Has anyone ever changed your opinion on these forums?

[Treeinthewoods]

No, allowing strangers with no clear accredidation to influence you is weak minded. I have a close knit family and group of friends I go to when I have questions but typically my opinions are formed by my life experiences and the facts I have found through my own research. I always keep a wall up when dealing with message boards or forums because you just can't ever be certain about anybody or anything.

So my views have not changed but I also have never felt validated or anything like that when someone agrees with me.

I read this stuff to see what others think, not because I seek to change myself.

 

[Alterego-X]

There was one-
Back in the birth of MLP:FiM, there was a thread about the show and someone mentioning how the "G1 Pony fans" don't like the bronies which I view it as a hipster remark, that is until someone mention it more like they were the real fan of the fandom of the old and then some new people jumped in and it became mainstream. I can't worded it exactly but it did changed my view since it got me to related to the situation since I'm a G1 Transformers fan.

Early brony threads in general had a lot of people coming in really convinced that someone is just pranking them by claiming that a pony cartoon can be anything else than indless crap, yet ultimately coming away convinced that it's the real deal, potentially becoming bronies in the process.

When Katawa Shoujo got released, that also had some similar threads, people coming in with pitchforks after hearing that it is a "dating sim" about disabled girls, and assumed the worst, yet ended up obliged to admit that it's actually quite a tasteful and artistic story.

 

[Phasmal]

Oh also yeah I forgot - a bunch of the more awesome posters here also changed my mind on using voice chat in games.
I used to be completely against it because it seemed like I could never use it without someone having to be a dick about my voice, but after hearing about how some other ladies stick at it too, I've been using it more.

I still generally don't use it, and I get a bit nervous when I do, but I use it more than I used to (which was not at all).

 

[Able Seacat]

No, once I have an opinion, it can't ever by changed. Never I say!

EDIT: I've changed my mind.

I'm perfectly happy to admit when I'm wrong or change my opinion if I'm provided with new information that offers a different perspective on a topic. I'll read up on different arguments to come to my own conclusions.

 

[Eamar]

It would change my opinion if it was easier to follow the forum here. The only way to track a topic I post is to leave it open in a tab and refresh in a few hour or next day.

You can bookmark threads. Just click the "bookmark" option at the top or bottom of any thread page (on the bar that goes "back to top, thread index, bookmark, posting guidelines, jump to forum)

OT: Can't think of any times when a major opinion of mine has been changed by a thread here, but I've certainly admitted when I've misunderstood something before, when faced with superior information or a clarified argument.

Less happily...

I also thought a lot more of the negative stereotypes surrounding nerdy people had little to no basis in reality but sadly I was wrong.

This. That said, I've also met/seen some lovely people here so it's not all negative.

EDIT: Messed up the quoting. Damn.

 

[Chris Moses]

I learned about Anita Sarkeesian from this site.

She got me thinking about the representation of women in games.

I subsequently learned that she was a poor spokeswoman for feminism or against sexism in games.

Maybe one day the Lord our Father will send down His only begotten daughter to judge video games so that the deniers/apologists will not be able to find fault in her, but they will probably CRUCIFY HER just the same.

 

[Zakarath]

Nope, but only because I'm always on the right side of any debate to begin with.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

Nope, never. Frankly I wouldn't presume to change anybody's views either, but that doesn't stop (polite) arguing from being fun.

 

[Olas]

To be honest, not that I can recall, though I'm sure lots of opinions have been SHAPED by what I read on these forms. My opinions are a bit like clay I guess. Malleable at first, but once hardened it stays that way.

It's hard to say though that it's never happened in the 3 years I've been registered with this site.

 

[Sir Thomas Sean Connery]

No, allowing strangers with no clear accredidation to influence you is weak minded.

That just simply isn't true. Accreditation and influence has nothing to do with the validity of arguments. That's the true beauty of the internet.

OT:
I wouldn't say my opinions have been changed as much as developed and understood better.

This includes a variety of topics from social issues to games to science.

I've never pulled a 180 on an issue as a result of something someone said, but I have added information and changed parts of opinions to better suit arguments that made sense.

On the other hand, I have also essentially become an adult during my time on The Escapist so it's also just a natural process of life.

 

[Elfgore]

Nope. This site has widened my views slightly, but no one has ever changed my opinion. I'm a stubborn bastard, changing my opinion is like trying to fight a elephant with your bare hands. If you can do it, you should probably be famous.

 

[Wraith]

Yes, just now in fact, after reading a comment by @mecegirl from a Sexual Fantasy discussion thread.

Here is the comment I'm talking about: http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/18.846701-The-Male-Power-Fantasy-what-do-women-generally-and-actually-find-sexy#20879549

 

[Caiphus]

I remember having a conversation about drug use and punishment with Abomination in the R&P section. I can't quite remember what exactly we were talking about, but I remember it was a pretty good chat for that forum. And I think he convinced me too. Can't remember exactly what it was though

And I remember discussing the monoclegate in EVE with J Tyran. Got reminded of that just now, reading one of his posts and seeing his avatar. Pretty sure he brought me around to his way of thinking too.

