Internet relationships

[rodeosweetheart]

Thanks to all who replied; it was not my intention to start more strife!

[mtnlaurel]

No Simple F'ers are gonna run me off!

It's my goal to be the last Simple Liver Standing.

[catherine]

Just as with Facebook, given there is an option to "ignore" posts, hopefully people won't throw the baby out with the bathwater and flee because of one or two individuals.

On Facebook I've blocked the posts of only one person--a friend. I don't want to unfriend her, because she is my friend and I've spent lots of very pleasant dinners with her when we worked together. But she is a flaming liberal, and very, very narrow-minded in that regard, and her posts are often filled with nastiness towards the other POV. Even when I agreed with her, I found her posts just too irritating and mean.

If I felt attacked here, I would use the ignore feature rather than leave, but I have not felt attacked at all. I enjoy *everyone's* posts--including the ones that tend to be controversial. No one here has come close to making me feel like I did when I blocked my friend on Facebook.

I think it's a great question, though.

Edited to add: I understand if others do get upset with some posts/posters. I am just not sensitive to that kind of thing--maybe because our family (especially the four men) kids around a lot in the name of "b*ll-bustin'" and we all laugh it off, so I just think that some of the posts are a form of that and it's easy for me to laugh them off.

[catherine]

No Simple F'ers are gonna run me off!

It's my goal to be the last Simple Liver Standing.

Not if I beat you first!

LIKE

[Float On]

Does there come a point where you just say enough, I am leaving, if the posts are unpleasant and contentious, or there is baiting or bullying present? Do any of you find the existence of baiting and bullying to be disturbing at a personal level, to make one feel unsafe if it happens in a forum?

Yes.

[ctg492]

Way back when, I learned on forum boards not to talk money or children/pets unless really asked. Just two topics I stay clear of. I was on an investing board one time that was so brutal it was hard to get info. The very worse one I was on for many years was a cat board. Whew the claws would come out =^..^= I left both for those reasons. A frugal board I used to visit often, seldom now, one poster basically only posts in the chatter and it is about political stuff to just get people going. I guess being older I mellowed, I just don't open posts from posters I know I won't understand, relate to or have anything to add.
I really just enjoy reading about thoughts and views people have.

[pinkytoe]

I hope it is the anonymity of forums that allows individuals to be mean and or insensitive. I can't imagine that people would sit across from each other at the table and say the awful things I have read on forums. If something upsets me on a forum, I stew a minute or two and forget about it so NO I wouldn't leave if the value exceeds the noise. I just get bored with it then.

[awakenedsoul]

rodeosweetheart,

Yes. I personally am sickened by the type of behavior you described. I don't contribute financially or post much at all when this type of thing is allowed and/or excused.

Your post was excellent. I'm sure there are others who feel the same way. It says exactly what I have been feeling on this forum recently. Thank you for articulating it so well.

[KayLR]

I've had the same thought as you, pinkytoe...recently I read of a local newspaper which made the decision to turn off its comments feature on their online content. They were becoming contentious, name-calling, vitriolic, and hateful. There were objections, as you can imagine. Their response was that yes, you their readers do have rights of free speech, but they didn't have an obligation to provide the channel for them.

[ctg492]

The comments at the bottom of the articles in news papers online, sometimes give the most info. If there is an incident happening, the locals generally gives more info then a brief press release. But yes many are just chronic hecklers.