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I only made my comment when it became apparent that these replies seemed not only excessive in number but also in style and content.
Really? I'm curious. When somebody tells you what Barbelith is for having joined one month ago, and then makes a series of wildly inaccurate, rude and offensive statements, what feels like an excessive response? Only, as I say, you seem to be OK with that. So, question. Think carefully before answering.
Now, you stated that you find it hard to sit back in silence when somebody suffers any form of abuse. As such, I don't see why you found it so easy to sit back in silence when Oddman was abusing me, before we even mention what he said about my wife. You have yet to explain that. The fact that other people had replied to him should not matter. You said but I find it hard to sit back in silence when I think someone is suffering a form of abuse. Did you not think that Oddman's harsh and abusive tirade against me was a form of abuse? If not, why not? If so, does the existence of other comments being sufficient to allow you to remain silent, can you honestly claim that it is hard for you to stay silent in the face of somebody being abused? Sounds quite easy to me. Explain your reasons.
As for ignoring the points you made in your previous posts - well, I think you've misunderstood the difference between not replying to something that is there - for example, because you think it is otiose or irrelevant - and inventing something that is not there, but out of courtesy let's take a look.
Hi Haus. Hmmm... I just re-read Oddman's post, and you have a point there.
So, you believe that Oddmna's tone _was_ harsh and abusive, and yet somehow, although you find it difficult to be silent when somebody is harsh and abusive, you managed it?
But still, sometimes it's better to be a "bigger man", so to speak, and "there's more than one way to skin a cat" (sheesh, I sound like my Mother!). Granted, it's not easy (and I'm not very good at it myself)), and such statements sound pious to the cynical ear.
Not so much pious as meaningless. If you have an action plan, you are welcome to outline it, but these are clichés. How does one act as a bigger man? What is the alternative way to skin a cat? Oddman has made a series of statements. People have reacted to that.
But even so, I can't help thinking that sometimes some of the flaming that goes on around here is on the side of overkill and tainted with more than a little vitriolic schadenfreude.
Schadenfreude describes the pleasure found in observiung the misfortunes of another. If you mean that Oddman's misfortune was that he was not brought up well enough not to make an abusive, ill-informed and idiotic post and was hauled up for it, then could you tell me who is taking pleasure in it? You seem to be ascribing emotions to people without any real basis beyond your "feelings", which are well and good but rather limited and subjective, rather than what is being written.
As has been mentioned before, incidentally, the amount of conflict on barbelith is miniscule in quantity and severity compared with many other bulletin boards. You may wish to broaden your horizons by visiting others to provide context.
Sometimes, of course, it's just harmless banter, but on occasion it feels as though I'm watching a gang tormenting an injured animal and loving the power-kick they seem to get out of it.
Alas, what it feels to you is not the supreme court of appeal here. You behave as if your unsubstantiated "feelings" are incontestable and presumably justify whatever reaction your feelings recommend. I do not believe that this is the case. I would offer that it makes more sense to read what people have actually written and then try to work from there. Otherwise you get inconsistencies like your treatment of Oddman's harsh and abusive post and the responses to it.
I'm probably wrong, of course, but I find it hard to sit back in silence when I think someone is suffering a form of abuse
See above.
But please, I REALLY don't want to cause trouble. I just thought someone should say something before the insults got out of hand.
This is awfully kind of you, but, just as we have yet to engage Oddman in an official capacity to tell us what Barbelith is for, we have yet to ask you to police it. If you want to feel that you have somehow averted what would otherwise have been a torrent of abuse, then feel away. It will be just as valid as the other conclusions you have reached based on your feelings above. However, you have no evidence that the insults would have gotten "out of hand", nor have you provided anything beyond your nebulous _feelings_ to tell us what you feel would be out of hand.
Also, I'm very tired and that probably isn't helping my interpretation and/or my ability to communicate properly.
Perhaps it would be best to deal with complex issues, about which some people are clearly getting quite upset (qv Oddman) when you have had some sleep and read the relevant material As it stands, you seem to be stating that you find it hard not to react to harsh and abusive posts (which appears not to be borne out by your behaviour), while also demanding that other people only react to harsh and abusive posts in a way that you personally feel is appropriate. This may also be a good way to act on your wish not to cause trouble. |
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