We've seen a lot of pain in GD this year

[hootinholler]

It seems to me that the troubling, most contentious, issues we see blossom and fade in GD are ones where participants have experienced related pain and suffering personally.

I am not speaking of any topic in particular here if you were reading in guns, or gender, or race, or whatever. The thing I'm trying to get at, and probably won't do justice to, is once I've been burned by a thing it's really hard not react in an emotional state when someone brings up the damned thing. Makes it hard to hear what they mean at times. Even more so when it relates to something that is nuanced and painted with a broad brush.

So maybe, just maybe we can be a little less on edge? Maybe we can trim our broad brushes down to maybe a sash brush? When you paint with the broad brush it can be painful to those with prior pain related to the subject. Once that pain surfaces, it's difficult not to respond in kind.

If we could carry that into the new year, then I'm sure GD would suck a little less.

[darkangel218]

1. I think a lot of people have had a rough year.

Sometimes rl problems translate into not so positive posting online.

What I hope for is a better year for Everyone on here.

Cheers

[one_voice]

2. It's been pretty rough for me...

k&r

[hootinholler]

15. Let's both look forward to a better one! n/t

[tkmorris]

3. Happy New Year Hoot

I appreciate the sentiment behind your thread. The general tone here of late has been pretty negative and it's nice to see efforts to make it just a little better. I think ultimately we are all on the same carnival ride and we'd all be a lot better off if we looked for ways to work together rather than highlight our differences. We all carry the bruises life has dealt us, and when poked they tend to sting. I am going to try to remember that, and grant everyone just a little more leeway whenever I can.

[hootinholler]

14. I was gonna go with a picking scabs analogy

But your bruises are a more acceptable one.



I totally thought this would go nowhere.

[UTUSN]

4. du is a constant joy nt

[Shandris]

5. But...but I like my roller brush!

Just kidding, of course. Actually what you wrote is very eloquent imo and I agree with both the sentiment expressed and the hope that goes with it.

Happy New Years to everyone on DU. Except for Agent Mike, just on principle cuz I'm mean like that.

[hootinholler]

16. Roller or bristle or spraygun

Doesn't matter, they all can be selected for width.

As to Agent Mike, Happy New Year to him too, he could be the next Snowden.

[Shandris]

22. Ooh, touche!

Alright, I agree. Happy New Year, Agent Mike.

[riqster]

27. What about the Jackson Pollock approach?

I mean, if Agent Mike or a DUer is into abstract painting,it would make a bad impression to leave that paint-gob-flinging approach out...

[hootinholler]

30. Um I don't think that was paint being flung

[riqster]

32. In some cases, you'd be right :-)

[hootinholler]

35. As in life

Sometimes I'm right, other times not so much.

Here's to hoping we get hit with *paint*

[brush]

6. What is GD? Do you mean DU? nt

[Mister Ed]

11. GD is General Discussion, the forum on Democratic Underground in which this post appears. n/t

[liberal_at_heart]

7. I don't allow anyone to abuse me. I didn't allow my husband to be abusive when

he was having mental illness issues, and I won't allow posters on DU to be abusive towards me either. Luckily there is an easy solution to the problem, the trash and ignore buttons.

[hootinholler]

17. This seems to be what I'm talking about

We've gone from cut a little slack where you can to I won't allow anyone to abuse me.

Is there not somewhere in the middle that you can still be comfortable?

[liberal_at_heart]

23. People get really nasty around here. Hurting or not, people should not be allowed to

treat each other the way people do around here. That is why we have community standards, juries, and moderators although they don't seem to be all that effective. If you don't see it that way and it doesn't bother you and you can tolerate it then good for you. I do not let anyone talk to me the way people talk to each other around here. But I try not to get too far into a back and forth with them. I may disagree with someone and state my opinion why I disagree with them. If they want to get nasty, I put them on ignore. That way I've at least put an end to the back and forth nastiness.

[JNelson6563]

8. Well said.

[hootinholler]

18. Thank you!

[nolabear]

9. Hear hear! Let us disagree but try to listen to one another too.

I know I've been worn down by what seems like global negativity. It's contagious and causes all manner of trouble.

[hootinholler]

19. Thank you

It will soon be Mardi Gras, maybe that will lighten the mood.

