REAL WORLD EVENT DISCUSSIONS

New RWED Feature: IgnoRaptor (TM)

POSTED BY: KWICKO
UPDATED: Thursday, February 18, 2010 11:16
SHORT URL:
VIEWED: 1542
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Wednesday, February 17, 2010 2:39 PM

KWICKO

"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." -- William Casey, Reagan's presidential campaign manager & CIA Director (from first staff meeting in 1981)


Some of us on RWED are trying out a new feature to deal with pernicious trolls.

Here's the gist of it, as I posted elsewhere:

Quote:


I laid out a scenario with Niki, by which we could just collectively start our own "ignore" feature, and simply refuse to even acknowledge the troll. Not "refuse to engage" or "refuse to argue" or "refuse to be drawn into his name-calling", but REFUSE TO EVEN ACKNOWLEDGE THAT HE'S HERE OR THAT HE POSTED ANYTHING. We just carry on with the conversation like he never even said a word.

Just a thought. But I think we'd have to get a whole bunch of people signed on for it to work.

Otherwise, just keep snarking the living shit out of every single thing the troll posts in RWED. Or in any of the other areas, for that matter.




If it sounds like something you'd like to try, then welcome aboard, jump on in, the water's fine, and all that good stuff. :)

Basically, when the troll in question tries to jump in with his BS, the conversation just kinda goes, "Hey, did you hear something? A little whine or buzz? Oh, well...

S'wenyways, what were we talking about? Oh yeah..."

... and then back to your regularly-scheduled debate.

It's an idea. It's not any kind of "ban" on anyone, unless it's a "self-banning" - banning ourselves from engaging with him.

As The Apathy Coalition says: Join us. Or don't. Whatever.


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Wednesday, February 17, 2010 2:46 PM

GINOBIFFARONI


Remember this is more environmentally friendly that fumigating.....







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Wednesday, February 17, 2010 2:53 PM

SIGNYM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.


Did Billy Mays spray himself, then?

yeah, I know... not funny. Sorry guys.

Kwicko, I won't even be bothered to acknowledge egregiously silly posts. I'm doing my own form of "ignore", and that really IS to ignore!

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Wednesday, February 17, 2010 3:44 PM

KWICKO

"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." -- William Casey, Reagan's presidential campaign manager & CIA Director (from first staff meeting in 1981)


Quote:

Originally posted by GinoBiffaroni:
Remember this is more environmentally friendly that fumigating.....












Mike

Work is the curse of the Drinking Class.
- Oscar Wilde

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Wednesday, February 17, 2010 3:45 PM

KWICKO

"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." -- William Casey, Reagan's presidential campaign manager & CIA Director (from first staff meeting in 1981)


Quote:

Originally posted by SignyM:
Did Billy Mays spray himself, then?

yeah, I know... not funny. Sorry guys.

Kwicko, I won't even be bothered to acknowledge egregiously silly posts. I'm doing my own form of "ignore", and that really IS to ignore!




Ah, but my dear Signy, you DID just acknowledge an egregiously silly post - THIS one! :)

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Wednesday, February 17, 2010 3:48 PM

SIGNYM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.


Oh, but my standards for "egregiously" and "silly" are so very, very, very low.

Any BTW... that tombstone????

We're back to being even on the keyboards, Mikey! But you owe me a new chair. This one's wet!

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Wednesday, February 17, 2010 3:50 PM

CHRISISALL


Ummm... is this thread not 'RAPtorcentric?
To ignore is to, well, IGNORE.

But I like goofin' on him too, so, have at it!


The laughing Chrisisall

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Wednesday, February 17, 2010 3:54 PM

PIZMOBEACH

... fully loaded, safety off...


I have cash money that neither you nor Niki (especially Niki!) could ignore the Rapster.

Scifi movie music + Firefly dialogue clips, 24 hours a day - http://www.scifiradio.com

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Wednesday, February 17, 2010 4:23 PM

FREMDFIRMA



Rather pointless without a complete failure-to-acknowledge, something ya don't seem constitutionally (pun intended) capable of.

The freedom to associate comes also with the freedom to NOT associate, and much like the right to remain silent, it'd be nice if more folk exercised it once in a while...

-F

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Wednesday, February 17, 2010 4:26 PM

CHRISISALL


Quote:

Originally posted by Fremdfirma:

Rather pointless without a complete failure-to-acknowledge, something ya don't seem constitutionally (pun intended) capable of.


We must plead guilty as charged.


The laughing Chrisisall

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Wednesday, February 17, 2010 4:30 PM

KWICKO

"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." -- William Casey, Reagan's presidential campaign manager & CIA Director (from first staff meeting in 1981)


Quote:

Originally posted by chrisisall:
Quote:

Originally posted by Fremdfirma:

Rather pointless without a complete failure-to-acknowledge, something ya don't seem constitutionally (pun intended) capable of.


We must plead guilty as charged.


