Thread: The perils of discussion

yeah, i like what you are saying...
esp. the bit about posts getting heated...i might disagree with what someone has written, but i go back and read it over again, before replying to it, to make sure i've got it in context, and that i'm not just flying off the handle.
and if i don't think it's worth worrying about, i just won't respond to it...no adding fuel to the fire, so to speak.
And i have the shortest fuse of any person i know...

Originally posted by irishcream
yeah, i like what you are saying...
esp. the bit about posts getting heated...i might disagree with what someone has written, but i go back and read it over again, before replying to it, to make sure i've got it in context, and that i'm not just flying off the handle.
and if i don't think it's worth worrying about, i just won't respond to it...no adding fuel to the fire, so to speak.
And i have the shortest fuse of any person i know...

I am hoping if members become more aware of all these obsticals they will not find so many things as a personal attach. And learn to debate rather than argue.

I'm glad of the almost universal convention for people to ignore errors in spelling and grammatical syntax. It saves everybody a great deal of time that would otherwise be taken up with spell checking and editorializing.

This same Convention, to refrain from pointing out errors, applies also toward, or should apply toward, instances where the logic may perhaps be somewhat confused. One should make a best good-faith effort to discern what the Posting Party is trying to say. Here, a little bit of intuition can go a long way.

I am particularly sensitive to such things. In my youth I was a Peace Corps Volunteer and had just 8 weeks to learn the Language of the Country which hosted my presence. Well, I could hardly be expected to have been entirely fluent in the language, but I knew quite a few words and phrases. Well, I noticed that there is an entire sort of people that simply feel imposed upon when they are asked to understand what they only suspect might be a bit obscure. They would effectively refuse to even listen to me. I would speak to them in their own Language and they would wave me off with "Me no speaky Englishy". It was frustrating.

Then, back in America, I was approached by a foreigner and found myself almost doing exactly the same thing -- refusing to put my ear and understanding to what was being said to me. It quite surprised me when I found that I was at heart, "one of them". Well, not anymore, and I decided it is not that difficult to listen and piece together clues. Sometimes it is important, as, for instance, when a foreigner comes up and is saying "Places Doctors go where at", he perhaps means "WHERE IS THE HOSPITAL?"

So, anyway, before asking for 'clarifications', consider first whether or not one already has a sufficient number of clues in order to discern the meaning of a particular post. The worst that can happen is that one answers from entirely the wrong direction, and then the Poster will at least have your wrong answer as something of a reference point for improving his own sense of logic on the subject.

Exactly...or maybe, when people ask for clarifications, they could say something like 'it sounds like you are saying such and such, is this the case, or have i misinterpreted you?'

Then it's not a personal attack, and it gives the other person chance to explain themselves if need be, without feeling like they've been backed into a corner.

Also, i think if you are going to criticise someone on a board, about something they have said, you need to be very sure of your facts, sure that you are in the right, otherwise you're going to trip yourself up and look a bit of an idiot.

I know i've done it a few times...

Originally posted by irishcream


Also, i think if you are going to criticise someone on a board, about something they have said, you need to be very sure of your facts, sure that you are in the right, otherwise you're going to trip yourself up and look a bit of an idiot.

I know i've done it a few times...

You know, it might be useful to be amazingly and totally wrong on some occassions. If you have a history of always being right, then people may hesitate to comment on anything you have posted. It is like always winning at cards or always winning at pool or always winning at anything -- after awhile nobody will take any of your bets. Nobody wants to play if they are sure they will lose.

So the Best Players, every once in awhile will take a very public dive and lose extremely badly, in order to give all contenders out their some renewed Hope.


But one does not have to disagree with somebody in order to Add to their thoughts. I cannot be the only person to have noticed that Essays written for most Forums, even when people complain that they are long, are very short compared to the intellectual standards set by Books, Magazines, specialty publications. Typically, in all of my essays, I can only go as far as introducing a Topic, and often leave some quite obvious openings for the Next Logical Progression. I find it odd that so seldom anybody picks up and continues where I obviously leave off.


Oh, there is also the problem with people who complain when a Thread goes off subject. Well, it is good if people are talking about ANYTHING. Anybody who wants to bring the Topic back onto Theme can certainly add their Addition to the Line of Reasonings. Instead, the only thing they have to say is that the only people who are willing to write in are not serenading them with what they want to hear. They only write in to complain and criticize.

So I think that all Threads, especially my own, are like Cocktail Parties. They may start with a Theme, but just as long as the guests are entertained is all that really matters. If people are having a lively discussion, who CARES what they are speaking about -- on topic or off topic -- an exchange of ideas is ALWAYS to be encouraged.

Originally posted by Leo Volont


Oh, there is also the problem with people who complain when a Thread goes off subject. Well, it is good if people are talking about ANYTHING. Anybody who wants to bring the Topic back onto Theme can certainly add their Addition to the Line of Reasonings. Instead, the only thing they have to say is that the only people who are willing to write in are not serenading them with what they want to hear. They only write in to complain and criticize.

So I think that all Threads, especially my own, are like Cocktail Parties. They may start with a Theme, but just as long as the guests are entertained is all that really matters. If people are having a lively discussion, who CARES what they are speaking about -- on topic or off topic -- an exchange of ideas is ALWAYS to be encouraged.

Yes, I wholeheartedly agree, it is good to pull in other points and discussion within a topic, and I agree Exchange of ideas is always good. However this exchange of ideas needs to me in some way related to the topic. I am sure you will agree with me that is does become annoying when you are say discussing something of a spiritul nature and someone comes in discussing muffins or such!

Something people fail to realize is that after a discussion has run its course, the topic then pretty much takes on the attributes of a library entry. It can be pretty frustrating for someone searching for information on a topic when they have to wade through meaningless off topic posts. It also tends to detract from the credibility and scholorship of those that have made an effort to post intelligently in the topic.

Guess what I am trying to say here is, yes, diverse exchange of ideas is a great thing, but they should in some way support the topic being discussed.

Originally posted by Howetzer+--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Howetzer)</div>

Misspelled words ( I wouldn't know about that )[/b]

<!--QuoteBegin-Leo Volont
I'm glad of the almost universal convention for people to ignore errors in spelling and grammatical syntax. It saves everybody a great deal of time that would otherwise be taken up with spell checking and editorializing.

I spell check all my posts

not to mention overeagerness to connect, followed by the inevitable foot in mouth.

please forgive me. i didn't mean to be obnoxious.