With regard to the people calling MikeP's post harsh:
Boy it must suck to live in a world where honest commentary that was implicitly asked for was delivered. Does it make you sad to know that people probably hate you for no reason, and some probably hate you for a reason, and some of those people and reasons might actually be valid? Welcome to the internet.

I don't know what world you live in, but where I live, responding to someone sharing an anecdote and a couple of reasons why they prefer a certain operating system over another with "good thing your wife is as dumb as you are, or she'd leave you in a heartbeat" would usually earn you a broken nose, and with good reason.

But then again, the lounge is just 4chan plus "like"-buttons after all, so I guess being the Internet tough guy is the cool thing to do, eh?

With regard to the people calling MikeP's post harsh:
Boy it must suck to live in a world where honest commentary that was implicitly asked for was delivered. Does it make you sad to know that people probably hate you for no reason, and some probably hate you for a reason, and some of those people and reasons might actually be valid? Welcome to the internet.

So you think it is valid to start throwing mud at the integrity of the relationship of a married couple due to a preference over operating systems?

We're not talking about the internet, we are talking about GDNet (albeit the lounge) and I'd hope most of us would expect better. But perhaps that is just me being an idealist or something.

I'm quite sure that "honest commentary that was implicitly asked for and was delivered" did not include making slights about the OP's relationship with his wife. Are you married, AndrewBC?

[quote name='AndrewBC' timestamp='1298835631' post='4779782']
With regard to the people calling MikeP's post harsh:
Boy it must suck to live in a world where honest commentary that was implicitly asked for was delivered. Does it make you sad to know that people probably hate you for no reason, and some probably hate you for a reason, and some of those people and reasons might actually be valid? Welcome to the internet.

So you think it is valid to start throwing mud at the integrity of the relationship of a married couple due to a preference over operating systems?

We're not talking about the internet, we are talking about GDNet (albeit the lounge) and I'd hope most of us would expect better. But perhaps that is just me being an idealist or something.

I'm quite sure that "honest commentary that was implicitly asked for and was delivered" did not include making slights about the OP's relationship with his wife. Are you married, AndrewBC?
[/quote]

There's really no reason to be so upset, if people are being unhelpful or unfriendly, you can always rate down those posts. This community can police itself. Just imagine if one could only be voted up... say goodbye to the need to be polite and not engage in personal attacks.

There's really no reason to be so upset, if people are being unhelpful or unfriendly, you can always rate down those posts. This community can police itself. Just imagine if one could only be voted up... say goodbye to the need to be polite and not engage in personal attacks.

Well, irony understood. In the absence of rate down, I guess we just have to speak up when things are unfair/clearly wrong/trolling and rely on public debate rather than a silly little number at the bottom of our posts.

My biggest problem with the site overhaul is that lounge posts now show up in the Community list. Nobodies fault but my own for getting dragged in, but I never even used to see this rubbish on the old site.

Personally I think trolls and haters are actually good for the internet and internet communities. They cause new and childish people on the internet to emotionally mature and accept criticism without bating an eye. I've had people berate me and make a fool of me for minor mistakes. I honestly think it has made me a better person because it helped me see that other's opinions of me are just that opinions. I think comments like the one Mike made are nothing more than constructive criticism and I see nothing wrong with what he said even though it may have been a bit personal but that's something everyone on the internet should learn to take with a grain of salt.

Personally I think trolls and haters are actually good for the internet and internet communities. They cause new and childish people on the internet to emotionally mature and accept criticism without bating an eye. I've had people berate me and make a fool of me for minor mistakes. I honestly think it has made me a better person because it helped me see that other's opinions of me are just that opinions. I think comments like the one Mike made are nothing more than constructive criticism and I see nothing wrong with what he said even though it may have been a bit personal but that's something everyone on the internet should learn to take with a grain of salt.

I agree with most of that. I've also been bashed to hell and back and it has certainly made me a lot more considerate about what I post.

However, I equally reserve the right, since this is a public forum, to call out something that I think is unreasonable. I was doing exactly this in Mike's journal in his favour not more than a few weeks ago.

