Sockpuppets, shame, and our ad hominem heavy board

[Lucrum]

Quote from 377OHMS:

Glad you are here. It would not be the same place without you.

I seldom agree with you but I do have considerable respect for you and your writing.

I also seldom agree with Ricky. And to be honest I have little if any respect for his writings. But for some strange reason I'm kinda glad he didn't get the ax.

I must be getting soft in my old age.

I do have t give him kudos for manning up and starting this explanation thread though.

Edit: Oh and I hope you realize Ricky you're NEVER going to live this down.

 

[Ricter]

Quote from AAAintheBeltway:

I somehow missed this drama, so I will not offer any opinions on it. Let me just say, as someone who's been around here a while, that there is way too much name-calling and childish taunting. I've been guilty of it myself at times, but usually after being attacked.

You're not going to change anyone's mind or get their respect by name-calling or insults. Better to ignore than to climb down in the gutter with people who insist on that level of discourse.

The republican primary season is beginning to disappoint me for this identical reason. Romney and Gingrich should be concentrating on Obama's failings and what they would do differently. Instead, they have managed to get themselves tied up in a mud wrestling contest that reflects very poorly on both of them. I am particularly disappointed in Romney. He and his surrogates have distorted Newt's record and taken things out of context. Newt certainly has a lot of baggage and it is fair game to mention it, but it makes Romney look small to harp on it and to be party to distortions of Newt's record.

+1.

Though I'm surprised about you being disappointed in today's politicians slinging mud--they've done it as far back as we can see.

 

[Brass]

Quote from AAAintheBeltway:

I somehow missed this drama, so I will not offer any opinions on it. Let me just say, as someone who's been around here a while, that there is way too much name-calling and childish taunting. I've been guilty of it myself at times, but usually after being attacked...

That's a fair point, and I respect that. And as a matter of course, I treat respectful posts and posters in kind. By the same token, my pattern is also to respond in kind to posts that are goading in nature. I may have overstepped on occasion, and I should probably put a lot of people on ignore. But, you know, after a while, it feels kinda good to give as good as you get.

 

[Max E.]

Quote from Brass:

That's a fair point, and I respect that. And as a matter of course, I treat respectful posts and posters in kind.

LOL!!!! You are always the first person to start doing drive bys, there is a reason that half the Politics section has you on ignore already 2 weeks into your new handle.....

Why do you think that a bunch of the same people who put you on ignore were more than willing to stand up for Ricter? If you really believe that you are respectful to anyone on this site you disagree with, then you are completely fucking delusional.

 

[Brass]

Quote from Ricter:

...It doesn't help things at all...

Sure it does. It relaxes me. The thing is, neither of us will convince anyone here who disagrees with us. Maybe in the real world over time, but not here in the basement at ET. It'll never happen. And so, I'm not going to try to score points by showing restraint when someone disparages me or says something notably stupid. Response EquityTM is what it's all about. Trust me. You'll breathe deeper. Either that or employing the ignore feature. Just my opinion, of course.

 

[Ricter]

Quote from Max E. Pad:

LOL!!!! You are always the first person to start doing drive bys, there is a reason that half the Politics section has you on ignore already 2 weeks into your new handle.....

Why do you think that a bunch of the same people who put you on ignore were more than willing to stand up for Ricter? If you really believe that you are respectful to people on this site, then you are completely fucking delusional.

For a couple of days some time back, I tried to tag the reply in threads that was the first ad hominem. Couldn't keep up, this board moves too fast, and in some cases you have to read long threads from scratch--bleh.

 

[377OHMS]

Quote from Max E. Pad:

LOL!!!! You are always the first person to start doing drive bys, there is a reason that half the Politics section has you on ignore already 2 weeks into your new handle.....

Why do you think that a bunch of the same people who put you on ignore were more than willing to stand up for Ricter? If you really believe that you are respectful to people on this site, then you are completely fucking delusional.

Can you believe this guy Max? Yeah, he only returns fire.

Now he is gonna turn a welcome back thread into a foodfight?

I love Canadians ever since they saved my right foot when I got severe frostbite during a heli-skiing trip to Revelstoke (ski boot failure let water in). I can't help but have affection for them. My outlook towards them is permanently influenced by that experience. They wouldn't even let me pay my hospital bill!

Ricter is a thinker who will fire back when necessary and has sufficient intellect and heavy artillery for both tasks. Yeah he goes all Yoda sometimes with the riddles but they are *interesting*.

Gabs is a guy who simply enjoys giving and receiving insults, no more. I've *never* seen him engage in meaningful debate. He says the nastiest stuff right out of the gate. Even being canadian cannot redeem him.

 

[Brass]

Quote from Max E. Pad:

...Why do you think that a bunch of the same people who put you on ignore were more than willing to stand up for Ricter?

Read my earler post to Ricter and learn why.

As for the rest of your hysterical post, I respect those worthy of it. Nothing is free. And I'm respectful until I see someone's stripes, one way or the other. So I even give the benefit of the doubt. But that doubt dissolves quickly, one way or the other. So, yeah, I've got you pegged.

Since all of your friends ("half the Politics section") have me on ignore, why don't you join them. You guys move in packs, don't you?

 

[Ricter]

Quote from 377OHMS:

Can you believe this guy Max? Yeah, he only returns fire.

Now he is gonna turn a welcome back thread into a foodfight?

I love Canadians ever since they saved my right foot when I got severe frostbite during a heli-skiing trip to Revelstoke (ski boot failure let water in). I can't help but have affection for them. My outlook towards them is permanently influenced by that experience. They wouldn't even let me pay my hospital bill!

Ricter is a thinker who will fire back when necessary and has sufficient intellect and heavy artillery for both tasks. Yeah he goes all Yoda sometimes with the riddles but they are *interesting*.

Gabs is a guy who simply enjoys giving and receiving insults, no more. I've *never* seen him engage in meaningful debate. He says the nastiest stuff right out of the gate. Even being canadian cannot redeem him.

Max is Canadian, too. Went over to the dark side, though. : )

Ok, where is the very first ad hominem in this thread, in your opinion?

(We're all probably able to fight viciously over what is ad hominem and what isn't!)

 

[Brass]

Quote from 377OHMS:

...I've *never* seen him engage in meaningful debate...

You couldn't identify a "meaningful debate" in a lineup.

"*Never.*" No exaggeration there, eh? How meaningful.