The "I Didn't Comment in Another Thread" Thread

[Snarf Zagyg]

I dont have a microwave. Does that count?

One time, I thought I was watching the opening to a really thrilling miniseries with a jarring, modern soundtrack likely from Jonny Greenwood.

Alas, it was just microwave popcorn.

 

[Umbran]

Many don't, which leads to some thinking that you're trying to dictate the opinion of others.

Assuming it works if you don't plan to engage in depth.

However, a major issue arises, in that many people don't mean it. Assuming it means you are not immediately offended, but can then end up going down a frustrating rathole, only to get clearly and directly insulted down at the bottom. It is like one person is discussing in bad faith, except they never told you it was in good faith - you assumed it.

I've found (and seen) it is better for folks to say what you actually mean. If you actually mean it is all really in your humble opinion, you can usually denote that by avoiding constructions that use absolutes, or occasionally mention that things are "my personal preference" or the like. It isn't really that big a burden...

... and doing so usually gets you a whole lot of leeway when a moderator comes through and reviews an exchange to see who is the root of the trouble.

 

[darjr]

“Just kidding” isn’t an excuse

 

[Not a Hobbit]

Some people who are so sure of their own "rightness" are really just hypocrites who can talk pretty with big words. Unfortunately, for various reasons, it's impossible to point out their hypocrisy, lest they become offended and lash out.
They are fairly easy to recognize if you bother to look. Most people don't bother to look, however.
In my opinion, of course.

 

[Ryujin]

Assuming it works if you don't plan to engage in depth.

However, a major issue arises, in that many people don't mean it. Assuming it means you are not immediately offended, but can then end up going down a frustrating rathole, only to get clearly and directly insulted down at the bottom. It is like one person is discussing in bad faith, except they never told you it was in good faith - you assumed it.

I've found (and seen) it is better for folks to say what you actually mean. If you actually mean it is all really in your humble opinion, you can usually denote that by avoiding constructions that use absolutes, or occasionally mention that things are "my personal preference" or the like. It isn't really that big a burden...

... and doing so usually gets you a whole lot of leeway when a moderator comes through and reviews an exchange to see who is the root of the trouble.

Sure, however, it gets more than a little cumbersome to state, "In my opinion..." or the like every time that you make a post. by default a post is generally a person's own opinion, unless they explicitly state that it's that of someone else. Text is a terrible tool for conveying emotion or intent, for most people, and as a result people tend to read their own emotional content into the words of other people. That way lies madness. And flame wars.

 

[Umbran]

Sure, however, it gets more than a little cumbersome to state, "In my opinion..." or the like every time that you make a post. by default a post is generally a person's own opinion, unless they explicitly state that it's that of someone else.

Ah, but you are missing the central element - when what is actually an opinion is rhetorically positioned as truth, especially when it includes a slight against others.

Like, "Powergamers are crappy role players." It is actually a personal opinion, but stated as a fact, and is an insult to those who view themselves as powergamers. No, I don't think folks should be expected that the author meant, "In my opinion...." and allow it to slide without comment.

Text is a terrible tool for conveying emotion or intent, for most people, and as a result people tend to read their own emotional content into the words of other people. That way lies madness. And flame wars.

I think that's off a little bit, but close enough for the moment.

Effective communication is not the practice of saying whatever you darned well please in whatever way is convenient for you. It is the practice of considering your audience, and how best to reach them. So, if you know people read emotional content into text, but you choose to write as if they didn't, because it is "too cumbersome"... that's your choice. To bemoan that, yet again, humans acted like humans is rather like complaining that rain is wet.

You don't get to change human nature. You do get to adjust your writing style.

 

[payn]

I do think text is tough, and its easy to make mistakes, but people often lean on that as an excuse. I've changed my behavior a lot over the years from making some of these mistakes and learning from them.

 

[darjr]

Just because I assume “in my opinion” doesn’t mean I won’t see a post as garbage.

 

[Ryujin]

Ah, but you are missing the central element - when what is actually an opinion is rhetorically positioned as truth, especially when it includes a slight against others.

Like, "Powergamers are crappy role players." It is actually a personal opinion, but stated as a fact, and is an insult to those who view themselves as powergamers. No, I don't think folks should be expected that the author meant, "In my opinion...." and allow it to slide without comment.



I think that's off a little bit, but close enough for the moment.

Effective communication is not the practice of saying whatever you darned well please in whatever way is convenient for you. It is the practice of considering your audience, and how best to reach them. So, if you know people read emotional content into text, but you choose to write as if they didn't, because it is "too cumbersome"... that's your choice. To bemoan that, yet again, humans acted like humans is rather like complaining that rain is wet.

You don't get to change human nature. You do get to adjust your writing style.

Yet there's an assumption there; that the statement made is being presented as fact, not opinion. That assumption is made on the part of the reader and is nowhere in the text.

Effective use of text to convey intent/emotional context is a skill that not many really have. If they did, there would be a lot more accomplished writers in the world.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

Effective use of text to convey intent/emotional context is a skill that not many really have.

THAT'S WHAT ALL-CAPS IS FOR! TO MAKE SURE YOU KNOW THAT WHAT I AM SAYING IS VERY IMPORTANT!!111!!!!!!