Litmus
Verified User
It is to be expected that a Forum with very little moderation would attract anti-social types who have been thrown out of more orderly Forums, and are unable to get along with others in real life.
I would be pretty surprised if a polite individual arrives at a site like this and does NOT get attacked by trolls.
I not only saw it coming, I expected it, and created a plan to deal with it, which has worked very effectively. As far as I am concerned, it has all worked out well, just as outlined in my very first post. Even then, I knew better than to even try to talk directly with trolls. That is why my first post over two years ago wasn't addressed to them at all, but to the good people here of all political positions:
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"Hello good people at JPP.
I come in peace to discuss the issues facing the USA. I offer manners and respect for you, and a promise that I will never tell you off, or be mean to you.
I respectfully ask for the same in return. Actually I require it. If you share my values this should represent a welcome diversion from the common immaturity seen here.
I am into civil discourse. I will give you all the respect in the world if you respect me. Anyone who flames on me will be placed on my Ignore List. My rules are more strict than the site rules. My Ignore List is PERMANENT. I never take anyone off Ignore. If you like to call other posters names and you want to blame me, vent on me, etc, please identify yourself by flaming on me promptly so I can add you to my growing Permanent Ignore List.
Anyone can tell me off one time. If I accept that and do nothing I invite more of the same; I become the enabler for this type of unwarranted aggressive behavior. I am not going to do that. I know it is quite common around here, but I am not going to put up with it. I could. I simply choose not to. That's what an Ignore List is for. I feel like if I take part in that kind of tit for tat, that I lower myself to do that.
I fully expect to have a very large Ignore List quite rapidly. This is my strategy for having respectful conversations about our national issues. In order to enjoy what I seek, I must filter out ALL of the trash talk. I don't care what form it comes in. It can be accompanied by a very intelligent post, very articulate. That doesn't matter. If it includes being mean, saying mean things about me, I will add that poster to my Ignore List. I don't say mean things about other people, and I am not going to lower myself to those standards.
Many will not understand this. Some will think I will have nobody to talk to. They are wrong. There are good people with manners who are tired of the trash talking. Not as many as the trash talkers here, but that is not a problem. There is too much activity on this site to keep up with it all anyway. So I am going to build a nice little group of friends here who want to be polite, like they really care about one another. That's what I have in real life, and that is what I will have here. That means I am going to have to make some examples out of some people and show that I mean exactly what I said in my Signature. I refuse to be the target of such venting. Nothing personal at all. I simply choose to remain above that. You can do that too, you know. We all can. I choose to.
Also, it does not escape me that when people are unable to argue their positions solely on points of merit, and feel they must resort to putting down the opposition? When people act like that, it usually means they are not really confident enough in their own position to simply state how they feel and let it be. As if they don't think their own position is strong enough to stand on it's own merit. A position is actually more convincing if you stick to facts, and point out where other posts deviate from facts.
I know there are many on this planet who have a genuine love in their heart for fellow humans. I know they exist because I find examples of it constantly. Sadly, there are also some who are filled with rage and frustration. They are just looking for someone to direct it towards. When we enable one another to do that to us, we perpetuate the grief and hatred. I am not going to do that.
All we have to do is find that love in our hearts for humankind and look for it. It is out there. It is inside all of us. We are intelligent beings, but we are creatures of habit. We Americans have some bad habits. Lately one of them is being mean to others on the internet. Very similar to being mean, dangerous, and overly aggressive as drivers, something which has existed long before the internet, but something which has become worse over time. I have to chuckle when I think that some of our worst posters here post like some of our worst drivers drive, but it's sadly true.
Habits can be changed if you try hard enough. That is a very powerful lesson in life. Do your habits control you? Or do you control your habits... Any habit can be changed or established by simply consciously acting differently for a period of 2-3 weeks. After that time period, it becomes second nature. Then you don't have to think about it, it just comes naturally. It is your new habit. Very powerful for self-improvement.
If you are not proud of your habits, and there is a small part of you, a nagging feeling, that it is not right? Listen to that. You can change your habits. Let it begin with enjoying a mutually respectful and long lasting exchange of ideas with me. You never have to worry that I am going to tell you off. I don't do that. I argue on the basis of merit. If you can do that too I believe you will find your credibility will be very high.
Welcome to a new era at JPP. Let that begin with me, and with you. Thanks for listening; thanks for being kind. Be kind to yourself; be kind to others.
Let's have some fun learning, exchanging ideas, and finding out what makes the other side tick as we get better informed and better able to be responsible citizens!
"
go eat a bag dicks.
