Much of what I read here in the Pub seems to be members going at each other. Very few seem to agree on anything. Maybe that does not necessarily translate into actual dislike, but very few people seem to get along.

So I started wondering whether that is intentional. Do the majority of people come here looking for an argument, or is it simply that people genuinely have major differences of opinion? And if you can't get along at all, then why bother even showing up here, day in, day out? That bored and self loathing?

I notice quite a few people, and I am not going to name any names, obviously, who never seem to post anything of interest, rarely respond to the actual topics, never start any topics of their own, and spend nearly all their time going after other people and pointing out their imperfections. I would say they are definitely coming here looking for an argument. Or, if not an argument, they are just trying to act smug to try and reduce their own level of personal unhappiness.

That is OK. I think it is very much a characteristic of online communities, and social media in particular. I do not mind it. It is fine. Let people vent. But I do think some people take themselves far too seriously.

If you are willing to have a laugh at other people, then you need to be willing to have a laugh at yourself too. But try and at least be humorous in your attacks. At a minimum, throw in some wit and help others to laugh too. That is the part that often sours it all. Some people here are so vicious that when they have a laugh at you, it is difficult to laugh along with them because there is more contempt than jest behind it.

The people I am referring to, as I said, I am not going to name. If for no other reason, they probably already know who they are.

Anyway, putting all the negative aspects aside, this is quite a unique and beautiful place. People can have a go at just about anything, and the level of tolerance here is surprisingly high. Well done. That is hard to find elsewhere online these days. You even have a couple, maybe more than a couple, who are complete lunatics, and yet somehow they find a voice here too.

The great thing is that nobody really has to care whether somebody likes what you have to say or not. Fine. Do not like it. No problem.

And if you do not like this post, no problem either. You have options. You can have a go, take the piss, you can ignore it, or you can just go off and do something more pleasurable with your time. Whatever floats your boat.

I am going to go outside and have a nice walk now. The weather here is beautiful, and I am in a new place that I am keen to explore.

Wishing you all a great day.

5 minutes ago, SoCal1990 said:

Much of what I read here in the Pub seems to be members going at each other. Very few seem to agree on anything. Maybe that does not necessarily translate into actual dislike, but very few people seem to get along.

So I started wondering whether that is intentional. Do the majority of people come here looking for an argument, or is it simply that people genuinely have major differences of opinion? And if you can't get along at all, then why bother even showing up here, day in, day out? That bored and self loathing?

I notice quite a few people, and I am not going to name any names, obviously, who never seem to post anything of interest, rarely respond to the actual topics, never start any topics of their own, and spend nearly all their time going after other people and pointing out their imperfections. I would say they are definitely coming here looking for an argument. Or, if not an argument, they are just trying to act smug to try and reduce their own level of personal unhappiness.

That is OK. I think it is very much a characteristic of online communities, and social media in particular. I do not mind it. It is fine. Let people vent. But I do think some people take themselves far too seriously.

If you are willing to have a laugh at other people, then you need to be willing to have a laugh at yourself too. But try and at least be humorous in your attacks. At a minimum, throw in some wit and help others to laugh too. That is the part that often sours it all. Some people here are so vicious that when they have a laugh at you, it is difficult to laugh along with them because there is more contempt than jest behind it.

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The people I am referring to, as I said, I am not going to name. If for no other reason, they probably already know who they are.

Anyway, putting all the negative aspects aside, this is quite a unique and beautiful place. People can have a go at just about anything, and the level of tolerance here is surprisingly high. Well done. That is hard to find elsewhere online these days. You even have a couple, maybe more than a couple, who are complete lunatics, and yet somehow they find a voice here too.

The great thing is that nobody really has to care whether somebody likes what you have to say or not. Fine. Do not like it. No problem.

And if you do not like this post, no problem either. You have options. You can have a go, take the piss, you can ignore it, or you can just go off and do something more pleasurable with your time. Whatever floats your boat.

I am going to go outside and have a nice walk now. The weather here is beautiful, and I am in a new place that I am keen to explore.

