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[Inverse Skies]

ANYWAY:
I am glad we don't have a delete feature, because it makes me double, no Triple check whatever I'm about to post.

I'm more talking about people who consistently write posts with no capitalisation and/or paragraphs, making their posts into a slab of very hard to read text.

If people can't be bothered to put a capital 'I' in when referring to themselves or other similar examples that's just abusing the English language for no good reason. Spelling errors occur all the time, I always misspell 'unfortunately' (but not that time) so I don't really mind about them, and grammar is always hard to master.

 

[Gitsnik]

So let me get this straight, if I see someone making a racial joke against black people, and if I do get that joke but frown on it, I'm racist too?
...
I do not need to be a chef to know if my steak tastes well or not.
As I do not need to be a racist or a bigot to know racism or bigotry.

No but you've got your opinion on it, and are thus prejudiced and bigoted against racists and/or bigots. The point being that nobody is without.

Um, I don't think you understand that a prejudiced or bigoted opinion is not just a negative opinion, but one that is *unjustifiably* negative.

That's why it's not "prejudiced and bigoted" to have a negative opinion about "racists and/or bigots": in that case, the negativity is *justified*.

I hate to be pedantic (not really but you know, it sounds nicer):

A bigot is a person who is intolerant of opinions, lifestyles, or identities differing from his or her own, and bigotry is the corresponding state of mind.

The word prejudice refers to prejudgment: making a decision before becoming aware of the relevant facts of a case or event. The word has commonly been used in certain restricted contexts, in the expression 'racial prejudice'. ...

If we didn't have racism, we wouldn't have had wars, in which case we wouldn't have been so far "advanced" in our technological lines (most major steps forward have been made during warfare related research). I still think it is bad, if I'm going to be racist it's in my head, not in someones face, but the point remains: prejudice and bigotry are a two way street.

 

[Bofus Teefus]

First, check out my joined date- I'm brand new, and I know it. I don't seem to get criticized for my posts, so I like to think that I don't offend the integrity of the entire site every time I speak up. Two things-

First, HOW, as a community, would we go about responding to such indiscretions? How should we act when someone does not do something in the spirit of the Escapist community?

The mods seem to be attentive to most things that have a negative effect on the community, so why not just hit the report button and stow the comment? When your post contains nothing but a statement of what the person has done wrong, it probably tends to piss said person off rather than making them consider what they did. Just a thought. PMing would probably give a better result, since the offender may not feel that you're just out to humiliate him/her.

Second, I chopped SB's quotes up here so I didn't take up half a page with this post.

I tried politely teaching them for 2 months, only to be met with flurries of profanity and insults including being told on several occasions to suck a cock and die if I had a problem with them...

...To fix said problems, the rest of the community has to stop accepting the new members for what they are and teach them our ways, even if it means telling them to use the search button on repeat threads, etc. As I said, new members who refuse to read the guidelines or at least listen to US should be harshly instructed to do so...

...I'm asking them to respect me, because I'm trying to help, usually people accept the hand of help from a more experienced member of a group, instead of cussing them out, and the fact that you don't agree with my opinions on seniority still doesn't change the fact they insulted their senior members or indeed, insulted anyone.

I from what I can tell (not just from this thread), you just had a good increase in the number of new members in the past few months. Do you expect us all not to be wanks? By all means, show us what the community is all about, and let us know in a considerate manner (not necessarily harshly) when we're acting against the community standard! It seems like the real asswipes leave on their own accord or get banned, so just keep that in mind when you get someone who is entirely non-receptive to your advice- the idiot will probably be gone soon. Not all of us new members lack respect for other members (senior or otherwise), but since you've got an increase in the rate of new memberships, it probably seems like there are more asswipes than there really are. Just try not to get so frustrated, I think, is my point. Thanks for putting in the effort, though.

If none of this made sense, it's probably because I'm to tired right now to make a whole lot of sense.

 

[Handofpwn]

You were insulting the members trying to help you, at least that's what it looked like to me.

Does it look like I have issues with spelling and grammar? Just because I'm complaining about it doesn't mean it's happened to me. It seems to me that you should take the time to be sure before accusing somebody of insulting you.

And again, I really want to know: what makes you think that registering at any time in 2008 makes you an old member? That's a serious question, because I don't know when these forums were established.

Time moves fast on the Escapist, a 6 months here is basically like a year. There are definitely much older members than me out there, but most active older members are no more and 4-6 months older than me, and I accept and respect their suggestions. Also, U know the system I am about to talk about that I use is not perfect, but it is the system I use: If someone has been around for nearly a year, but has a post count of under 1000, I assume they either don't care or are a lurker. Sometimes I go off at lurkers, assuming they are the ones who don't care, and I am deeply apologetic about that, but it's what I do.

