Open Question!

[Robbo]

It serves little to no purpose in naming names but over the past few months, I have had more than a few instances of people telling me they hold views that they feel they cannot post or make public.
I fully realise there will be some views that are best left un-aired but for all the cases I am talking about here, these are views that aren't even inflammatory, they are merely practical or are just plain opinions.

I concede some of these opinions may be unpopular but bejeeepers, have we really come to a stage where we're scared of our own internet shadow?
Are these views withheld for fear of flaming ... because they don't want to attract criticism, they don't want confrontation, why?
Are some people now so gutless they're unable to have the courage of their own convictions?

The laughable irony of this is, if you were to ask some of these people what their views were regrading frank and open discussion, they would no doubt describe themselves as forthright speakers, fearless to tell people how it is .... the truth of the matter is, some people haven't got the testicles of a frikkin merecat.

If I had a penny for every time I have received a message in my inbox that reads something like, 'I agree with everything you say Pete but blah .. blah ... blah' I'd be a few quid richer than I am now, that's for sure.

Now before anybody suggests these people are merely trying to ingratiate themselves with me, I would hardly think the best way to do that was to effectively admit to not having the balls to write what they feel ...nah, something else is going on here and it's something I am having a problem in understanding.
Is it people are wishing to be less confrontational or at least potentially viewed as such, is that it?

 

[Missy-Q]

OK Pete, you got me. There's something that's been bothering me but I have had a hard time getting it offa my hugely bulbous mega-chest.

My point is, you've been saying 'bejeepers' a lot lately. I ignored it for the first few times, but I have a hard time reconciling an enormous muscle-bound intellectual with a lame-ass 70's comic-book expression, which looks crap when it's written down, and definitely, should never, ever, be said out loud.

I like to read your posts, but lately you have been forcing me to read the word 'bejeepers', and in order to read it I obviously have to say the word (in my head at least). This is a form of bullying, it bothers me immensely, and you're right, until this point I had let this fester and refused to post on the subject.
Now, thanks to your post above, and despite your continued and shameless use of the word 'bejeepers' I feel emancipated to the point I can bring it up.

Thanks Pete!

ps. I googled 'Bejeepers'. It seems there is no such word. There is mention of the word 'bejeebers', as in 'you scared the bejeebers outta me', but in my opinion this word is equally crap.

 

[Tony Harrison]

Is it people are wishing to be less confrontational or at least potentially viewed as such, is that it?

No.

http://www.p8ntballer-forums.com/vb/showthread.php?122781-Robbo-is-your-ass-getting-a-little-crowded&highlight=

 

[cowface]

Same with allot of forums,

People have opinions but cant be arsed to express those opinions because they unintentionally end up in arguments or automatically get smited or told they are talking trash. People lose interest , go somewhere else or talk among themselves .

 

[Missy-Q]

Same with allot of forums,

People have opinions but cant be arsed to express those opinions because they unintentionally end up in arguments or automatically get smited or told they are talking trash. People lose interest , go somewhere else or talk among themselves .

My belief is that this only happens to people whose opinions are crap, or to people who have no conviction on their opinions in the first place. It's simpler to me. People just get 'busted', and then can't face the e-shame afterwards, so they find the easiest route is to disappear, and then re-appear as another anonymous poster.

 

[CraigofScotland]

I partly agree with Cowface. I dont participate in certain things on forums because, even when correct, you have to justify yourself, often with large walls of text. If it something I am uber passionate on, i will do such, I just cant compete with the size of posts or retorts from people. Partly my own doing I must add, written english is never an engineers stongest skillset.

The above is not about p8nt, more of a forums in general thing.

With regards people PM'ing Robbo, perhaps they are unsure 100% of what they are posting and simply looking for a discussion without inviting the world to comment on them.

 

[Robbo]

With regards people PM'ing Robbo, perhaps they are unsure 100% of what they are posting and simply looking for a discussion without inviting the world to comment on them.

Generally speaking, though not always, these PMs relate to ongoing threads where some of these people have already participated and so I don't think it's them wanting a private discussion, it seems they have a problem in airing an opinion they think might read unpopular, leastwise by some.

I take people's points regarding not wanting to be flamed or then having to justify with reams of text but the examples I am referring to seem to be coming from people who don't have a problem in stating an opinion, they just don't like stating an opinion they feel will be unpopular.

 

[Robbo]

No.

http://www.p8ntballer-forums.com/vb/showthread.php?122781-Robbo-is-your-ass-getting-a-little-crowded&highlight=

...and did you fear any flaming reprisals?

Did you heck ..... mind you, I don't think you represent the people I am talking about somehow.

 

[Robbo]

OK Pete, you got me. There's something that's been bothering me but I have had a hard time getting it offa my hugely bulbous mega-chest.

My point is, you've been saying 'bejeepers' a lot lately. I ignored it for the first few times, but I have a hard time reconciling an enormous muscle-bound intellectual with a lame-ass 70's comic-book expression, which looks crap when it's written down, and definitely, should never, ever, be said out loud.

I like to read your posts, but lately you have been forcing me to read the word 'bejeepers', and in order to read it I obviously have to say the word (in my head at least). This is a form of bullying, it bothers me immensely, and you're right, until this point I had let this fester and refused to post on the subject.
Now, thanks to your post above, and despite your continued and shameless use of the word 'bejeepers' I feel emancipated to the point I can bring it up.

Thanks Pete!

ps. I googled 'Bejeepers'. It seems there is no such word. There is mention of the word 'bejeebers', as in 'you scared the bejeebers outta me', but in my opinion this word is equally crap.

I started using it because I had grown tired of writing 'FFS'; It's a term of exhasperation and I think one of the reasons you see it more is because I suffer from more and more bouts of frustration when reading some of the points made or on hearing some of the things I do that people have gotten up to.

I will however try to curb my use since it's now been noted but I gotta come up with an alternate that serves the same purpose and I refuse to go back to FFS ........hmmm. let me think awhile ....I'll get back to you on this one Missy but in the meantime I'll ahve to use something like 'kin hell ..... yeah, that'll do as a temporary stand-in.

 

[Bolter]

I partly agree with Cowface. I dont participate in certain things on forums because, even when correct, you have to justify yourself, often with large walls of text. If it something I am uber passionate on, i will do such, I just cant compete with the size of posts or retorts from people. Partly my own doing I must add, written english is never an engineers stongest skillset.

The above is not about p8nt, more of a forums in general thing.

With regards people PM'ing Robbo, perhaps they are unsure 100% of what they are posting and simply looking for a discussion without inviting the world to comment on them.

This is exactly what I was going to say. Seriously, the size and depth of some of the replies, coupled sometimes with a slightly threatening nature, just makes me not be arsed to make a reply.