A Lesson in Civility

[Thunderknuckles]

With what seemed to me an increase in petty fighting on this forum, I thought I would share a small piece of history about me and the lesson I learned.

I've been posting on various forums for well over a decade. Early on most of that was related to gaming forums. My wife and used to play a lot of MMORPGs together and were heavy into PVP (player vs. player) games. As you can imagine, there is a high degree of smack talk going on. In one particular game my wife and I became very well known as we were senior members of the #2 PVP guild in North America. We made a lot of online "friends" in that game's forum and an even greater number of online "enemies". The smack talk got very nasty and went personal quite often.

One day my wife finds out she is pregnant with my first child and she makes the mistake of posting the news on the forum. Our "friends" were happy for us but our "enemies" took it to a new level. The one response I will never forget came from one guy who pasted that he would pray that my child would be born stillborn so we could no longer infect the human gene pool. The entire forum erupted. You can only imagine the level of personal attacks, threats, and general hostility that came about. I, of course, lost it big time. I took that comment so personal that I literally went about trying to find out who and where that guy lived with the full intention of doing him some bodily harm. I won't bother with much of the details after that. I never did find the guy and that in hindsight is a good thing.

I managed to cool down after after about a week and had some time to reflect on not only how that single post affected me but how I conduct myself in general on public forums. Getting worked up about some anonymous tool sitting at a keyboard a thousand miles away suddenly seemed really stupid to me. Why did I care? In the end I decided I didn't. Furthermore, I decided I no longer wanted to conduct myself like an anonymous jackass either. Thus going forward I made one simple rule that I do my best to follow. Before I post anything to anyone, I ask myself one simple question: "Is this what you would say to this person in a face to face discussion? Is this the level of respect/disrespect you would show that individual?" If the answer is no, I don't post it, or at least modify what I intend to say. Since that time, I generally get along pretty well with most folks I come across on public forums. I've even made some good real life friends out of the online ones.

I hope there is something positive that you can take away from my little story. I know this is a political board and tempers can and will rise but I would hope we can keep some level of civility and respect for one another so as not to overshadow the true purpose and spirit of Debate Policy.

Your friend,

Jason.

[ConHog]

With what seemed to me an increase in petty fighting on this forum, I thought I would share a small piece of history about me and the lesson I learned.

I've been posting on various forums for well over a decade. Early on most of that was related to gaming forums. My wife and used to play a lot of MMORPGs together and were heavy into PVP (player vs. player) games. As you can imagine, there is a high degree of smack talk going on. In one particular game my wife and I became very well known as we were senior members of the #2 PVP guild in North America. We made a lot of online "friends" in that game's forum and an even greater number of online "enemies". The smack talk got very nasty and went personal quite often.

One day my wife finds out she is pregnant with my first child and she makes the mistake of posting the news on the forum. Our "friends" were happy for us but our "enemies" took it to a new level. The one response I will never forget came from one guy who pasted that he would pray that my child would be born stillborn so we could no longer infect the human gene pool. The entire forum erupted. You can only imagine the level of personal attacks, threats, and general hostility that came about. I, of course, lost it big time. I took that comment so personal that I literally went about trying to find out who and where that guy lived with the full intention of doing him some bodily harm. I won't bother with much of the details after that. I never did find the guy and that in hindsight is a good thing.

I managed to cool down after after about a week and had some time to reflect on not only how that single post affected me but how I conduct myself in general on public forums. Getting worked up about some anonymous tool sitting at a keyboard a thousand miles away suddenly seemed really stupid to me. Why did I care? In the end I decided I didn't. Furthermore, I decided I no longer wanted to conduct myself like an anonymous jackass myself. Thus going forward I made one simple rule that I do my best to follow. Before I post anything to anyone, I ask myself one simple question: "Is this what you would say to this person in a face to face discussion? Is this the level of respect/disrespect you would show that individual?" If the answer is no, I don't post it, or at least modify what I intend to say. Since that time, I generally get along pretty well with most folks I come across on public forums. I've even made some good real life friends out of the online ones.

I hope there is something positive that you can take away from my little story. I know this is a political board and tempers can and will rise but I would hope we can keep some level of civility and respect for one another so as not to overshadow the true purpose and spirit of Debate Policy.

Your friend,

Jason.


I guess I just don't get it; I'm relatively new to message boards, 4 or so years; and I still am not used to a few things.