The laughing Chrisisall



"We"? I'm pleading the fifth! Okay, maybe not the whole fifth; maybe just a pint. ;)

Mike

Work is the curse of the Drinking Class.
- Oscar Wilde

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Wednesday, February 17, 2010 4:34 PM

CHRISISALL


Quote:

Originally posted by Kwicko:
Okay, maybe not the whole fifth; maybe just a pint. ;)


BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!


The laughing Chrisisall

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Wednesday, February 17, 2010 4:44 PM

CHRISISALL


Quote:

Originally posted by pizmobeach:
I have cash{y} money that neither you nor Niki (especially Niki!) could ignore the Rapster.

SHOW ME THE MONEY!


The laughing Chrisisall

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Wednesday, February 17, 2010 5:11 PM

AURAPTOR

America loves a winner!


Cowards can ignore the facts, but that won't make them go away.

Or me.

It's amazing how childish a bunch of "adults" will become, just to avoid admitting they're wrong.



Director: Bureau of Bigfoot Affairs

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Wednesday, February 17, 2010 6:29 PM

TRAVELER


We have always had the right to ignor someone. If people reply to me in a civil manner and I feel I need to reply back, I will.

I think if you are heading towards insults it is time to call a halt. When I have to go twenty posts up to see a post on the original subject then I consider the thread dead.


http://www.imdb.com/mymovies/list?l=28764731
Traveler

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Wednesday, February 17, 2010 11:07 PM

GINOBIFFARONI


Did somebody say evolution ?








Either you Are with the terrorists, or ... you Are with the terrorists

Life is like a jar of Jalapeño peppers.
What you do today, might Burn Your Ass Tomorrow"

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Thursday, February 18, 2010 2:59 AM

KWICKO

"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." -- William Casey, Reagan's presidential campaign manager & CIA Director (from first staff meeting in 1981)


That outdoes Hitler singing the Jeffersons theme, Gino. I bow to you.

Now I have to go get a new keyboard!

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Thursday, February 18, 2010 3:43 AM

JONGSSTRAW


Quote:

Originally posted by Kwicko:
That outdoes Hitler singing the Jeffersons theme, Gino. I bow to you.

Now I have to go get a new keyboard!



It's very disappointing to see the RWED revert back to its' ugly former state. I would not have believed that AURaptor's return would have such a powerfully negative effect on the group here. You guys should reconsider the situation and how you're handling it. The most prolific and outspoken Conservative is back, giving you an opportunity to debate and spar with him on issues. Isn't that really why you're here in the first place? If all you wanted to do was mock and disdain Conservatives, you could easily be posting on Huffington, or some other place that's "safe" from any opposing views. I find myself in somewhat of an awkward position these days. Rap, Kirk, & Wulf think I'm playing "kumbaya" with you Liberals so I will not be treated badly. Although that never concerned me in the past, they are right to a degree. I do want to find areas of agreement, I like finding out how you Liberals think, but I will never get into personal insults and attacks. I hope the "AURaptor Effect" does not permanently poison this forum.

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Thursday, February 18, 2010 6:26 AM

RUE

I have a vote and I'm not afraid to use it!


"The most prolific and outspoken Conservative is back, giving you an opportunity to debate and spar with him on issues."

Debate ? Not so much. How many time have people brought up facts, attempted to discuss the issues, asked questions at length - only to be met with RapFacts™, faulty logic, propagandizing, personal insult, thread-jacking - anything, ANYTHING EXCEPT real debate.

Perhaps you missed the most recent example I gave to Wulf, so here it is again.

In an effort to show that we libruls are all Obama worshippers and sheeple Rap wondered why there were no MASSIVE protests against Iraq and Afghanistan like there were under Bush. I brought in figures that showed that Iraq was going in the right direction in terms of troop draw-down, and said that there NEVER were MASSIVE protests against Afghanistan. Rap came back and said there were PLENTY of protests against Afghanistan and he never posted MASSIVE. So I 'cut and paste' quoted him - using his exact words. He then went on to say I was misquoting and, later, demanded ! (no less) an apology for that misquoting. Then claimed that I hated puppies like a typical librul.

So, you tell me, what - or should I say who - went wrong in that discussion ?

***************************************************************

Silence is consent.

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Thursday, February 18, 2010 6:28 AM

SIGNYM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.


Quote:

The most prolific and outspoken Conservative is back, giving you an opportunity to debate and spar with him on issues. Isn't that really why you're here in the first place?
See, Jongsstraw, that's the problem with Rappy. He DOESN'T debate. Debate is a two-way street. That's what WE'RE here for.

Rappy is a different story: He's here to bring the Word of Limbaugh to the Heathens. It's hard to explain, even harder to understand the problem unless you've engaged it many times (as I have), trying to get a more productive place with him. Been there, done that. But unless Rappy has fundamentally changed... which I seriously doubt, since he's shown no inclination to change or grow (because he will NEVER admit he might have been wrong!) ... any attempted conversation with him will be an exercise in futility.

