Please Read

[primitive]

Good post Atrocities.

Being a heavy contributor in some of the more political threads, I would like to stay this:
I would like to thank all contributors in those threads for sharing their views of the world with me. Although I disagree vehemently with many of you, I have learned a lot from these threads. Please don’t stop posting you sincere opinions, they are appreciated.

[Arkcon]

Atrocities, if you're still reading this, realize that I once felt the same way. I was off these Boards for about 3 months, but I came back, and started giving help to newbies, just like I used to. Make a few dozen shipsets ... then stop by and lurk ... try it repeatedly, and then come back when you feel it's right.

Take care.

[Growltigger]

Good post Atrocities and sensible to boot.

I think we all also have to remember the medium in which we are communicating. Posting requires a good degree of verbal dexterity in order to get one's point across, and certain "emotions", or nuances to a statement (for example, irony) are very hard to get across by posting alone.

Missing these nuances means that it is easier for preople reading the post to misunderstand what was actually intended. Face to face or verbal comminucation tends to avoid this, as we have all developed the ability to "read" the underlying metaphors and spin which people make to their statements.

Worth thinking about, I for one have made inflammatory Posts, even to the extent of flaming one poster mercilessly (but he I recall was trying to get Atrocities' trek site kicked off his server, so maybe I was partially justified on that one. Certainly, he seemed to take umbrage at the PMs I sent him).

[gregebowman]

I for one try to avoid the political threads, mostly for the reasons that Atrocities sited. Everyone has their own opinions, and some people will take no other opinion than their own. I try not to offend anyone, and if I"m making a joke, I try to make sure that everyone knows I'm doing so. I know there was one poster Last year who got upset with me because I mentioned my computer got zapped by lightning maybe a few times too many. But I think that's as far as I've offended anyone that I'm aware of.

[Slynky]

I guess I've not been hanging around the right threads...guess I missed the "Attrocities has a caniption (sp?)" post. Must say I'm a bit surprised.

Well, the fault is the lack of a person staring you in the face. It's the same reason people "kill" themselves to get their car in front of yours on the highway (yet would never get in front of you at a movie theatre line). It's the same reason people will cuss a store clerk out over the phone and say stuff they would never say if staring at that same clerk over the counter. It's the nature of the "beast" we call the Internet.

It's one of the reasons I refrain from joining in on the serious discussions here, too. The "my God is real and yours isn't", "my country is better than yours", and the number of other various discussions that someone feels strongly about to post are "places" that have (or should have) "neon warning" lights beside the subject line. (besides, I'm not smart enough for most of the debates... ).

Good post, "big A". And humble. Does one good to search one's soul once in a while and get rid of some of the cobwebs that have gathered.

[Slynky]

Originally posted by gregebowman:
I for one try to avoid the political threads, mostly for the reasons that Atrocities sited. Everyone has their own opinions, and some people will take no other opinion than their own. I try not to offend anyone, and if I"m making a joke, I try to make sure that everyone knows I'm doing so. I know there was one poster Last year who got upset with me because I mentioned my computer got zapped by lightning maybe a few times too many. But I think that's as far as I've offended anyone that I'm aware of.

Yes, I remember him. It was when I first came into the forum was just "cruising" around to "check the place out". I remember thinking, "Gee, if this is the kind of forum this place is, I might as well move on!" Turns out it was an isolated incident (and highly uncalled for). As I recall, he then proceeded to make fun of your name and your avatar. I've never forgotten it and it almost made me leave and not come back.

[gregebowman]

Originally posted by Slynky:

quote:

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Originally posted by gregebowman:
I for one try to avoid the political threads, mostly for the reasons that Atrocities sited. Everyone has their own opinions, and some people will take no other opinion than their own. I try not to offend anyone, and if I"m making a joke, I try to make sure that everyone knows I'm doing so. I know there was one poster Last year who got upset with me because I mentioned my computer got zapped by lightning maybe a few times too many. But I think that's as far as I've offended anyone that I'm aware of.

Yes, I remember him. It was when I first came into the forum was just "cruising" around to "check the place out". I remember thinking, "Gee, if this is the kind of forum this place is, I might as well move on!" Turns out it was an isolated incident (and highly uncalled for). As I recall, he then proceeded to make fun of your name and your avatar. I've never forgotten it and it almost made me leave and not come back.

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Gee, I forgot about that part. I know the Einstein picture wasn't the best thing out there, and that's why I changed it recently. But it wasn't because of him. I completely forgot about that. And like I told him, my name is my name, and there's not much I can do about it. I could change my handle, but since it's my name, I'll stick to it. The only thing I'd change would be taking that E out. It always stuck me as wrong, as I usually go by Greg Bowman, or if formal, I go by Gregory E. Bowman, but that's part of my email address and that's why I chose that handle.