1. How "brave" people are anonymously
2. How outright mean, rude, and nasty people are online
3. How quickly a "friend" will turn on you if they perceive it will make them "popular" on an anonymous message board.

Now, obvioiusly I am not above flaming; but that is a far cry from what I see some people doing. On another board I had a poster threaten to find me and kill my wife in front of me. I've had people make fun of my kids. I've been accused of every vile, disgusting thing under the sun; threatened, whatever. And that's from people who at one time claimed they were my friend; imagine how my "enemies" have acted.

[Abbey Marie]

Wow, T. That was a truly disgusting thing to say to you and your wife.
We had a former member here wish death from cancer on another who had cancer at the time.
For the most part, I just blame it all on the need to satisfy the ego.

[jimnyc]

I hope there is something positive that you can take away from my little story. I know this is a political board and tempers can and will rise but I would hope we can keep some level of civility and respect for one another so as not to overshadow the true purpose and spirit of Debate Policy.

Your friend,

Jason.

I've been on the receiving end of quite a few doozies over the years, mostly from members that I have banned. And honestly, I've said some things myself I have later regretted. But as owner, not as an individual, your last paragraph sums up what I strive for. I know that feuds will happen, bad feelings & bad tempers. But it shouldn't be THE purpose of the board or the posting. We have a handful of members here who piss me off, but not because of their tempers, but because sometimes they get the better of me by purely posting facts and running circles around me on pure opinion and how they write it. When I go down the gutter, I know it cheapens my arguments. But then I grab a cup of coffee the next morning and try and remember more or less what you just posted.

I hope as a community we can strive for what you wrote. And I know on a personal level, I have my own demons, and I'll be striving to be a better member to the community as well.

But I'm glad you wrote this so that others will see that the fighting is not what the community wants. It's accepted amongst the course of a good debate, but is dumb when the debate IS the fighting.

[Tyr-Ziu Saxnot]

With what seemed to me an increase in petty fighting on this forum, I thought I would share a small piece of history about me and the lesson I learned.

I've been posting on various forums for well over a decade. Early on most of that was related to gaming forums. My wife and used to play a lot of MMORPGs together and were heavy into PVP (player vs. player) games. As you can imagine, there is a high degree of smack talk going on. In one particular game my wife and I became very well known as we were senior members of the #2 PVP guild in North America. We made a lot of online "friends" in that game's forum and an even greater number of online "enemies". The smack talk got very nasty and went personal quite often.

One day my wife finds out she is pregnant with my first child and she makes the mistake of posting the news on the forum. Our "friends" were happy for us but our "enemies" took it to a new level. The one response I will never forget came from one guy who pasted that he would pray that my child would be born stillborn so we could no longer infect the human gene pool. The entire forum erupted. You can only imagine the level of personal attacks, threats, and general hostility that came about. I, of course, lost it big time. I took that comment so personal that I literally went about trying to find out who and where that guy lived with the full intention of doing him some bodily harm. I won't bother with much of the details after that. I never did find the guy and that in hindsight is a good thing.

I managed to cool down after after about a week and had some time to reflect on not only how that single post affected me but how I conduct myself in general on public forums. Getting worked up about some anonymous tool sitting at a keyboard a thousand miles away suddenly seemed really stupid to me. Why did I care? In the end I decided I didn't. Furthermore, I decided I no longer wanted to conduct myself like an anonymous jackass either. Thus going forward I made one simple rule that I do my best to follow. Before I post anything to anyone, I ask myself one simple question: "Is this what you would say to this person in a face to face discussion? Is this the level of respect/disrespect you would show that individual?" If the answer is no, I don't post it, or at least modify what I intend to say. Since that time, I generally get along pretty well with most folks I come across on public forums. I've even made some good real life friends out of the online ones.

I hope there is something positive that you can take away from my little story. I know this is a political board and tempers can and will rise but I would hope we can keep some level of civility and respect for one another so as not to overshadow the true purpose and spirit of Debate Policy.

Your friend,

Jason.

That is a very fine post. One that everybody would do well to heed. I am going to ignore replies made to me that are attempting to put me in a rage. However, members should pay attention what kind of goading and by whom comes the demands that I reply. Then those observant members would do well to remember exactly who does the goading for not getting replies to thier posts. We are all human and we all have our own weaknesses. -Tyr

[aboutime]

With what seemed to me an increase in petty fighting on this forum, I thought I would share a small piece of history about me and the lesson I learned.