ETA: I'll give you an example, as Rue has done. Rappy insisted Bush cutting taxes increased Federal revenues. But even a CHART of Federal revenues, from the Eisenhower era all the way through today which showed NO SUCH THING, couldn't dislodge that particular fantasy from his brain.

Rappy is a fool, and a poor deluded one at that. Most of us recognize that. I would no more debate him than I would debate the crazy guy standing on the streetcorner shouting gibberish at passersby.

OTOH, I don't feel that he deserves to be pointedly shunned. I simply refuse to respond to him. So, until Rappy decides to come forward and think like a real boy, I'm afraid the whole conservative end of the spectrum is on your shoulders.

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Thursday, February 18, 2010 7:03 AM

STORYMARK


I'm down with the ignore club - but I think we're already creating a new problem here.

Ignoring is one thing, but starting a thread dedicated to it is just feeding his misguided ego.

Even all the little "did you hear something" jokes should probably be curtailed. By posting those, we're still recognizing him, thus feeding the troll - but by not actually responding we're allowing him to throw his brand of BS out there unchallenged.

I say we either commit to ignoring him - or just go back to the "hit 'im with both barrels" approach.

"I thoroughly disapprove of duels. If a man should challenge me, I would take him kindly and forgivingly by the hand and lead him to a quiet place and kill him."

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Thursday, February 18, 2010 7:06 AM

JONGSSTRAW


Rue, SignyM...you've both made compelling points on how you feel about this situation. Frankly I have to agree. Folks on both sides of issues typically believe what they hear from people and sources they think they can trust. And many times they hold those "truths" to be absolute. What I've learned here in RWED is that my viewpoints are really just byproducts of my own tendencies being validated by news pundits and sources that I find agreement with in the first place. Then I hear the opposide side, again based on "truths" held by opposing views, and somewhere in the middle lies the truth. Or in some cases, things I've taken as canon turn out to be false or mis-represented as fact. I do not understand why some folks cannot see that, and why it is so hard for some to admit they were wrong. Hell, half my life these days seems to revolve around me apologizing for something, or admitting I was wrong about something. I don't have that old cockyness of "facts", nor the feeling of moral superiority that I once had. I'm not ashamed to say that there are posters here that are smarter than me, and have knowledge of things I never even knew existed. It can be a humbling experience sometimes to realize that you are not all so wise.

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Thursday, February 18, 2010 7:19 AM

RUE

I have a vote and I'm not afraid to use it!


"Then I hear the opposite side, again based on "truths" held by opposing views, and somewhere in the middle lies the truth."

That's not necessarily true. It's also how people can get 'triangulated' into falsehoods.

We live in a real, physical world, and there is such as thing as real facts. 2+2 will always be = 4, no matter how many people dispute it.

There are limits to knowledge of course. The further back in HUMAN history one goes, the less certain one becomes of particulars. That's b/c, as they say, history is written by the victors. And since one can't go back in time, rearrange events, and test alternative scenarios, causes and effects may be diffcult to unabiguously assign.

But there should be no huge debate about things which are evident - Federal revenues for example, or specific words posted on RWE.

***************************************************************

Silence is consent.

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Thursday, February 18, 2010 7:41 AM

STORYMARK


Quote:

Originally posted by rue:
"Then I hear the opposite side, again based on "truths" held by opposing views, and somewhere in the middle lies the truth."

That's not necessarily true. It's also how people can get 'triangulated' into falsehoods.

We live in a real, physical world, and there is such as thing as real facts. 2+2 will always be = 4, no matter how many people dispute it.



Yup. If someone is going to continue to insist that up is down, there's never going to be a middle ground.

"I thoroughly disapprove of duels. If a man should challenge me, I would take him kindly and forgivingly by the hand and lead him to a quiet place and kill him."

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Thursday, February 18, 2010 7:58 AM

AURAPTOR

America loves a winner!




I'm in your homes and in your heads, and clearly.... I DO have the right.





Director: Bureau of Bigfoot Affairs

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Thursday, February 18, 2010 8:08 AM

SIGNYM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.


Jongsstraw, if it makes you feel any better... I live most of my life with people who are ALWAYS three steps ahead. Spoke out in groups where everyone looked at me with a combination of pity, indulgence, and embarassment... and I squirmed inside. Been thru many times when what I felt most passionately about... I learned was misinformed. People all around me say shockingly insightful things, as if Well, everybody knows that! And I wonder... gee... How come everyone is so smart except ME?

Sigh.

Well, I go with the best I got.

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Thursday, February 18, 2010 8:25 AM

RUE

I have a vote and I'm not afraid to use it!


And I'm always two steps and at least two decades behind SignyM - who is close me age-wise.

Well, at least I'm always learning new things !

***************************************************************

Silence is consent.

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Thursday, February 18, 2010 8:28 AM

KWICKO

"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." -- William Casey, Reagan's presidential campaign manager & CIA Director (from first staff meeting in 1981)


Quote:

Originally posted by Storymark:
Quote:

Originally posted by rue:
"Then I hear the opposite side, again based on "truths" held by opposing views, and somewhere in the middle lies the truth."

