Originally posted by dave6660

Originally posted by NorseGod

Originally posted by dave6660

Originally posted by Four0Six

Originally posted by NorseGod

Originally posted by LadyEuphei

Originally posted by NorseGod

 They are. "They" jsut believe they are without blame. Like Lady's thread the other day where she calls for civility, in which she has several posts calling others names.......

Mostly I just don't post in threads anymore, because unlike Glen Beck, I dont have the fortitude to "Argue with Idiots" <- It is a book by Beck.

I see the liberal "Joy of Hate", <-really good book by Greg Gutfeld, everywhere I look these days and it makes me long for a Libertarian society where people would grow some thicker skin and remember that "Sticks and Stone will break my bones, but WORDS will never hurt me.

People take Glen Beck seriously?  When did this happen?  I put him in the same category as Stephen Colbert and Jon Steward.

It's ok Four0Six, I understood the point you were making.

I do too.  But it gets lost in the political non-sense and references to conservative talking heads.

Obviously not, and no it isn't really. You feel that way because you are letting your own ego segregate you from the possibility that the two men mentioned could have anything to say you would agree with, just because of their political leanings. So you let the actual messege of his analogy go right over your head.

We see it every day on these forums, and elsewhere. People pick their own little factions and then deny that those that do not think as they do could share any common ideas, and that there is no middle ground. And that is the line of thinking that breeds the toxic community we are here discussing. Instead of people sharing their ideas and trying to gain some mutual understanding, they just end up with their fingers in their ears shouting childish insults at one another. Which honestly makes the very idea of a "discussion" forum seem rather ludicrous.

Originally posted by Maephisto

Did you all know the criterion edition of Honey Boo Boo will be available on Blu ray soon. Figured you all would want to know.

 

OP, I suggest you watch the movie "God Bless America."  It will make you feel better about how this thread turned out.  It will give a little more insight into just who you were trying to address.  You can thank me later.

I would like to remind you, that while you are calling for civility on the internet and support policies and laws that would require users to use their personal information in order to intimidate them, of a couple things.

It is against the Rules of Conduct to insult other members here on this website.

It is against the Rules of Conduct to make threats of violence towards members here on this website.

Originally posted by FARGIN_WAR

Originally posted by dave6660

Originally posted by NorseGod

Originally posted by dave6660

Originally posted by Four0Six

Originally posted by NorseGod

Originally posted by LadyEuphei

Originally posted by NorseGod

 They are. "They" jsut believe they are without blame. Like Lady's thread the other day where she calls for civility, in which she has several posts calling others names.......

Mostly I just don't post in threads anymore, because unlike Glen Beck, I dont have the fortitude to "Argue with Idiots" <- It is a book by Beck.

I see the liberal "Joy of Hate", <-really good book by Greg Gutfeld, everywhere I look these days and it makes me long for a Libertarian society where people would grow some thicker skin and remember that "Sticks and Stone will break my bones, but WORDS will never hurt me.

People take Glen Beck seriously?  When did this happen?  I put him in the same category as Stephen Colbert and Jon Steward.

It's ok Four0Six, I understood the point you were making.

I do too.  But it gets lost in the political non-sense and references to conservative talking heads.

Obviously not, and no it isn't really. You feel that way because you are letting your own ego segregate you from the possibility that the two men mentioned could have anything to say you would agree with, just because of their political leanings. So you let the actual messege of his analogy go right over your head.

We see it every day on these forums, and elsewhere. People pick their own little factions and then deny that those that do not think as they do could share any common ideas, and that there is no middle ground. And that is the line of thinking that breeds the toxic community we are here discussing. Instead of people sharing their ideas and trying to gain some mutual understanding, they just end up with their fingers in their ears shouting childish insults at one another. Which honestly makes the very idea of a "discussion" forum seem rather ludicrous.

Oy vey.  Where did I say I didn't agree?  My point was this is a game forum, leave the political bullshit out of it.

Agree with many points in the OP post. I too love that I have my barier that seperates me on the internet and what people actually know about me in real life and I'm in full support for the continuing protection of our online and irl identities.

However, there are some who feel that this mask gives them the right and permission to just be hateful, spiteful, fear mongerers, hate mongerers, everything far and few between. This generation of computer douches feel that since they have that protection that to use it for anything other than being some troll would be a waste.

I dont want to get along with everyone I encounter on the interwebz, but I don't want to be constantly faced with those who choose to use sub-human, sub-standard approaches to their relations with others on the web.

No, no one is asking to be catered to, and no people aren't asking for entitlements.. LoL.. Just some decency and a common respect and understanding that not everyone is going to get along, but that it doesn't mean that the dislike has to be backed by this new troll mentality that is sweeping through the web and in games.

People also choose to hop on these bandwagons where a community of players are super into just being internet trolls and douches. I don't get it though, because it doesn't really stand for anything. They go on with their indecent approaches and feel victory just because someone took the time to point out how they are being idiots.

