I have an opinion, so sue me

Yeah, a mini rant. I swore to myself I would never do this, but I'm quite frankly really bloody irritated.

See, there was a thread which will remain nameless because I don't want Jeska to swoop in and lock this one, where someone was asking wether an activity was ethical or unethical. Now there was a lot of arguing and both sides were about as big as the other, so obviously it was not a cut and dry thing where a minority of people are just jerks and think they should be able to do that activity. (and no lets not discuss the actual subject matter for those who know what I'm referring to, been there, done that, dont want this thread to become a fragfest as well).

So far, since posting my opinion and arguing why I think it's a valid one, I have been personally attacked, my character and morality have been questioned, in fact I've been told I have no morality. Not only that but I was warned for defending myself against the insults, which in itself was fair enough. I don't regret doing what I did, even if I did get a warning for it, I don't like people questioning my morality: mine is just as valid as everyone else's.

I've also received IMs in game, and I won't name names, they know who they are. I've been told that "because of people like me" for one person there was no First Land available when they were a newbie. "People like me". I've been "smug" and "confident" that I was right, I've brushed other opinions aside. See from where I was sitting I was asked my opinion and I joined in the debate about why what I thought was right. That's what everyone else was doing.

I found this very ironic since I myself had to wait on First Land to become available again. I'll tell you even more, two plots of land in Menophra were bought by what I can only assume were alt accounts out to make a quick buck, and because I wanted to preserve the land despite the people who exploit it out there, I shelled out $50 of my hard earned RL CASH (and I'm on a very meager disability income) to get the 6500 linden dollars to buy these plots and turn them into a community hangout on the beach at Menophra, and at one time I had 10 people hanging out there, on the land I BOUGHT with my own cold cash, for the First Land newbies, and the community, and to keep things friendly and nice.

Then I was attacked in that thread, and fought back, because I'm a pissy little lady sometimes, and I get like that, sue me, I don't like people attacking others for their opinion. Then I log in to find all sorts of accusations flung at my head, all sorts of FALSE accusations by people who obviously didn't even bother to bloody well even really read what I said OR check their bloody facts, which just makes it even more of an indignity.

So wtf is this? That because I offered and debated my opinion in a thread this means people can launch into personal attacks on my character, my morality, and imply I'm some money brokering landshark waiting to pounce on the poor newbies and take them for everything they've got? Is this really an adult community, because I wish I was a teen right now, from what Armath Severine has said their community seems a far more mature crowd.

Is it mature, or adult behaviour, to harass people for posting their opinion on the forums, or saying it in game, when asked? Is this really how people here treat eachother? Just tell me yes, and ffs, I will leave and never return (and most folk will probably be glad to have my sardonic ass gone) because I naively thought there was at least some grain of civility on here, even if it was often thinly veiled.

And the next time anyone who reads this wants to launch into personal attacks on someone for posting their opinion on here, you better think twice, because the next time someone else disagrees with you, you might be the one on the wrong end of the harassment stick.

You know where I come they teach us in schools that you don't attack people for their opinions, and if you're in a debate you attack the other person's points, not them personally. So why does it seem that so many people in SL seem to have somehow missed that class? And no, it is NEVER okay to harass someone for offering their opinion, least of all when there are whole crowds arguing about two sides of a thing, and when the debate was ASKED FOR.

Don't even think for a minute that this is about First Land, or even me. This is my questioning the ability of this community to tolerate other people's opinions. I don't go around harassing other people for theirs, I expect the same courtesy from others. After all, aren't we all adults here? ... Well, I thought we were anyway.

End Rant.

Unfortunately, Emma, civility is dead. Don't let it get you down.

Any hope for common decency and baseline of respect for one another? Or should I just quit while I'm ahead?

The problem is, on these here forums, is when someone gets a bee in their bonnet, they cannot stfu about it, ever, they take it as a personal mission to follow around the person they have a gripe with IW and on the Forums and try and be little them, most of the time, they just make themselves look like a loud mouthed asshat.

