Collegiality

[Avi]

bb and Dauer,

I have a question for you about collegiality in this forum. I have noticed that some of the posters are not always polite.

In my experiences, in the 'real world" with interfaith discussion, I have found people to generally be very friendly and polite. I guess hidden behind the internet, people do not feel they need to be so.

I am sort of surprised that someone would want to participate on an interfaith discussion and do so impolitely.

I was thinking about being rather direct about this with posters who I think are impolite. Do you have suggestions ?

By the way, I have enjoyed reading both of your posts and find them very interesting.

Thanks.

 

[dauer]

Hey Avi.

I think it's because of both the afforded anonymity and because, without a face to face, it's easier to dehumanize another person and treat them disrespectfully. I've fallen into it myself. One of the most helpful things that you can do is click the flag button on an individual offensive post to report the individual post to the moderation team.

Unfortunately there are some people who come to web forums with the intent to inflame and offend others. There are other people who have been at other forums where flame wars are the norm. Generally this site is more civil than the majority of other forums I've seen, and certainly more than those that deal with sensitive subjects like religion and politics.

Glad you've enjoyed reading some of my posts and I hope you'll stick around. Always good to see more diverse Jewish perspective on the site.

 

[Netti-Netti]

I was thinking about being rather direct about this with posters who I think are impolite. Do you have suggestions ?

Hi Avi,

I realize you didn't ask me, but I thought I'd respond. I had a quick suggestion: If you want to engage them, let fellow members know you are tracking their responses. This can be done by avoiding a "Begging the Question" routine of restating a question as though its underlying assumption has been proven (and should be considered valid) even though its validity is at issue.

When I encounter that kind of thing in the context of a discussion concerning a verifiable factual matter, I might get the feeling that someone is trying to get me to dig up evidence to challenge their presumption . . . even though the onus of proof rests with the original poster!

When someone starts out a thread that is very open-ended on a controversial subject without presenting any evidence at all, and no positive assertions are made, I see that as an indication of what to expect - an expectation that is usually confirmed. I quickly lose patience with that kind of Consider-it-Valid-Till-Proven-Otherwise approach because it's essentially wasted time as well as a lack of courtesy on the part of the OP.

I'd say there is no real debate/discussion if the poster is dealing with factual issues and brings no facts to the table. It's also possible that there's no real debate/discussion going on if the choice of evidence is highly selective, misleading, and obviously intended as smear.

Hope that helps.

 

[Avi]

Dauer, thanks for the encouragement, I will stick with it.

Netti, I think I understand your point. Discussions with a solid factual basis make the conversation more concrete and clear.

My point was that interfaith discussion can be, and in fact should be, polite and I hope to set an example of that behavior. Hopefully if I behave that way, those that I am communicating with will behave in a like manner.

-Avi

 

[bananabrain]

I have noticed that some of the posters are not always polite.

hur, hur, hur. have you now? i'm not always very polite, either. but in my defence, it's not usually me that throws the first rock. also, i don't tend to swear, i don't think it's terribly helpful. in the long run, civility will get you much further.

In my experiences, in the 'real world" with interfaith discussion, I have found people to generally be very friendly and polite.

well, that is because that tends to be a group of self-selecting, moderate people who are prepared to invest some social capital in the activity. the question with such people is whether they are able to move beyond polite chit-chat and dig into some of the more substantial issues. for that, you need a long-term community.

I guess hidden behind the internet, people do not feel they need to be so.

we call them "keyboard warriors", or, when they're just trying to cause trouble, "trolls". my personal favourite are the "quote goblins", those people who, rather than write their own response, post huge tracts from elsewhere. brian doesn't like that, though, it causes copyright issues.

the thing i always try to bear in mind, however, is that this is a public forum and therefore anything you say can be read by any number of people most of whom you will not even know are reading it - so always remember that!

This can be done by avoiding a "Begging the Question" routine of restating a question as though its underlying assumption has been proven (and should be considered valid) even though its validity is at issue.

thank you for a succinct and pithy definition, i have already utilised it elsewhere.

b'shalom

bananabrain

 

[Avi]

In my experiences, in the 'real world" with interfaith discussion, I have found people to generally be very friendly and polite.

Quote bb - well, that is because that tends to be a group of self-selecting, moderate people who are prepared to invest some social capital in the activity. the question with such people is whether they are able to move beyond polite chit-chat and dig into some of the more substantial issues. for that, you need a long-term community.

That is exactly the concern about interfaith dialogue which I mentioned in an earlier thread. I am not sure it is really possible to get to those more substantial issues, and for Jews in the diaspora, will it have any impact on Israel and Middle East ? I am not sure yet, but it seems like it is at least a possibility to me.


And thanks for your advice about rudeness, guys, next time I run into a troll I will come back and refer to this tread

 

[dauer]

For more fun, here's a guide to internet trolls:

Flame Warriors Home

 

[Avi]

That is a funny one. Thanks.

 

[Francis king]

hahaha... I have just looked up them all... I liked necromancer especially... hahaha

cheers dauer