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mrsD · 10-23-2007, 07:19 AM

I was going to post this privately to rfinney. But I have decided to put it here
after all.

Quote:

Originally Posted by rfinney

I had really felt disconnected before these incidents and had basically decided to leave before the most recent event. So it is not fair to blame these things for my leaving. But overall I now just feel very disinclined to post. There are other specific incidents that were disturbing to me, and perhaps play some part in the way I feel. But none of them are the “cause” of my decision to leave. I do want to mention one other particular event. It happened about 6 months back. In a thread, a poster (infrequent member) wrote an anti-Semitic reply, out of the blue, and just stuck it in a thread. I was disgusted by the trash that was posted and immediately contacted a mod and filed a protest.

However, what was more disturbing to me was that a few of the “regulars” responded to the original thread as if nothing was wrong. In other words, they just kept posting while ignoring the anti-Semitic garbage. I remember discussing the whole incident over Chemar, who ended up as the mod in charge. She also expressed surprise about the continued posts by forum members. In any event, she quickly removed the offensive post. She also had to remove my reply, so a search will not turn up any record of the thread.

The internet contains a type of posting, that is designed to provoke reactions.
The best handling of this concept, I found at The Curezone, so I'll link to it here: http://curezone.com/forums/troll.asp
This is really the best discussion I have found on the net for this subject. And because CureZone is an alternative site, it is frequently attacked by trolling behaviors.

The suggestion for the net is to IGNORE posts/posters who inflame or provoke.
The behaviors that rfinney found confusing and which angered him, was the ignoring of the anti-semitic remark. In person, you may choose to confront someone who is behaving this way (if they don't look like they will attack you or have a weapon), but on the net, ignoring is the only way to not feed the troll. The troll wants a payoff, wants to see some kind of action. One must resist giving that payoff back. We can't see people here, hear their voices, we don't have a foundation at all about them really..they can even post pictures that are untrue. Basically on the net when people throw out comments like the antisemitic remark, it just leads to a flame war because it is very easy to type a response, something you may not do in person. Add on top of that people who are struggling with illness, pain, drug side effects, job insecurity, death, etc...and you have a low flash point.

So I recall this incident, and yes, I did not respond to it and waited for the moderators to take care of it. That is what they are here for.

So out of respect for this board, and others here, I don't respond. I do report to moderators, however.

rfinney, you are a respectful person. So it is hard to endure disrespect. But on the net, one has to weigh the total effect against the response. There will always be provocative people on the net, always.

I think the strength of this forum and others here at NT is built on diversity.
I don't enter into every thread either. Sometimes I have nothing to offer, or it is going well anyway, etc. Sometimes I miss something..overlook it. Alot of times I get no answers or response too. In fact, this board and the Vitamin one are the most responsive I have seen, for myself! I just got a PM about this phenomenon this week, from someone else! Sometimes a post is so good, and to the point, no response is really necessary. Sometimes people are just reading and thinking about it...they may think about it for days, weeks, months before it clicks for them! People have their own style.

So I am saddened every time I read posts like this---"I am leaving".
If you have to stop posting here, rfinney, then that is what you need to do.
Sometimes however, it is just a break from the internet which is needed. This I understand alot myself. So I hope it is only the "break" or vacation that is needed, and that we will see you still in the future.