That's not necessarily true. It's also how people can get 'triangulated' into falsehoods.

We live in a real, physical world, and there is such as thing as real facts. 2+2 will always be = 4, no matter how many people dispute it.



Yup. If someone is going to continue to insist that up is down, there's never going to be a middle ground.

"I thoroughly disapprove of duels. If a man should challenge me, I would take him kindly and forgivingly by the hand and lead him to a quiet place and kill him."



Bingo. When you're talking to somebody who will claim that 95% of Americans pay no taxes at all, and will CONTINUE to claim that in the face of all logic, facts, figures, reports, etc., then there isn't much room for discussion.

And when that same person comes back more than a year later claiming, "Yup, I sure won that argument; I showed you all!" - well, there's not much left to say, except to look at said person, twirl your finger around your ear, and make the cuckoo sound at them, because they clearly are not living in the real 'verse.

I can engage with conservatives and have substantive conversations. They're entitled to their own opinions; they AREN'T entitled to their own facts.

How do you even begin to try to have a rational discussion with someone who fervently believes, for instance, that Obama is an avowed socialist who is determined to destroy this country, and then cites as proof the government giveaways to Wall Street and the auto and insurance industries? Where does THAT conversation start?

Mike

Work is the curse of the Drinking Class.
- Oscar Wilde

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Thursday, February 18, 2010 8:28 AM

NIKI2

Gettin' old, but still a hippie at heart...


Late, as usual (ran the huskies by bike up on “Crown Road”, a lovely, loooong fire road about halfway up the foothills; totally socked in, absolutely gorgeous, so worth being late for!). So, by the numbers:

Yes, Chris, you could call the thread “Raptocentral”, but I’m glad he put it up. It’s a way of informing everyone, and giving people the option of joining us, ignoring, or responding. I think that’s fair. And, unlike the other thread put up by someone complaining about treatment, hopefully it won’t go on forever as a firestorm, like that one did.

Pizmo, you won’t even get a bet from me. I have no intention of “ignoring” as you see it; for me, hearing a whisper on the wind is my way of fighting back, of keeping myself from responding as sometimes I feel provoked to do, so it works for me. Everyone has their own way of dealing with the situation.

Same to Frem; it’s everyone’s choice how they deal with things like this, and that’s ours. I don’t see anything wrong with it, and find it FAR better than trying to engage. I also plead guilty, quite freely, but it’s a method that works for me, and lets me have a bit of fun at the same time.

Traveler, you just explained the whole thing:
Quote:

I think if you are heading towards insults it is time to call a halt. When I have to go twenty posts up to see a post on the original subject then I consider the thread dead.
I, too, was sick to death of scrolling up to find the “real” posts, and of seeing things degenerate into flame wars simply because someone had jumped into the middle of a thread and jacked it into nastiness back and forth.

JS, yes, I was surprised at the effect as well. I found it interesting that someone returned almost immediately after their name was mentioned, which leads me to think they’ve been lurking since having left previously. I didn’t think much of it and even tried to engage and take each post for itself, as I try to do. I quickly learned that the purpose is just to provoke, and at first I was provoked, but now that I get the modus operandi, this works for me.

As for “prolific Conservative”, I don’t believe that’s true. We have Conservatives—not as many as I’d like, but I try to engage them and have honest debates with them and always will. That’s impossible in this case; it took me a while to learn that, but I did. I don’t “mock and disdain” anyone who makes good points and engages in civil debates—even some who aren’t quite “civil” by my standards. Sometimes I even AGREE with PN or Wulf, and I find both to be diametrically opposed to my point of view. I’ve never gone to the point of needing to ignore someone this way—but then the previous board I was on had an “ignore” feature, which made that easier. In this particular case, I have seen over and over how the person pops into a thread and says something outrageous, then when responded to, gets nasty and away we go (see response to JS above). I don’t want to be involved in that, and from what I heard from others, it is something which made this an unpleasant place to be. For people like Mike and I, and anyone who joins us, it is a way of not letting ourselves be provoked into actually responding, and at the same time recognizing that there is someone here who does not want to debate. There IS no chance of debating, as others below have said and provided examples of. The pattern is so consistently transparent, yet it took me a long time to spot it.

Sig, I don’t even think it’s a matter of bringing Limbaugh to the heathens. I honestly believe this person has one purpose and one purpose only; to make outrageous statements in order to provoke response, then to go on and wrap the thread around themselves as much as possible by responding with ugly taunts. Thing like calling Cheney the best VP we’ve ever had is so obvious, and so begging for a retort, that I can’t know WHAT the person actually believes, only that they wish to start a fight.



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Thursday, February 18, 2010 8:39 AM

NIKI2

Gettin' old, but still a hippie at heart...


