Over on the General Forum there's plenty of threads that degenerate into pointless bickering.

Two or more posters insist on reiterating their point despite the fact that it is obvious that their counterparty is never going to accept it. Fortunately, many of these threads degenerate into personal insults, and, in a few cases we can expand our vocabulary of abuse, derision and deprecation - sadly all too rarely, though.

Personally, I'm always a bit embarrassed to have the last word in a thread... I think "Does no-one else care? Maybe no-one else in Thailand is really bothered about the relative merits of English rugby league stadia...".

Does anyone have any suggestions for how to help such threads break out of their futile circle, or alternatively, accelerate their descent down the spiral so we can learn new swearwords and calumnies

SC

Why can't we have proper suasage sarnies at the KC?...with HP sauce. Like they have at the Odsal.

I confess though I was reluctant to post....I mean what if???

As to breaking the cycle well...its like a game of tennis....so you have to turn it into more of a five a side match.

Why can't we have proper suasage sarnies at the KC?...with HP sauce. Like they have at the Odsal.

I confess though I was reluctant to post....I mean what if???

Wilderspoole was better. You could get a few pints in the Saracen's Head before the game; it was a Greenalls pub right next to the brewery. THe Lord Rodney was a Tetley's pub, though its no longer close to the brewery now that the Halliwell Jones occupies the former brewery site. The new stadium is more convenient for Central station, though.

How difficult is it just to concentrate on the main topic of a thread, instead of picking up on one barely-relevant comment and diving off on a digression like a rat up a drainpipe?

SC

Why can't we have proper suasage sarnies at the KC?...with HP sauce. Like they have at the Odsal.

I confess though I was reluctant to post....I mean what if???

Wilderspoole was better. You could get a few pints in the Saracen's Head before the game; it was a Greenalls pub right next to the brewery. THe Lord Rodney was a Tetley's pub, though its no longer close to the brewery now that the Halliwell Jones occupies the former brewery site. The new stadium is more convenient for Central station, though.

How difficult is it just to concentrate on the main topic of a thread, instead of picking up on one barely-relevant comment and diving off on a digression like a rat up a drainpipe?

SC

I almost only ever read the first paragraph. It usually gets a bit tedious after that.

As to breaking the cycle well...its like a game of tennis....so you have to turn it into more of a five a side match.

Alternatively you can offer your support to one poster while sending PM's to the other. Lots of options at your fingertips....

I have my suspicions that a number of those type of posters- especially some of the shills in the political battles- are basically paid to keep answering back on the forum no matter how shrill or how hopeless the cause. Self-defeating and delusional, but considering the source not really surprising.

I have my suspicions that a number of those type of posters- especially some of the shills in the political battles- are basically paid to keep answering back on the forum no matter how shrill or how hopeless the cause. Self-defeating and delusional, but considering the source not really surprising.

Shill.

Thanks for that - we haven't properly descended into mindless tit-for-tat name-calling, and I've learnt a new calumnous insult that I shall no doubt use that in the future.

Also 'sock-puppet'. We used to have a sock-puppet that came to some of our project meetings, but he was banned for being argumentative.

SC

I have my suspicions that a number of those type of posters- especially some of the shills in the political battles- are basically paid to keep answering back on the forum no matter how shrill or how hopeless the cause. Self-defeating and delusional, but considering the source not really surprising.

I rarely open a thread in the General Forum, let alone the Thai News section, which has gone past one page. Usually enough has been said by then. Pity one can't put them on a loop after that so that they just go round and round talking to themselves (this is what they do anyway). And there are certain names one learns to avoid.......

Calling them a numpty usually creates a pause. It's a while before they break out the dictionary because they are probably thinking the spelling for humpty dumpty is wrong.

...And there are certain names one learns to avoid.......

You must've not looked to closely before you found yourself mired in this thread, then

SC

Over on the General Forum there's plenty of threads that degenerate into pointless bickering.

You gotta admit that OTB has become quite civil in the past couple months. I haven't noticed anyone posting definitions from a dictionary here in a long time like in those infamous back-and-forths over word meanings that would happen daily.

...And there are certain names one learns to avoid.......

