Poor forum etiquette

Quote: Mosca

You missed the point entirely. I would explain it to you, but I think you would miss it again anyhow.

So, you actually AGREE with the assertion that the "only reason ANYBODY does ANYTHING on the internet" (emphasis mine) is "to call attention to themselves"? You think that's really true? You don't see how that statement just might be a gross exaggeration?

Sigh.

Quote: mkl654321

And confirming my point, you have chosen to call me an asshole, albeit in a circumlocutory way.

Yet you totally missed his.

Quote: bluefire

Yet you totally missed his.

Oh? What do you consider his "point", and how do you know whether I "missed" it or not (my not bothering to acknowledge it would NOT be proof of that)?

In any case, his name-calling, and the cowardly, back-door way he did it, elicited my primary reaction. He is an exemplar of the internet childish rudeness that was the subject of my post.

Quote: mkl654321

Oh? What do you consider his "point", and how do you know whether I "missed" it or not (my not bothering to acknowledge it would NOT be proof of that)?

In any case, his name-calling, and the cowardly, back-door way he did it, elicited my primary reaction. He is an exemplar of the internet childish rudeness that was the subject of my post.

You came into a room where everyone else was talking about something (that comic strip), and called it "idiotic" and "simplistic." Then you said that the premise of the cartoon is an excuse for people to abandon the common courtesies of discourse. Then you used "douchebag" in a sentence. Then you said that it all boils down to a personal decision about whether or not to be an asshole.

My point, which I thought was both succinct and clear, is that you have abandoned the common courtesies of discourse. You were rude and offensive in a post about how the internet has made people rude and offensive. Better yet, I'm apparently a coward for trying to civilly point that out. Somehow, not stooping to your level makes me childish?

It's probably bad for my health that I enjoy arguing with trolls this much, right? This just can't be a good sign for me...

Quote: mkl654321

Oh? What do you consider his "point", and how do you know whether I "missed" it or not (my not bothering to acknowledge it would NOT be proof of that)?

In any case, his name-calling, and the cowardly, back-door way he did it, elicited my primary reaction. He is an exemplar of the internet childish rudeness that was the subject of my post.

Because you took offense to him calling you an asshole, yet his point was that you were doing the same exact name-calling to others. Either you missed his point, or are purposefully being hypocritical.

Quote: bluefire

Because you took offense to him calling you an asshole, yet his point was that you were doing the same exact name-calling to others. Either you missed his point, or are purposefully being hypocritical.

What you are missing is the distinction between calling a generalized class of individuals "assholes" (which I didn't even actually do--what I said was that they didn't realize the distinction between civil and uncivil behavior), and his calling me, specifically, an asshole. Allow me to contrast:

A) "Those people don't even know that they are being assholes." (what I said)
B) "You are an asshole." (what he said, to me)

If you truly don't understand the distinction, then nothing I can say will help you.

Quote: rdw4potus

You came into a room where everyone else was talking about something (that comic strip), and called it "idiotic" and "simplistic." Then you said that the premise of the cartoon is an excuse for people to abandon the common courtesies of discourse. Then you used "douchebag" in a sentence. Then you said that it all boils down to a personal decision about whether or not to be an asshole.

My point, which I thought was both succinct and clear, is that you have abandoned the common courtesies of discourse. You were rude and offensive in a post about how the internet has made people rude and offensive. Better yet, I'm apparently a coward for trying to civilly point that out. Somehow, not stooping to your level makes me childish?

It's probably bad for my health that I enjoy arguing with trolls this much, right? This just can't be a good sign for me...

And I felt perfectly entitled to comment on an idea that many people seemed to be endorsing, when it was, in fact, ludicrous. I did not criticize any individual--I criticized an idea touted by some unknown individual (whoever wrote the strip). I also did NOT say that the person who wrote the strip was an idiot--or even believed what his character was saying (I actually think he was being ironic). I consider that I (and anyone else) can be severe in the criticism of an IDEA or CONCEPT, but not in that of an INDIVIDUAL. Note that I did NOT say that the writer of the strip was a moron, or that those who quoted it were. It's an important distinction, and one that I cannot believe that you have failed to grasp (except, perhaps, deliberately). Smart people say stupid things all the time. Criticism of those stupid things does not, repeat, NOT, equate to criticism of the person.

And FWIW, characterizing someone with whom you are arguing as a "troll" is, indeed, an internet kiddie tactic, roughly equivalent to putting one's hands over one's ears and chanting "neener neener neener". Obviously, I am arguing with you for some kind of twisted amusement, while YOU are the knight on the white horse waving the banner of Truth, charging nobly albeit reluctantly into the fray to defend the honor of...somebody.

And by the way, you should at least own up to the fact that you called me an asshole---period. And yes indeed, you are a coward and a hypocrite for not admitting that. It's pretty slimy to complain about internet rudeness (or, more precisely, to complain about someone complaining about internet rudeness in a way you consider rude), and then be rude yourself. I haven't, and won't, call YOU an asshole, because I don't think that you are--you are merely behaving like one at the moment, which is an important distinction. You are behaving like an internet kiddie, but I don't think you ARE one. Which again, proves my point--the internet degrades social discourse.

Quote: mkl654321

What you are missing is the distinction between calling a generalized class of individuals "assholes" (which I didn't even actually do--what I said was that they didn't realize the distinction between civil and uncivil behavior), and his calling me, specifically, an asshole. Allow me to contrast:

A) "Those people don't even know that they are being assholes." (what I said)
B) "You are an asshole." (what he said, to me)

If you truly don't understand the distinction, then nothing I can say will help you.

I was referring more to the fact that you called them "socially stunted internet kiddies"

Quote: mkl654321

And by the way, you should at least own up to the fact that you called me an asshole---period.

You are an asshole. Period.

Ain't it great that a thread on the topic of forum etiquette can be so thoroughly discussed in such a polite, refined, courteous manner?