I've been posting on various forums for well over a decade. Early on most of that was related to gaming forums. My wife and used to play a lot of MMORPGs together and were heavy into PVP (player vs. player) games. As you can imagine, there is a high degree of smack talk going on. In one particular game my wife and I became very well known as we were senior members of the #2 PVP guild in North America. We made a lot of online "friends" in that game's forum and an even greater number of online "enemies". The smack talk got very nasty and went personal quite often.

One day my wife finds out she is pregnant with my first child and she makes the mistake of posting the news on the forum. Our "friends" were happy for us but our "enemies" took it to a new level. The one response I will never forget came from one guy who pasted that he would pray that my child would be born stillborn so we could no longer infect the human gene pool. The entire forum erupted. You can only imagine the level of personal attacks, threats, and general hostility that came about. I, of course, lost it big time. I took that comment so personal that I literally went about trying to find out who and where that guy lived with the full intention of doing him some bodily harm. I won't bother with much of the details after that. I never did find the guy and that in hindsight is a good thing.

I managed to cool down after after about a week and had some time to reflect on not only how that single post affected me but how I conduct myself in general on public forums. Getting worked up about some anonymous tool sitting at a keyboard a thousand miles away suddenly seemed really stupid to me. Why did I care? In the end I decided I didn't. Furthermore, I decided I no longer wanted to conduct myself like an anonymous jackass either. Thus going forward I made one simple rule that I do my best to follow. Before I post anything to anyone, I ask myself one simple question: "Is this what you would say to this person in a face to face discussion? Is this the level of respect/disrespect you would show that individual?" If the answer is no, I don't post it, or at least modify what I intend to say. Since that time, I generally get along pretty well with most folks I come across on public forums. I've even made some good real life friends out of the online ones.

I hope there is something positive that you can take away from my little story. I know this is a political board and tempers can and will rise but I would hope we can keep some level of civility and respect for one another so as not to overshadow the true purpose and spirit of Debate Policy.

Your friend,

Jason.


Jason. Everything you spoke of above sounds almost identical to much of the very same kinds of people, and general ignorance I have experienced over many years, here on the Internet.
Without going into much detail. It almost sounds as if you ran into, and had to deal with the same people. Or should I say...troubled people, who did everything they could to either drive me away because of my very principled opinions, and idea's that more often than not...were always in total disagreement with others.
Long story short. Thank you for saying nearly exactly what I could, and might have said.
As you can probably tell if you have read any of my posts. I am too old to worry about what others might think about me. So. I am more than outspoken about most topics. Primarily because I often threaten others with the Truth, and actual facts...based on Honesty they do not want to hear.
If that upsets, or offends anyone. I could care less. Knowing how different I am from Obama. In that I make it a point to NEVER lie.
Thanks for your remarks above.
All we need to get along with one-another is Honesty.

[red state]

Yes, that is good advice and I believe you are 100% correct...BUT, I am very outspoken and am pretty much like I am whether in public or in private. The thing is, I'm fairly respectful (until I detect an ounce of disrespect coming my way or the way of my friends). When that happens...it's on!!!! And I could care less if it is face to face or on a keyboard. "Some mean you just can't reach...so we have what happened here yesterday. Now I don't like this any more than you men..." but a jackass needs a little tap on the nose every once in a while to get him headed in the RIGHT direction.

[ConHog]

Yes, that is good advice and I believe you are 100% correct...BUT, I am very outspoken and am pretty much like I am whether in public or in private. The thing is, I'm fairly respectful (until I detect an ounce of disrespect coming my way or the way of my friends). When that happens...it's on!!!! And I could care less if it is face to face or on a keyboard. Some men you just can't reach...so we have what happened here yesterday. Now, I don't like this any more than you men... but even a jackass, (hog or missile) needs a little tap on the nose every once in a while to get him headed in the RIGHT direction.

Pardon me?

[Dilloduck]

ah drama rocks. What else are we going to do with our spare time ? How quickly can you snap yourself out of your latest character trip and remind yourself that it's just the interwebz ?

[gabosaurus]

I did the anonymous forum thing when I was younger, posting on a forum exclusively for teen girls. If you want to experience tons of catty abuse, try pissing off a large number of girls with tons of problems and little self-respect. It helped me become the person I am.
I think Jim does a great job of running this forum. Everyone gets their best shots in, within limits.
There are those who think Jim isn't fair to their side. When this happens, I remember the time he banned his own brother for not following rules.