The troll, griefer, or w/e term we choose to use mentality is a sickness that is spreading. Sad cause it shows the state of people in the real world. Yes games are toys for us. We play with them and take on all sorts of persona's. but if you find yourself in your games constantly being told you are a douche or lame.

It's more than likely not because people are hating on your "pro-ness" is more than likely because you are being a dickwad and need to adjust your attitutde towards others. But what do people care? It's only the internet they know they have that protection and no real fear of retalition for the nonsense they sometimes spout..

Originally posted by NorseGod

Originally posted by Maephisto

Did you all know the criterion edition of Honey Boo Boo will be available on Blu ray soon. Figured you all would want to know.

OP, I suggest you watch the movie "God Bless America."  It will make you feel better about how this thread turned out.  It will give a little more insight into just who you were trying to address.  You can thank me later.

I would like to remind you, that while you are calling for civility on the internet and support policies and laws that would require users to use their personal information in order to intimidate them, of a couple things.

It is against the Rules of Conduct to insult other members here on this website.

It is against the Rules of Conduct to make threats of violence towards members here on this website.

Do you feel offended or threatened?  It wasnt my intention, nor did I address you directly.  Maybe you thought I was talking to you (shoe fits kind of deal).

Anyways,

Originally posted by Maephisto

Originally posted by NorseGod

Originally posted by Maephisto

Did you all know the criterion edition of Honey Boo Boo will be available on Blu ray soon. Figured you all would want to know.

OP, I suggest you watch the movie "God Bless America."  It will make you feel better about how this thread turned out.  It will give a little more insight into just who you were trying to address.  You can thank me later.

I would like to remind you, that while you are calling for civility on the internet and support policies and laws that would require users to use their personal information in order to intimidate them, of a couple things.

It is against the Rules of Conduct to insult other members here on this website.

It is against the Rules of Conduct to make threats of violence towards members here on this website.

Do you feel offended or threatened?  It wasnt my intention, nor did I address you directly.  Maybe you thought I was talking to you (shoe fits kind of deal).

Anyways,

I am offended and threatened by your post. It's uncalled for, especially if you were just trolling.

It is against the Rules of Conduct to troll members here on this website.

Originally posted by dave6660

Originally posted by FARGIN_WAR

Originally posted by dave6660

Originally posted by NorseGod

Originally posted by dave6660

Originally posted by Four0Six

Originally posted by NorseGod

Originally posted by LadyEuphei

Originally posted by NorseGod

 They are. "They" jsut believe they are without blame. Like Lady's thread the other day where she calls for civility, in which she has several posts calling others names.......

Mostly I just don't post in threads anymore, because unlike Glen Beck, I dont have the fortitude to "Argue with Idiots" <- It is a book by Beck.

I see the liberal "Joy of Hate", <-really good book by Greg Gutfeld, everywhere I look these days and it makes me long for a Libertarian society where people would grow some thicker skin and remember that "Sticks and Stone will break my bones, but WORDS will never hurt me.

People take Glen Beck seriously?  When did this happen?  I put him in the same category as Stephen Colbert and Jon Steward.

It's ok Four0Six, I understood the point you were making.

I do too.  But it gets lost in the political non-sense and references to conservative talking heads.

Obviously not, and no it isn't really. You feel that way because you are letting your own ego segregate you from the possibility that the two men mentioned could have anything to say you would agree with, just because of their political leanings. So you let the actual messege of his analogy go right over your head.

We see it every day on these forums, and elsewhere. People pick their own little factions and then deny that those that do not think as they do could share any common ideas, and that there is no middle ground. And that is the line of thinking that breeds the toxic community we are here discussing. Instead of people sharing their ideas and trying to gain some mutual understanding, they just end up with their fingers in their ears shouting childish insults at one another. Which honestly makes the very idea of a "discussion" forum seem rather ludicrous.

Oy vey.  Where did I say I didn't agree?  My point was this is a game forum, leave the political bullshit out of it.

Once again you help me argue my point. You are the person politicising here. All Four0six did was make a pop culture reference, and you had to wade in and take offence to it. It would be no different for example if he had quoted some lyrics from the John Lennon song "Imagine" and you had nothing relevent to add to the conversation other than "Ooh that John Lennon, what a dick."

Originally posted by LadyEuphei

Originally posted by NorseGod
[mod edit]

[mod edit]

I seem to remember one of Blizzard's GM's outting himself to prove how there was no risk involved in exposing yourself (heh) to the internet.

The next day, of course, a determined effort by some dedicated (and nefarious?) netizens outted a half-dozen more—including Bobby Kotick—on a non-blizzard controlled web site.

Surely everyone so eager to trade away their privacy protections should step up to the plate first, as publicly as possible, yes?

No, I encourage you not to do anything quite so stupid and dangerous. Nor lobby for the rest of the world to.

Originally posted by Astraeis
The problem seems to be: too high expectations and the inevitable disappointment in oneself and other human beings resulting in lowering ones standards. Accountablity can help in this respect, but it is not how things should be.

A.k.a. "Get off my lawn."

