Inmate Central

Thread hi-jacking is a popular sport...

198.54.202.226

In Reply to: RE: Am I an easy target? posted by double28 on May 13, 2008 at 05:53:31

... and is, unfortunately, practised all too frequently.

Once upon a twice, while still frequenting that "hostile firezone" that is 'rec.audio.opinion' (aka RAO), I analysed one thread and plotted an ASCII chart of the multiple hi-jackings - it resembled a diagram of the human bloodstream....

Thread hi-jacking is understandable at one level - we are all different and our thought-processes differ due to variances in age, environment, personality(ies), state-of-mind, etc. As long as it remains benign, it can be quite entertaining and educational to watch the ebb and flow of divergent logic....

When, however, it ceases to be benign and crosses the boundary into being unpleasant and personal, then that's a whole new ballgame...

Another factor is the tendency to post comments that one would be too shit-scared to say in any face-to-face encounter - it's all too easy to hide behind the anonymity of a moniker and really take vicious personal pot-shots at people who have no opportunity to come round and beat the living crap out of you. RAO was infamous for the degree to which people would "play the man and not the ball" (to use a rugby analogy) and this process often strayed over into the territory of 'defamation of character'.

One really has three options when this happens:

1) Vote with your feet and piss off somewhere less hostile
2) Respond in kind (which is just what these types are looking for)
3) Ignore any posts that fall into this category

For me, 1) is a bit like "cutting off your own nose to spite someone else's face" which is not the most logical option.

And 2) is too much like providing some asshole with the satisfaction he most certainly does not deserve.

Which leaves option 3)...

Whether 3) constitutes being 'thick-skinned' or being 'mature' is altogether another debate....

:-)

DevillEars

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