The Trolls Don't Deserve to Be Read and Replied To

We are not talking about JTT.

As I said:

You suggest shunning people for disagreeing with you, Edgar. You have done that for a long time...most of the time I've known you here.

I have spoken to you respectfully and reasonably...with careful considerations of the matters on which we are in contention. But you dismiss me out-of-hand. You resent my position regarding your atheism, because my position makes sense...not because it does not make sense...or is the raving of a troll.

Good point on that goal, Izzy. I can't think of anything to match.

But we US neanderthals don't give futball proper respect.
'Cept those who live in Seattle.

No...I do not. I discuss...probably more than you do, Izzy.



I will talk about whatever I want to talk about. If you do not want to hear it...tune me out. I will not fault you in any way for doing so.

If you want to do what Edgar does...ask people to shun me or other folk he deems to be trolls...do so.

I will continue to discuss matters reasonably and respectfully...but with determination.



Congratulations to the women on the team.

Okay?

I've never seen your argument progress beyond the "We do not know if there are god(s), we do not know if there aren't gods," stage. Not being funny, but I haven't.

Frank, I doubt anyone has you on ignore, but you do tend to beat a dead horse. You might remember some time back, I sent you a PM, actually a PM to you and whoever it was you arguing with asking when it was safe for me to return. I got responses from you and the other poster when you were busy calling each other "LIARS, LYING LIARS, remarkably both of you told me neither one was willing to stop. I'm sure you and whoever you were exchanging insults were in 7th heaven, but I had to scroll thru page after page after page, waiting for the original topic to reemerge and it just never did. If you think I don't understand how difficult it is to let a provocative comment go unchallenged, you are sadly mistaken. Sometimes I read things that make steam blow out my ears, and often I feel I must respond. When I do, the usual nightmare ensues.p

I can't speak for Edgar, but I don't think he is talking about censorship or shunning. I think he is asking folks to show some restraint when confronted with a particularly provocative remark. I once started a mammoth **** storm when I said to Finn, "Oh that's nice, you thought of something nice to say" and that was only on a RIP thread. We can't always predict what kind of reaction we will elicit. When I remark after certain posters I usually know it's going to be poorly received, sometimes I'm surprised.

Anyhow, I don't think this thread was about any one person in particular. I'm sure when I appear it makes some people's teeth ache, when it gets too ugly on the current events threads....my default is the game threads. But even there somebody thumbs down threads that are non-political, non-religious and just plain silly.

Just to clarify, I don't dislike Frank, I don't believe in censorship, I don't want anyone shunned. However, there is a poster that refers to me by female body parts, regularly calls me a whore and since I'm not crazy about illiterate unimaginative assholes, he's on ignore but just for me. But since other people like him, no harm no foul. He's visible to all the others.

Just for Frank, I'm sure I've pissed you off and I wish I could have avoided that. I don't want to be another foe, because often you talk about subjects that are interesting. Those religion and atheist threads bore me to tears, no one can convince a believer their beliefs are piffle, no one will magically convert an atheist into becoming a faithful church going member, at least not by anything that is written on the forum. As far as Agnostic, I think that should be safe haven, again who is going to tip the balance to believer or atheist?

This is gotten a lot longer than I intended it to be. Since Edgar's request pissed off a few members, I wanted to carefully express my thoughts in hopes that it might actually resonate with somebody. My reasons are purely selfish, I enjoy the company here and I hate to see so many folks throw in the towel because it seems like a bar fight to them. I'm comfortable with the occasional bar fight, but I don't want to be in constant conflict.

Crap, I need to post a "but", I'm not even suggesting that controversial topics be eliminated or that conversations can't be spirited, I actually enjoy the chaos most of the time. But I think we can do better that someone saying "you're a big doody head" and response being "your mother wears army boots". (that was a test, anyone remember when it was actually insulting to suggest women wear army boots?)

The discussions have gotten past that stage many times.

I see the theists and atheists put out their views time after time after time...and nobody give them any noise.

Lately, my arguments have been with the atheists. They seem to think they are immune to criticism...and I DO NOT.

In the meantime, I have discussed all sorts of matters over the years...and have started threads on all sorts of matters.

Mostly, however, my posts are responses and replies to what others write. The fact that the stuff gets written by others is the repeat...not the fact that I want to respond.

Honestly, Izzy...if you do not like to hear what I have to say...just pass my posts over. But stop telling me what I should write and not write.

I'm not telling you what to write, just saying why some people might consider you a troll. (I don't btw.)

That is a common misconception, Glitterbag.

I defy you to find any comment of mine during the last three or four years where I EVER called anyone a liar.

I haven't...yet you feel comfortable saying that I was doing it repeatedly.





