h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

This is more of a rant than a question to which I expect an answer.

Sometimes h2g2 really annoys me. Not all the time, but it has been annoying me more and more of late.

I feel that I have to employ a healthy dose of self-censorship in nearly every post I make to avoid being chastised or berated for a meaningless, flippent comment that may have somehow found its way in there and offended someone.

Does anyone feel the same? Or am I alone in percieving this 'walking on eggshells' atmosphere?

Is this why people use so many smilies in their posts - to appear friendly and innocent?

Anyway, from now on, I am going to make less of an effort to avoid causing offence. I won't intentionally offend, I'll just say exactly what I mean and to hell with the consequences.

That is all. Carry on!

I use smileys as a typing shortcut. They also add a note of emotion to flat statements.

I certainly don't do it for any other reason. As for not offendinfg, well, a matter for you, I'd guess...

Flake

I have been doing the same really, there are a couple of people that I have talked to on here that really made me shout at the screen. I have had to tone it down because I am sure that they are very nice people, but just that I find them irritating. I guess it's a case of whether you can slag off Blues shark and get away with it or not

You go right ahead mate - the PC Nazis have rarely bothered me

As for smileys... well, they do serve a purpose in an interaction where the context can't be intimated at with facial gestures and body language.

Yeah, smilies are fine I s'pose. I don't use them myself but I understand when they can be useful. Just a little to cutesy for me most of the time.

Depends on how, and how often you use them. They can be overcooked, just like anything else.

Aye.

'Flippent' is spelt 'flippant' btw

Well, if we're going to be pedantic, 'btw' is not a word, nor a correctly written acronym. Also, sentences should end with full stops.

So there.

this is a case for the smiley

nahnah nah nah nah

Flake, you're one of the *many* people I really enjoy conversing with here

The thing is, you often find that you are holding back. I have ben in this position often. I am lucky in a way in that I have a couple of friends off site that I can email with my rants, because my rants would break the house rules on several different points. I guess I'm just a very angry young man.

(And I am sticking by the young statement)

I thank you, flake, for starting this conversation. I don't believe that you should feel as though you must walk on eggshells, but I also believe that one of the reasons this site is popular is that it (generally) is not at the mercy of sociopaths who feel repressed because they are forced to be nice to their mothers when all they really want to do is tie them up and leave them in the attic. I have joined a few such sites and ended up leaving because a group of people (with nothing better to do than bait other people into flying off the handle) ended up monopolizing most of the discussions. This place seems to be slightly more civilized, the majority of participants genuinely interested in frank, honest and creative discussion on a variety of topics, and most of us are very friendly and helpful people.

Having said that, I also believe that there is a place in every group for it's members to express their astonishment at other member's rudeness or lack of social skills. You seem like a reasonable person who doesn't tolerate stupidity well and, as long as you are not being equally rude and stupid or insulting someone personally, I don't see a problem with pointing out when another member is displaying a lack of consideration or common sense. I consider an online community the same way I consider my neighborhood and try not to let the fact that you can't see me or find me let me justify saying things I would never dream of telling my neighbor. Enough said. Thank you again for raising this topic.

I understand all of that, but I'm the opposite way around - there are things I say to my neighbours and to total strangers that I wouldn't dare to say on h2g2. I'm not rude or anything, I just don't censor myself in real life.

As for thanking me for starting this topic - er, well, that's ok, I guess.

I touched on this point with my "Who let all the kids in?" thread - pretty much meant the same thing, but Flake put it a lot more eloquently and adult!

I don't really have enough time to get involved in the 'big' debates that can get very heated, even so, I know I'm never downright insulting anyone, though I have had cases where somebody has taken offence at something I've said, I've explained that I wasn't insulting, and left it at that. If they want to continue spending their time being insulted, that's up to them!

Im with you flake, Im a lot more civilised on H2G2 than in real life...

re. smileys.

I was anti-smiley when I first came here... I realised the significance and usefullness to portray the tone and attitude of a comment, when voice and body are not available. Now I find them necessary, I use a lot of sarcasm so I make sure people know im taking the piss. Now I even find myself wanting to use them in text messages to get my point across. I resist though, that really wouldnt help the image...

*mental images of bob using the smiley in text messages*



As for self censorship - I agree it's common but I find it's fairly easy to avoid offending people by emphasising that my opinions are just that and stating a source for any facts. And if someone takes offense where it wasn't meant I'm more than happy to apologise - not for what I said but for how I said it. But then I'm not naturally confrontational (apart from on a few subjects) so I tend to focus on views/opinions rather than confronting the people who hold them I've changed my opinions on things before and I hope other people are able to do the same - it's not their fault if they're spouting a load of crap at the moment

Yeah, it depends, if I disagree with someone then I'll say so, no problem. Most people on Hootoo react pretty well to a discussion on an issue. It's one of the things I like about the site.

More tricky is when someone communicates in a way that is irritating, or posts repeated not very enlightening or funny comments.

I think the done thing when that happens is to walk away - they obviously think that what they're posting is worthwhile, or they wouldn't bother.

There is one thread that I have ceased to go to full stop because it has got, for want of a better word 'dumbed down'. It used to be funny and now it isn't.

Sprout

Which one?

Oh don't get me wrong, if I disagree with someone I'll argue with them. But my point is that I will argue very differently on h2g2 than I do in real life - I'll read and re-read my post over and over again to make sure a stray word cannot be misinterpreted or scrutinised or cause offense. Whereas, in real life, I take far less care over what I say to people, no matter what the subject, and I can quite happily tell someone to shut up or f*ck off if I think they deserve it, no matter who they are how long I've known them. On h2g2, it's a very different story. - I've never had the balls to tell anyone to shut up or f*ck off, for fear of being attacked from all angles. I've seen it happen, and this is why I feel I have to employ so much self-censorship.

The thing that really annoys me is, in my experience, people are no where near as nice to each other in real life as many people are on h2g2. Therefore, I can only conclude that all this 'niceness' is utterly false for a lot of the time, which is why I picked up on the over use of smilies.

Not that I'm saying everyone is false, and I suspect any nice comments to be false also, just that sometimes it does appear to be true of some users.