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<blockquote data-quote="Umbran" data-source="post: 5602059" data-attributes="member: 177">Then, &quot;It seems to me...&quot; would have been appropriate.&nbsp; I know lots of folks feel that should be implied, and taken as implied, but it generally isn't, and we would do well to recognize that.Okay, I think you misunderstand me.&nbsp; This isn't about what you can or cannot feel - this is about the practical matters of communicating to other human beings.Every communication has an intent, and an expected audience.&nbsp; In phrasing a communication, you should keep those things in mind, and consider if what you are writing (and where, and when) is likely to have the results you want.&nbsp; I don't claim to know all the specific desired intents around here - but a great many of what seem to be the most common ones are demonstrably not served well by stating strong opinions as absolutes on an internet forum dedicated to discussion.This doesn't mean you can't feel a certain way, or even that you can't express yourself.&nbsp; But, the Spider-Man Rule applies: with power comes responsibility.&nbsp; With the right of self expression comes the burden of doing so with care.For example: we have blogs here on EN World, and I think they are woefully underused.&nbsp; Blogs and discussion forums have different designs, and different assumptions, and are good for different things.&nbsp; Blogs are, in general, better for just expressing your feelings than discussion board posts.&nbsp; I think if folks turned to the blogs for a lot of material that's often put on the discussion boards, those sections of the site could come alive in a really cool way that works in synergy with the discussion boards.Thing is, I'm not actually about keeping people from expressing unpopular opinions.&nbsp; I'm about helping folks find better ways of expressing their opinions, popular or otherwise.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Umbran, post: 5602059, member: 177"] Then, "It seems to me..." would have been appropriate. I know lots of folks feel that should be implied, and taken as implied, but it generally isn't, and we would do well to recognize that. Okay, I think you misunderstand me. This isn't about what you can or cannot feel - this is about the practical matters of communicating to other human beings. Every communication has an intent, and an expected audience. In phrasing a communication, you should keep those things in mind, and consider if what you are writing (and where, and when) is likely to have the results you want. I don't claim to know all the specific desired intents around here - but a great many of what seem to be the most common ones are demonstrably not served well by stating strong opinions as absolutes on an internet forum dedicated to discussion. This doesn't mean you can't feel a certain way, or even that you can't express yourself. But, the Spider-Man Rule applies: with power comes responsibility. With the right of self expression comes the burden of doing so with care. For example: we have blogs here on EN World, and I think they are woefully underused. Blogs and discussion forums have different designs, and different assumptions, and are good for different things. Blogs are, in general, better for just expressing your feelings than discussion board posts. I think if folks turned to the blogs for a lot of material that's often put on the discussion boards, those sections of the site could come alive in a really cool way that works in synergy with the discussion boards. Thing is, I'm not actually about keeping people from expressing unpopular opinions. I'm about helping folks find better ways of expressing their opinions, popular or otherwise. [/QUOTE]

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