[nolabear]

20. Laissez les Bon temps roulez!

[nilesobek]

10. Lets give each other a break

I'm sure that I'm not right all the time and I shouldn't be running anything. I do have opinions that might make the short hairs stand straight up on the necks of some people. Remaining open to opposing views and sharp criticism is not a reason to get angry. I might learn something new.

[ConcernedCanuk]

12. I appreciate your sentiments, but GD is the "bar".

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.
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Anyone that's been around DU for awhile knows if there's gonna be a fight, it's gonna be in GD.

Yup, there are skirmishes in other forums, but none like in GD.

Ya gotta tread lightly, or have thick skin to participate in GD.

But yeah, a little less venom in GD would be welcome.

CC

[hootinholler]

21. I need to think about that analogy n/t

[Control-Z]

24. When I was new here

I was afraid to post in GD. I was sure anything I had to say would be laughed at or discounted. At the very least, I was sure to make a typo or spelling error and get taken out by the grammar police. Scary place, that GD forum.

[liberal_at_heart]

25. Bar fights would be a good way to describe what goes on in GD.

[randome]

13. If you're not willing to consider the words, "Maybe I'm wrong..."...

...then you're cheating yourself. Good post!
[hr][font color="blue"][center]Everything is a satellite to some other thing.[/center][/font][hr]

[riqster]

26. One of my favorite stories:

A man was turning 100, and as is the custom, the local newspaper sent a reporter out to ask him for the "secret" behind his longevity. And the journalist went, expecting the usual "whisky every morning", or some herbal concoction... We've all read these stories.

The old man's response was: "Well, sonny, I never argue with idiots and assholes. I just say my piece and let them think what they want. Cuts my stress down to zero."

The reporter was surprised, and argued: "Oh, come on, there must be some dietary trick, some exercise, or something like that. But 'not arguing', that can't be your secret!"

The centenarian peered at the young man, scratched his head for a moment, and shrugged. "Hm. Maybe you're right."

[ConcernedCanuk]

31. "sonny, I never argue with idiots and assholes" - I wonder if the reporter caught that . . .

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.
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CC

[riqster]

33. Evidently not at first.

Maybe he figured it out later.

But all my friends know what it means if I shrug, scratch my head and say "Hm. Maybe you're right".

[hootinholler]

36. I think we should start using it around here

It would be great fun.

[riqster]

37. I used to, on a different board.

It would be fun to bring it back for a reunion tour.

[notadmblnd]

28. Ya know, when bush was presidenting everyone was able to focus their anger

on the administration. Now, everyone's anger is directed all over the place. Women hating on men, men hating on women. Christians hating on atheists and atheists hating on Christians. and lets not leave out the gun lovers and the gun haters. If someone posts about a possible conspiracy, not even a few seconds go by before those that believe that conspiracies don't exist show up to demean and ridicule. And the worst group of all are the PC police. You know the kind, the ones who show up just to find offense with the words people use to describe another.

I don't know if people are all over the place because there is no longer an administration to focus on, or if they are just truly miserable people out there who have nothing better to do than try their best to make others miserable, or if the people who do these things only want their view seen and use their antics as a way to shut down conversation of any opposing views.

I do know that it causes me to spend less time here both reading and contributing my thoughts on any particular subject. There have been a few years in the past where I have been unable to contribute to DU financially and there have been kind souls here who have stepped up and taken that on themselves for me. And I truly appreciate their kindness. However, I am questioning whether I want to continue contributing financially (yes, things are finally getting easier for me money wise) since it seems that it is only providing a venue or those who want to do nothing but hate on others.

Sometimes I even find myself wondering if it is all a concerted effort by a group of individuals whose real goal is to shut down DU altogether?

[War Horse]

29. Hear, hear

I haven't exactly got a lot of posts here, and this my second acct on DU. Joined around 2004 the first time around, been lurking since the inception.

I check out DU at least 3-4 times per week. It's part of my news round, if you will. But the increasing hostility is a turn-off to me.

That happens to every web forum, of course, and DU seems to have handled it better than most.

Whatever happens, I will most likely continue to visit DU. Among all the vitriol there are posts/threads really worth reading. You can learn a lot here, if you just take a deep breath and and actually take the time to read (and pause before you post).

[Skidmore]

34. A worthy suggestion. It has been a tough year and

coming to GD doesn't ease the stress any. There have been many days I've stopped by, read through the first few posts on the page, and promptly left again. Too much turmoil for turmoil's sake and lots of belittling of others' expereinces. I have enough of that going on right now in my personal life, I don't need more of it from GD.