Experimenting with the SL community - should this be allowed?

No, Blaze. When more than one person agrees on something it's because they all independantly, as individuals, have a common opinion of something. It isn't because one person came up with it and the others are following along like sheep.

Who's we? You and yourself?

we is shorthand. I'm speculating on why Prok's name tends to come up in these kinds of discussions. Obviously I can only speak for my own reasons.

Oh, and "duh!"

We is shorthand for I? Interesting..

I realize you're purposely being obtuse to try and bolster your point but you're only succeeding in looking ignorant. If there's even one other person (which I've no doubt there are many) that bring up Prok's name in threads like this for similar reasons than saying "we" is perfectly justified. It has absolutely nothing to do with "group think." Nice try though.

Hmmm. My first reaction when I read your post a moment ago, Chip, was to say, "Who you mean 'we,' Kimosabe?"

coco

Well, chip, we'd just like to say that we think you're completely wrong.

It was sloppy writing That doesn't make it have anything to do with group think, however.

No, but you invoke it, and skillfully make it appear rational in doing so.

No doubt fellow members of the group think will quickly chime in here and toe the party line.

You and all your alts?

Hey, just a quick question Chip.. you did know that appeal to popularity was a logical fallacy, right?

Hey Blaze, just a quick question... you did know that attributing motives to others they don't actually have in order to bolster a weak argument is a straw man, right?

ooo this is just like playing propaganda in high school!

I think the reason that line of thought has been disputed is that the very things that you cited as examples are all part of life in the forums, and to deny them or act indignant about them is often met with derision because it is rather silly. The forums are a unique medium, though most forums share some similarities. It is why parody sites have been able to create lists of forum personality types - it seems that most people end up playing some sort of a role naturally.

Forums are part information resource, part soap box, part sand box, part soap opera, part Greek tragedy, part civil debate, part verbal fencing match, part mental masturbation, and many other things. Their semi-real time nature is unique, which allows us to write out our thoughts into long posts, but still have the immediacy of something like IMs, while being able to address entire groups of people at once.

When people try to define what a forum should be, or how others should act, they themselves are taking on a particular role in the forum cycle, a role that is scorned by many (the role of nanny, tattle tale, martyr, etc.) . Second Life's forums are not particularly worse than any other (try the World of Warcraft forums sometime). We do have a higher calibur of participant than many forums, in terms of intelligence and eloquence, and with such a large creative community, you find people are often on the high end of the passion spectrum when it comes to issues. We also have a lot of very distinctive personalities - people's personalities come through very clearly in the forums in some cases because of the ability to write so much - and those personalities often clash.

For every one person whose only intelligent response is going to be "fuck you", this forum is filled with 20 people who could say the same thing in ways that are so eloquent it would make you say thank you for the compliment they just gave you. That is a double edged sword though - people with that skill can also go straight for the jugular and be quite vicious if left unchecked.

So while "civil discussion" seems like a reasonable goal in forums, it is often like trying to meet the person you want to spend your life with at a bar. Every once in awhile it can certainly happen, but it is not really the right venue to expect it.

In case you missed it, I just thought I would point out that although Chip did not use the word hyperbole, he did use the important keywords of OBTUSE and IGNORANT. Thus, he is my alt. Carry on.

I was walking my dogs last night when I noticed a box in the grass. It was from some big toy but was obviously opened and used for another purpose. As I got closer, I saw a bright orange sticker on it from the Garbage People with the words "Dead Cat" on it. The first thing that came to my mind was Schroedinger's Cat and that if I didn't look in the box I wouldn't know if the cat was dead, but then I smelled it and said, well duh, that is definitely a dead cat.

Sorry if this is offensive to anyone, I am sadden by the death of the cat, but still found the box thing interesting.

Sorry blake for hijacking your thread.


A proud member of PIC = Petgirl Inner Core
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*Cough*

I'm sure it was a typo or something, but I can't figure out if this is a complaint or compliment and I've re-read it thrice. Not that it much matters as I think Blaze and I have an implicit understanding that I will poke fun at his statements and he'll retort and, so far as I can tell, we're both cool with this.

But I *am* curious.

Oh whoops - did I have an initial post ? I meant BLAZE'S post. The paragraph I quoted. How easy it is to be misunderstood.

Stranger and stranger, Jauani. I just found time to check, and indeed there is no initial post of mine. The one you quote was my first in this thread.

Is this a case of mistaken identity ? Or have I annoyed you in some way in the past ?

For me this is just a debating forum, and about issues and not personalities, Jauani. If I have upset you, then it was accidental, and I apologise.

Hi I'm just chimming in here to toe the party line and bump this thread about hamsters.

Of course, because you are FIC Ingrid! And Aimee would expel you if you did not mention the hamster issue.

Sorry for the delayed response to your post, Cris. I have a lot of thoughts requiring a more in depth response than time allows at the moment, but I'd like to comment on one aspect since the thread has been bumped back up. I often see posts which explain that these forums are like others and in fact not as bad as some in other games. The example you cited here is WOW, which coincidently a friend referred to playing WOW with a 12 year old in a conversation last. So often posters comparing their experiences in other games are told something along the line of "The door to TSO is down the hall and on the left." SL is a different platform, why doesn't that hope or expectation for a different level of behavior exist for forum participation exist as well?
As to your bar scenario, I don't go to an entertainment venue be it a bar or SL looking for someone to spend my life with (or even the night with). I seem to be able to enjoy a conversation or discussion with new people pretty much every where I go. Except here. I think it would be more apt to describe the bar experience as going to what you heard was the latest cutting edge entertainment venue, called Teh Geek Chic, and finding yourself in the middle of a Chuck E. Cheese.

I used to read the TSO forums some times. Now that's Chuck E. Cheese. I actually enjoy the debate and the heated arguments that happen here. I would much prefer reading that than insipid, sachrine babble.

Threads get a bit out of hand some times but the people who chose to engage in them do so because they want to. Arguing and stirring up drama is part of some people's second lives. So really who are we to judge?

no need to apologize ellie. i probably have no idea what is going on.