From my point of view, the presence or absence of a rating system is completely irrelevant in this. If you want to act like a kid, there are plenty of other sites that will appreciate it. I'd rather GDNet stayed mature personally and I'd say the same whether there was a rate-down button or not.

I don't know what world you live in, but where I live, responding to someone sharing an anecdote and a couple of reasons why they prefer a certain operating system over another with "good thing your wife is as dumb as you are, or she'd leave you in a heartbeat" would usually earn you a broken nose, and with good reason.

But then again, the lounge is just 4chan plus "like"-buttons after all, so I guess being the Internet tough guy is the cool thing to do, eh?

There are no broken noses on the internet. Your white knightery is amusing.

So you think it is valid to start throwing mud at the integrity of the relationship of a married couple due to a preference over operating systems?

We're not talking about the internet, we are talking about GDNet (albeit the lounge) and I'd hope most of us would expect better. But perhaps that is just me being an idealist or something.

I'm quite sure that "honest commentary that was implicitly asked for and was delivered" did not include making slights about the OP's relationship with his wife. Are you married, AndrewBC?

I'm not sure I would use the term "valid", because that terminology suggests that you and I share the same views on social behavior in all regards. We don't; No one does. When you say something in a public place, however, people could respond with anything. The very act of saying something in a public place, therefore, is an implicit invitation to commentary. Just because you're outraged on his behalf doesn't mean suddenly no one will or can't say something bad about it, or about you, or about someone's reply to you (like mine). The only tactic this particular subset of society has now to express aligned social interest or disinterest is either "omg you shutup" comments, or mods coming in and censoring people. Downvoting no longer available makes this obviously ridiculous, and thus I ridicule. Hah. Hah hah.

I'm not interested in acting like your ideals, because nothing is really sacred no matter how many people stick their heads in the sand. If you can't handle someone saying something offensive to you, feel free to plug up your ears or find a censorship dictator to coerce everyone around you.

And no, I'm not married. Feel free to make snarky comments about that.

Just because you're outraged on his behalf doesn't mean suddenly no one will or can't say something bad about it, or about you, or about someone's reply to you (like mine). The only tactic this particular subset of society has now to express aligned social interest or disinterest is either "omg you shutup" comments, or mods coming in and censoring people. Downvoting no longer available makes this obviously ridiculous, and thus I ridicule. Hah. Hah hah.

I'm not outraged at all. I was just calmly raising an objection to a post I felt was unfair. I'm confused as to how you would consider my comment to be of the "omg you shutup" variety since I think I actually made my point more clearly than that.

You seem to have stepped in on Mike's behalf. I should make it clear that I have an enormous amount of respect for Mike both as a professional and a person and would far rather be debating this issue with him rather than you. I suspect that the debate would be far less reactionary.

I'm not interested in acting like your ideals, because nothing is really sacred no matter how many people stick their heads in the sand. If you can't handle someone saying something offensive to you, feel free to plug up your ears or find a censorship dictator to coerce everyone around you.

I'm quite happy to have offensive things said to me. I just reserve the right to riposte.

And no, I'm not married. Feel free to make snarky comments about that.

Snarky comments aren't really my style. I was just wondering whether you understood what it would feel like.

With regard to the people calling MikeP's post harsh:
Boy it must suck to live in a world where honest commentary that was implicitly asked for was delivered. Does it make you sad to know that people probably hate you for no reason, and some probably hate you for a reason, and some of those people and reasons might actually be valid? Welcome to the internet.

Oh come on. "Maybe she wouldn't bother sticking around" was an "honest commentary"? Whatever. That's trolling of the highest degree. All because he made a like-Ubunty thread?

The funny thing about people like MikeP is that they genuinely think they're intelligent. Sucks to be them in a decade or so, when they realize they're actually not.

The funny thing about people like MikeP is that they genuinely think they're intelligent. Sucks to be them in a decade or so, when they realize they're actually not.

Yeah, I somewhat doubt that's going to be the case...