Quote:
Originally Posted by Engine
I agree about the bygones. And I know you don't make personal attacks - those are the boundaries that you respect.
I disagree that MB is a verbal combat zone, though, and that's maybe where we differ the most. You say that you challenge ideas, and that's obviously fine. But it seems to me that you present a polemic, add vitriol, and wait for somebody to react. In other words, purposefully incite arguments by positing something hypothetical like "I'm so sick of all the idiotic people who 'X' because they think it's cool to do so! I'm goddamned angry about those stupid people who 'X' because they have ruined 'Y'!!!"
Then you wait for somebody to say, "Um, I don't think people really even 'X' very much and 'Y' seems fine, why are you so upset?" Then you proceed to argue against what I guess you suppose is "BS they've cooked up." However you, sir, seem to be the chef of the BS. Sometimes you get to make a fool of somebody, other times you end up playing the fool, and it all seems like fun to you. Like maybe you use the internet as training for your future career in politics. Perhaps you are perfecting the art of online verbal combat - a sport that I find ugly and useless, like politics in a lot of ways.
Granted, I probably haven't seen even a quarter of your MB arguments so maybe I'm overemphasizing a tiny fraction of them.
I know I shouldn't give in to preconceived notions but somehow your posts always seem to me to be designed to get under someone's skin, one way or another. But you've got an agreeable, charismatic, innocent side as well. You probably should have been born a Kennedy. Anyway, now I look like a BS cook so I'm done.
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We're all chef's in some respect, my friend.
I don't know which arguments you're referring to, but if I ever say "I hate people who X" I mean it. I don't do it for the purpose of the fight. Admittedly, a lot of things bother me.
But speaking on a broad scale these forums are like a bunch of children sometimes in that they'll just say the easy thing in order to contribute. They don't think about things, they don't further conversations, its like ridiculous musical mad-libs. I can't tell you the number of times I've posted what I actually thought about and tried to articulate well, only to have some snarky douche-bag step out with some useless comment - then for every other dip**** to rollin and comment on as if my comment never appeared.
People make a play for the easy comment. And I will never feel the pull to sink to that level, or let the people who do get off scott free. I put a lot of work into these forums, and I hate seeing ****ing losers, bored in their parents basements come in here and turn it into a highschool clique full of ****ty inside jokes and cheap shots.
But all things considered, I don't go after people for the sake of it. I can't say everyone affords me the same respect, but thats life and if people want to argue with me, I'm happy to do it. I'll tell you honestly, after half the boards called for my banning when I banned someone for repeatedly using racist language, I never again felt too strongly about what anyone had to say around here.