Pineapple Express: Someone Is Wrong on the Internet?

[Thomas Shey]

I've been trying to be careful about using "IMO" and "To me, this is such and such" type statements because inevitably someone gets really grumpy.

I try to use "IME" for similar reasons, but can't say I'm always consistent about it.

 

[RealAlHazred]

Uh, I don't... I don't think this recommendation can be serious...

 

[Autumnal]

I presume Charlie would much prefer it not be.

 

[Ryujin]

It would be helpful if people didn't regularly blur the two together in how they argue things. There's also the problem of what I call "I was there when it happened" which is that people will sometimes deny personal experience (not to be confused with denying the utility of the personal experience, such as how representative it is, which is at least valid in principal) and it can be pretty hard to prove that. Admittedly, people using screen names complicates that, but in some cases if they were posting under their real names I still think people would not want to believe them.

Lack of clarity or mixing and matching methods of debate can certainly be an issue. It doesn't explain why some leap to the claim that someone is stating fact, when the default would seem to be opinion.

 

[CleverNickName]

I guess I don’t make those kind of “this is a fact” type statements particularly when it comes to games because 99% of it has some exception, rule zero scenario and honestly, facts in this area are just not even worthwhile to begin with.

I mean, when someone starts mentioning numbers, like dates, dollar amounts, and percentages, it doesn't come across as an opinion. Same thing for absolutes ("always, never, everyone," etc.) and direct quotes. That's not the reader's fault.

Sometimes they are just wrong, and can't bear to admit it. Gets my goat every time.

 

[trappedslider]

Why would I be posting the opinion of someone else?

So, you're not a news paper with an op-ed section?

 

[trappedslider]

Uh, I don't... I don't think this recommendation can be serious...

you know given how he treated Harry Potter, I wonder how Alan Moore would have treated Twilight.

 

[Thomas Shey]

Lack of clarity or mixing and matching methods of debate can certainly be an issue. It doesn't explain why some leap to the claim that someone is stating fact, when the default would seem to be opinion.

Well, I'd argue that's because they've too frequently hit too many people who act like the default when talking to them is the contrary. But that's just speculation on my part.

 

[Thomas Shey]

I mean, when someone starts mentioning numbers, like dates, dollar amounts, and percentages, it doesn't come across as an opinion. Same thing for absolutes ("always, never, everyone," etc.) and direct quotes. That's not the reader's fault.

Though I'll note people are really, really bad at acting like qualifier words aren't in a statement. If my experience has taught me something is overwhelmingly common I'll normally say it "usually" is because there are always going to be exceptions, and its always possible I've somehow seen selective examples. Yet people will respond like that word isn't there.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]