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I enjoy explaining my position on something just like the next person. Obviously, we think our point of view is better or more correct than the other persons.
I tend to ignore anyone who calls me a name whenever debating online. And when they wonder why I don't respond, I let them know that I don't feel like I should continue defending my position because they were rude and called me a name.
Where do you stand on this matter? Would you continue debating?
I agree with you Pinkmani. People call others names when they have no intelligent response. Reasonably intelligent people consider someone's response, either agree with it or disagree or are neutral. If they disagree then they consider what factual statements they can use to counter the other person's ideas.
That's a debate. If they best someone can up with is " you're a potato head ", then the debate is over.
That's what kindergartners say. I'm an adult- I don't deal with childish behavior from adults.
I don't get upset about it. It's anonymous people on the internet. If I'm secure in what I believe, and no one has come with a good argument to make me change my mind, then I just wander away if conversation gets rude. It's not a big deal.
I enjoy explaining my position on something just like the next person. Obviously, we think our point of view is better or more correct than the other persons.
I tend to ignore anyone who calls me a name whenever debating online. And when they wonder why I don't respond, I let them know that I don't feel like I should continue defending my position because they were rude and called me a name.
Where do you stand on this matter? Would you continue debating?
As far as CityData goes, the forums are moderated stringently enough that name-calling is much less tolerable/prevalent than I've seen and experienced on other forums and message boards.
But it hasn't really bothered me when I've encountered it elsewhere (and it shouldn't, because I've engaged in various acts of name-calling myself, to be honest). While some people may disagree with this to some extent, it must be stressed that anonymous communications via the interwebs offer a means through which people are comfortable to elaborate their convictions in ways that, compared to how they may be inclined to behave in face-to-face situations, are less inhibited--opinions aren't always cloaked in social niceties. I can't help it--I rather enjoy this.
So yes, to answer your question, I would--and usually do--continue a debate when such hostilities arise. I may or may not reciprocate name-calling if it's initiated by the "opponent", but either way, I like to marvel at how quickly, and sometimes fiercely, two faceless strangers can establish what objectively appears to be a mutual hatred over this or that disagreement. You may not know each other, but you know that someone, somewhere, holds this or that opinion (even if you know it to be part of a mainstream) that you may happen to find unforgivably reprehensible in the absence of their physical presence.
And then this person calls you a ******* idiot (or whatever).
Now it's on...or maybe it won't be, depending on your temperament and how well you care to maintain it in communications such as these.
This may become more long-winded than I'd like, so I'll leave it at that for now. I'm actually interested to see other peoples' thoughts on this, too.
It depends on a few factors. Normally when I see things get heated I will refrain or agree to disagree. I may engage if I see blatant trolling that needs a reprimand. When I see something really rude/obnoxious I may choose to respond.
Discussions similar to this one surface from time to time in the "About the Forum" forum. The official City-Data policy that we posters are supposed to follow is to report personal attacks rather than responding to them. That way there is less for a moderator to clean up and huge flame wars are avoided.
What I find interesting is the different levels of sensitivity exhibited by different posters. Some people need to grow a thicker skin so they don't come unglued when the debate gets vigorous, as if we are all supposed to talk like kindergarten teachers. But on the other hand there really are trolls out there who love to provoke and rebuttals just "feed" them.
I have observed a few posters who are so outraged by having suffered attacks by "trolls" that their hyperbolic language becomes troll-like itself, and they launch into bitter critiques of the alleged lack of moderation. Very ironic.
By contrast, the OP of this thread is a model of rationality and serenity. May the subsequent discussion follow that model! LOL
When someone I'm debating resorts to name-calling, I just assume that I won the argument. Then I continue to try to be as polite to them as possible...just to make them look even more like an idiot.
I enjoy explaining my position on something just like the next person. Obviously, we think our point of view is better or more correct than the other persons.
I tend to ignore anyone who calls me a name whenever debating online. And when they wonder why I don't respond, I let them know that I don't feel like I should continue defending my position because they were rude and called me a name.
Where do you stand on this matter? Would you continue debating?
This is typical behavior on most online forums mainly because they aren't slamming you face to face and feel safe in writing whatever they please. If/when anyone replies to any of my postings in a rude manner, I just consider the source, ignore and move on.
When a thread degenerates to that level I'm done with it. I have better things to do with my time and bandwidth.
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