As many of you know, I’m highly active on forums and Internet boards. These are generally thematic (welding, Jeeps, writing, chess, woodworking, BMX, hot rods, etcetera) places we can go on the Web in order to share and gather information with others who have like interests.
The problem is, everyone is allowed on the Internet. There are going to be a few asshats on every board. It’s completely unavoidable. The questions is what to do with these idiots. Well, I can tell you that the thing *not* to do is go to war with them. You simply cannot reason with a chump who already knows it all.
On the writing forum, there are folks who have never completed a single story, and yet they are the ones who’ll tell you how to get published. It’s maddening. On the chess forums, there are total newbies who will be the first to explain exactly how to become a grandmaster. Equally maddening. On the Jeep forums, there are slow-bos who have never driven a trail, and yet they are the utmost authority on everything off-road. It gets real, real old.
Even the strongest of people have their bad days. On mine, I lose all patience with the people who are wasting bandwidth and talking nonsense, and I go after them with reason, logic, and experience. Big mistake. They simply will not listen, and will make up arguments out of thin air, most of which have nothing at all to do with the subject at hand. Why I bother with them at all is beyond me. I usually don’t, in fact, but like I said, a bad day can happen to any of us.
I actually, literally, have a list of folks written on a piece of paper and taped to my office wall whom I have vowed never to respond to again. I must be strong. I have no time for anyone who is brand new to a subject and happens to know all about said subject. I really don’t. Neither does anyone else, for that matter.
I have been in an administrative position on a chess site for years, and so I know all about helping people who are new. In fact, I love to do so. But when you get the unreasonable mook who argues for the sake of arguing, my hands are tied. If you are going to ask questions or advice on a forum, at least take the time to learn and process what the experts are telling you before disagreeing with them.
7 comments:
My fav is when someone takes a class, or is reading a book on some subject then jumps on the forum and asks a leading question so he can impress all and sundry with his wisdom by hammering your ignorant replies...
"Who is your favorite neo-natal subclassical proto-archaic author? And don't tell me you even consider Prokofiev as being worthy of that micro-sub-genre..."
Oh, man, you just touched on a whole other bloggable area - instant experts. I've dealt with more than my fair share of them, to be sure!
uh yeah. You could also address experts who just decide to be an expert in something and somehow convince themselves and everyone else that they are.
I don't do forums much anymore because of this. Arguing seems a big waste of time and sometimes I just can't help myself. I like the idea of putting up a sign with the names of people I'm not speaking to.
It actually works. Every time I slip and hit the 'reply' button, I look to my left and remind myself that this particular mook isn't worth a single keystroke from me. It makes hitting the X a little easier. :P
Oh my... I know the people you mean. Like you, I try to ignore them, but sometimes, sometimes the level of stupidity is so high that it's difficult to resist. you know it's banging your head against a brick wall... BUT-THEY-JUST-NEED-TO-BE-TOLD. The loss of self-control is nearly always immediately regretted.
There is no arguing with stupidity.
LOL Ciara, you got it! I can't believe some of these people manage to turn their computer on, much less navigate to a specialty forum.
Stay away from the Daily Caller. That place is plumbed with hot and cold running stupid.
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