Originally posted by Icewhite

Originally posted by Astraeis
The problem seems to be: too high expectations and the inevitable disappointment in oneself and other human beings resulting in lowering ones standards. Accountablity can help in this respect, but it is not how things should be.

A.k.a. "Get off my lawn."

No. Is that how it reads? That was not what I intended to say.

The biggest reason the internet is a massive cess pool is very, very simple.

Age.

Most of the internet are teenager and young adults. Teenagers are by very nature insensitive, extremely self-centered creatures. Now what's the problem with Young Adults in our culture? They're still teenagers.

It's a mix of the "Shock & Awe" factor that youth think is exciting, psychology (angry teenagers, angsty teenagers who have every right to feel as they do), and their total lack of perspective, understanding, or care for other viewpoints outside of their perspective.

It is not that adulthood somehow makes EVERYONE a better, more mature, intelligent person. The difference is that it makes SOME people better, more mature, intelligent people. There are still repulsive human beings, but even those become far less vocal, more articulate in their statements, wiser to reality due to life experience, etc.

Don't believe me? Get online, somewhere like WoW. Group a lot, and play with tons of PuG's in the dungeon finder.

1) If someone is extremely talkative and friendly... they are most likely a teenager. Although not universally true, the more friendly and talkative people are typically younger. As gamers get older, they seem to be more reserved. Just something I've noticed.

2) A repulsive teenager is quite different than a repulsive adult. Teenagers can flip very easily when repulsive or hateful. One moment they are trolling you- the next they're your friend. Adults that are nasty people do not flip at all. They typically treat you like crap, and even if befriended still hold on to that nasty aspect of their personality.

My theory is that adults who are nasty, are so because that is part of who they currently are. Children who are nasty, are more often than not trolling around for kicks and giggles and don't actually have a serious dark side to their inner self.

I am not saying this is universally true. I have however been around long enough to identify the general age of someone based on the way they communicate online. Children, young adults, and older adults all respond differently even when projecting the same nasty personality traits.

The age issue is one I bring up when talking about how MMO's have changed since they began. But studies keep showing the average player is in their 20's if not 30's. MMO's having an average demographic of in your 20's is reasonable, but 30's?

I think a lot of younger gamers are lying about their age. Also when these studies are done I bet they assume that no one under the age rating for the game is playing.

A lot of this is schoolyard chat taken online.

Even an ephemeral 'feeling' of anonymity can markedly change behaviour.

There was a recent Derren Brown show where people wore masks in the audience and would vote for what happened in real time to a guy who didn't know he was on camera surrounded by actors.

In the end they voted to have him arrested for nothing - and only then did the show fake his actions with a stand-in actor - as he ran from the police and got run over by a car.

Powerful stuff - and everyone took off their masks when it happened - suddenly appalled by what they had done.

Of course he revealed the truth to them afterwards, but every one of them looked like they wanted the ground to swallow them up...

There is a proven psychological effect from anonymity - and it 'allows' out of character behaviour.

There are none of the checks and balances of normal social interraction. People do and say things that would get them kicked half to death in an alleyway if they did it to a strangers face.

Amazing...

To counter this, there is only one effective solution.

CONSEQUENCES have to be introduced for bad behaviour. 3 day bans after months of abuse to fellow players is truly pathetic as a deterent - and it is the norm in MMOs. The fact is, the games companies don't really give a damn about online behaviour as long as it is not crassly racist, anti-religion, anti-semitic or something else that could get them sued for not being policed.

Oh of course they don't like it in principle, and they say so. But they rarely if ever do anything about it.

Banned players don't make them any money!

The plain truth is, there are algorithms which can scan every single posted comment within a server and flag suspect ones. These could then be rapidly reviewed by a real person and warning given out within minutes. So many warnings - penalty; so many penalties - ban.

But this doesn't happen.

If it did - the ironic likelihood is that the community would start policing themselves - and very few players would be banned.

For the very same reasons that you rarely see such behaviour at social gatherings, the same would happen in a well policed game.

But no-one has the guts to introduce is - the received 'wisdom' amongst myopic game designers is that it 'wouldn't work'.

Which is of course - complete crapola...

Footnote: As I expect comments about the consequences of loudly complaining banned players on forums - let me say this. The way round this is to have a robust policing policy and the post the comments (as written) next to each thread on which the banned player complains. If they were banned for good reason, then people would rapidly get the message about what a waste of oxygen the poster was...

Originally posted by Caliburn101

Banned players don't make them any money!

The plain truth is, there are algorithms which can scan every single posted comment within a server and flag suspect ones. These could then be rapidly reviewed by a real person and warning given out within minutes. So many warnings - penalty; so many penalties - ban.

But this doesn't happen.

It used to.

Again, we're seeing short-term thinking, of the kind that corporations are so good at. The cost of Little Johnny's account being banned is easy to evaluate. The cost of his cancerous influence on other players that encounter him, less so.

Games really did care about their integrity more than this, once upon a time. Truly they did.

But that was before Massive.