Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Hello folks,

So I'm tentative in writing this, and am trying to take a measured and considered approach in doing so. The purpose of this post is to discuss how we as users respond to eachother in the threads on this site. It may be that I'm wrong in raising the thread and am "over shooting my permissions as a non MOD", if that's the case, well, so be it.

I check in with Dakka daily, and frequently just scan the threads, discussions, gallery and what have you. I've been seeing an increasing amount of flame baiting / trolling, but not necessarily in the sense that you may expect.

I've stopped myself from posting a reply in one topic of conversation tonight, in which I felt it necessary to stand up for a couple of posters who had disagreed with the OP's views by simply expressing their own points. Having re-read each post, I'm confident that neither came across as intentionally rude, they just simply disagreed with the OP. The OP's response was to automatically accuse these people of flaming / trolling, and was blatantly rude to these people purely for having differing views to his / hers. It wasn't many posts after this that a MOD entered and took the stand with the OP, which in my opinion digressed further from Dakkas #1 rule than those who have their own points to make. It seems that the old who watches the watchers saying is quite apt - though I am completely set on this not being said disrespectfully.

I've seen countless other threads / posts that end up doing exactly this - where perhaps someone with x thousands of posts has a view, someone disagrees with it, then there's an almighty flame war between these people which is invariably broken up by a MOD who only agrees with the OP, regardless of the validity of the opposing view point.

I guess the point of this thread is that I felt it necessary to say that I enjoy coming along to Dakka, it's a damn good site with some cracking content from hobbiest with incredible skills, but unfortunately we always seem to be able to drag it down and actually discourage others from posting their views for fear of the impending accusations of flaming, going against the rules etc. I had to find somewhere to post this, it's only right that we all remember that we're here for the same thing. People will always have views that differ to yours, but that doesn't make them wrong, nor does their time or skill in the hobby necessarily affect the validity of what they have to say, and I think that as a community we'd all do well to bear that in mind before we offer a knee jerk reaction of a nasty ass post in response to what was originally intended as a polite counter.

I'm stepping down from the soap box now, I realise how much of a prick I may sound from having written this but honestly I've become fed up with seeing unnecessary attacks on like minded individuals. Remember that there's enough crap going on in the world and the last thing that we need to do is to infect one of the places that we come to chill out with the same poisonous hatred and negativity that we all eventually walk in to just by opening our front doors.

Anyway, best regards to every one here, and thanks for taking the time to read this. Please do post any thoughts that you have in return, whether you agree or disagree.

Thanks,

Kitch102

If you dislike a 'moderation' you can PM the moderator and clearly/politely state your point.

It would be interesting to see the threads you are talking about. Fresh eyes and all that.

Medium of Death wrote:If you dislike a 'moderation' you can PM the moderator and clearly/politely state your point.

I've done this on many occasions. The Mods like to "give you your own rope", allowing the Flaming/Trolling to continue, but will cause a more severe ban for users who Flame/troll.

I've been on Dakka since it's inception and over the years, this sort of attitude has become more prominent. In fact, this attitude on the internet as a whole has grown over the years. IF someone disagrees with you the automatic reaction for many is to attack that person, (just look at the NEWS for plenty of examples), this type of behavior is even more prominent on the internet. There's a reason I don't post much

Moderators help, but they can't find everyone. They are a small minority compared to the rest of dakka they need people to pm them from time to time.

It's what's called 'forumitis'.

'The internetz' sez X , Y & Z are what to take in a Q army.

OP says 'I like Q army, I want to Use A B & C'

Reponses : IDIOT! USE X Y & Z RAAAAAAAAAGE

Some threads where people do actual tests and number crunching and playtesting are good. Some tacticas are good. But unfortunatly being the interenet there's a lot of slush to wade through.

I have to say, it bugs me when a moderator will lock a thread for 'x' offense, and then later in the future will start their own thread that breaks the exact same rule.

hmm.

I know there are disagreeable persons here, but I have only seen one thread like the one you described in the last 2 months. It was eventually locked.

Goddard wrote:hmm.

I know there are disagreeable persons here, but I have only seen one thread like the one you described in the last 2 months. It was eventually locked.

I'll admit, it's a rare occurrence, but when it does happen it bugs the hell out of me.

Dakka has a generally great moderation team, most of the time.

Actually logged in, despite the fear of my inbox overflowing with PMs, to post on this thread. Inb4 "who cares?"

Totally agree with you OP. Dakka's general attitude has gone down the toilet. It's divided between extremes (the polite and encouraging; and the rather snide and contrary folks), and I just don't have the stomach to post here anymore. I'm still in the hobby. In fact, I find I accomplish more when I don't even touch dakka. Anyway.