Story; I refuse to do the “hit him with both barrels” tactic; it just starts the very flame wars we are trying to curtail. And ignoring completely makes no difference, they will continue no matter what we do. Our way of making fun of the efforts can also serve as a way of saying “this person may not be serious”, so anyone who might come in has the opportunity to look for themselves and, perhaps, recognize the tactic he is using, rather than think it’s an honest debate and become engaged. Everyone’s free to do as they please; if this person is free to jack threads and turn the attention onto himself by less than pleasant means, and attempt to provoke for the same reason, we are free to mock them. I don’t do this with anyone else and don’t intend to; this is such an egregious engagement in the forum, FAR worse than either PN, Wulf, or even Anti, that Mike and I and anyone else who joins us have found our own way of dealing with it.

JS, I’ve never felt “morally superior” to people here, or elsewhere. I have learned a ton...not just by reading what others post, but by seeking out information to back up my claims, and in some cases learning the exact opposite is true. I don’t think my views are the result of anything but my feelings and what I learn along the way, and they’ve changed again and again on various issues. I DEFINITELY feel there are more well-read and informed people here than I, and say so. I have also agreed with part of someone posts and disagreed with others, and when I have made a mistake, have no problem apologizing—at least I believe that, as I attempt to be that way. I don’t know about any of us being “smarter” than you or each other, but there is a vast difference between how “informed” we all are, and I recognize that easily. I also recognize that I have a temper and can be provoked into responding, which in this case merely acts as fodder to create what the person wished to create in the first place. I will always respect people as best I can and try to respond to their posts fairly, but it helps me recognize I’m being provoked, and NOT respond, when I remind myself of what this person’s aim is and allow myself to respond in the fashion we have chosen. Surely that is better than the nasty name calling that will always take place here?

That’s it for me. Basically I’m saying “I recognize a problem, I don’t want to be drawn in yet I know I am in danger of same, so for me, this works”. Aren’t we all free to deal with things in our own fashion? We’re not attacking anyone or being nasty, we’re using a method that keeps us from responding and potentially getting others engaged in the flame wars this person wants to create, so I don’t see that anyone should have any problem with that. Given the person in question is free to do what THEY want, we’re free to do what we want to avoid engaging them. No apologies here, I’m taking care of myself.

Ah, I see that hot wind passed by again as I was writing this; I think what it had to say explains my point perfectly. There is no "debate" or even "communication" possible, period, in my opinion.



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Thursday, February 18, 2010 8:41 AM

RUE

I have a vote and I'm not afraid to use it!


That 'hot wind' has the attitude of a rapist.

***************************************************************

Silence is consent.

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Thursday, February 18, 2010 8:48 AM

AURAPTOR

America loves a winner!


Quote:

Originally posted by Kwicko:

Bingo. When you're talking to somebody who will claim that 95% of Americans pay no taxes at all, and will CONTINUE to claim that in the face of all logic, facts, figures, reports, etc., then there isn't much room for discussion.



Only I never claimed that, sorry. If you're going to be so pathological in your distortions of points, my comments, merely because I have a different opinion from you.

Quote:


And when that same person comes back more than a year later claiming, "Yup, I sure won that argument; I showed you all!" - well, there's not much left to say, except to look at said person, twirl your finger around your ear, and make the cuckoo sound at them, because they clearly are not living in the real 'verse.

I absolutely am living in the same 'verse, it's just that you cannot fathom anyone else having their own opinion. I suspect, as some sort of coping mechanism, that you must invent and distort my position. You can't or won't debate me on the specifics, so you instaed attack me and my character, by " kookifying " my views.

Quote:


I can engage with conservatives and have substantive conversations. They're entitled to their own opinions; they AREN'T entitled to their own facts.

But obviously, you are ?


Quote:

How do you even begin to try to have a rational discussion with someone who fervently believes, for instance, that Obama is an avowed socialist who is determined to destroy this country, and then cites as proof the government giveaways to Wall Street and the auto and insurance industries? Where does THAT conversation start?


If you wanted an honest answer to that question, I'd be glad to give you one.



Director: Bureau of Bigfoot Affairs

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Thursday, February 18, 2010 8:48 AM

SIGNYM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.


I always thought it was more like a warm fart.

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Thursday, February 18, 2010 8:50 AM

STORYMARK


Quote:

Originally posted by Niki2:
Story; I refuse to do the “hit him with both barrels” tactic; it just starts the very flame wars we are trying to curtail. And ignoring completely makes no difference, they will continue no matter what we do. Our way of making fun of the efforts can also serve as a way of saying “this person may not be serious”, so anyone who might come in has the opportunity to look for themselves and, perhaps, recognize the tactic he is using, rather than think it’s an honest debate and become engaged.



i disagree. I think the mere fact of aknowledging his asinine posts with the jokes emboldens him. Better to just truely ignore him. He is the type driven by the attention - deprive him of it, and the appeal is gone - and hopefully the troll with it.

I understand not wanting to go the both barrels route, but ignoring without actually ignoring is still giving him what he craves, thus exasperating the problem.

"I thoroughly disapprove of duels. If a man should challenge me, I would take him kindly and forgivingly by the hand and lead him to a quiet place and kill him."

