Pineapple Express: Someone Is Wrong on the Internet?

[overgeeked]

Not here per se, just general RPG discourse.

It would be great if the response to every statement of preference and experience was not the inane, “That’s one-true-wayism!” It’s a joke of a fallacy at this point. A bad joke of a bad meme. Not every opinion or experience expressed equals one-true-wayism. When someone says, “This is the only way to do it!” then, and only then is it one-true-wayism.

 

[Ryujin]

Not here per se, just general RPG discourse.

It would be great if the response to every statement of preference and experience was not the inane, “That’s one-true-wayism!” It’s a joke of a fallacy at this point. A bad joke of a bad meme. Not every opinion or experience expressed equals one-true-wayism. When someone says, “This is the only way to do it!” then, and only then is it one-true-wayism.

It's only one-true-wayism if stated by the one true Scotsman.

 

[Deset Gled]

It would be great if the response to every statement of preference and experience was not the inane, “That’s one-true-wayism!” It’s a joke of a fallacy at this point. A bad joke of a bad meme. Not every opinion or experience expressed equals one-true-wayism. When someone says, “This is the only way to do it!” then, and only then is it one-true-wayism.

Unfortunately, I see the opposite of this happening all the time, too. Just today I saw someone literally arguing "the best" way to do game design, with zero acknowledgement of any difference between their personal preferences and objective (or even relative) standards.

 

[CleverNickName]

Unfortunately, I see the opposite of this happening all the time, too. Just today I saw someone literally arguing "the best" way to do game design, with zero acknowledgement of any difference between their personal preferences and objective (or even relative) standards.

...and when you call them on it, and remind them that they are claiming their opinions to be facts, they'll say something like "well of course it's just a matter of opinion, I shouldn't have to tell you that, everyone knows it's an opinion, everyone just assumes it's an opinion," and so on, as if it's your fault for misunderstanding. Then they'll go right back to their as-a-matter-of-fact tone.

 

[overgeeked]

...and when you call them on it, and remind them that they are claiming their opinions to be facts, they'll say something like "well of course it's just a matter of opinion, I shouldn't have to tell you that, everyone knows it's an opinion, everyone just assumes it's an opinion," and so on, as if it's your fault for misunderstanding. Then they'll go right back to their as-a-matter-of-fact tone.

I really don’t get this one.

Every post is a personal opinion or experience, not a universal fact for all time. Insisting every post be prefaced with, “This is just my opinion…” is pointlessly redundant and tone policing.

It’s typically followed up by the utterly stupid phrase, “Well, you didn’t say it was your opinion, so…”

I shouldn’t have to tell people water’s wet either, but here we are.

 

[CleverNickName]

I really don’t get this one.

The issue I take with it is that while these are opinions, they are speaking in a manner that suggests (implies? outright states?) they are more than opinion. And the author of these posts is not ignorant of this--they know that their tone and word choices are leading the reader, they know they are crossing the line. And that's the whole point: they can then claim that all misunderstanding lies on the reader. Certainly not on them.

Bob: "I can say with utmost certainty that vanilla is the best ice cream flavor, everyone knows that, and anyone who disagrees is obviously misinformed or in denial. That's just the fact of the matter. You're arguing with facts."
Joe: "Um, plenty of people prefer chocolate."
Bob: "Look, I'm just stating opinions here, you're the one who took it too far."

I'm exaggerating greatly, but that's the gist of it.

 

[overgeeked]

The issue I take with it is that while these are opinions, they are speaking in a manner that suggests (implies? outright states?) they are more than opinion. And the author of these posts is not ignorant of this--they know that their tone and word choices are leading the reader, they know they are crossing the line.

So now we're adding mind reading? That's not good. You don't know what's going on in other people's brains no matter how sure you are that you do.

Every post here is an opinion. You know that. So why pretend that some posts are not opinions?

Someone else is using rhetoric you don't like and you want to stop them. Their use of rhetoric you don't like doesn't remove the knowledge from your mind that they're still posting an opinion, not a fact. So why pretend they're posting facts?

And that's the whole point: they can then claim that all misunderstanding lies on the reader. Certainly not on them.

Likewise with your "misunderstanding" that posters using rhetoric you don't like are still posting opinions, not facts. You take exception to their rhetoric despite knowing they're posting an opinion, but you shift the problem to the poster instead of you.

Bottom line: You can't control how others post, so stop trying.

Bob: "I can say with utmost certainty that vanilla is the best ice cream flavor, everyone knows that, and anyone who disagrees is obviously misinformed or in denial. That's just the fact of the matter. You're arguing with facts."
Joe: "Um, plenty of people prefer chocolate."
Bob: "Look, I'm just stating opinions here, you're the one who took it too far."

I'm exaggerating greatly, but that's the gist of it.

The exaggeration doesn't help make your point.

 

[CleverNickName]

Well, if you don't think tone and word choice can lead the reader and influence their understanding, we're not going to get very far on this topic. I'll think of another one.

 

[overgeeked]

Well, if you don't think tone and word choice can lead the reader and influence their understanding, we're not going to get very far on this topic. I'll think of another one.

And now you're putting words in my mouth. That's great. "Good talk." Tschüss.

 

[CleverNickName]

I promise, I was gonna write out a whole pumpkin-themed adventure. I had a good idea for a plot hook, I had a map in the works, and I had even written a couple of the monsters. That was the plan. And then I sat down to write, and it all went out the window.

I ended up writing something completely different. I don't know if it's the same for the rest of y'all, but sometimes I get an idea lodged in my brain and suddenly it's 12:55 a.m. and I've written a few hundred words about a beverage and it's "cult following."

I don't know if it's a winner or not, but I sure had a lot of fun. I'm still chuckling about the Uggs and North Face jacket.