsoever?  taste is subjective.  if i post because my favorite band is coming, i don't need to hear that you, or any other anonymous blowhard, think that they suck.  it serves no purpose.  it accomplishes nothing except for maybe chasing someone away from the forum.
 
 i don't understand why this is so hard a concept for some of y'all to grasp.  i am typing in english here, right?