Bullies, Alts, Hypocrites and Know-it-alls

I love the Lindens. I've met a number of them in RL and they are A-OK in my book. Yes I realize they are doing a good job; do you see how hard the Web team worked this week and weekend?

However that doesn't give them amnesty from criticism or suggestion. It's like saying your elected officials are professionals so you don't have a right to an opinion.

Not to mention, I'm sure they appreciate some of the feedback and suggestions. It is "our world" after all.

As far as flame bait goes... I have first hand knowledge that they don't appreciate that.

Ok, Dr. Freud.

There's a world of difference between "criticism" and mean spirited bullshit. The latter is simply not acceptable and if somone pulls that shit on me or one of the people I like here, you can bet they're gonna get an earful back.

More than a few people here (myself included) need to be mindful of the tone and content of their comments before pressing the submit reply button.

So please don't tell us we "need to get a life or see a shrink" when there are plenty of examples of bad behavior here that any _reasonable_ person would find objectionable and inappropriate.

Just out of curiousity, am I one of the people you like? It's nice to know who has your back in case you need it.

April

Actually, I'd defend just about anyone who I see is being dumped on.

There are some, however, where a sharp stick in my eye would be preferable to defending them. I'm sure they know who they are.

I have two lives already (3 counting my alt) and a job, too. Probably need a shrink, but with 3 lives and a job, how could I possibly fit it in.

This thread is hysterical. It's like a roll-call of those who identify with your comments. The more they post, the more they see themselves in it.

(Chalk me up for 1 so far!)

cue Jeska...in....3....2....

mouth open...shakes head...mutters kettle black indeed…wanders off to some unknown....

Mar

I'm a complete windbag... but i'm friendly

Oh Weedy is a wonderful person.

I think she's just sad at the thought that we can't all get along.

That's exactly what I was thinking too!

It's as if all us forum trolls are of the same mind.

~Ulrika~

You could quit your job and do you second lifing using a laptop with a wireless network card panhandling in a spot with free wifi access.

Noooo, never. Not here.

You know, I think I realised my whole problem on these forums: you people actually think being hypocritical is a bad thing.

Agreed. Better to have them think you a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.

This is actually an excellent point blaze.

As a know-it-all I would like to take this opportunity to point out that the use of the descriptive "hypocrite" is almost always applied as part of a logical fallacy called "ad hominem tu quoque". This logical fallacy involves dismissing an argument because it is or is perceived to be inconsistent with something a person has said or done in the past. Even as a rhetorical tool it is weak, simply because everyone can be accused of hypocrisy to some degree.

~Ulrika~

Jesus. That made absolutely no sense in reply to that post. Well, at least this thread has entertainment value.

~Ulrika~

I know you may look upon me as saintly, but calling me Jesus, is much too unlike me.

It's actually a variation on Mark Twain’s famous quote “It is better to keep your mouth shut and appear stupid than to open it and remove all doubt.”

You don't know jack shit. Let me put up the link so people understand where you get your know-it-all hypocrisy to pick it out of your attack list when it is convenient:

http://www.nizkor.org/features/fallacies/ad-hominem-tu-quoque.html

And here we can go through all the fallacies together Ulrika:

http://www.nizkor.org/features/fallacies/index.html#index

Here is a game for you : You hit me with one and I'll hit with you another. The one who committs the greatest amount of fallacy wins. How about that? So far you are ahead of me by 4-2, but thanks to this wonderful thread I am going to catch up (let's hope before it is locked up) to you!

Phallacy envy, Snowcrash?

I didn't ask for the source. I was simply commenting on how it did not flow from the previous remark logically.

The reason it did not flow logically, is simply because it was used as yet another personal insult with a generic target that you've grown so fond of. No formal warning for those, eh? Still, it's a damn shame to waste Twain on forum insults.

~Ulrika~

Perhaps I am monocular. In the kingdom of the blind the one eyed man is king.

A hypocrite knowingly plays a part, pretends. For whatever reason, many people have broadened it's meaning.

It is a descriptor for the immoral act of pretending to hold a belief, when one really doesn't, generally to further an agenda. It (calling someone a hypocrite) doesn't fit the tu quoque fallacy too very well, if the term hypocrisy is used with its true meaning in mind.

Tu quoque, as I understand it, does not apply in this case, because hypocrisy is deliberate and conscious false pretense.

I could have said last spring that I hated chocolate shakes, then say that I love them now in response to someone else saying they hate them. Then that someone might call me wrong because of my previous statement. That is tu quoque, because I am not necessarily pretending to like chocolate shakes now.

Although I had to study logical fallacies, I am not a big fan of invoking them, because there are literally scores of them. We would be hard pressed to have any meaningful dialogue if we were to apply them all consistently. And what is one without the rest, if we are going to play that way?

Generally, I find their use in informal venues such as forums somewhat ironic, because many times, people invoke logical fallacies due to the same reasoning they accuse their opponent of employing - to shut them down.

Finally, remember, not all of us took those courses, so expecting everyone to follow the logic taught some of us is fairly unreasonable, and many times perceived as snobbish. To clarify, I am not calling you a snob Ulrika. I am referring to the reactions I personally received, when I used to invoke logical fallacies with my RL friends, family, and coworkers. Which has a lot to do with why I generally don't use them (as well as the reasons outlined above), especially online.

I know I am not a bully, and I know I am not a hypocrite, so does that make me a know-it-all?
Or does not knowing that not make me one after all?