Yes, that is good advice and I believe you are 100% correct...BUT, I am very outspoken and am pretty much like I am whether in public or in private. The thing is, I'm fairly respectful (until I detect an ounce of disrespect coming my way or the way of my friends). When that happens...it's on!!!! And I could care less if it is face to face or on a keyboard. "Some mean you just can't reach...so we have what happened here yesterday. Now I don't like this any more than you men..." but a jackass needs a little tap on the nose every once in a while to get him headed in the RIGHT direction.

You are not respectful to anyone who doesn't agree with you. And I have more than a few ounces of disrespect for you. You have always been a jackass headed in the wrong direction, despite all the taps on your ever growing nose. You are as pig headed as you are stubborn, due primarily to your refusal to see anyone's side of the story except yours.

[ConHog]

I did the anonymous forum thing when I was younger, posting on a forum exclusively for teen girls. If you want to experience tons of catty abuse, try pissing off a large number of girls with tons of problems and little self-respect. It helped me become the person I am.
I think Jim does a great job of running this forum. Everyone gets their best shots in, within limits.
There are those who think Jim isn't fair to their side. When this happens, I remember the time he banned his own brother for not following rules.



You are not respectful to anyone who doesn't agree with you. And I have more than a few ounces of disrespect for you. You have always been a jackass headed in the wrong direction, despite all the taps on your ever growing nose. You are as pig headed as you are stubborn, due primarily to your refusal to see anyone's side of the story except yours.

Oh, I didn't know you used to post on USMB. :lol:

[gabosaurus]

ah drama rocks. What else are we going to do with our spare time ? How quickly can you snap yourself out of your latest character trip and remind yourself that it's just the interwebz ?

http://wiki.devicerandom.org/images/9/9d/Internet_serious_business_bush.jpg

[red states rule]

I did the anonymous forum thing when I was younger, posting on a forum exclusively for teen girls. If you want to experience tons of catty abuse, try pissing off a large number of girls with tons of problems and little self-respect. It helped me become the person I am.
I think Jim does a great job of running this forum. Everyone gets their best shots in, within limits.
There are those who think Jim isn't fair to their side. When this happens, I remember the time he banned his own brother for not following rules.



You are not respectful to anyone who doesn't agree with you. And I have more than a few ounces of disrespect for you. You have always been a jackass headed in the wrong direction, despite all the taps on your ever growing nose. You are as pig headed as you are stubborn, due primarily to your refusal to see anyone's side of the story except yours.

and you do not even know who you are responding to Ms Civility :laugh:

Is this another example of the actions of one of the "smart people"?

[gabosaurus]

Is this another example of the actions of one of the "smart people"?

So says the guy who never passed his GED.

[red states rule]

So says the guy who never passed his GED.

and that is as close to an apology anyone will get from Ms Civility folks

[Kathianne]

So says the guy who never passed his GED.

Gabby though I don't think RSR has ever claimed anything other than a HS diploma, are YOU as a counselor, saying there is something wrong with a GED? If not, what was that post about?

[red states rule]

Gabby though I don't think RSR has ever claimed anything other than a HS diploma, are YOU as a counselor, saying there is something wrong with a GED? If not, what was that post about?

The perfect Christmas gift for Gabby would be a scratching post to sit by the computer to use as she posts her replies to my posts

[ConHog]

The perfect Christmas gift for Gabby would be a scratching post to sit by the computer to use as she posts her replies to my posts

That funny right there.

[Kathianne]

That funny right there.

True, but to my way of thinking, RSR has more than enough cats, regardless of his square footage.

[jimnyc]

True, but to my way of thinking, RSR has more than enough cats, regardless of his square footage.

I went to the pet store with my son about a week ago and they had just rescued 2 little kitty's. One they referred to as "cookie colored". I dunno, but I wanted both! Of course the Wicked Witch of the North stopped me in my tracks! LOL I have to look and see if I can find the picture I took of them.

[ConHog]

True, but to my way of thinking, RSR has more than enough cats, regardless of his square footage.

To my way of thinking one cat is one too many.

[Shadow]

With what seemed to me an increase in petty fighting on this forum, I thought I would share a small piece of history about me and the lesson I learned.