This is why I don't post seriuosly much, I have way more fun just annoying ppl with my sarcastic sense of humour than blatant asshattery.

Don't give up Emma, you seem like a really cool person, I love reading your posts

I'd just like to say that I've seen the IMs that my girly recieved, and the person who sent them is a witless buffoon.

Understand someone's view before insulting it. kthxbai

I have discovered that the only more annoying thing than people attacking other people are people who care that they're being attacked.

If your looking for honesty, there will always be heated debates/arguments on these forums. That's what you get when you have a bunch of people with different points of views on the forums. Not saying any kind of forum harrassment is right but it is what it is (feels like i've said this before). Anyways, I'm not telling you to leave, that's ultimately your decision.

Don't give up, but do keep cool.

That's my mantra, Gabe!

There is absolutely nothing wrong with heated debates or arguments, but I think that there is a line in there that shouldn't be crossed, a line where you launch from debate and argument (attacking eachother's points and arguments) into personal attacks.

Personal attacks have no place in a proper debate. I know they'll happen anyway, but that sure as hell doesn't make it right to attack someone for disagreeing.

This thread won't end well.

It won't, but I'm currently beyond caring.

Besides, what thread posted in General does end well? Hell, I don't expect this one to be an exception.

I believe I agreed its not right. You asked a question and I felt I answered it with my point of view. Calm down.

I expect not, but there's always that small chance of making a difference. I'm glad you posted, Emma, and hope you stay. But I completely understand if you choose not to. If you do, stay cool, like Gabe said.

She is "calm". How did you get the impression she wasn't?

Its hard to tell with text sometimes as I've experienced alot. I got that impression because she quoted me and ranted some more with how personal attacks are wrong and I hadn't said they were right. I apologize if I got the wrong impression and please don't take the comment "Calm Down" as a personal attack or crossing the line.

I just have to chime in here and say I have an opinion also. I've been thinking a lot about this subject, and I just have to say that some of the people who posted in some of the other threads that this might be referring to were out of line. Other people were completely within their rights to express their feelings, but I don't agree with all of them. Only some of them.

There were other people who didn't post anything, but only read those other threads, and might even be reading this one. I disagree with some of them too. Some of them I agree with. It is difficult to explain which group I agree with because neither group posted anything, so I just have to go with my gut.

In any event, I would just like to express my support for some people and my disgust with others. I mean really, some of those people are just plain wrong. Others are completely correct. I just want to make myself perfectly clear about this.

So that's about all I am going to say about this, I think I may have said too much already.

Buster

Yup, I was just explaining my point of view, I didn't mean to come across as hostile. (I certainly wasn't feeling hostile when I wrote my reply O_o)

I thnk the problem is someone's interpretation of "the line" is different from someone else's. I just try not to take any of it too personally.



I'm confused by this comment. Is it meant to incite someone? What does it specifically have to do with the thread topic? I am just curious.

Welcome to the SL forums. Have a nice day.

I agree very much with what April said... try not to take any of it too seriously. Heated debates here tend to come with a heaping side order of hyperbole. Just try and keep it in perspective. Whatever anyone says to you here it's just words, and just opinion at that... the traumatic equivelant of getting hit over the head with a nerf bat. Annoying but mostly harmless. No one's going to lose an eye.

Another thing to keep in mind is that there are plots and subplots here... heavyweight matchups between warring camps that stretch beyond single threads. You'll get to know what they are and who they involve after a while. You can think of it as a bit of SL's narrative, since it doesn't really have one. Sometimes when you get too close you'll take some collateral damage... and that makes it mean even less. That's like a nerfbat in the head from someone that was actually swinging at someone else.

People may cast aspersions on the moral fortitude of each other's mothers in one thread and completely have each other's backs in another... ergo, it's all pretty harmless. Almost never worth a grudge. Those who do have people with grudges against them worked pretty hard to get them

Damn your good. I should have voted for you..for the next forum monarch

Jeez, Buster - My thoughts exactly

http://www.penny-arcade.com/view.php?date=2004-03-19

Nuff said.

You owe me a keyboard and Anheuser Busch a beer.