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tactileartist -> RE: Saddened by the abuse seen here... (10/16/2007 2:00:57 PM)
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Stepping out on a limb here, and posting my general opinion on the responses that were given to Hermione on the "did I break my" thread.
This issue goes both ways. There were a number of sarcastic answers given that did not truly contribute anything worthwhile to the discussion at hand. There were a number of responses that were curt and/or harsh. Most of these were unnecessary, although I suspect some of them were fairly well intentioned in a "tough love" kind of expression.
The OP's "mistake" is a pretty common one that many people on internet forums make - while this is a community of like-minded people (or at least we try), it's also *drumroll please* TEH INTARWEB. Like any other public forum anywhere, be it on line or in person, there's "always one".
Anyone who's posting to any of these forums needs to be able to read responses to their posts with a certain degree of emotional detachment, and have the ability to look at any given response and say "well, that was a waste of bandwidth" and scroll down, and move on. Unless, of course, one really enjoys being a drama queen*.
A significant number of people need to learn to consider the source in any given response, and just dismiss responses that merit dismissal. Getting offended because someone on Teh Intarweb was mean to you is silly and a waste of energy.
*The drama queen comment is not directed at anyone here in Collarme.chat. I don't know any of you well enough to say aye/nay. However, this is a webforum very similar to four others I frequent with some very otherwise intelligent people who still haven't figured that out - so I have a difficult time believing it doesn't apply to anyone here.
Just sayin'.
I'm also fairly sure that, being new to the boards here, there will come a time when I shove my foot halfway down my throat. And that I'll be taken to task for it - sometimes respectfully, sometimes not. I've just reached the point where any cruel, overly personal, or harsh attack tells me a lot more about the personality of the responder than anything else, and I know I have a choice in how I respond to that.
1) I can be offended, cry, and generally throw a temper tantrum.
2) I can dismiss the responder as an idiot.
3) I can do some research to determine if the responder is just having a bad posting day, or is someone I shouldn't waste any time on.
4) I can take the valuable information from the response, and discard all the insulting language.
All of those possible responses, and more, are my choice. And your choice. And hers, and his, and the mods, and the community-at-large's.
Not one single response on the thread being referred to was Hermione's fault. She's responsible for her original post, and her responses, and nothing else.
*sigh*
This is not that complicated. It's really not.
When belonging to any given forum, I generally expect that the posters to behave like adults. I don't have much patience with those who don't. It's also not my job to go on a crusade to educate people about how to act. I've got teenagers, my hands are full with educating THEM.
Anyway, that's my 2c worth added to this discussion.
Disclaimer:
YMMV.
I am not a real person, I just pretend to be one on line.
The management is not responsible for stupid people tricks or random yak stampedes.
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