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Wishing you all a great day.

Here in "The Bowels", it's the third straight day of no daytime rainfall so I, too, am enjoying the lovely weather.
But not so much as getting me to wash the car which is a lovely light tan color from the windows down. I am operating on my theory that the road grime, dust, and dried mud is protecting the paint.

Enjoy your walk.

12 minutes ago, SoCal1990 said:

Much of what I read here in the Pub seems to be members going at each other.

Excellent question, but how quickly you seem to have forgotten that the sole purpose of one of your recent OP's was to 'go at' another member, and then continue to 'go at' him for four more pages. Now you seem so pristine and innocent. It's impossible to take you seriously. Perhaps you could answer your own question and tell us why you often 'go at' other members.

Nah. I notice more that the people here hate themselves. Why else would they torture themselves in this way

53 minutes ago, SoCal1990 said:

Wishing you all a great day.

Do you really wish us all a great day or are you just saying that?

It's forum trolls vs everyone else.

With you being one of the forum trolls.

Most people on these forums know they are behind the grey curtain of anonymity. They wouldn't treat each other like this face to face.

43 minutes ago, harvardgrad said:

Nah. I notice more that the people here hate themselves. Why else would they torture themselves in this way

Good one. Thanks for the giggle. 👍🏼

36 minutes ago, save the frogs said:

Do you really wish us all a great day or are you just saying that?

Of course I do. Even to all the other trolls and haiters. Is that a bad thing?

19 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

It's forum trolls vs everyone else.

With you being one of the forum trolls.

Thank you for your kind admiration. 🙏🏻

14 minutes ago, HappyExpat57 said:

Most people on these forums know they are behind the grey curtain of anonymity. They wouldn't treat each other like this face to face.

True. But it's all good. You have real life and then you have the online world. Both have their pros and cons. At least it's moderated here. The real world is sadly much less so.

15 minutes ago, HappyExpat57 said:

Most people on these forums know they are behind the grey curtain of anonymity. They wouldn't treat each other like this face to face.

Apart from people just insulting you for no apparent reason, internet discourse has some advantages over face to face.

Face to face, everyone is afraid to confront another person's opinion because they don't want to get punched in the nose.

Online, you don't have that problem.

And it all depends if you believe no one should ever be confronted about any opinions they express ever ...

1 minute ago, SoCal1990 said:

True. But it's all good. You have real life and then you have the online world. Both have their pros and cons. At least it's moderated here. The real world is sadly much less so.

Don't think I've ever encountered a Thai in real life that liked the idea of open borders to Thailand.

Are you equating the western world to the real world?

And Asia/Africa/S. America/Russia to the unreal world

1 hour ago, SoCal1990 said:

Do the majority of people come here looking for an argument,

Sometimes it sems that way to me. Maybe not an argument per se but want to win the "discussion" rather than keep it going and possibly get philosophical.

It's the people who take disagreements across threads that are the worst and there are a couple who always do it and it ruins things.

There are posters I regularly disagree with but it doesn't stop me agreeing with them on other topics if I see it.

I always wonder if the ones you dislike the most on here, if you met them for a pint and didn't talk about anything political, I wonder if you would get on.

I also wonder if any two posters on here know each other and don't know it. Often you won't know your friends are racist (for example) but they feel free to be on an anonymous forum. There is one poster on here who I know in real life and he's a bell end. He's the same on here but he's a very infrequent poster. When you think about it, with the circles we move in, there has to be a few posters who know each other even if they don't know it.

Does anyone else know who other posters are?

Mmmmm...I give you a hint

I recall on several occasions mostly at night or in the early hours, one prolific poster ( who I don't see anymore ) had forgot to log out as HF , he wrote a post then replied to himself forgetting to log out as HF berating himself in the next message

I pointed this out before he deleted his post and must of relogged in as another poster again writing a abusive post to himself again ..HFan

I also caught the old guy from western Australia who I don't see post anymore ( probably kicked the bucket) forgetting to log out & log back in as another name...before writing an abusive post ....to himself !....the funniest thing is he told himself to get a life ! Lol

Edited 19 hours ago19 hr by georgegeorgia

This forum provides a Community service particularly those who have a mental illness , depression, lonilesness etc

They may live in 21sqm rooms with no balcony in the Flybird condo or Nirun with nobody but themselves

If your motivation is getting reactions and replies, then you need to take an extreme and often unreasonable position.

