My screwed-up relationship :(

[Rel]

Ok, I'm man enough to admit when I've been had. No hard feelings, Gnarlo. I even noticed the avatar change and failed to make the connection.

However, this does raise a bit of a point that I'd like to see addressed by a mod (Mr. Noah will do since he's handy): How much of this sort of thing is likely to be permitted? What I'm getting at is that there was a time when I posted a very personal thread about the death of my friend, and fellow board member, The Lone Corndog. The outpouring of sympathy, compassion and good advice was very touching to me and ever since then I've been far more willing to post in these sorts of threads to offer comfort and advice.

If a significant portion of these threads have the potential to be jokes or trolls, I'm a lot less likely to post in them. I'm guessing that I'm not alone in this feeling.

I am not interested in somebody being repremanded for a relatively harmless joke but I just want to understand the "rules of the game".

 

[Gnarlo]

First off, thanks to everyone that posted, and no hard feelings, I hope? I appreciate all the concern and feelings everyone expressed, and hope you'll laugh along with me, or at least at me. I figure if I was lucky enough to get one over on yall, I just caught you on a bad day... (And, relationship-wise, I'm very happily attached to my wife of 10 years, who coincidentally, looks JUST like Jasmine from Aladin. Yeah, like yall are gonna believe THAT now )

Eric: Thanks The first post is just a synopsis of the 4 movies. I decided near the end that it was being told from Dourif's POV, so I through the p.s. about Eowyn in there The other two are just bits and pieces taken from the movies here and there. Other than Eowyn, the Beast and Hellboy are the only non-Alien references

 

[Tarrasque Wrangler]

I'd say a death hoax is right out.

He wasn't really fishing for sympathy. Really, this added a nice touch of levity to the recent onslaught of "girlfriend-gripe" threads.

I'd say, no hard and fast rules, just judge it on a case-by-case basis. Weigh how funny the joke was vs. how much potential harm was caused. And then we'll put lice in Gnarlo's gym shorts.

 

[Tarrasque Wrangler]

First off, thanks to everyone that posted, and no hard feelings, I hope? I appreciate all the concern and feelings everyone expressed, and hope you'll laugh along with me, or at least at me. I figure if I was lucky enough to get one over on yall, I just caught you on a bad day... (And, relationship-wise, I'm very happily attached to my wife of 10 years, who coincidentally, looks JUST like Jasmine from Aladin. Yeah, like yall are gonna believe THAT now )

Eric: Thanks The first post is just a synopsis of the 4 movies. I decided near the end that it was being told from Dourif's POV, so I through the p.s. about Eowyn in there The other two are just bits and pieces taken from the movies here and there. Other than Eowyn, the Beast and Hellboy are the only non-Alien references

In my opinion, you really blew it by not adding a reference to Child's Play or One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Maybe your girlfriend insisted on carrying around a creepy doll, or insisted on hanging out with her mute Native American friend all the time?

 

[Rel]

First off, thanks to everyone that posted, and no hard feelings, I hope? I appreciate all the concern and feelings everyone expressed, and hope you'll laugh along with me, or at least at me.

Honestly, at this point, having re-read the OP, I can't stop slapping myself for how obvious it should have been. Especially since I've just watched parts of Aliens and Alien 3 in the last week.

"it's not like we were engaged or anything" *smack*

 

[BSF]

If a significant portion of these threads have the potential to be jokes or trolls, I'm a lot less likely to post in them. I'm guessing that I'm not alone in this feeling.

Rel,
I assumed the possibility that this was a gag. I also assumed that I could be cynical and derisive, or I could try to be compassionate. The fact that it could be a fellow human being in this mess is what urges me to post. After all, what are the consequences?

If I post with compassion and concern, maybe it will be a gag. OK, ha ha, jokes on me. Big deal.

If I post with cynicism and it isn't a gag, I just missed out an opportunity to maybe help someone.

A number of months ago, we had somebody post that they were feeling like they could not go with life. The cry of troll came up in that thread. But really, who cares? I personally emailed that person with hotline numbers to call. I offered to call for them if they needed somebody else to pick up the phone. If it was a gag, what did I lose? If it was for real and I didn't try to help, what would I lose? One of those options is kinda funny, the other isn't. I would rather be compassionate and risk being mocked rather than be cynical and always wonder if I could have helped instead of derided.

I know what you are saying. I also posted when you lost your friend. Yeah, enough gags will eventually wear people down, but we choose for ourselves how we respond. I hope the gags are few and far between. I don't delude myself thinking that I can cure anybody. But a nudge to helping that person find help themselves is a good thing.

 

[Hypersmurf]

I would rather be compassionate and risk being mocked rather than be cynical and always wonder if I could have helped instead of derided.

In the Best Deaths thread in the Media forum, Kai Lord said something about how his father died by being launched on a missile from a fighter jet, like the BBEG at the end of True Lies.

Even as I posted my mocking response, I was thinking to myself "I really, really, really hope he's joking, or I'm going to feel like a prick..."

-Hyp.

 

[janta]

First off, thanks to everyone that posted, and no hard feelings, I hope? I appreciate all the concern and feelings everyone expressed, and hope you'll laugh along with me, or at least at me.

I'm not laughing. I'm fairly irritated. I cannot speak for anyone else here, but I feel taken advantage of. When I read your post, I saw someone in pain and need. I gave the advice that I thought would be most helpful, in good faith. Then I learn that my advice has been sought on a lark, as a trick, as a joke.

That doesn't make me laugh. It does make me wonder about this "community"....can I take ANY post here at face value? But honestly I don't suppose you care what I think; I'm just a random person on the internet.

I could go on, but I won't. Whatever.

--Janta

 

[WanderingMonster]

A troll is bad. A troll artiste is something to be appreciated. But like most art, not everyone will like it.

I miss Bugaboo.

 

[EricNoah]

However, this does raise a bit of a point that I'd like to see addressed by a mod (Mr. Noah will do since he's handy): How much of this sort of thing is likely to be permitted?

Nope, nope, you're not gonna suck me back in!

My own opinion, not any official opinion: It has been a long, long time since there has been sort of a "funny/weird" troll, as I think we can all see by the fact that we all fell for it. If they happened around here a lot, a) we wouldn't fall for them, and b) we would go around crying "troll" every few seconds.

And I admit, I felt like an idiot for a second; here I was, seriously feeling sorry for this guy like a chump, and it was a joke! But I have a weird sense of humor, and to me it's pretty funny especially looking back on it.

However, I can understand that this whole thing might bother folks. If you are unhappy, Gnarlo told me he will buy a McDonalds (TM) brand Happy Meal (R) for anyone who still feels like they were irreversibly hurt in the process.