Are you terribly angry

Ditto. Whatever became of civility? I guess it never existed online. Besides, there's also that thing called self-projection. It's quite common among some people.

Not necessarily. It could simply be that he's just a bully who enjoys bullying others.

Yea Bill, a form of talking to oneself or at least the part we don't like

Yes but one must ask why he's a bully. My suggestion is of course one of many that might be offered

I think this is the post you're referencing. If you're trying to link to a post you can click on the post number in the upper right corner and it will be part of the url

http://able2know.org/topic/201791-3#post-5171833

I'm not quite sure who you're saying is quite angry at all times. Finn or Set? I don't think that label really applies to either of them.

Don't know about the former but have had a little static from Set

There are of course others

I forgive them all tho

Actually Set is seldom genuinely "angry." I think he just doesn't suffer fools gladly.

Oh, wow ... I get a "thumbs down" for submitting the following ...



Image that! A "thumbs down" for an innocuous comment.

Whoever gave me the "thumbs down" is a coward because he/she doesn't have the courage to confront me directly. Anonymity is wonderful; it's so cheap. Whoever you are, I dare you to send me a PM to make your case. No, I take that back. Please keep your distance. There's no point in asking for unpleasantness when life offers enough unpleasantness as it is.

I've noticed many times a post will be given a "thumbs down" when it's completely innocuous. For example, OmSigDavid suffers burns on his hands when he suffers a major fire in his home. Izzythepush posts immediately after David's, wishing him a full recovery. But his post receives a "thumbs down"! How petty.

I have a short, friendly exchange with Finn that has nothing to do with politics, absolutely nothing. (For the record, I happen to be ideologically nonaligned; and I'll never become a conservative. But this is not enough for so-called "progressives"! You don't have to be a conservative to receive the dismissal of "progressives." All you have to do is simply not be one.) The issue was ganging up on a socially awkward, unpopular member (who, granted, did lack needed social skills and sometimes was rude).

So, what happens? Another member comes along and sneers at me for the offense of daring to talk to the socially marked Finn, as if I'm a carbon copy of him. Frankly, I'm reminded of high-school social life. No, make that elementary school. "Ohhh, you're talking to him? Nooooo, you can't do that! If you do that, I won't be your friend!" I'll speak to or associate with whomever I please.

Perhaps I was making an absolute statement when I said civility never existed online, but it should be obvious to anyone that civility is in short supply all across the Internet. I certainly wasn't singling out A2K. I've seen the same lack of civility in many online forums. Most people who post in these forums aren't trying to learn anything because they stopped learning a long time ago. They post to tell everyone what they believe with the attitude of "This is what I believe. I'm right; I couldn't possibly be wrong about anything. If you don't agree with me, you're a fool and a moron." If someone makes a questionable statement, the other person doesn't ask for a clarification. Instead, he just says, "You're just full of b***s***." There seems to be no desire to promote or to arrive at an understanding. It's just all about yelling at each other. I repeat, a lot of people stopped learning because they closed their minds a long time ago. It doesn't even matter if the subject isn't controversial. Someone can start a blog on breeding dogs. Ordinarily you'd think that wouldn't be something that would engender strife. But sooner than you think, the personal attacks and the name-calling begin. Amazing!

What's really hilarious is that some of those who consider themselves to be free thinkers are the biggest conformists in the world. They think they're not bigots; but, in fact, they're just as intolerant and dismissive of anyone who's "different" -- unless, of course, they're different ones who are approved by the current party line.

I've seen amazing cruelty in this forum. One member suffers a major health crisis; he nearly dies. He hasn't completely regained his thought processes and in a post to another member calls him "sport" (Oh, my! How offensive!) The other member becomes unglued and tells him to go ahead and die, knowing that he had a near-death experience. The same member cuts no slack for another member who recently lost her sister, who died in her arms. He extends no condolences and conveniently forgets that grief-stricken people frequently become irrational at times (which is quite common among those who have experienced the loss of a loved one). Indeed, he cuts no one any slack; but demands that he be given every consideration.

People who engage in self-projection often practice the very wrongs they accuse others of doing. That's actually a form of hypocrisy.

You're kidding.
I'm sure Set has crumpled untold numbers of beginning posters.

You are in your Bullied Person mode.

Stop and look around. Thumbs are flying opinions, for wit or content or shared prejudice, or not to see the post again. You are all about yourself on this.

Oh, Finn and I talk once in a while, don't hate each other.
Albeit not often.

Remember, wm, some people put the thumb on the person, not the post. I could list three people just off the top of my head who's every post will be thumbed down, even if it's just an accurate and reasonable explanation of why it rains more on the windward side of a mountain than the leeward.

I used to go through and 'correct' the ratings. Now, I let them stand so we can all see just how small some people can be. If you want me to help you out on that post, just let me know. Otherwise, we can all kick back and see what jerks some people can be.

After awhile, it becomes obvious. Like, when I disagree with either of two people, I'm going to be voted down, no matter how civil and polite I phrase the disagreement. Does that inhibit me? Suuuuure it does. <snicker>

I'm sure that's so Andy but the angry are quicker to judge

Are you telling us you are not an angry person?

One of the factors, Bill, drawing the angry to the forum

Interesting you should so assert. Very common reaction of the angry, looking for something to be angry about

On a swimming-pool forum I where described a means to save $14 to $40 by constructing my own sweep bag (an attachment that catches sunken debris picked up by a roving suction device) I was mercilessly attacked by onesuch participant complete with links to supporting quotations from a number of my previous postings and threads, calling me a cheapskate; while just a day later a lady Polaris owner submitted a posting of thanks for my suggestion

Of course not, the Internet forum spectrum is rife with the disgruntled

i'm often angrily terrible

By no means

I've been working on it for about 60 years and only now at 82 becoming a shade more tolerant

Now directing most residual anger at mainly impersonal targets like incompetent software

I still do that, roger. Seems sort of silly to see someone with a zero beside their name when all they did was post the next (accurate) entry on a game thread. So I'll give "thumbs up" even to somebody I might actually despise just because there is nothing wrong with the post that got down-thumbed. It's so childish to downgrade someone because of personal animosity rather than the content of the post.

They do that on game threads? I should have known.

I'll give you an ornery plus for that, if you stop with the pity stuff about having incipiant alzheimers.