Whenever I post a sensible response, it goes totally unnoticed.

I see some posters have ingrained positions, either far left and ultra-woke or rabid right. You know what their response will be before they post, and you know the members who will be triggered.

Nobody ever moves from their pre-programmed position, so the playground arguments continue until teacher Mod steps in.

This thread reminds me of Trapper John's immortal response to Major Frank Burns in M#A#S#H.

Burns " I don't understand why people instantly dislike me".

Trapper John " It saves time, Frank".

I like to save time too.

If you agree with someone, there is often very little left to discuss. If your ego approves, you give them a little positive emotion with a like and move on. If you disagree, some lazy bastards just give a thumbs down or a question mark without even asking what you really meant. A few go into full attack mode, and then the mind games and abuse start.

That is also why disagreement looks so much bigger than agreement on a forum. Agreement often ends the conversation. Disagreement creates it.

6 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

This thread reminds me of Trapper John's immortal response to Major Frank Burns in M#A#S#H.

Burns " I don't understand why people instantly dislike me".

Trapper John " It saves time, Frank".

I like to save time too.

Funny that I'm watching the series right now. Frank's birthday when Hawkeye needs a boot.

1 minute ago, fredwiggy said:

Funny that I'm watching the series right now. Frank's birthday when Hawkeye needs a boot.

Still a classic series that has stood the test of time. Perhaps it should have been compulsory viewing for the current administration, and several before.

1 hour ago, SoCal1990 said:

Of course I do. Even to all the other trolls and haiters. Is that a bad thing?

"Love your enemies." -- Jesus

It simply comes down to credibility, and when some get called out on it and cornered then resentment sets in and others begin to lash out, some are passive aggressive, these traits lean toward the antisocial column. The normal others drop it and move on. There’s some folks here who personally don’t agree with on many issues, yet they’re consistent with their views and convictions and are very clear and credible, and yet there’s other folks can agree with on most issues yet they lack sure footing for the sake of trying to be on top and so they trash their credibility. Anyway, It’s just a whiteboard and black text, is all and nothing personal, so get over it already and don’t ruin yourself because of a perception of what is different or assumed of another.

5 minutes ago, save the frogs said:

"Love your enemies." -- Jesus

"Put an ice pick in their head." - Joe Stalin

I don't think they dislike each other but they don't like someone, this doesn't apply to everyone here of course, just someone who has a different opinion.

I guess it is easy when you in your favourite bar drinking your umpteenth beer that everyone is wrong except you.

What could possibly be better, lads? A topic about bickering where everyone gets to have a proper old bicker. Match made in heaven, innit.

47 minutes ago, Mr Hands said:

I'm sure that I have my detractors who don't always appreciate my candour. 😊

Nah, you reckon, mate? Prolly just your imagination, that. 😊

4 hours ago, The Oracle said:

Here in "The Bowels", it's the third straight day of no daytime rainfall so I, too, am enjoying the lovely weather.
But not so much as getting me to wash the car which is a lovely light tan color from the windows down. I am operating on my theory that the road grime, dust, and dried mud is protecting the paint.

Enjoy your walk.

Nice, thank you. Did nearly 11,000 steps today, which is about my limit. I can do 15K, but my feet get pretty fatigued. Still, when I’m walking somewhere new in cool, refreshing weather, I’m smiling the whole way.

Car washing is like motorcycle washing. For me, it’s usually a once a year thing, but even then, many times I’m pretty good at putting it off for another year. It's patina! 😂

2 hours ago, josephbloggs said:

I also wonder if any two posters on here know each other and don't know it.

I've often wondered about that too. But most of my friends stay busy and don't really like to write a lot anyway. They rather talk. So I kind of doubt it in my case.