Pineapple Express: Someone Is Wrong on the Internet?

[Gradine]

I try not to block, but occasionally do for short periods. As a mod, elsewhere, I really wish that I could block some but the job means I can't

I rarely block temporarily, I do my best to simply avoid a thread where I'm getting frustrated by someone with whom I normally I have no issues. People don't tend to end up on my block list by operating in primarily good faith. I've made a few mistakes here and there that I've regretted and undone, but for the most part, people are who they show themselves to be.

 

[Autumnal]

I’ve found that I’m a terrible judge of good faith a lot of time. I’ve also found that if I shift my concern to “Does this person reliably give me more stress than they give me rewards (good feeling, interesting ideas, etc)?”, then it doesn’t really matter to me as an individual. It does and should matter to the forum environment overall, but my ignore list is purely for myself and therefore only has to deal with my own state of mind.

 

[Old Fezziwig]

I try not to block, but occasionally do for short periods.

When this came up in The Ethics of Two Way Ignore thread in Meta a few years ago, I said:

Almost all of the people on my "permanent" ignore list are there because of things they said to other posters or in conversations I wasn't involved in. Sometimes people say things, and I'm like "this poster is not my type of poster."

I don't put people I've butted heads with on ignore for more than a day or two, and I only do that so I can take inventory of my own behavior and feelings. (I'm putting myself in time out rather than them. I mostly don't want to be argumentative on the Internet.)

Usually, if I'm using ignore, it's because someone's said something that I feel is offensive or deeply unkind (and, once, because I felt their posts verged on spam). The nature of the rest of their post doesn't enter into it, and I don't usually bother interrogating that in these circumstances. I can't think of a time where I've put someone on ignore because of a gaming-based disagreement they're having. It's always because someone's said something beyond the pale.

I'm basically in the same place now. I think I have less of a desire to be argumentative on the Internet now, but perhaps an increased inclination to be (let's say) prickly because of all the nonsense going on out here in meatspace.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

NYT interview with Jim Butcher https://archive.is/0cknw (non-paywall link) Trigger warning attempted suicide.


wow they did him dirty on the tv show, not even a DvD set, I'm guessing this in reference to the skinwalker ( Naagloshii) "Years ago, he reconsidered his approach to a villain after meeting a fan from the Navajo Nation"

That's a pretty good NYT piece.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I’ve also found that if I shift my concern to “Does this person reliably give me more stress than they give me rewards (good feeling, interesting ideas, etc)?”, then it doesn’t really matter to me as an individual.

This is the way.

 

[trappedslider]

That's a pretty good NYT piece.

I knew about the divorce since it part of the delay with the last two books, but I didn't know the rest of the story. The date for the next book is January 20, 2026

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

There's a reason "you should never block people" is one of the most reliable red flags I've seen on the internet.

I’d rather not block and know what is being said so I can choose whether to engage or not, as opposed to blocking and not knowing what was said.

YMMV.