You must've not looked to closely before you found yourself mired in this thread, then

SC

There are some I make allowances for, SC.

General seems to have dropped a bit lately, or perhaps it is just me.

I go to the other channel for the mindless name calling, there's some right nutters. It can be fun imagining them frothing at the mouth while writing some of their replies, until one gets bored of course.

General seems to have dropped a bit lately, or perhaps it is just me.

I go to the other channel for the mindless name calling, there's some right nutters. It can be fun imagining them frothing at the mouth while writing some of their replies, until one gets bored of course.

There are some posters who seem unable to see a stick without taking the wrong end of it. Some take everything as a personal insult. I'm always surprised that apparently-well-educated people can be so easily riled to the point, as you say, of soapsuds round the chops.

SC

General seems to have dropped a bit lately, or perhaps it is just me.

I go to the other channel for the mindless name calling, there's some right nutters. It can be fun imagining them frothing at the mouth while writing some of their replies, until one gets bored of course.

There are some posters who seem unable to see a stick without taking the wrong end of it. Some take everything as a personal insult. I'm always surprised that apparently-well-educated people can be so easily riled to the point, as you say, of soapsuds round the chops.

SC

I've crafted myself a very long pointy stick and prod them from time to time....sometimes repeatedly if I feel they are enjoying it.

There are some posters who seem unable to see a stick without taking the wrong end of it. Some take everything as a personal insult. I'm always surprised that apparently-well-educated people can be so easily riled to the point, as you say, of soapsuds round the chops.

SC

Who says they're well-educated? Not even 'apparently", many of them.

There are some posters who seem unable to see a stick without taking the wrong end of it. Some take everything as a personal insult. I'm always surprised that apparently-well-educated people can be so easily riled to the point, as you say, of soapsuds round the chops.

SC

Who says they're well-educated? Not even 'apparently", many of them.

I'm assuming that they can read and write, though I suppose from some of the prose on here it could be dictated and transcribed by their Thai girlfriends.

I wonder who'll be on first to object to that and take it personally?

SC

I suppose that's one of the things I find daunting about Thai. The great blocks of text with no capitals; it must be rank with ambiguity... To be fair, its a while since I was faced with a Thai document, and all our own were translated sentence by sentence (or at least, short paragraphs) to preserve the structure.

I find this an interesting thread. I have an opinion on a lot of subjects, but I am quite well aware that there is another side. If I post an opinion, I just don't see the point in getting into a slinging match with someone who disagrees. What is the point? Will they change their minds? I doubt it. Say what you want to say, impart the information you have and listen to the responses of others. They are entitled to their opinion.

It's a little harder to drop something if it is your area of expertise, but the people who are the most knowledgeable seem to be the ones who stop responding to people who simply do not know what they are talking about.

Interesting topic. Very interesting.

I suppose that's one of the things I find daunting about Thai. The great blocks of text with no capitals; it must be rank with ambiguity... To be fair, its a while since I was faced with a Thai document, and all our own were translated sentence by sentence (or at least, short paragraphs) to preserve the structure.

One of my real betes noires (sorry, no accents) is the kind of poster who produces an indigestible block of supposedly English text without punctuation or capitals. I don't read them, but the sheer laziness of it annoys me!

I suppose that's one of the things I find daunting about Thai. The great blocks of text with no capitals; it must be rank with ambiguity... To be fair, its a while since I was faced with a Thai document, and all our own were translated sentence by sentence (or at least, short paragraphs) to preserve the structure.

One of my real betes noires (sorry, no accents) is the kind of poster who produces an indigestible block of supposedly English text without punctuation or capitals. I don't read them, but the sheer laziness of it annoys me!

Try reading it in a screaming Welsh accent

kenwhutameenanat,like?

SC

I like putting names to stereotypes:

http://redwing.hutma...mreed/index.htm

Signed,

"Philosopher"

I like putting names to stereotypes:

http://redwing.hutma...mreed/index.htm

Signed,

"Philosopher"

Thanks for that.

I only skimmed through the classification pages, but I thought someone with more diligent mischieviousness than I might be tempted to draw up a table of our regular posters and accepting nominations for categorisation. Except that he would get all huffy at the names he himself was called, and take his ball home to play with himself...

SC