Nitpicking: Forum Debate Etiquette

[TailstheHedgehog]

Quick quips that are intended as insults to somebody's opinion annoy me, possibly even more than straight-out calling whoever they disagree with a little kid (seems to be an effective way of dismissing somebody's argument).
Or, even just the attitude to children, not just here but across the internet, but especially in gaming. A voice-coms chatroom is like a giant forum, and people seem to be especially horrible to kids, calling them names or picking on them. I'll agree, a nine-year-old jabbering in your ear and asking you random questions is annoying, but to swear at them and get them to swear back is vile.

 

[DustyDrB]

Semantic arguments. Yes, having a common definition is important. But two people arguing on the internet will never accept a common definition. So it's just, "I reject your definition!" back and forth...blah blah.

I've never really cared much for debate. I especially try not to do it on the internet. It happens, but it's rare. I'm more for discussion. So what really sucks is when people derail discussion in some way.

How many times has this happened:
-You spot a thread that intrigues you. Discussion starts off well on it, but there are already a bunch of pages. So you you start catching up. You notice these two people have a disagreement about something that is at best tangential to the thread topic. That disagreement grows and grows. Suddenly, almost every post becomes those two people just bickering pointlessly. They've now dominated the thread, and the original discussion is dead. The thread just lingers as a monument to the vanity of two petty assholes. This is why private messages exist, people.

I do agree with you on that method of quoting, Fappy. It's kind of hard to do it and not look like an extremely pompous dick.

-How people are very literal, you have to put "IMO" at the end of everything otherwise they jump on you for saying "X is everything ever, of all time".

Yeah, that is silly of people. Opinions aren't hard to spot. Saying "in my opinion" is redundant. I always laugh at people who freak out when someone says something they don't agree with. They'll often do something like this:

Why are you stating your opinion as fact? Let me fix this for you...

Bill Murray is the best comic actor in history in my opinion.

There. Fixed. Next time learn when to mark your opinion as an opinion so that those of us who have trouble telling when an an opinion is an opinion can clearly see your notice and say, "Oh I disagree, but he said it's his opinion. Yep. He says it right there. So that makes it an opinion". It's just too confusing otherwise, in my opinion.

 

[Jodah]

When people say stuff as if it is fact without citing a source. Then when someone calls them on it they say "You look it up, it's not worth my time." Okay then, me listening to your stupidity is not worth my time. It is the job of the person making the argument to post a source, not the other party. This is debating 101 and this is something you should have fucking learned in grade school doing book reports.

 

[The Night Angel]

I have to agree with the OP, breaking up an argument into separate points often results in the overall coherency being lost, as well as making a rebuttal more difficult. I also hate when people think that when you voice your opinion, you mean it as fact. Especially if I have said "in my opinion" in the post.
I also hate when people are deliberately snide, or try to belittle your argument. If you don't agree with someone just ignore them and post your own opinion, no need to quote them to get attention.

 

[King of Asgaard]

Currently, there is a thread, which I shall not name, concerning Dark Souls. (you've probably seen it)
Within said thread, there is a laundry list of things the OP does not like about DS.
There's no problem, until he/she concludes (in the same post, natch) that due to these things he/she listed, the game cannot possibly be good under any circumstances.
Also bear in mind that a few of the items mentioned are not problems with the game but with the player, or just false outright.
So basically, condemning something in its entirety (and by extension, those who like it) just because it didn't appeal to you.
Makes my blood boil, I tell you.

 

[Fappy]

Currently, there is a thread, which I shall not name, concerning Dark Souls. (you've probably seen it)
Within said thread, there is a laundry list of things the OP does not like about DS.
There's no problem, until he/she concludes (in the same post, natch) that due to these things he/she listed, the game cannot possibly be good under any circumstances.
Also bear in mind that a few of the items mentioned are not problems with the game but with the player, or just false outright.
So basically, condemning something in its entirety (and by extension, those who like it) just because it didn't appeal to you.
Makes my blood boil, I tell you.

This happens so often on this site it makes my head spin. People really love getting others to hate the stuff they hate >.>

 

[Something Amyss]

If someone takes this OP apart I will be very cross

Good God, so tempting.

Anyway, this seems to break down to "some people doing this are problems because they can do X..." which is true of any posting style. I'm not sure, in the end, what difference there is or why this is particularly worse or more annoying.

 

[King of Asgaard]

Currently, there is a thread, which I shall not name, concerning Dark Souls. (you've probably seen it)
Within said thread, there is a laundry list of things the OP does not like about DS.
There's no problem, until he/she concludes (in the same post, natch) that due to these things he/she listed, the game cannot possibly be good under any circumstances.
Also bear in mind that a few of the items mentioned are not problems with the game but with the player, or just false outright.
So basically, condemning something in its entirety (and by extension, those who like it) just because it didn't appeal to you.
Makes my blood boil, I tell you.

This happens so often on this site it makes my head spin. People really love getting others to hate the stuff they hate >.>

I know, right? It's not like he/she posted particularly valid reasons, just plainly stated 'this sucks, deal with it, yo'.
Even the people who were posting were civil and posting very good advice as to how to continue. But OP just shrugged off any helpful suggestions offered.
Ooooh... the aggravation.

