Have you ever been singled out on a Forum?

[skinwalker]

It happens frequently, and then the person attempts to make me look like the bad guy. they usually do, start spouting all sorts of not so creative names attacking everything from my physical appearance, my age, my sexual practices, my parentage, my education, my religion, my gender, and who knows what else. Bless 'em all....after-all, this is "Topix" a fun and enjoyable way to see the other person's perspective...

[INFIDEL]

Sure I have been "singled out" (attacked). Thats part of the experience. My last post on the KOB forum required a moderators blessing before they would post it. The thought police are at it again.

[ROXY 16]

Oh yeah. lol. it's kinda funny

[CornDaddy]

Numerous times. No biggie, they were wrong, I was right. Any questions<VVVBG>?

[Silk_the_Absent1]

INFIDEL wrote:

The thought police are at it again.

In all fairness, you yourself sign away your first amendment rights yourself every time you post by entering in the four digit security code, a legally binding contract.

Did you not read the contract before signing it?

[Katia]

skinwalker wrote:

It happens frequently, and then the person attempts to make me look like the bad guy. they usually do, start spouting all sorts of not so creative names attacking everything from my physical appearance, my age, my sexual practices, my parentage, my education, my religion, my gender, and who knows what else. Bless 'em all....after-all, this is "Topix" a fun and enjoyable way to see the other person's perspective...

I have always loved you.

[INFIDEL]

Silk_the_Absent1 wrote:

<quoted text>
In all fairness, you yourself sign away your first amendment rights yourself every time you post by entering in the four digit security code, a legally binding contract.
Did you not read the contract before signing it?

I see your point but that contract is not a serious obstacle to the free exchange of ideas. This forum is very open and unregulated which is why I like it. In an open forum like Topix there will be posts and ideas that some people fine insulting and offensive. That just goes with the territory. I'd rather post in an open forum and accasionaly get flamed than post in one that is "moderated" and civil but ideas are censored.

[JosephOne]

Yes. But christians are single out all the time. Just another way I can identify with Jesus.

[nmweatherman]

Flamers, trolls, and at Topix...Gray People.

I've been dealing with them for years and years, from back when Amazon.com forums were THE thing.

These days their insults and gnashing of teeth just roll off of me like water off a duck's azz.

The trouble with opening the doors to "freedom of speech" is that a LOT of trash blows in with the good stuff, and a lot of posters (REAL Topix posters) post good, educational viewpoints. The grey people do not. They've attacked my avatar, my username, and my new hometown (Albuquerque) and I refuse to play into their games...and their insults mean nothing to me. Their posts mean nothing to me.

SIGN ME: a messageboard forum's Veteran

[CornDaddy]

nmweatherman wrote:

Flamers, trolls, and at Topix...Gray People.
I've been dealing with them for years and years, from back when Amazon.com forums were THE thing.
These days their insults and gnashing of teeth just roll off of me like water off a duck's azz.
The trouble with opening the doors to "freedom of speech" is that a LOT of trash blows in with the good stuff, and a lot of posters (REAL Topix posters) post good, educational viewpoints. The grey people do not. They've attacked my avatar, my username, and my new hometown (Albuquerque) and I refuse to play into their games...and their insults mean nothing to me. Their posts mean nothing to me.
SIGN ME: a messageboard forum's Veteran

Ignore them - God made more horses butts than he did horses!

[MSC 10 5580-1 UNM]

There's a very bored paper-pusher at the University of New Mexico, Health and Human Sciences Center, Ob-Gyn program, who must live on the internet, especially during work hours. She posts under all sorts of different names and takes shots at everyone that disagrees with her. She needs to get laid and pay attention to her own life. She has become that which she says she despises.

[Come on now]

JosephOne wrote:

Yes. But christians are single out all the time. Just another way I can identify with Jesus.

Come on now. With the LEGIONS of so-called Christians inhabiting Albuquerque, how can you possibly claim to feel "singled out"? I've known even New Mexico State Government employees who have accused people of being "Devil Worshippers", and were believed by others!, for studying the ancient Malakhim alphabet (a cryptic version of the 22-letter Hebrew alphabet that was so prominently figured on the "Prophecy" trilogy of movies, starring Christopher Walken). The only bizarre thing I find given how many so-called Christians live in Albuquerque is the enthusiasm with which Halloween is celebrated here!

[CornDaddy]

MSC 10 5580-1 UNM wrote:

There's a very bored paper-pusher at the University of New Mexico, Health and Human Sciences Center, Ob-Gyn program, who must live on the internet, especially during work hours. She posts under all sorts of different names and takes shots at everyone that disagrees with her. She needs to get laid and pay attention to her own life. She has become that which she says she despises.

Does she use the handle 'soft landing'? Lol...

[nmweatherman]

Hallowe'en is nothing but a costume party for kids and adults and another reason to drink too much. It began as Samhain from the pagans and now it also encompasses El Dia de los Muertos. At least El Dia de los Muertos has some cultural value. It has very little, if anything, to do with Christianity.

[Lobo Viejo]

Someone criticized a comma that I used in one of my posts, and it hurt my feelings.

[soft landing]

Are you kidding? There are some despicable harpies and gender-bent male harpies here. And gray people haters. "I'Enfer c'est les Autres".

Yeah, in my youth I read " No Exit".

But...burn 'em.

[Taoseno]

Surely SL you are not referring to me?

[nmweatherman]

Gray people who do not even take a minute to create a profile are so lazy they probably shove gum in their mouths with the paper still on it.

[Markus Andras]

If you haven't been "URDOINITRONG" as some would say.

Trolling is an art.

[nmweatherman]

How can troll posts be recognised?

•No Imagination - Most are frighteningly obvious; sexist comments on nurses' groups, blasphemy on religious groups .. I kid you not.

•Pedantic in the Extreme - Many trolls' preparation is so thorough, that while they waste time, they appear so ludicrous from the start that they elicit sympathetic mail - the danger is that once the group takes sides, the damage is done.

•False Identity - Because they are cowards, trolls virtually never write over their own name, and often reveal their trolliness (and lack of imagination) in the chosen ID. As so many folk these days use false ID, this is not a strong indicator on its own!

•Crossposting - Any post that is crossposted to several groups should be viewed as suspicious, particularly if unrelated or of opposing perspective. Why would someone do that?

•Off-topic posting - Often genuine errors, but, if from an 'outsider' they deserve matter-of-fact response; if genuine, a brief apposite response is simply netiquette; if it's a troll post, you have denied it its reward.

•Repetition of a question or statement is either a troll - or a pedant; either way, treatment as a troll is effective.

•Missing The Point - Trolls rarely answer a direct question - they cannot, if asked to justify their twaddle - so they develop a fine line in missing the point.

•Thick or Sad - Trolls are usually sad, lonely folk, with few social skills; they rarely make what most people would consider intelligent conversation. However, they frequently have an obsession with their IQ and feel the need to tell everyone. This is so frequent, that it is diagnostic! Somewhere on the web there must be an Intelligence Test for Trolls - rigged to always say "above 150"