I've been posting on various forums for well over a decade. Early on most of that was related to gaming forums. My wife and used to play a lot of MMORPGs together and were heavy into PVP (player vs. player) games. As you can imagine, there is a high degree of smack talk going on. In one particular game my wife and I became very well known as we were senior members of the #2 PVP guild in North America. We made a lot of online "friends" in that game's forum and an even greater number of online "enemies". The smack talk got very nasty and went personal quite often.

One day my wife finds out she is pregnant with my first child and she makes the mistake of posting the news on the forum. Our "friends" were happy for us but our "enemies" took it to a new level. The one response I will never forget came from one guy who pasted that he would pray that my child would be born stillborn so we could no longer infect the human gene pool. The entire forum erupted. You can only imagine the level of personal attacks, threats, and general hostility that came about. I, of course, lost it big time. I took that comment so personal that I literally went about trying to find out who and where that guy lived with the full intention of doing him some bodily harm. I won't bother with much of the details after that. I never did find the guy and that in hindsight is a good thing.

I managed to cool down after after about a week and had some time to reflect on not only how that single post affected me but how I conduct myself in general on public forums. Getting worked up about some anonymous tool sitting at a keyboard a thousand miles away suddenly seemed really stupid to me. Why did I care? In the end I decided I didn't. Furthermore, I decided I no longer wanted to conduct myself like an anonymous jackass either. Thus going forward I made one simple rule that I do my best to follow. Before I post anything to anyone, I ask myself one simple question: "Is this what you would say to this person in a face to face discussion? Is this the level of respect/disrespect you would show that individual?" If the answer is no, I don't post it, or at least modify what I intend to say. Since that time, I generally get along pretty well with most folks I come across on public forums. I've even made some good real life friends out of the online ones.

I hope there is something positive that you can take away from my little story. I know this is a political board and tempers can and will rise but I would hope we can keep some level of civility and respect for one another so as not to overshadow the true purpose and spirit of Debate Policy.

Your friend,

Jason.

I always liked DP because it was a good place to go to get away from board wars and people who can't hold a civil discussion about ANY topic. It has been kind of depressing that for the last year or so this kind of board fighting has been constant here. Puts me on edge sometimes because I don't like seeing posters being run off (especially when I like them). That was my BIGGEST pet peeve about other boards (one in particular).

Hopefully things will get back to normal someday soon.

It is also disgusting what someone said to you Jason...not uncommon though...I've seen some whoppers. And it is hard to not let it get to you sometimes. Especially when the barbs come from people you felt you knew. Lost a couple RL friends over internet BS. It sucks.

[Dilloduck]

and that is as close to an apology anyone will get from Ms Civility folks

There's a fine line between civility and stomping someone's ass. :laugh::laugh:

[gabosaurus]

Gabby though I don't think RSR has ever claimed anything other than a HS diploma, are YOU as a counselor, saying there is something wrong with a GED? If not, what was that post about?

There is nothing wrong with a GED. My brother in law went back to school and got his. I encourage anyone who didn't finish high school to go back and get their GED.
RSR made the comment "Is this another example of the actions of one of the 'smart people'?" Which I thought was silly for someone who has said that he didn't graduate from high school.
Someone as outright stupid as RSR wouldn't know what a "smart person" was.

[Kathianne]

There is nothing wrong with a GED. My brother in law went back to school and got his. I encourage anyone who didn't finish high school to go back and get their GED.
RSR made the comment "Is this another example of the actions of one of the 'smart people'?" Which I thought was silly for someone who has said that he didn't graduate from high school.
Someone as outright stupid as RSR wouldn't know what a "smart person" was.

Why would you pronounce RSR stupid? What are the parameters to recognition of a 'smart person?' A degree from UcLA?

[gabosaurus]

Why would you pronounce RSR stupid? What are the parameters to recognition of a 'smart person?' A degree from UcLA?

A smart person knows their stuff and can make their point in a debate. You don't have to be intelligent to defend yourself.
RSR brings up the same issues in every thread. It's usually from something he heard or copy/pasted from the internet. He rarely has anything original to offer. And Obama/Dems/Liberals are always to blame for everything.

I don't agree with the right side of the aisle much, but I am willing to concede good points when they are made. I don't disagree with anyone simply because they don't share my point of view.
Inflexibility is a sign of stupidity.

[Kathianne]

A smart person knows their stuff and can make their point in a debate. You don't have to be intelligent to defend yourself.
RSR brings up the same issues in every thread. It's usually from something he heard or copy/pasted from the internet. He rarely has anything original to offer. And Obama/Dems/Liberals are always to blame for everything.