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Thursday, February 18, 2010 9:05 AM

AURAPTOR

America loves a winner!


Quote:

Originally posted by Storymark:

i disagree. I think the mere fact of aknowledging his asinine posts with the jokes emboldens him.

Not so much. Just makes those who do respond in such manner all the more petty.

Quote:

Better to just truely ignore him. He is the type driven by the attention - deprive him of it, and the appeal is gone - and hopefully the troll with it.
Only I'm not a troll, and it's plain that I've shown that to be the case. Actually, I'm driven by a free and open exchange of ideas. Crazy, huh?

Quote:

I understand not wanting to go the both barrels route, but ignoring without actually ignoring is still giving him what he craves, thus exasperating the problem.
Huh ? Here's an idea. Drop the B.S., man up and stop acting like a bunch of 7 year olds.



Director: Bureau of Bigfoot Affairs

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Thursday, February 18, 2010 9:12 AM

CHRISISALL


Quote:

Originally posted by GinoBiffaroni:
Did somebody say evolution ?





BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!
I peed my kilt on that one!!!


The REALLY laughing Chrisisall

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Thursday, February 18, 2010 9:14 AM

NIKI2

Gettin' old, but still a hippie at heart...


Well, sig, I thought at first it was an ass farting, then wondered if it was bull ing...

Story,
Quote:

I think the mere fact of aknowledging his asinine posts with the jokes emboldens him. Better to just truely ignore him. He is the type driven by the attention - deprive him of it, and the appeal is gone - and hopefully the troll with it.
We'll just have to agree to disagree; I don't think ignoring has any effect whatsoever, nor do I think IgnoRaptor will have any effect. I prefer the latter; my right.

That said, I'm not coming back to this thread, given any responses will encourage it to become lengthy and like that "other" thread we had so much trouble getting rid of. On to FAR more interesting and important things...

Oh, and yes; I forgot to mention it before, but the visual is GREAT; my second giggle of the morning, tho' that got closer to a guffaw! Many thanx.



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Thursday, February 18, 2010 9:21 AM

STORYMARK


Quote:

Originally posted by Niki2:


Story,
Quote:

I think the mere fact of aknowledging his asinine posts with the jokes emboldens him. Better to just truely ignore him. He is the type driven by the attention - deprive him of it, and the appeal is gone - and hopefully the troll with it.
We'll just have to agree to disagree; I don't think ignoring has any effect whatsoever, nor do I think IgnoRaptor will have any effect. I prefer the latter; my right.



As is it my right to say I think you're going to make it worse by feeding the troll. Attention whores loose interest when you don't give them attention.

if you want to continue doing so, that is as you say, your right. just don't be surprised when it does you no good.

Quote:

That said, I'm not coming back to this thread, given any responses will encourage it to become lengthy and like that "other" thread we had so much trouble getting rid of.


You wont ignore the troll, but you'll ignore the conversation over the merits.... ooooh-kay.



"I thoroughly disapprove of duels. If a man should challenge me, I would take him kindly and forgivingly by the hand and lead him to a quiet place and kill him."

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Thursday, February 18, 2010 9:30 AM

KWICKO

"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." -- William Casey, Reagan's presidential campaign manager & CIA Director (from first staff meeting in 1981)


Quote:

I don’t want to be involved in that, and from what I heard from others, it is something which made this an unpleasant place to be. For people like Mike and I, and anyone who joins us, it is a way of not letting ourselves be provoked into actually responding, and at the same time recognizing that there is someone here who does not want to debate. There IS no chance of debating, as others have said and provided examples of.




Niki, that sums it up quite nicely. I *DO* want to engage and debate, talk and argue, listen, speak, and learn. What I've discovered - ableit too slowly - is that when a certain few posters show up, that's all but impossible. Once it devolves into the ideological partisan flamewar, it's completely impossible for someone like me to have a productive discussion with someone like Jongsie, no matter how well we were doing before. Once it starts, everyone is more or less forced to pick a side, and nothing more will come of it but escalation.

So I'm electing to engage people like Jongs and RipWash, and even Wulfie, and I'll elect to NOT respond to some others. There's no point, and it alienates everybody else. What starts off as a little tit-for-tat flaming and snarking spreads until it starts to engulf and immolate the whole site.

Signy and I will have our differences, Niki and I will have some quite heated arguments, I'm sure - but both sides can still LISTEN, and DISCUSS. Jongsie and I will never see eye to eye on some things, but we can get to a place where we can look at each other across a table full of beers and say, honestly, "I can understand why you feel that way, but I disagree and DON'T feel that way."

And while it might be fun and a bit cathartic for me to unload both barrels at one or two posters around here, it isn't likely to raise the level of debate. And since those few have no interest in debating, but only in debasing, there's no point in my acknowledging them any further.

This thread was to point out the option to those who hadn't been part of the other discussions where it was hatched. That service has been fulfilled, and this will be my last post in this thread.

I'm on to more productive discussions.