SNIP

3. ARE there any other points you would care the mention on this topic?
Yes. New members: Please, please, please respect the older members, every suggestion we make is not an insult, and so don't shout profane suggestions at us when we were just trying to help.
Then again, trying to help must fall to someone else's hands, I've been worn down with the disrespect.

I have a question, though. How do we define senior members? Post count? Join date? I have been here since august 2008 and consider myself well versed in the ways of the escapist and yet I only have around 400 posts at the moment. Meanwhile we see people who have been here for around 2 months that have already gone gonzo. How do we differentiate? I must know.

See my above quote response.

Yes, but what about the people who are like me that make sure that they have something meaningful to say on the topic before we post? That is why my post count is low and I will not apologize for it. However, I do see what you mean about lurkers, they have been here long enough and should know the rules.

Edit: I am sorry if I butchered that first sentence, but it is around three A.M. where I live.

 

[Spartan Bannana]

Also, U know the system

Oh dear....

That, is what we call a typo. I was not even trying to type the word "you" there, instead I was trying to type the letter "I", it is simply a result of the fact that it is past midnight where I live.

 

[Aschenkatza]

ANYWAY:
I am glad we don't have a delete feature, because it makes me double, no Triple check whatever I'm about to post.

I'm more talking about people who consistently write posts with no capitalisation and/or paragraphs, making their posts into a slab of very hard to read text.

If people can't be bothered to put a capital 'I' in when referring to themselves or other similar examples that's just abusing the English language for no good reason. Spelling errors occur all the time, I always misspell 'unfortunately' (but not that time) so I don't really mind about them, and grammar is always hard to master.

Lazy people do annoy me. I forgive comma's and other more delicate grammar things though. I write stories for my own personal pleasure and understand just how confusing it is when you think, "Does a comma belong here.. or should I put in a semi colon?"
When people constantly berate someone who obviously has problems with English, that's when I call Grammar Nazi's.
If someone is lazy and just doesn't give a crap, that's when I know this thread isn't worth my attention and I LEAVE. I don't POST, I don't MESSAGE the person. I just LEAVE. When you[this is directed at everyone] reply to someone like that, you are giving them FUEL to keep doing what they are doing to ANNOY others and to get back at YOU.

 

[Spartan Bannana]

I from what I can tell (not just from this thread), you just had a good increase in the number of new members in the past few months. Do you expect us all not to be wanks?

I won't deny that your point is one I am very aware of, but that doesn't mean I have to be happy about it.
And yes, I know there's an idiot to intelligence ratio in most join groups of about 5:1 these days, it used to be about 2:1 back when I first joined.

 

[Spartan Bannana]

Are we done with petty arguments that have absolutely nothing to do with the subject at hand yet?

I have no idea; I'd love to find a way to cope with the sudden rise of The Escapist in popularity, but it seems to me that SpartanBanana will keep throwing around elitist bullshit for a good while.

I'll stop throwing elitist bullshit when you stop throwing petty insults.
Now can we please move on Rich? Why do you look for trouble when I state an opinion?

 

[Inverse Skies]

If someone is lazy and just doesn't give a crap, that's when I know this thread isn't worth my attention and I LEAVE. I don't POST, I don't MESSAGE the person. I just LEAVE. When you reply to someone like that, you are giving them FUEL to keep doing what they are doing to ANNOY others and to get back at YOU.

That's a very commendable way to act in such a situation. It's a different approach to some other ideas which state 'they should learn how make full and correct use of the English language while posting'. But, apart from ignoring them completely, can we do to help them improve so their posts are legible and correctly versed?

 

[Inverse Skies]

Are we done with petty arguments that have absolutely nothing to do with the subject at hand yet?

It wouldn't be the Escapist if we were.

Check that link I provided. Back in the day, some of the best threads on here had nothing to do with the subject at hand.

It still occasionally happens. I got into a debate over the merits of classical music on a 'what is your favorite song at the moment' thread. It was great fun! I'm also now friends with the guy I was debating against.

Also that link is amazing. It's hard to see something similar to that happening now without other members butting in all the time.

 

[The_Prophet]

You know what I'm the most tired of on this site? Atheists in religious discussions.
Notice I used the term discussion. Because it's a pleasant conversation until several members, and they know who they are, come in, and can't accept that somebody could believe in something they don't, and fuck it up for everyone else.
Every religious thread I have seen has been closed, and it's because the damned atheists and and such are militant pricks. And that makes me mad. That something that carries such weight in life can't be discussed between gamers because some of them out there, are just suck pricks that they ruin it for everyone else.
Then again, there are some dumb people on this board who just shouldn't post in such threads, atheist or otherwise.

THIS, THIS!