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A Thread About Terrible Internet
Hairy Joe Bob:
After messing around on internet forums for nearly 10 years I kind of cooled off on them. I used to be a lot more active on several boards, including this one, but I've realised that the freefall of clashing opinion and stuck in the mud, reactionary opinion really just annoys me too much to be bothered with. Since then I've been happy just to dip into forums now and again. Some boards I'm a member at - for tv shows or books or games or whatever - I only use to check out any breaking news on stuff I like.
I think that because it's the internet people are generally not themselves. People build internet characters and unfortunately these characters tend to be know-it-all, holier-than-thou, more-hip-than-thou, head in the clouds stuck up idiots who find it far too easy to get riled into an argument so they can speak as if they are an expert on all things. Hence internet forums CAN, quite often, turn cock-waving competitions between the imaginary selves of a lot of shy inexperienced, deluded men-children.
But that's just my opinion, I'm not expert on all things.
Amazingly this board has managed (bar a few short periods of near disaster when everyone got a bit too pleased with themselves) to stay fairly cool and self-possesed. I don't know if that's luck or what, but I tend to think that posters here tend to keep everyone else fairly sensible. If anyone gets a bit too power-hungry or up-themselves there is always someone on hand to say "Hey - get a grip, it's the fucking internet. Wise up!" Which I like! Hence I still dip in here and get involved every now and then when nearly every other forum I'm in I occasionally read but NEVER post in.
It's the same with nearly every place on the internet where you can place an opinion, because it's anonymous people just refuse to acceot other opinions. I think it's a problem on the whole internet, not just forums, or news sites or anything. The distance between the person writng and the people reading is quite often so great that the person writing can just be as much of a dick as they like and not care.
I hope this post made sense.
Josefbugman:
To my mind, people generally behave a little less rationally, a little less sensibly and with too much self-belief on the internet.
Not that I mind much, if people want to behave like that, let them. We have real life and other areas to be boring, normal and diplomatic in. And if you want to have a decent civil conversation its easy enough to do so with friends or with some areas of the internet. All this moralising about people being a little odd (and yes I do regard the whole justin Bieber and weird elf stuff only as a "little odd") just seems conterintuitive and more than a little daft. Mainly because the inevitable "stop oppressing me" idea comes out in force, and because its not actually hurting anyone.
I dunno, I just stopped caring so much about what other people are doing on the internet unless you have made a specific effort to become their friend. It just seems a bit voyeuristic to sit and crow at how "weird" other people are.
JD:
This thread has been really excellent for my self esteem kvp, thanks.
KvP:
I aim to please.
--- Quote from: Hairy Joe Bob on 05 Mar 2011, 08:07 ---Amazingly this board has managed (bar a few short periods of near disaster when everyone got a bit too pleased with themselves) to stay fairly cool and self-possesed. I don't know if that's luck or what, but I tend to think that posters here tend to keep everyone else fairly sensible. If anyone gets a bit too power-hungry or up-themselves there is always someone on hand to say "Hey - get a grip, it's the fucking internet. Wise up!" Which I like! Hence I still dip in here and get involved every now and then when nearly every other forum I'm in I occasionally read but NEVER post in.
--- End quote ---
I attribute a lot of it to the fact that many of us have gotten to know each other in what they used to call "meat life". Like, I've spent enough time around Tommy to know what he is actually like in person, and when he's taking the piss. It also helps you self-check - people know who you are, so when you're a jackass on the 'net it's not like you've got the veil of anonymity going for you. You will be judged.
Josefbugman:
The problem with that is that, to new people, you guys all have the same shared jokes, call backs and those other things that mark people out as "obvious pals IRL". Its why these area's tend to be very communal, but not exactly welcoming. Not a criticism, more just an observation.
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