Ask questions via twitter! Message any question to @answers on twitter. We'll publish the question and send you a reply each time there's a new answer.
Next Question

Answered Question

aui aui
 
M$1.96 November 13, 2009 08:57 PM

I've read the "Prime Directive" here and notice we are supposed to be artificially nice even when questions are highly charged.

How is one supposed to keep cool when debates start getting emotional, and volleys become sarcastic? Granted this place is geared towards being a polite "gentleman's club" (no gender bias implied!)

This seems like a huge challenge, considering human nature, Internet flame wars, and the potential to have anonymous members.

Having said that--I guess the easiest thing to do is just "walk away." But it is hard to resist the urge to be sarcastic or caustically funny. I feel a little nervous now to let it rip!
Interesting Question?  Yes (2)   No (0)   

Interesting: bunnyphuphu M$0.46, buddawiggi M$0.50

RSS
 
 

Best Answer  Chosen by Asker

drmatt drmatt
 
 November 13, 2009 09:24 PM
It certainly is a challenge for some to continue to be respectful. It's a problem I find with many... They are unable to "embrace contraries". People have a problem being comfortable "holding" paradox.

You can always be passionate AND respectful.

It helps me to see sarcasm and being "caustically funny" as a protection-of-self (ie, a defense mechanism). When people feel uncomfortable, they sometimes protect themselves with "bad behavior".

Just remember, there's a difference between the message and the delivery.
Asker's Rating:
• All of the answers were good--you were early on it and nailed it in a short, concise answer. I like the line about "embrace contraries" and I guess its more important to have fun with this site then get caught up in the emotions.

Also I was feeling like I was morphing into the "flame troll" as mentioned below, so this reboots the experience for me.

Permalink | Report
   Reply  
 
 
silverhamm... silverhamm...
 
November 13, 2009 10:48 PM
It is possible to communicate information without making how I feel about it (or me) important to the answer.

Knowing how to do this (especially when personal motivations inspire a response in the first place) is another matter entirely. :)

Or in other words, how you feel about something is of little interest to anyone but you - unless asked by name for your feedback.

Deciding whether or not something is even a debate, much less how heated it appears, is personal. Just because someone says something that is apparently or covertly contrary doesn't mean I'm required to engage.

Freedom of speech allows everyone to post their views. There's no law that says I have to react. That's a choice.

Just because someone says something doesn't make any other viewpoint invalid. Nor does having the last word make you "righter".

Report
 
 

Other Answers (2)

Sort By
buddawiggi buddawiggi
 
November 14, 2009 09:01 PM
Taking the high road is the best option.

Sometimes the difference between killing an entire thread with negative comments and saving the entire conversation is one act of kindness.

It does got very tough not to get emotional here sometimes and when I feel emotional I will try to walk away from the thread and go do something somewhere else on Mahalo.

If you encounter a flame wielding troll feel free to report them or remind them of the Mahalo Answers Etiquette page of helpful guidelines.

The best way to get rid of the hot trolls is not to feed them. Let them have the last word and move on. Tough I know but sometimes (most of the time) it is the only way. The rest of the responsible users here will take note of who was the better man so to speak and act accordingly in the future.

I have found that by being friendly and intelligent bad scenarios are avoidable.

Tags: dontfeedthetroll...

Helpful Answer?  (2)   (0)   

Helpful: bunnyphuphu, twinpairs

Tip buddawiggi for this answer
Permalink | Report
   Reply  
 
 
psionandy psionandy
 
November 15, 2009 02:01 PM
I don't think anyone here is under any obligation to be 'artificially nice' at all. However there is an assumption that everyone will be polite. Thats a subtle but important difference.

If I'm being polite, I can strongly disagree with fools/idiots/morons without compromising my beliefs at all. After all most of the discussions on Mahalo are about opinions and facts... not the personalities about the people asking the questions. As long as you remember to separate the two then you can find ways to disagree/attack the facts but leave the person unscathed.

Helpful Answer?  (1)   (0)   

Helpful: buddawiggi

Tip psionandy for this answer
Permalink | Report
   Reply  
 
 
aui aui
 
November 16, 2009 03:03 AM
I'm just pondering that it seems the core value that Mahalo wants is to become a trusted authority on questions/searches much like Wikipedia or others, hoping responses will be civil and balanced, with very little editorial oversight, and yet the format lends itself to debates and possibly flame wars--though I'm aware there are controls in place for that.

It does seem to carry a familiar theme of a bulletin board format that goes back to the original Usenet and several others, and so it appears that human nature is close at hand and that people could easily lose it over controversial issues.

I felt myself at one point getting caught up in a question and then you realize that every spectrum of human belief will be at odds at some point, when you have topics like religion, politics, history, etc.

It will be interesting to see how this plays out--good answers!

Report
 
 

Answer this Question

How tips and payments work

This question has already been resolved. You may add an answer to it but you will not be eligible to win best answer or any associated tips.

Related Questions

View All Mahalo Answers Community Questions

Ask a Question


140 characters left
Top of Page
Buy Mahalo Dollars with Credit Card or PayPal

Top Members

This Week All Time
  • buddawiggi
    buddawiggi
    2nd Degree Black Belt
    26207 Points
    M$761.64 Earned
  • kty2777
    kty2777
    Purple Belt
    4930 Points
    M$188.41 Earned
  • opher
    opher
    Purple Belt
    3450 Points
    M$146.42 Earned
   See All
 

Most Popular Tags

mahalo(1531)
twitter(938)
iphone(458)
music(448)
google(341)
food(303)
internet(296)
online(282)
beer(275)
money(256)
facebook(248)
apple(247)
movies(239)
aotd(235)
answers(215)
health(205)
video(199)
free(198)
dog(198)
windows(194)
   See All
 

Categories

Welcome New Members


 
 
Mahalo Dollars are the currency of Mahalo Answers.

Each Mahalo Dollar costs $1.

Once you earn more than 40 Mahalo Dollars, you can request to be paid via PayPal. Each Mahalo Dollar is currently worth $0.75 when paid out via PayPal. Learn More

 
 

Please log in to use this function.

Answers Home | Ask a Question | Earn Points | How Tips Work | Widget