Ravenblack Ravenblack

Forum newbie abuse

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Forum newbie abuse

from JoeUser Forums

It seems to me that in internet forums, people with thousands of posts seem to be able to get away with anything, yet a newbie who brings up even an innocent topic could get flamed to bits.

It never fails to urk me when I see a new person joined up only to be bullied by so called "highly respected long time regulars / members".

Sometimes, a newbie can't ask a simple question without being severely flamed for not using the search function or being told, "I'm sick of all you newbies posting about this topic."

Is that necessary?

If you are sick of topic, there are two things you can do:
1) Don't click on the topic.
2) Go out and get some sun.

Newbies are also vulnerable to being attacked for posting something against the views of the regular majority. It doesn't matter if his/her views are well thought out and reasonable. Arrogant forum veterans couldn't be bothered to read what is being said. They just quickly jump in and beat up the new guy.

What is much worse, is that sometimes forum moderators and administrators who are suppose to be fair and impartial, take the side of these arrogant bullies just because they are friends or "they've been around".

I remember clearly, a few months after 9/11, a certain member of a game forum posted that Afganistan and all the countries suspected of housing terrorists should be nuked. He was pretty damn serious about it. He didn't care if innocent women and children perish in such attacks. He felt that his country had every right to retaliate in this manner. He didn't even care if the radioactive cloud blows into the surrounding area killing more people and sterilising the next generation. He didn't think much about innocent neighbouring countries that could be affected.

'Unfortunate casualties of war', he posts as he casually shoves the issue aside.

The guy went on to flame me for disagreeing with his extremist views. I was being as civil as I am being now.

It is quite amazing what happened next. I was warned by the moderator not to "toe the line". Yeah, well I didn't know I wasn't supposed to disagree with a "respected member" of the forum. He has, like, thousands more posts than me (I had about 100 posts) or something.

To which I replied, if he wasn't prepared to take on opposing views, he should keep his views to himself instead of posting on a public forum. Needless to say, he managed to gather most people to his side, even the administrator.

I never posted in that forum again. I do not care for communities that hold one sided views of things.

Internet communities need new members to keep them fresh and lively. New members means new views and new ideas. What's the use of scaring away newbies with the above demostrated behavior? Forums have died because newbies could not be retained. Just before it dies it becomes a place where everyone makes "I agree" posts and nothing more because everyone thinks alike.

And then they begin to ask, "Why is this place so quiet nowadays?"
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52,752 views 36 replies
Reply #26 from JoeUser Forums Top
ok.
Reply #27 from JoeUser Forums Top
There's an irony here that I haven't the guts to point out..... *sigh*
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Reply #28 from JoeUser Forums Top
There's an irony here that I haven't the guts to point out..... *sigh*


(smile) yes, yes there is. In their defense, however, the guy has been rather caustic from time to time (I'm still waiting to see how he replies to a comment on his thread where he challenged me and I answered the challenge).
Reply #29 from JoeUser Forums Top
Gideon,

I hear you. I should've written "there are ironies here" rather than just one, because the one you pointed out isn't the one I was thinking of. Related, however.

--she says ambiguously.
Reply #30 from JoeUser Forums Top


Reply #29 By: Gideon MacLeish - 8/14/2004 9:48:54 PM
There's an irony here that I haven't the guts to point out..... *sigh*


(smile) yes, yes there is. In their defense, however, the guy has been rather caustic from time to time


I see the irony.  I also see the person in question being aggressive and, as Gideon said, caustic from the git go.  there was no "hi, I'm Mike, I'm new to JU", it was "you all are dumb as a box of rocks and I don't know why I even bother writing...you obviously aren't intelligent enough to understand what I say", right from the beginning.  He started out attacking people on their threads before he had even written an article of his own, so I say that we are completely justified in our opinion of him.


 

Reply #31 from JoeUser Forums Top
I rarely revert to this, but ...

LMAO at my own private joke right now!
Reply #32 from JoeUser Forums Top
I am reminded of a site called Flame Warriors which has a few "character" descriptions which may fit the exact people you are describing Ravenblack.

Sounds like the forum you were at had an active set of Royals, and since it was a game forum, there were probably more than a few Howlers and Fanboys, and on nearly every forum, there are Xenophobes.

Some forums have a good balance of new and older users, and are generally kind to new users... and it sounds to me like you ended up on a forum that was starting to stagnate, which is never a positive sign. I think you hit it on the head at the end of your entry... its this sort of behavior that is a forum killer.
Reply #33 from JoeUser Forums Top
That site does describe problematic characters well, historyishere.
Reply #34 from JoeUser Forums Top
Nice article.

I think people who treat people with disrespect, wether they are a regular, or a newbie, should lose merits, or points, or be removed, or whatever, etc. I don't think it should be tolerated ever! I think that would stop alot of that kind of stuff if there is a price to be paid!
Reply #35 from JoeUser Forums Top
Nice post Ravenblack. You have stated what has been said on 100,000,000 other times on the net/bbs's over the decades.

Does that mean that it doesn't need to be said again?

Nope.