 

[trollnystan]

"sorry..but x is shit"

"sorry"?...what are you "sorry about? are you convinced that you've just ruined my day with your mind blowing argument? is that why youre apologising?

somtimes I have to stop myself from doing it though

Ha, so true. I once was told by someone (I believe it was in one of your threads, m'dear. I was rather rude to you in it; sorry about that, bad day for me.) that because I liked 80s rock he had lost any respect he might have had for me. Don't think he said sorry though... hold on. *Does quick Google* Nope! How rude =P My reaction when I read it was: "Aaaaaand who are you?"

OP: People wilfully misunderstanding me. Perhaps it's me who is shit at explain myself - because I am; usually I'm okay in text, verbally I'm total shite - but sometimes it's like trying to explain things to a 8 year old. Which I'm also shit at btw.

 

[Fappy]

Currently, there is a thread, which I shall not name, concerning Dark Souls. (you've probably seen it)
Within said thread, there is a laundry list of things the OP does not like about DS.
There's no problem, until he/she concludes (in the same post, natch) that due to these things he/she listed, the game cannot possibly be good under any circumstances.
Also bear in mind that a few of the items mentioned are not problems with the game but with the player, or just false outright.
So basically, condemning something in its entirety (and by extension, those who like it) just because it didn't appeal to you.
Makes my blood boil, I tell you.

This happens so often on this site it makes my head spin. People really love getting others to hate the stuff they hate >.>

I know, right? It's not like he/she posted particularly valid reasons, just plainly stated 'this sucks, deal with it, yo'.
Even the people who were posting were civil and posting very good advice as to how to continue. But OP just shrugged off any helpful suggestions offered.
Ooooh... the aggravation.

Was he just frustrated because of the difficulty?

 

[King of Asgaard]

Currently, there is a thread, which I shall not name, concerning Dark Souls. (you've probably seen it)
Within said thread, there is a laundry list of things the OP does not like about DS.
There's no problem, until he/she concludes (in the same post, natch) that due to these things he/she listed, the game cannot possibly be good under any circumstances.
Also bear in mind that a few of the items mentioned are not problems with the game but with the player, or just false outright.
So basically, condemning something in its entirety (and by extension, those who like it) just because it didn't appeal to you.
Makes my blood boil, I tell you.

This happens so often on this site it makes my head spin. People really love getting others to hate the stuff they hate >.>

I know, right? It's not like he/she posted particularly valid reasons, just plainly stated 'this sucks, deal with it, yo'.
Even the people who were posting were civil and posting very good advice as to how to continue. But OP just shrugged off any helpful suggestions offered.
Ooooh... the aggravation.

Was he just frustrated because of the difficulty?

Seemed to be, and he blamed the game for his ineptitude, which is always the wrong approach.

 

[FernandoV]

Ok, the sentiment of this thread is fine but let's face something: we all in our hearts can isolate techniques in debating that only serve to save face when one cannot defend their point with anything substantial anymore, but, these techniques are born of a hair-trigger social defense mechanism and calling it out in the form of a thread will not remedy it.

People will come here and proclaim how they hate the same thing, and whatever to assimilate to this sentiment but they will use it just like we do under the same circumstances. Debates on the internet do not seek to actually prove something but instead boosts ones ego by reaffirming their beliefs by defending it against dissenting opinions. Doing this is fine as a means of entertainment but we might as well be real about what's going on here.

 

[Fappy]

Ok, the sentiment of this thread is fine but let's face something: we all in our hearts can isolate techniques in debating that only serve to save face when one cannot defend their point with anything substantial anymore, but, these techniques are born of a hair-trigger social defense mechanism and calling it out in the form of a thread will not remedy it.

People will come here and proclaim how they hate the same thing, and whatever to assimilate to this sentiment but they will use it just like we do under the same circumstances. Debates on the internet do not seek to actually prove something but instead boosts ones ego by reaffirming their beliefs by defending it against dissenting opinions. Doing this is fine as a means of entertainment but we might as well be real about what's going on here.

I can't speak for everyone else here but I have actually changed my mind about a few things over the years thanks to internet debates. I believe I may have changed other's minds as well, but there is no way of knowing that for sure.

You have a point though. Most people debate here to increase the size of their epeen.

 

[winginson]

People who use the phrase "Most people" to mean "Almost all people are like this, therefore you are stupid for not seeing it like I do" rather than "Most people I know".

I sure know that having country upbringing in an almost complety white, aging area of the country means my version of "most people" doesn't mean much.

But obviously I can't prefix each post with a short biography. Maybe everyone should be required to write a general thing about their upbringing and where they live, so other people could get a better idea of the situations that have helped shape their views and opinions?

 

[StriderShinryu]

I also hate it when people start new posts on Topic X to talk about how bored they are of Topic X, or hang around Topic X threads extolling everyone to talk about something else.

I tend not to get deeply involved in too many debates but, as a more general forum user, my biggest debate related complaint is actually a sort of slight tangent to this one.

It really bothers me when someone creates an entirely new thread that should have obviously just been a single post in an existing thread. Yes, maybe not as many people will see your post but I can assure you that your reply to an already existing discussion doesn't merit it's own space on the forums. If it's a solid enough post on it's own, it will get all of the attention it deserves.