The Layman's Guide to replying to posts containing Opinions.

[The Killing Joke 43]

Hi everybody,

I just wanted to post a short tutorial on how, in my opinion, to successfully navigate the forums, since I've noticed that a lot of people like to post their opinions as if they were facts.

As I believe that it would be impossible to have everybody stop this type of behaviour, I would like to invite those reading these types of posts to try a little experiment with me. Maybe, just maybe, it would cut down on the in-fighting, backstabbing, and overall bad feelings.

A lot of people make a post like this:

If we do away with [insert specific functionality here]' date=' then [i']everybody is going to [insert gameplay-destroying reaction here], and that would be bad.

You'll note that they promoted their opinion as fact, by saying "everybody is going to do this", whereas it is possible that not everybody is going to do that exact thing. There may be some (or many, or even most) who choose a different path.

The thing I like to remember is this. A lot of people get very passionate about their opinions, myself included, and may choose to post a very passionate message about it. They may have an opinion that is 180 degrees in conflict with your own opinion, and that could result in a very passionate response by some (or many, or even most) people. What can happen is the conversation devolves into a mass battle to see who could insult the other better, and that doesn't help anybody.

Here's another type of post that I have found interesting:

Rocket isn't going to [insert opinion you disagree with]. He's going to [insert your opinion]' date=' and then, you guys who [insert play-style'] are all screwed!

Rocket may have said something that led to this type of comment. He may have said something that was misunderstood, and in turn, led to this type of comment. Rocket may have said nothing and rumour or intuition may have led to this type of comment. Rocket may have even made this comment and then, in the future, changed his mind.

In my opinion, it could really go any direction entirely, and fighting (and fighting and fighting) about what may have been said, understood, or thought, doesn't always end well.

In closing, I have tried to write the above in the manner in which my opinions are presented as opinions, and as such, it's a very long-winded, and seemingly blowhardish post. For that, I apologize. What I would like to ask is for everybody who reads other people's passionate, loving, or perceived insulting posts to put themselves in the shoes of those who wrote it, and try and see it from their point of view. Sometimes, our own opinions can be so strong that this may be hard to do, and I recognize that even in myself, so sometimes, I catch myself in mid-post and stop. And then I delete what I'm posting, and move along.

I certainly don't know what the future of this mod is. I do know - for a fact - that I love it as it is today, and hope to continue loving it for as long as possible. I hope you do the same.

TKJ

[gator (DayZ) 22]

If everyone posted on the forums like you suggest the forums will be boring and everyone will leave.

Rocket said we can post whatever we want, and he wont stop us, as long as it isn't abusive, so your idea of only a certain posting style is screwed.

[The Killing Joke 43]

If everyone posted on the forums like you suggest the forums will be boring and everyone will leave.

Good example!

Rocket said we can post whatever we want' date=' and he wont stop us, as long as it isn't abusive.[/quote']

Another good example!

:D

TKJ

[gator (DayZ) 22]

If everyone posted on the forums like you suggest the forums will be boring and everyone will leave.

Good example!

Rocket said we can post whatever we want' date=' and he wont stop us, as long as it isn't abusive.[/quote']

Another good example!

:D

TKJ

Hows this thread goin for ya? lol.

[The Killing Joke 43]

Hows this thread goin for ya? lol.

You mean, other than the 46 views, and +2 positive rep so far? Pretty good!

My post doesn't necessarily require input. If enough people read it, maybe they could change the way they read and respond to posts. I'm certainly not holding my breath for that day, but still. Maybe, just maybe, a Mod will like it enough to make it into a sticky.

Maybe.

:D

TKJ

[Drake Sigar 9]

If we do away with [insert specific functionality here]' date=' then [i']everybody is going to [insert gameplay-destroying reaction here], and that would be bad.

You'll note that they promoted their opinion as fact, by saying "everybody is going to do this", whereas it is possible that not everybody is going to do that exact thing. There may be some (or many, or even most) who choose a different path.

I like forum opinions which act more exact, and say stuff like "87% of people will do this" as if they personally went door to door and asked everyone. ;)

[The Killing Joke 43]

I like forum opinions which act more exact' date=' and say stuff like "87% of people will do this" as if they went door to door and personally asked. ;)[/quote']

I completely forgot to mention those posts! Thanks! I like to respond with, "You are aware that approximately 93% of all statistics are made-up, right?"

:D

TKJ

[Niblik 1]

Nicely put, OP.

Its a bit depressing on the general amount of confrontation that you find in any forums (or God forbid, Xbox Live). Expressing an opinion as fact isn't the way to go, it only suggests that everyone else is wrong and that the original poster is somehow the only person that is correct.

Trust me, you aren't going to win people over with that tactic. I've been in threads where posters were able to change my opinion about a topic. They did so by being respectful and not automatically dismissing my own opinions and thoughts. Confrontational posters convince me of nothing beside their general lack of respect of other people's thoughts.

My final thought: Sure, you can always go bat shit crazy on someone in a forum in an effort to "win" the conversation.

But should you?

[oktyabr 53]

My final thought: Sure' date=' you can always go bat shit crazy on someone in a forum in an effort to "win" the conversation.

But should you?

[/quote']

Uhmmm... NO.

I prefer that if you can't contribute to a thread in a constructive (meaning not just mindless drivel), on topic way, you should probably just go find something else to do and not post at all.

As for "ROCKET SAID...." The only posts of this kind that are worth more than pocket full of bat shit are ones that say "rocket" where the author bit is there, up on top. Failing that a link to such a post will work in a pinch.

Nice OP TKJ. Unfortunately it seems, from my experience anyway, that the only people that read this sort of thread probably don't need the advice that's in it. It's the ones that don't read... just post blindly away, that need to be bitchsl.... errrr... politely corrected! ;)

[The Killing Joke 43]

Nice OP TKJ.

Thanks! Stickied in 3... 2...

;)

It's the ones that don't read... just post blindly away' date=' that need to be bitchsl.... errrr... politely corrected![/quote']

And this is why our Mods are better than other Mods. (...and if you were offended by what Oktyabr said, you may have missed his not-so-subtle humour.)

TKJ