Aren't debates supposed to be civil, What you're describing sounds more like mindless back and forth ranting.

Ideally yes. But some people aren't capable of an emotionally detached civil debate. And other people are quick to turn one into a flamefest given enough time and fuel.

Ahh yes... "Ideally" that word would be great if almost all the places it were used could be replaced with "actuality."

*sighs* call me a pessimist, but I really don't have a lot of hope for humanity, for the shear reason that, they have a horrible time accepting, "other people have different views" I understand that some of those views may affect us, like in politics, which is just another ting I don't care for... But life would be so more peaceful if everyone could handle things civilly and try to find out WHY they do this, or feel that, instead of automatically jumping to "YOU'RE WRONG CAUSE IT'S DIFFERENT FROM WAT I THINK!!!"

*sigh* people...

well again, the thing about the whole issue that amazes me is that, at the core, the reason why someone is flaming someone else is because they don't think that person is compassionate enough or cares enough. That all just strikes me as a big buh-wha?

It becomes a game of oneupmanship.

Sadly, that's what online "debates" tend to turn into. :\ All it takes is one knee-jerk reaction to set the whole thing off.

What I can't stand are the replies that, rather than point out flaws in a person's viewpoint, nitpick over their spelling. As if spelling out "your" rather than "you're" (just for a random example) somehow negates an otherwise perfectly valid argument. :P

Debates often turn into a game of "pick my option cause he is making errors!" what they fail to realize is, they themselves are just as prone to error, unless they are robots or something, being part of being human is making errors, but we as a society as a whole, tend to think "error = failure, stupidity, deficiency, etc, etc"

Here's an (attempt at) analogy, there are 2 dogs, barking at each other, their barks are, for all intents and purposes, identical, the dog's themselves are both the same breed, however, one is foaming at the mouth while barking at the other, which one is gonna draw your attention? probably the rabid one, but most people would also walk away from the other dog as well, cause how long before the other one catches it and starts foaming at the mouth?

;O Lawl so true, people expect you to understand them when nobody wants to really listen to each other.

Reminds me of why I didn't bother with debate club in HS. It was basically the art of saying "Nuh-uh!" louder and more insistently than the other person.

and that is probably the core reason I comment so little outside of just faving the art I like most or avoiding topics I know will start a fight. great work by the way.

Internet=Anonymity

Anonymity=No Consequences

No Consequences=Butt-Holery

^ This times nine-thousand. How true how true.

Yep, that's the internet.
And without it, where would we get cute pictures of kittens?!

Two words.... No Shit!!

I hear you there, Gen...

I've been involved in debates and I always stay rational, calm and try to avoid getting too angry.

But what I hate is that these people will use irrelevant information about me and say some truly vile things that while never true, still hurt.

But what I hate is that these people will use irrelevant information about me and say some truly vile things that while never true, still hurt.



Thus the work of trolls, they hide behind the anonymity of the computer screen , safe from immediate physical harm from those they embellish and exaggerate .

Yeah. The Talk Show radio host Michael Savage made an excellent analogy the other day.

He said that Internet forums are like bathroom walls with infinite space. You know? You've got people drawing swastikas, laying down racial slurs, others erasing them, others erasing over that, insulting others and so on.

It's just the fact that a lot of these people are doing it because they think the other side needs to care more or their flaw is a lack of sympathy or compassion that amazes me. Someone is going to show someone else how evil they are by insulting them or threatening them? Makes no sense.

None at all whatsoever...

I think it's not even so much the belief that other people don't lack compassion, but other people not developing empathy.

Oh yes. I wave the flag of rampant narcissism a lot, but it's true. We're a society of people who have no empathy at all, and that is very sad.

Very true. We've stopped saying "I hope he makes it" and we now say "Lets see what he breaks"

Your new avatar made me smile. ^_^

Youtube comments and WoW opinion posts don't fall into this category. At all. lol

compassion. *smiles* understanding and feeling are hard to do.:)
peace be with you.

I believe this phenomenon is known as John Gabriels Greater Internet Fuckwad theory.. =P
Normal person + Anonymity + Audience = Asshole.

It is hard to remember that for every troll and unfriendly person posting out there, there are at least 10 times as many kind and caring people keeping their mouth (or comments) shut. Ever noticed that when the voice of reason makes a post, all the trolls stop replying?

This was one of the two observations that I told you I wrote down, because it was so profound.

All I can say is that they cant drag you through the virtual mud if you're already down there, and perfectly content. It's how I've survived. I think that's how trolls do it too.

WOOOOOOOOOW ... I never realized it before... but you are right, and I have seen it.
Hell, I've jumped in it... got chewed up and spat out the other side.
Thank you for your Little Tales, this is why I keep coming back.