I feel the moderators do an unnecessarily good job, if that makes sense. I feel like if they just let people have at each other, pass out longer suspensions, and be done with it, there wouldn't be so much tension. People never solve anything if you don't provide them a medium to communicate

Don't know what I'm talking about now. I should take a writing class. I almost never have any point to my posts. Another reason why I don't use the internet to talk to strangers about plastic army men.

kitch102 wrote:I've seen countless other threads / posts that end up doing exactly this - where perhaps someone with x thousands of posts has a view, someone disagrees with it, then there's an almighty flame war between these people which is invariably broken up by a MOD who only agrees with the OP, regardless of the validity of the opposing view point.

How do you know the MODquisitor doesn't just agree with the OP, despite the validity the opposing view has?

I hate Obama. You (in this example) like Obama. You and I get into an argument about Obama, mod comes in, who also hates Obama, and despite your "Validity", it's still your opinion against ours.

I also find it VERY annoying when people start a topic asking about help/advice/tips ect... and when the OP doesn't hear what he wants he calls people trolls, and bothers me even MORE when someone posts on a thread, and some random guy walks in and accuses them of trolling with "DoNt FeEd hImz, He A tRoLL" It's getting annoying how much.....dare I make up a word....."trollccusing" is going on in dakka!

bombboy1252 wrote:I also find it VERY annoying when people start a topic asking about help/advice/tips ect... and when the OP doesn't hear what he wants he calls people trolls, and bothers me even MORE when someone posts on a thread, and some random guy walks in and accuses them of trolling with "DoNt FeEd hImz, He A tRoLL" It's getting annoying how much.....dare I make up a word....."trollccusing" is going on in dakka!

Whatever, troll.

Cannerus_The_Unbearable wrote:

bombboy1252 wrote:I also find it VERY annoying when people start a topic asking about help/advice/tips ect... and when the OP doesn't hear what he wants he calls people trolls, and bothers me even MORE when someone posts on a thread, and some random guy walks in and accuses them of trolling with "DoNt FeEd hImz, He A tRoLL" It's getting annoying how much.....dare I make up a word....."trollccusing" is going on in dakka!

Whatever, troll.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I present you with this

I feel you would have to change the little girl to an ass as well.

templeorks wrote:I feel you would have to change the little girl to an ass as well.

Or, change the yak into a raging necbeard.

The meme crowd has arrived...

I guess we are about done here.

CT GAMER wrote:The meme crowd has arrived...

I guess we are about done here.

What are you trying to say?

What about people who like 'poisonous hatred and negativity'? I feel we are being discriminated against in this thread.


'Help! Help! I'm being repressed!'

Assume the foetal position and somebody will be with you shortly to supply hugs and tea.

You can make it through this.

Erm, did someone call for a hug? I have tea too.

Dakka does seem that little bit more confrontational recently, but then there has been allot more controversial news and despite the best intentions of most posters it is rather easy to derail a post since so much of what we leave here is opinion. Quickly following that (no disrespect here to young 'uns) the school holidays always generates a fair about of verbiage that just seems irrelevant to most (real navel gazing threads like "my cats ill" or repetition of the same topics) and more seasoned (I won't say mature) members quickly jump on things.

The MOD team here are good but not omnipotent, so help them out and hit the yellow triangle if you don't like a thread/post.

I'm pretty sure we will see a more normal Dakka service over the next month as the GW love/hate threads are dying down and schools back on (at least until Chrimbo ).

Now then about that hug?

I have not been a member of Dakka too long but can say the community as a whole is a lot better than other forums out there. And when I see someone troll through the thread I just don’t bother with it and move on to another one.

kitch102 wrote:
I guess the point of this thread is that I felt it necessary to say that I enjoy coming along to Dakka, it's a damn good site with some cracking content from hobbiest with incredible skills, but unfortunately we always seem to be able to drag it down and actually discourage others from posting their views for fear of the impending accusations of flaming, going against the rules etc.

I think you'll find that, as a male dominated website, there is a lot of ego to deal with (I'm certainly not immune from this criticism, less than most in fact). There's also a tendency among English and American gentlemen (who dominate this site by origin) to banter, which is to say knock each other around verbally and then accord grudging respect later on.

dogma wrote:....There's also a tendency among English and American gentlemen (who dominate this site by origin) to banter, which is to say knock each other around verbally and then accord grudging respect later on.

Like



Man grunt, or as the man himself would say;

The OT is a cesspool. Get your head out of it and its a much better place. Stay in the toilet, then don't ask why it smells.

Frazzled wrote:The OT is a cesspool. Get your head out of it and its a much better place. Stay in the toilet, then don't ask why it smells.

Yet he still posts here.

You might also note that Fraz was once a Mod who frequented the OT.

What can I say? I have a very poor sense of smell. On the positive I post here more but read the other forum sections more. I'd be all over the P&M forums but my computer blocks most of the pics at work. Very annoying.

He flew to low to the cesspool, the gak clogged his wings and now he's here... with us... forever...

Dunno, I mean... I respect Biccat as a person even though I often vehemently disagree with him.

There's a few people that I have no respect for, but it's usually because they're trolls whom themselves show no respect to anyone...