"Forums & Reasoned Discourse" Topic

In this discussion – TMP link – PaintsByNumbers bemoans:

There should be controls on trolling. Really, TMP is not suitable for actual discourse because noisemakers are allowed to flourish.

It's a repetition of a tactic that I've seen multiple times in the other threads… Not funny, just a snarky bandwidth-waste. It's part of the noise being promulgated by those with an agenda to quash discourse about the topic…

Underscoring the uselessness of TMP for reasoned discourse.

Are the TMP forums a suitable means for reasoned discourse?

Are we talking about the Napoleonic Boards?

It's like Hyde Park Corner. You take your soapbox, and stand on it, and say what you like. The message borne by some may appeal to some, or to many. Others, not so much.

But discourse? Often TMPers fail to read what was written, in their haste to respond. "Discourse" often looks like two opponents shelling each other across the trenches.

And many are simply amused by the pomposity of those who believe that they bear The Message. They throw the digital equivalent of rotten fruit, and they have a perfect right to do so.

Wanna go to Vegas, kyoteblue?

Allen

I think it's important for the original poster to understand that you can't control discourse. If you define "reasoned discourse" as only those responses that fit some personal standard of acceptability, that's utterly unrealistic. It also sounds about as fun as watching a panel discussion about the social habits of dryer lint in which the panelist have all been heavily sedated. Personally, I enjoy the bad jokes, sly humor, snarky comments and non-sequiturs that accompany most so-called "serious" discussions here. It shows that people here aren't boring or stodgy and actually bring some personality and humanity in to these things.

Personally, I enjoy the bad jokes, sly humor, snarky comments and non-sequiturs that accompany most so-called "serious" discussions here. It shows that people here aren't boring or stodgy and actually bring some personality and humanity in to these things.

The above is what sets TMP apart from other hobby boards.

I feel that the original question/discussion would be better served on the hmgs boards than TMP.
obviously paintbynumbers has his own agenda with the style/flair that is TMP.

We had some of that there raysoned dis-course over at Naps for a bit.
But lately the threads have been smoking.
Half a dozen souls we hadnt heard from in ages popped in just for the fights.
Ah, Naps. Don't ya just love the smell of flamin' in the mornin'?

There should be controls on trolling.

There are, read the FAQs. Either press the complaint button, press the button, or just scroll past the offending missive.

Are the TMP forums a suitable means for reasoned discourse?

It's a site that caters for enthusiasts of a rather obscure hobby. I wish people would stop trying to (pseudo)intellectualise* the place. No major breakthroughs in the world of science, medicine, the arts or anything else of any bloody importance or use to folk who don't share our particular quirks are ever going to happen here. It is what it is.

*I don't have a problem with intellectuals per se. I do have a problem with pompous s who want to control what others say, do or think. There are more of the latter than the former on TMP

I think the "conversations" here on TMP are much like most that I have with people face-to-face. They ebb and flow, jokes are told, info is shared, and a good time is generally had by all. Sounds pretty reasonable to me! The only one who was completely unreasonable on that linked thread was the guy who kept insisting that everybody else was being so simply because they wouldn't agree with him on all of his harebrained ideas…

teh internet = serious business

As a flourishing noisemaker (or is that "four flushing nausea maker"?), I resemble that remark.

I also resent the speciesist prejudice against trolls. What are you, some kind of ogre lover?

It's a well known fact, trolls attract billy goats. As far as regulation goes, it's self regulating. if everyone ignored the trolls, they would go away. Except for the billy goats.

I find TMP to be a really good resource. If there are a few snarky comments floated on a thread it's no biggie for me… and I'm not up on all the internet lingo so I have little idea what a 'trolling' is or how it came by that name. :-)

Control is a very nasty word.

Let the community osterize the cretins, if such they be.

If the subject is good I can go on and on and on and on for pages and pages and pages and pages….

A small pedantic point of clarification:

"Ostracize" = link

"Osterize" = link or link

;-)

Cheers,
Scott

I always want to osterize cretins of any ilk. Ostracizing is too good for 'em, don't ya know….