I don't agree with the right side of the aisle much, but I am willing to concede good points when they are made. I don't disagree with anyone simply because they don't share my point of view.
Inflexibility is a sign of stupidity.

So you assume the mantle of saying RSR is stupid. You assume it based on this one certainty:


RSR brings up the same issues in every thread. Yet you follow with other positions, with caveats:


It's usually from something he heard or copy/pasted from the internet. He rarely has anything original to offer.

One must ask, just how flexible are you, Gabby?

[red states rule]

There's a fine line between civility and stomping someone's ass. :laugh::laugh:

The point I was making was at leadt Gabby (I.e. one of the smart ones) could at least aim her venom, at the right poster

Seems Red State became collateral damage when he got in the way of Gabby's civility

[red states rule]

A smart person knows their stuff and can make their point in a debate. You don't have to be intelligent to defend yourself.
RSR brings up the same issues in every thread. It's usually from something he heard or copy/pasted from the internet. He rarely has anything original to offer. And Obama/Dems/Liberals are always to blame for everything.

I don't agree with the right side of the aisle much, but I am willing to concede good points when they are made. I don't disagree with anyone simply because they don't share my point of view.
Inflexibility is a sign of stupidity.

So according to Gabby I can talk about Obama/Dems/Liberals but I canot talk about current events, what they stand for, what they say, what they do, and the results of their policies. Other then that, I can post on any other subject pertaining to Obama/Dems/Liberals

You do not disagree with folks because that do not share your POV Gabby - you simply talk down to them and extend the claws

[jimnyc]

There is nothing wrong with a GED. My brother in law went back to school and got his. I encourage anyone who didn't finish high school to go back and get their GED.
RSR made the comment "Is this another example of the actions of one of the 'smart people'?" Which I thought was silly for someone who has said that he didn't graduate from high school.
Someone as outright stupid as RSR wouldn't know what a "smart person" was.

What school someone went to and how big of a degree they have matters not a whole lot on their overall intelligence. In fact, I think George Bush went to an Ivy League school and you're fond of telling everyone just how stupid he is. Some of the smartest people I know have only went to HS, or not even that far, and have WORKED in various fields and LEARNED over the years.

Sure, if you want to perform a specific job, a degree in a specific field may help. But you do no become smart or dumb because you went further in HS or college. I can give a very long list of extremely successful people who never graduated HS. I could follow that up with an even longer list of people who never went to college and are even more successful.

I think a mark of intelligence is what someone does with their life rather than what school they went to and what level. Suppose you have a guy with 3 masters degrees and is homeless. Then you have a guy who never made it past the 9th grade and is a CEO in Silicon Valley. Who is smarter?

Lastly, when others pick on others and their intelligence - I tell them to pick a topic and ground rules, and have it out in a formal debate. I'll let you 2 decide that. But if I may suggest, how about the current economy and how and what Obama has spent and whether or not it is good for the country? I've seen you both post on this subject and at opposite ends of beliefs.

[gabosaurus]

Pretty much everything I post on DP is my own personal opinion. I am not presenting it as doctrine that all must follow (that would make me a Republican :cool: ).
I agree with a lot of what Jim said. You can develop a lot of smarts. But being successful is not the same as being intelligent. Success often has more to do with desire and tenacity than it does with intelligence.
My brother in law never went to high school. He was thrown out on the street when he was 14. His street smarts made him a successful and respected gang leader. But once he determined that was a dead end, he went back to school and earned his GED. Now he works for Los Angeles County social services and has kept a lot of young people from following the path he once chose.

Some job require more education than others. I couldn't be a counselor without a master's degree. A lot teachers have advanced degrees. Others do not.

Smart is a different thing. I know kids who are still in high school that would survive conditions that the most educated people would fail at. It depends on how you used your brain.

At the same time, you can't use it as a crutch. You can't come here and say "I am older than you, therefore I am smarter and know more." It doesn't work that way.
At the same time, you can't come here and say "I am a military hero, therefore my opinion is more worthwhile than yours." On the field of debate, everyone is equal until proven otherwise.
Some people here have already proven otherwise. In my personal opinion, of course.

[jimnyc]

At the same time, you can't use it as a crutch. You can't come here and say "I am older than you, therefore I am smarter and know more." It doesn't work that way.
At the same time, you can't come here and say "I am a military hero, therefore my opinion is more worthwhile than yours."