Mike

Work is the curse of the Drinking Class.
- Oscar Wilde

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Thursday, February 18, 2010 9:32 AM

JONGSSTRAW


Quote:

Originally posted by SignyM:
Jongsstraw, if it makes you feel any better... I live most of my life with people who are ALWAYS three steps ahead. Spoke out in groups where everyone looked at me with a combination of pity, indulgence, and embarassment... and I squirmed inside. Been thru many times when what I felt most passionately about... I learned was misinformed. People all around me say shockingly insightful things, as if Well, everybody knows that! And I wonder... gee... How come everyone is so smart except ME?

Sigh.

Well, I go with the best I got.



Signy, you've got more going on than most. I wouldn't sigh too deeply if I was you.

Sometimes I like being a dummy. Dumb is safe. There's just a lot of stuff out there I don't wanna know about..period. It's either too painful to think about, or too ideologically abhorrent for me to ponder, or too complicated for me to discuss intelligently. I've never been an "A" or "A+" type person. I always hovered around a B-. Classic under-acheiver, but very comfortable and content with what I have and know. You guys open up a much larger and complicated world for me. It can be intimidating sometimes, but I'm hanging in there.

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Thursday, February 18, 2010 9:40 AM

SIGNYM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.


Quote:

That 'hot wind' has the attitude of a rapist.
You're right BTW.

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Thursday, February 18, 2010 9:50 AM

AURAPTOR

America loves a winner!


Quote:

Originally posted by SignyM:
Quote:

That 'hot wind' has the attitude of a rapist.
You're right BTW.



Gee, just how many more notches down are you willing to go with this insanity ?


It's looking like there's no limit to how low some here will go, simply to avoid having any manner of civil discourse.






Director: Bureau of Bigfoot Affairs

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Thursday, February 18, 2010 10:31 AM

FREMDFIRMA


Jongsie, that's what my primary concern and irritation with the matter always was, is that his hysterical screeching poisons the well for all conservative arguments, something I am all too damned familiar with when it comes to "Libertarians" or Anarchists who have attitude issues that make me really, REALLY want to bash them in the head and chuck them headfirst into a dumpster, while howling "Get OFF my side!" - you know ?

I may not be much for mercy, but when someone has a point (Kirk had an excellent one about not politicizing high speed rail) worth discussing, I'm all down for that, since I don't really have any investment in a political "side" so much.

As for wisdom, hell, acknowledging just how *little* anyone really KNOWS about any bloody thing is the beginning of it, allowing one to start anew and examine all the evidence from an uncontaminated viewpoint, as such as is possible for people - we all have our bents, you can imagine the teeth gritting that accompanies my grudging acknowledgement that a certain amount of government-type infrastructure is necessary because people today could not possibly function without it.
(But we're workin on that, oh yes we are... )

Alas that the folks supposedly "three steps ahead" aren't usually so much especially smarter, they're just mostly folk in whom the programming didn't take, and as such don't have to fight their own preconceptions about new data in order to accept it - this comes with it's own problems and mental aberrations cause it's not a whole lotta comfort to be right about something when the things you're right about are so bloody awful, or your point of view is vilified and dismissed by everyone before, during and even AFTER the fact.
Plus the temptation to arrogance and taking yourself too seriously, which is idiotic cause when it comes down to it LIFE isn't serious, and all too temporary anyways.

Just because someone might have an edge on a particular point, doesn't mean they're smarter across the board, while I might be able to roll over a Constitutional Scholar like a bulldozer, for example, I know jack damn all about the scientific aspects of things outside of a very, very narrow specialty - so never, EVER let that intimidate you, not when our hearts are right more often than our brains, something dealing with broken kids has taught me on a level hard to explain.

Having the flaws in your "brilliant plan" chopped to shreds by a kid not old enough to shave is damned embarassing, but a wonderful learning experience in how ones own viewpoint of the world can blind them even to the obvious.

"For such a smart guy, man you can be stupid sometimes!"
-Wendy
(Somewhere in the middle of a half hour lecture about forgetting to eat..)

-F

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Thursday, February 18, 2010 10:57 AM

LITTLEBIRD


Quote:

Originally posted by SignyM:
Jongsstraw, if it makes you feel any better... I live most of my life with people who are ALWAYS three steps ahead. Spoke out in groups where everyone looked at me with a combination of pity, indulgence, and embarassment... and I squirmed inside. Been thru many times when what I felt most passionately about... I learned was misinformed. People all around me say shockingly insightful things, as if Well, everybody knows that! And I wonder... gee... How come everyone is so smart except ME?

Sigh.

Well, I go with the best I got.




Well Sig, I think the best you've got is quite good. I am in awe of your posts and most of the other poster's here.

You've described how I have been feeling since starting to post here. I'll post something and feel ok about it at first and then start to cringe as time goes on. I've said to myself, and once out loud, that I will never post again and then someone says something that draws me back into the conversation. It's a good thing. I've noticed my brain is starting to spark and sputter back to life after years of feeling not even worthy enough to exist let alone speak out about issues.

So, with that said, I will join into this thread and state my 2 cent's worth.

