D&D 5E Arguing, ideating and solution-seeking on the D&D Enworld forum

[Thomas Shey]

I'm not sure, but that might at least sometimes be correlation, not causation.

Which is to say, that the threads that fall in arguing also happen to be the kind of topics you find interesting?

(Edit: hmm, that kind of describes me, I think!)

I think it is possible to have discussions about topics that could escalate into arguing, but don't due to sheer mindfulness of those involved.

(not presuming though, just a thought)

Oh, your second point is absolutely true. I'm not Filthy Lucre but the kinds of topics that are unlikely to produce at least some argument (barring primarily informational ones like the COVID thread) are not things I find of much interest. I might read them, but its unlikely I'd respond to them.

 

[Thomas Shey]

IMHO, "winning" is about avoiding the wall of quotes war in the first place and not letting yourself be sucked into it. If someone tasks you for ignoring parts of their post, then a little humility goes a long way IME to disarm any tasking: e.g., "I apologize if you felt that I ignored the rest of your post where you discuss X, but I wanted to focus on Y."

Like many things, I think avoiding the wall of quotes war is a virtue, but its not an unlimited one; I don't think simultaneously avoiding skipping relevant bits, or alternatively avoiding responding with a wall of text yourself is so trivial as to make them better choices.

 

[Thomas Shey]

I don't see why that would be. Argument is merely one mode of interaction. There are others folks could use.

And most of them seem rather useless in a lot of the cases I'm referring to at least.

 

[payn]

Depending on how you define it, I'm not sure the past tense here is warranted.

Folks have different opinions and always will. No way you can convince me things are as bad now as they were 10 years ago.

 

[Thomas Shey]

Folks have different opinions and always will. No way you can convince me things are as bad now as they were 10 years ago.

As you will, man. But some of the specifically culture-war elements in the hobby seem much, much worse than they did ten years ago to me.

 

[Umbran]

And most of them seem rather useless in a lot of the cases I'm referring to at least.

What kind of cases do you mean?

 

[Aldarc]

Like many things, I think avoiding the wall of quotes war is a virtue, but its not an unlimited one; I don't think simultaneously avoiding skipping relevant bits, or alternatively avoiding responding with a wall of text yourself is so trivial as to make them better choices.

Are you looking for an indulgence for getting dragged into wall-of-quote arguments?

 

[Thomas Shey]

Are you looking for an indulgence for getting dragged into wall-of-quote arguments?

Nope, I'm just suggesting its one of three potential failure states, and saying I don't think its any worse than the other two.

 

[Thomas Shey]

What kind of cases do you mean?

Where there is a matter at hand where establishing an issue is at least part of the point.

 

[Aldarc]

Nope, I'm just suggesting its one of three potential failure states, and saying I don't think its any worse than the other two.

Okay.