If we take a critical view on the last week’s events on this board, there is maybe a thing or two to consider. The board has seen a kind of “war”, and sarcasms and caustic remarks have been more the rule than the exception in some threads. Did we learn anything from this?
I have been on the net for about 7 years, and I have seen lots of “Flame-wars”. Usually these ends up adding something positive to the community or the forum where the war raged, and it’s much like a thunderstorm. After a real heavy storm, the air is much better. It’s cleaned.
But there is a real big difference between a thunderstorm and a “war” in a forum like this one. A thunderstorm does come no matter what we do. We have no saying in that question – but we do have a saying if we will allow a war to take place!
In any wars people gets hurt, some might even be killed! This is just the same when a war is raging in a forum like this one. And in the name of belated wisdom we might ask ourselves a few questions.
1) Why did this thing start in the first place?
2) What did trigger the event?
3) Why did things “get out of hand”
4) Can we learn anything from the experience?
Important details to remember:
I and others as well has mentioned the difference between people from different places in the world. Different words have different meanings to different people different places. This is a fact, whether we acknowledge it or not. The fact that I myself has been online for years doesn’t stop me for making an ass of myself every now and then because of this fact. I simply forget to take into consideration certain elements of difference – difference I might call pure hypocrisy if it happened/was here in Norway.
Let me try to explain a little something I personally feel is extremely important. In Scandinavia we have a culture for saying what we feel, and being rather straight forward about it. This means we may yell to each other sometimes, and we may have a quarrel. This is healthily, a clean bill of health! And why is that?
As I said, a thunderstorm cleanses the air, and a quarrel can also help cleaning the air. You get some pressure out, you vent – and you feel better afterwards. We’re sort of used to it, and we have no problems with this – normally. Not compared to many other cultures, where I have a feeling the American culture is the most cautious in this respect.
And why is that? Well, I guess this has a lot to do with the system itself. In Norway, and more or less all of Europe, I can yell at another “idiot” behind the steering wheel, show him the finger, and tell him to return his driving-license to the Post Office – which probably was where he got it. In south of Europe people do have a horn on the car for using it – and they do – all the time. Try to be 0,2 seconds late when the lights gets green! No problem, usually. Nobody turns down the window, pulls a big 44 magnum at you and blows your god damned head off!
That may happen in the US of A, I’ve heard – and such reactions might produce a bit of caution in the way one communicates with others. If I have to stop in a crossing, I don’t give a shit what lane I’m in. I don’t need to be as far to the middle of the road as possible – to try to avoid some maniac jumping into my car! This doesn’t normally happen.
USA is a multicultural country, and so are most others these days. But there has been lots of trouble in the US, from the times of the slave-trade and to today. The US freedom was made by a bunch of slave owners, that wanted more freedom for themselves, basically – and the country conscience isn’t the best in this respect. Lots of minority groups, and the result is that everyone is scared shitless to say anything provoking. The national sport is being offended in the first place, and if the offended person does have a big fuckin’ gun – BANG!!!!
I can understand that. I can understand that we are different, and I can understand people being offended for a reason. If someone should use the word “colored”, be sure someone is offended. “Colored people” isn’t good. Blacks are terrible, negro isn’t good, and nigger is absolutely awful. I can understand why people are offended by the word “nigger” (even though negroes uses that name themselves) , but I can’t understand why anyone should be offended by the other words mentioned. And what happens when someone – from Norway, Sweden or FarGoneistan uses a word like that!
BAAAAD feelings. He used THE word! Buuu! Let’s teach this little bugger what’s acceptable here.
Shit happens
Norm wrote an excellent post about how he willfully used an “F” word on the old JesWit – in a dead serious post. ONE FUCKING WORD! The rest were interesting, well written, and absolutely worth while reading. But NOBODY was interested in discussing that. He used the “F”word!
If someone on a board reads something, and they do find expressions they don’t like, words they hate, meanings they disgust and so on, would it be advisable to do the following?
1) Try to find out what was actually said in the post, instead of what words were used.
2) Is the writer a Native American (what a joke, nobody really are “native” – except some people in Africa where it all started!), English, Canadian or an Aussie? Is it absolutely certain this barefaced, impudent, cheeky, impertinent asshole really meant it the way we thought he did in the first few seconds? Could our interpretation maybe be slightly different than intended by the writer?
3) What’s the real reason for our anger?
OK, we agree with ourselves that this barefaced, impudent, cheeky, impertinent asshole really meant it the way we thought he did, and he shall learn this is not the way to talk to ME! OR to my friends. I will take on my white armor; ride out into war to protect God, country, friends and family.
A War is on!
So, we do post an fuming message telling this moron he’s really dim-witted. Don’t come here believing you are something. “You’re nothing but an useless nobody”. We try to be as caustic as possible, just within the limits of what’s acceptable.
Acceptable TO US that is!
The “moron” who reads our angry message gets pissed off! (What a looser!) He answers back (What the fuck does he think he’s doing?), and he does NOT stay within accepted limits (Who the Hell does he think he is?). He stepped outside the limits acceptable to us! The posting might be entirely acceptable where he’s from, but who cares! We don’t accept such shit from a no good moron that doesn’t even know how to behave where WE live. He’s rude, and we feel we in just anger are authorized to teach him a thing or two. We’re not interested at all if this is acceptable anywhere else – we don’t like it, and that’s it!
As I said, shit happens – and the “moron” doesn’t understand. He’s pissed off, and he says so – maybe not in the nicest manner – but his opinions are loud and clear. At this point nobody is really interested in what really STARTED this shit, but it’s a SITUATION here! Friends rush into the fight, possibly from both camps, and mud slinging soon becomes a reality.
And, folks – we have a war going!
My humble opinion
I’m fully aware I have stretched quite a few limits in my lifetime, and I admit I on purpose have provoked the good people on this and other forums. And I had a few reasons for doing so. I do not say that I always am right (I am most of the time, though, he, he), but no matter right or wrong, my reasons for behaving like an asshole some times is these:
1) I hate the fuckin hypocrisy using F*** You! And ¤#%#/=)! It’s obvious for any idiot what the writer do mean to say, so why not say it – or use another word!
2) I hate to see well written messages are blown away by (in my opinion) morons that are unable to see what is actually written, and use all the energy to discuss the horrible man who used the “F” word!
3) I hate to see people getting hurt!
The last statement, no 3, might seem strange – but it’s not. I have been watching what has been going on in never ending threads, slinging mud all over the place, character assassinations, caustic remarks all over the place. And I’ve been on the net long enough to know this only leads to war. And – in war people DO GET HURT! It’s NO WAY to avoid this – and I just wanted to show that these things do accelerate rather quickly.
People, who are normally calm, jumps down from the fence – and chooses sides. Even if they try NOT to chose sides, but try their best to reflect on a situation and have their saying, they can become a target by the “Cyber-mob”. Just now poor JAVA is the game, he’s the one to be hunted down by the wolf-pack this time. But can’t you see folks; this is the way these things start!
Please – the last week has showed us all what can happen, and it can be much worse – believe me. I regret I overstepped by forgetting to take the necessary considerations, and I have asked the good people on the board to forgive that error. But – the general idea was to show War isn’t really fun! It hurts, people gets hurt – better live in peace.
I’m not anyone putting myself up on a pedestal saying I know everything best – but I do believe a little belated wisdom can come in handy every now and then.
Love ya all, Folks! Even the ones with whom I have “been in battle”. I never let this stuff be personal – and I never put any prestige into it. If we do, we have lost from the start.
Have a beer for me, will ya?
Yakki Da
Kent
"The only difference between God and Adolf Hitler is that God is more proficient at genocide."
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