I went through a couple of things where someone decided to start nonsense with me...and I decided to finish it.

Nothing wrong with that.

Anyone who found it objectionable was free to disregard what I was saying and what the other guy was saying.



Respectfully, GB...I think you are wrong.

I have NEVER trolled Edgar in any way. My remarks to him were respectful and courteous. He simply will not allow anyone to disagree with him...without ending up with that "he is a troll...don't feed the troll" nonsense.

I am not a troll...but when a theist or atheist makes an assertion here in this forum...I will respond. I have no idea of why you or anyone else finds that objectionable...but I have been here a long time and expect to be here for a lot longer.

I will never call anyone a troll...nor will I suggest to anyone to "not feed the troll"...which is simply disguising a call to shun the person.




It is not about one person in particular. It is about two people in particular...me and GeorgeOB. We posted in one of Edgar's threads...and disagreed with some of the stuff being said there. That bothered Edgar...and this thread is the result.

I just offered my opinion Frank, I'm pretty sure I'm still entitled to an opinion.With all due respect, of course.

You certainly are entitled to your opinion, Glitterbag...and I hope nothing I said came across as suggesting differently.

But here is a link to the thread that caused Edgar to start this one. Read just the first page...and that will give you a good idea of whether or not I was a troll in that thread.

Read my comments...and tell me that sounds like it is coming from a troll.

http://able2know.org/topic/273517-1

Edgar might suggest that things changed later on...but I will link to my comment from late last month through to today...and they will be seen as just as respectful and reasonable as anything on page 1.

The problem is that Edgar cannot tolerate anyone disagreeing with him...no matter how reasonably or respectfully it is done...and he immediately goes into that "he is a troll...stop feeding him" mode...which as I said, is simply a disguised way of saying "shun him!"

Some trolls are fun!
If you so repulsed by trolling - change the channel. Got remote?

Frank, I don't know why it's important to you that I spend my time researching every argument you have gotten into on the forum. I may check later, but right now I simply don't have the heart to wade thru any more bile laced conversations.

But I do appreciate you acknowledging that it's ok for me to express my opinion. I'll probably check you 'evidence' later, but I've had enough of this for awhile.

This last comment of yours, Glitterbag...is a heck of a lot closer to "bile laced" than almost everything I have written in years. (There are some comments that I made to ONE individual which are over the top...but only after that individual had shown lots and lots of scorn for me.)

Do what you want.

You addressed some comments to me (including some comments that are absolutely incorrect)...and I have responded.

If you do not want a response...do not address comments to me.

Trolls have only one line of reasoning and will not consider other views, even in arguendo.

On the other hand I express my views in a multitude of ways. Consider:
Bold
Large
ALL CAPS
Underline
And many others.

Therefore, I am not a troll.

Except in cases when I just can't resist pulling your chain.

Jeez, people. Can't you read the tags. This is a humor thread.

This is your first comment in the thread, Edgar:



Most of everything else posted has been just as "humorous."

Some actually has been even more "humorous."

Frank, why do you think you are the person being called a Troll? Perhaps my sensibilities are somewhat delicate, but when some of our less clever members call me a slut, or a whore, or as Buttermilk once promised, find me and rape me, I usually put those gentlemen on ignore. But not because it hurts my feelings, I just hate dealing with stupid people.

I doubt anyone thinks I'm a shrinking violet, but occasionally the discussions get sooooooo repetitive and pointless I have to look elsewhere. And when you get right down to it, what can a person say after they've been called a whore to elevate the conversation. First, it's distasteful and I really don't want those idiots thinking I give a good god damn what they think.

Let's put it this way, I have trolls, they might not be your trolls but they search for me. As far as I can tell, no one is calling you a troll, and even I certainly didn't ask you to change your style.


I can't read Edgar's mind, but prior to his thread about trolls I was struggling to find a way to appeal to folks. I hadnt yet figured out how to do it without needlessly irritating other posters and getting the same responses Edgar has been getting. I love dueling with Sturgis on the game threads, recently I tried to reach out to him only to see his profile bidding us fair well and to enjoy the vitriol. All you have to do is check Merry Andrews health thread to see how many folks returned to wish him well, many I recall fondly and was happy to see. They are not here anymore, but not because of you, just the general buzz kill that erupts that make this drudgery and not enjoyable.

Mea maxima culpa.
I will, forthwith, consecrate a large pepperoni and onion pizza as a pennance.
Suitable IPA will be used.

Confetior deo omnipotente . . . et blah blah blah

Why can't unaccompanied atheists travel to Idonknow?

Hmm
When I was a kid, I broke my radius, It was neither humerus nor humorous. And that was fortuitous.