Same as you shouldn't come and tell people who have extensive degrees and experience that they are stupid, just because you disagree with their beliefs. Follow your own advice!

[Dilloduck]

If someone with extensive experience and advanced degrees can't deal with some anonymous yahoo calling them stupid then they need to get some more internet experience. Exactly how PC are we trying to become ?

[Abbey Marie]

If someone with extensive experience and advanced degrees can't deal with some anonymous yahoo calling them stupid then they need to get some more internet experience. Exactly how PC are we trying to become ?

I doubt degrees matter much in that situation. Some people just have tougher skin than others, regardless of their academic achievements.

As for your second point, I hope not too much.

[aboutime]

I doubt degrees matter much in that situation. Some people just have tougher skin than others, regardless of their academic achievements.

As for your second point, I hope not too much.


I have learned over the many years of taking part on Internet Forums that those who come to forums to flaunt, or brag about their higher education, and the endless number of degree's they claim to have means nothing.

Since there is no, real, honest way for anyone who claims to be so Highly educated, or need to insist their intellectual standings...in their own mind, are important, or impressive.
I tend to rely on the ONE Degree all of us share. As in 98.6. Or better known as Body temperature.
That degree put's all of us on an equal footing that nobody can argue about.

[red states rule]

Same as you shouldn't come and tell people who have extensive degrees and experience that they are stupid, just because you disagree with their beliefs. Follow your own advice!

Jim since when does a liberal ever take their own advic?. There are a few when it comes to doing theri part to stop "global warming" but for the most part libs ignore living their lives they demand others live theirs

If not for their double standards, libs would have no standards at all

[red states rule]

Pretty much everything I post on DP is my own personal opinion. I am not presenting it as doctrine that all must follow (that would make me a Republican :cool: ).
I agree with a lot of what Jim said. You can develop a lot of smarts. But being successful is not the same as being intelligent. Success often has more to do with desire and tenacity than it does with intelligence.
My brother in law never went to high school. He was thrown out on the street when he was 14. His street smarts made him a successful and respected gang leader. But once he determined that was a dead end, he went back to school and earned his GED. Now he works for Los Angeles County social services and has kept a lot of young people from following the path he once chose.

Some job require more education than others. I couldn't be a counselor without a master's degree. A lot teachers have advanced degrees. Others do not.

Smart is a different thing. I know kids who are still in high school that would survive conditions that the most educated people would fail at. It depends on how you used your brain.

At the same time, you can't use it as a crutch. You can't come here and say "I am older than you, therefore I am smarter and know more." It doesn't work that way.
At the same time, you can't come here and say "I am a military hero, therefore my opinion is more worthwhile than yours." On the field of debate, everyone is equal until proven otherwise.
Some people here have already proven otherwise. In my personal opinion, of course.

Gabby, I guess being one of the "smart" people and being so well educated means you never have to say you are sorry when you make a mistake

[aboutime]

Gabby, I guess being one of the "smart" people and being so well educated means you never have to say you are sorry when you make a mistake


red states rule. But you forgot to mention how smart people like Gabby...have never made a mistake, ever...in their life. That's why they, and they alone are so convinced how Perfect they are, in every way.
It's much easier to just allow them to continue thinking that way. Everyone else knows the truth, and those who claim to be so perfect are just angry they can't change the Truth.

[red states rule]

red states rule. But you forgot to mention how smart people like Gabby...have never made a mistake, ever...in their life. That's why they, and they alone are so convinced how Perfect they are, in every way.
It's much easier to just allow them to continue thinking that way. Everyone else knows the truth, and those who claim to be so perfect are just angry they can't change the Truth.

You are correct. In the wacky wacky world of liberals her post to Red State was taken out of context and blown out of proportion.

Libs also NEVER flip flop- they evolve

Libs like Gabby also NEVER lie - they misspeak

[Shadow]

If someone with extensive experience and advanced degrees can't deal with some anonymous yahoo calling them stupid then they need to get some more internet experience. Exactly how PC are we trying to become ?

It's probably a matter of perspective. Just like how some days you side with the baboons... and some days you don't. :beer:

[Dilloduck]

It's probably a matter of perspective. Just like how some days you side with the baboons... and some days you don't. :beer:

don't seek permission--ask for forgiveness :salute: