Topic: To Clear Things Up

[Detoxicated]

Hey, a fascinatingly friendly member of these pages has approached me directly, and to my likings our communications were of well intent and good will. He advised me to clear things up, which I will do. In the past weeks, I have been getting some bad reputation for some silly debates we engaged in. While I understand that at one point it all got out of hand, I just want you all to know, I did not mean to offend anybody personally. I just debate and would love the thought of having somebody reconsider old values just for the heck of it. However, I think I was gravely misunderstood. It was the feeling of people thinking I am stupid in combination of having to endure an entire swarm of people ganging up on me. I feel a certain strong hostility towards me, but I do not see where it arose. As I stated more than once that I just wanted to debate for the sake of debate. There were certain users that would meet me with such disgustingly ill-posted responses that my anger level quickly rose to a level in which I screamed at the screen of my laptop. This anger is mostly a motion of frustation, fruiting from the lack of ability to cleanly transmit my ideas into words. I wish that our future debates and silly talks result in a more friendly matter. Being a man of peace (yet not a hippy, which is also a common misconception of some of you guys) I must apologize deeply and hope to get positive response.

To clear some things up, when I say "And that's the reason why I don't do crack" I mean it ironic and not seriously at all. I use this phrase as a catchphrase in real life to express my weird feeling toward a subject or a person, but I just use it on my friends which I consider many of you in a weird internetsy way. It is by no means a true insult, or at least it is not meant as one, as I just portray some bits of my alienation towards the responder of said message, due to something he or she said. I hope we can continue our good coexistance, as I would not like leaving this place, since I spent almost 5 years on here, since I have joined
With best regards,
-Detoxicated X

[Krakow Sam]

Ok, now stop putting your name and roman numerals at the end of your posts.

[Detoxicated]

nah, I dig this thing, seems to confuse people, also its super ironic in a two meaning way

[Ultimatum]

Your really not helping your case by typing in incomprehensible English .

[Plank of Wood]

Your really not helping your case by typing in incomprehensible English .

lolwut.

I read it just fine.

[Ultimatum]

Lier.

[sgore]

Alright... ribbing aside, I think it's admirable to be aware of areas where you can improve, and Detox, thank you for the post. I think most of our debates would benifit from people (not necessarily just you) having more faith in others that the personal stuff isn't meant to be taken maliciously, or really as anything more than some joking around on the part of the other poster. As far as I can tell, for instance, just as you don't think anyone here is really on crack, I don't think anyone here really thinks you're a hippy.

Still, people (pretty much everyone, including myself) could try to make it ever so slightly clearer to the other poster that they're not being serious when joking around like this. There is, of course, a difference between having a laugh with someone, and having a laugh at their expense, and I don't think anyone on here wants anyone else to feel discouraged from sharing their opinions for risk of the latter happening.

Debating for the sake of debate is fine, but just remember to respect the intellegence and feelings of the person you're debating with. Even if you disagree with them, even if you're not sure that they've taken as much time to think about an issue as you believe you have or you feel yourself more experienced in the subject matter than you believe them to be, respect that they have an opinion that they have reached through whatever process, and be cordial in debating it.

[PatMan33]

I feel a certain strong hostility towards me, but I do not see where it arose.

You actively try to annoy people and when they call you out on it, you get defensive and angry. Additionally, when you rarely admit that you are wrong, people get annoyed. That's where the hostility is coming from.

This entire topic is unnecessary and the fact that you felt it necessary to bring it up shows that you aren't really clear on what is happening around you. Instead of drawing it out and making a public spectacle of things, you should be going to the people who you feel the most friction from and speak with them personally. Deal with the issue on an individual basis. Don't post a general cure-all response in the public space.

[PatMan33]

I broke this into two posts because each post has a different purpose.

Still, people (pretty much everyone, including myself) could try to make it ever so slightly clearer to the other poster that they're not being serious when joking around like this. There is, of course, a difference between having a laugh with someone, and having a laugh at their expense, and I don't think anyone on here wants anyone else to feel discouraged from sharing their opinions for risk of the latter happening.

To this point, I agree and disagree. I think people should operate on the premise that everything is a joke. Because almost everything is.

Let us know when you're being serious, otherwise assume it's a joke.

[Flisch]

There is, of course, a difference between having a laugh with someone, and having a laugh at their expense

There are some people on this forum who would do good to internalize this.

Still, people (pretty much everyone, including myself) could try to make it ever so slightly clearer to the other poster that they're not being serious when joking around like this. There is, of course, a difference between having a laugh with someone, and having a laugh at their expense, and I don't think anyone on here wants anyone else to feel discouraged from sharing their opinions for risk of the latter happening.

To this point, I agree and disagree. I think people should operate on the premise that everything is a joke. Because almost everything is.

I strongly disagree. I can take lots of jokes from friends (and return them). But I simply can't stand it if people who I barely know try to make fun of me and then expect me to just take it lightly. Especially if they do it repeatedly after I told them to cut it out. Because then it clearly isn't lighthearted anymore but carries a malicious intent.

[PatMan33]

Humor is a universal language (mostly), and you're going to have to suck it up when people who are new take shots at you. It's part of life. People love humor and they're going to try it.

But you are right about people continuing to harass you after you say stop. If someone says stop, you stop. That said, if someone says stop, then acts like a bitch... well, I think you know what happens then, Flisch.

[Krakow Sam]

Whoever Flisch is talking about I will make it my personal mission to bring them to justice! 

[Ultimatum]

Its clearly Plank Of Wood...

[Krakow Sam]

Right, Plank is getting banned until he has mailed a formal handwritten apology to Flisch.

[Flisch]

Humor is a universal language (mostly), and you're going to have to suck it up when people who are new take shots at you. It's part of life. People love humor and they're going to try it.

But you are right about people continuing to harass you after you say stop. If someone says stop, you stop. That said, if someone says stop, then acts like a bitch... well, I think you know what happens then, Flisch.

I go on a murderous rampage?