Subject:
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Re: Who oversees the rec.toys.LEGO newsgroup?
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.off-topic.debate
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Date:
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Mon, 24 Jan 2000 17:43:24 GMT
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Viewed:
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648 times
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In lugnet.off-topic.debate, Peter Callaway writes:
<snip>
>
> I'm with you there. Far too many arguments have got waaaaaay out of control
> due to this built up steam. Nothing destroys a relationship faster than "but
> what about what you did five years ago!!". Personal experience there.
>
> I don't think these people are "timebombs", rather they have the ability to
> vent their steam in a less visible way, or more simply, without the need to
> resort to bad language. This has many positive effects, one of which is to
> gain respect as a level headed person, so if they ever slip up and use a bad
> word (like when my mother says "bugger" every decade or so), it indicates to
> those around that something has *really* ticked this person off. It's gone
> beyond their ability to deal with it calmly, so it must be serious.
I think this is the heart of the "profanity in newsgroups" debate. I can fully
understand profanity in the heat of the moment, in a spoken conversation. It
is extremely easy to let a verbal argument go beyond one's ability to deal with
it calmly. But we aren't talking about a verbal exchange, we're talking about
a written exchange, in which the "point" and "counterpoint" can take place
hours or days apart. When someone uses profanity in such an exchange, it
indicates 1) a serious lack of self-control. If you can't express yourself
without profanity, or "flaming" someone, then you probably need to wait another
30 minutes and re-compose your message; and 2) a deeper-seated difficulty with
the English language. There are countless more ways to insult someone, to
flame someone, to denigrate someone, than to resort to the nuclear f-bomb. If
you're really that upset over what someone has said, shouldn't you choose your
words precisely, so your reader knows exactly how upset you are?
That's my $0.02 worth.
James Wilson
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Message has 1 Reply:
 | | Re: Who oversees the rec.toys.LEGO newsgroup?
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| (...) Wait. The first part of your note sounded like it was about calm civility. How is it more civil to "insult, flame, or denigrate" someone just because the F-bomb isn't used? So is it about being decent to one another in this forum and trying to (...) (25 years ago, 24-Jan-00, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)
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Message is in Reply To:
| | Re: Who oversees the rec.toys.LEGO newsgroup?
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| Wow, hasn't taken long for this hot potato to bounce out of the oven again. No sense in missing out on all the fun of the discussion, so here's my two minifigs worth (Star Wars, ofcourse!) (...) I'm with you there. Far too many arguments have got (...) (25 years ago, 24-Jan-00, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)
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