So yeah, it happens . I think there is a tendency to be a bit more stubborn with your opinions on the Internet when you aren't actually talking face-to-face with people.

Edit: Oh, and I'm sure that there have been more examples too, they just escape me at the moment. Like lots of people have mentioned is the case for them, I'd met exactly zero trans people before engaging with this forum. So yeah, I'm probably more empathetic towards that group too.

 

[Flatfrog]

No, but it's my experience no one is ever actually trying to change my opinions. The seeming goal has always been to win a fight, to cudgel opposition into submission with the overpowering force of his own, self-apparent correctness; and people just are not convinced by someone who's treating you like an enemy to be beaten.

As I said the other day, I'm not trying to change anyone's opinions but I do like to clarify my own to myself. I tend to get most involved in discussions where I'm least sure of my own position; discussing it with others helps to clarify the issues in my own mind until I'm comfortable that my position is at least logically and morally consistent, even if it isn't necessarily 'right'!

Which does occasionally mean I find myself passionately arguing for a side I pretty much picked at random. By the end, I might well disagree with myself, but at least I know why. It's a bit like the line from somewhere or other (Douglas Adams? Terry Pratchett?) that one good thing about tossing a coin to make a decision is that when it comes up on the wrong side, you know what you really wanted to do.

 

[Vault101]

No, allowing strangers with no clear accredidation to influence you is weak minded. but typically my opinions are formed by my life experiences and the facts I have found through my own research. I always keep a wall up when dealing with message boards or forums because you just can't ever be certain about anybody or anything.

So my views have not changed but I also have never felt validated or anything like that when someone agrees with me.

I read this stuff to see what others think, not because I seek to change myself.

changing your opinion is a very important part of developing as a person..its not weak minded

[quote/]I have a close knit family and group of friends I go to when I have questions[/quote]

sooo community bias? heh....I kid

 

[Squilookle]

It's thanks to these forums that I learned why Blu-Ray deserves to exist. Before then, I thought DVDs were all just fine and anything beyond that was just beefing up technology and forcing us all to upgrade purely for the hell of it.

 

[likalaruku]

In a forum? God no. & definitely not in a comment section, though the person in the video may sway my view.

 

[MeChaNiZ3D]

A lot of my opinions formed on these forums. I generally have an instinctive response to everything, but it takes arguing to figure out why (which is why I tend to look stupid in the first post I make about something - hopefully less so now). Doesn't often happen that I find myself disagreeing with my initial response, just reinforcing it, because I do have principles that lead to my views, but I used to think ratings for games and movies were good and helpful. Now I think they should be abolished in favour of children learning how to make sensible decisions, because adults making decisions about what games should and shouldn't be allowed has turned out to be a fucking joke.

 

[Treeinthewoods]

No, allowing strangers with no clear accredidation to influence you is weak minded.

That just simply isn't true. Accreditation and influence has nothing to do with the validity of arguments. That's the true beauty of the internet.

The Internet is a false place, I can't verify anybody here in any reliable way and I can't determine their motivations when dispensing opinions. The people who do have that kind of influence over me are rare and special, proven verifiably to be worth listening to. Even then my willingness to adjust a view is determined by the subject they are advising me on as much as by who they are. For example, I am more likely to follow my dad's financial advice then my grandmothers but when it comes to the raising of my daughter I am more likely to listen to my grandmother (assuming the two offer conflicting advice).

Basically if some Internet stranger says something that I don't agree with it just washes by me because I can't even be sure it's what they really believe.

No, allowing strangers with no clear accredidation to influence you is weak minded. but typically my opinions are formed by my life experiences and the facts I have found through my own research. I always keep a wall up when dealing with message boards or forums because you just can't ever be certain about anybody or anything.

So my views have not changed but I also have never felt validated or anything like that when someone agrees with me.

I read this stuff to see what others think, not because I seek to change myself.

changing your opinion is a very important part of developing as a person..its not weak minded

[quote/]I have a close knit family and group of friends I go to when I have questions

sooo community bias? heh....I kid[/quote]

And my opinions on many subjects have changed over the years, I am very different from how I was in high school or college. For example in high school I used to think transgender people where just drag queens until my mother (a licensed therapist with a Phd) showed me differently. It came for a trustworthy source, it was backed with scientific evidence and I had no reason to dispute it.

What you call community bias I call maintaining a healthy dose of skepticism on all fronts. Allowing people to influence who I am or what I believe is risky, allowing just anyone to do that is not a wise way to live, especially when the Internet is literally chock full of completely conflicting advice and opinions. What would make your opinion more valid than the other non verifiable person who says the exact opposite?

And of course, I expect anyone here to question my opinion on this matter and possibly disagree and live their life a different way, after all I haven't done anything to earn the right to influence anyone here.