How many replies have you decided to NOT post today on DU?

[uppityperson]

Replies you have written and then deleted without posting

[jgraz]

1. I have no filter

see there? I did it again.

[orpupilofnature57]

2. One more now ,Polls as inconsequently flimsy as lint

[Crowdance]

3. An interesting ancillary question would be: Why?

Why did you not post your reply?

[uppityperson]

4. that would be an interesting question.

[TahitiNut]

6. "Pearls before swine" would be one reason.

"Not pleasuring the pig" would be another. :evilgrin:

That gives me an idea. I can write a response, post it, then delete it and call the deletion reason my "PBS Filter".
:rofl:


"Don't wrestle with pigs. You only get filthy and it merely pleasures the pig."

[uppityperson]

7. delete

:rofl:

[TahitiNut]

5. 3-10 ... you must've been reading my mind

:evilgrin:

Given the tone of many replies these days, I find myself doing it both more and less. 'More' in the sense of typing out a flame (cathartic) or a reasoned response (mental exercise) and then going "what's the fucking use?" 'Less' in the sense of getting tired of letting smarmy personal attacks lie there and stink up the place without calling an asshole an asshole (just for my sanity's sake).

OTOH, sanity is over-rated. :silly:

[Adelante]

8. For me, I'd say it's the "what's the fucking use?"

It's been happening a lot this year.

[TahitiNut]

9. I sometimes wonder if ANYONE has ever changed their mind on DU.

So much of what I read is essentially "evangelical": "I'm going to reveal the Truth to you." Wherever I've read some semblance of a syllogism - an argument that proceeds from commonly-accepted facts and principles to some conclusion - I don't EVER see reasoned rebuttals.

What I'm seeing the most is "since you think that then you must be a ________!" The blank is filled in with racist, sexist, freeper, anti-semite, enslaver, pedophile, and other equally detestable allegations. How many times have I read replies where various forms of the word "you" are the most frequent? Lots. Such personally-directed retorts are nearly ALWAYS invalid - whether in agreement or disagreement. When in disagreement, these are typically antisocial responses - akin to the kind of antisocial attitudes demonstrated by 'at-risk' teens.

It's really appalling. It's appalling in its self-righteousness (the evangelicals) and in anything that would even pretend to embrace diversity. After all, diversity isn't just about differing ethnicities - it's about the diversity of outlooks and perspectives. What I find most appalling is that someone can offer a perfectly valid argument based on principle for their position and meet with a "NO! YOU actually think ____!!" That's hubris and chutzpah and arrogance beyond any sane community's civility boundaries. (Yet often seems to "pass" under DU's rules.)

We once had a long-time DUer whose favorite way of opposing (attacking) people who criticized Lieberman was "You just don't like him because he's Jewish." I just couldn't figure out how that was tolerated for so long. Eventually, it wasn't.

To compound this, when the fallacy (and incivility) of such retorts is pointed out, the attacks in response escalate. Some folks just don't seem to get it that what they've said is invalidly argued or merely an ad hominem - and apparently equate an attack on their stance/"argument' to an insult. For some, there seems to be no distinction.

It's discouraging. :shrug:

This post may be a perfect example of a candidate for "What's the fucking use?"

:rofl: :rofl:

[Adelante]

10. And it's boring, too, ya know?

:shrug:

I don't understand this discussion board approach of talking only to people who share your views, day in and day out, blowing the same lines into the echo chamber, while being so automatically disrespectful of somebody else's judgment. I had a civil, even a fully realized discussion on DU recently. (That it was remarkable is completely sad.) It was about housing in certain countries I don't even want to name, because to do so would bring instant pain. It was interesting, we were coming from different directions, and I learned a thing or two. But most interesting was, it hit me, this was the first genuine give and take I had had EVER, in probably fifty related threads. I almost didn't know how to act, it's become so uncommon on DU to have an actual conversation.

The guy was fairly new here, though, and I think he didn't understand he was supposed to just bite me. :evilgrin:

[uppityperson]

11. nice to be able to have a real discussion

write, check with the other poster to double check what they meant, think, maybe learn or actually think and consider, respond. Repeat. Better than DEALING WITH THIS I AM RIGHT YOU FREEPER stuff. sigh.

[orpupilofnature57]

12. You're right, Castigation is a big commodity here ,I can reason with the frustration..

.. But it doesn't take much of a breeze on the neck to unleash a rant, still it's the best place i've ever gone for Ideas & dissent both the things that make for a democracy.

[TahitiNut]

15. True - which is why I keep on keeping on after nearly 5 years.

Clearly, unmoderated Usenet is far more hostile and laden with insults and idiocy ... but had the saving grace of being relatively inaccessible to the computer illiterate.

[Greybnk48]

13. One today, several yesterday.

not worth the aggravation.

[Uncle Joe]

14. Self delete n/t