I find that ignoring Rap is working out best for me. There may come a time when I might acknowledge some wind blowing through the leaves or something, but I haven't felt that need yet. Except I just said it so whatever.

I've seen Wulf reach out like he is really trying to understand and starting to get the facts being presented to him, but time after time he reverts back to his original posture. I don't trust his motives.

I've actually found some of the thread's PN posts to be helpful and informative. The rest of them I just scroll past. not a biggie for me.

Guess that's it.

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Thursday, February 18, 2010 10:59 AM

MAL4PREZ


I'm in support of this idea, though I am not so pleased at how spiteful it's gotten. I don't care about insulting this guy or trying to get back at him for anything - in fact, that's just continuing to play his game.

What I like about this "movement" is that it's a defense of what is good about RWED - and there is good, though it wasn't at all visible at times because of the "wind" and his ilk. The poster in question has a long history of derailing debates which might have been informative and interesting. His every post is aimed at starting a personal battle that centers on himself. Whether he does it with conscious intent or not, he is in every way a troll. He is not healthy to this community, and we're right to act.

I will not read or reply to his posts anymore, in fact I generally gave up reading his posts - or any of the ridiculous replies to his posts - long ago. I really do hope everyone else does this too. Just skip right past. He's not worth your time. All he's doing is trying to find a button he can push to get you into the mix with him, without regard to reality or facts.

I do like the "did you hear a wind?" thing because it reminds all the other posters that they do not need to be baited. And it's kind of funny, without being degrading.

OK. Had my say and I'm done with this.

-----------------------------------------------
hmm-burble-blah, blah-blah-blah, take a left

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Thursday, February 18, 2010 11:06 AM

NIKI2

Gettin' old, but still a hippie at heart...


Story, I stated how I feel, as clearly as I could. Your choice to misinterpret me is your choice; I said clearly what I've decided on the matter, so why should I continue? To continue is fruitless, as everyone appears to have made up their mind on by now, and to chance this becoming the kind of back-and-forth that kept that other thread alive for days. I don't want to do that. I'm back because I've been addressed specifically, and because it's still "up there", but I hope to stay away so as not to contribute to it's length. I would hope those who care about it going on forever would do the same, but it's everyone's choice and I wouldn't fault people for posting anything they wish.

Mike summed it up for me, and I'm glad he's getting out too. Even tho' our ideology is probably closer than anyone else's, he and I disagree sometimes, and I think I've probably disagreed with everyone at one time or another; and I KNOW I've agreed with everyone but Anti and that gurgling sound, even with PN and Wulfie, at least once. Nothing wrong with disagreements and debates, in fact they're the spice of forums, but just provoking for the sake of it: No.

And Sig, everything JS and Frem said is right on point; sometimes I feel very stupid here--usually when I do I back off and shut up, since I know I'm not educated enough on the subject to put up substantive arguments one way or another. But I learn, as do all of us who participate honestly. Don't you dare put yourself down; I'VE learned from you, and I think others have too, so you're right up there with anyone and everyone here!

Ooops, missed a couple.

Little, I agree with what you said, every word.

Mal:
Quote:

I do like the "did you hear a wind?" thing because it reminds all the other posters that they do not need to be baited. And it's kind of funny, without being degrading.
That's how I feel. I hope this thread doesn't go on forever. Hey, I'm allowed to hope. I'll try to do my part to avoid same.



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Thursday, February 18, 2010 11:16 AM

AURAPTOR

America loves a winner!


My "game" is merely to discus. Others have decided to toss in ad hominem attacks, and because I chose ( rightly or wrongly ) to not sit idly by and "take it ", but have , on occasion, responded in like manner, I'm the one who gets vilified.


A defense of what's good ? You MUST be kidding. Agree w/ the Moveon.org / DemocraticUnderground mentality of those who have self appointed themselves as arbiters of what passes for civil debate in this forum ? Agree w/ them, or else.... ?

Sure, I can appreciate that most here likely are of one political view over another, but hell, to be so tyrannical and thuggish against those who don't view the world as you as to gang up and vilify anyone who stands up.... pretty sad commentary on some who call themselves Browncoats, I must say.

Quote:

All he's doing is trying to find a button he can push to get you into the mix with him, without regard to reality or facts.


Wrong. We all come here from different places, but hold to the same basic motivations, to discuss and explain ideas. And the truth of the matter is, I'm TOO real and factual for some here, and that makes them uncomfortable. You can't 'deal', so you instead gang up and attack that which you don't understand.

Kind of like a group chimps. I had hoped for better, from this crowd.



Director: Bureau of Bigfoot Affairs

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Thursday, February 18, 2010 11:16 AM

JONGSSTRAW


Quote:

Originally posted by Fremdfirma:
Having the flaws in your "brilliant plan" chopped to shreds by a kid not old enough to shave is damned embarassing, but a wonderful learning experience in how ones own viewpoint of the world can blind them even to the obvious.



That's a classic! I appreciate your honesty.

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