Expansive Internet Forums

Does anyone else here read any of the forums of any non-specific internet board, like Fark or Slashdot?

It continues to amaze me how stupid, illiterate and egotistical the apparent majority of the internet community is.

The reason I say this is because I just read an article linked from Fark about PETA suing some town for using the court system to delay the placement of a protest sculpture about the treatment of circus animals until Ringling Bros. left town. The ``headline'' used on Fark to link with was ``PETA protests over treatment of fiberglass elephant'', which, I'l give you, is misleading at best. But the majority of the people posting complained about how PETA was stupid to sue about the mistreatment of an inanimate object.

If they're not going to read the source, why do they feel qualified to comment on it?

And why do people assume that just because they disagree with someone's stance that everything they do must be stupid and illogical?

Aargh. It just makes me so mad. I need to stop reading the damn forums. And I suckererd into this time, as I was wondering if anyone else complained about the misleading ``headline''. That'll teach me to be curious.

Well... Fark isn't exactly known for it's on point headlines. In fact, half the point of people posting there is to come up with funny tag lines. But yeah... i agree with your general consensus about people not reading linked articles... /. is notoriously bad regarding that.

Fark isn't exactly known for it's on point headlines. In fact, half the point of people posting there is to come up with funny tag lines.

True, and I'm not complaining about the headline. Half the fun is trying to figure out what they meant before you read it. The thing is that everyone made up their minds about what it meant based on reading it without any subtext and commenting on that. They should know, at least, that assuming the headline is representative of the article is stupid. But they don't care. It's all about people being willingly and happily ignorant.

Yeah, I don't like those forums that scroll on forever, either. I mean, why should I have to scroll, especially when I've only got one hand to use? Maybe if they made an auto-scroller it would be much better! Imagine a beowulf cluster of those!! SCO and M$ both suck, Linux roolz!

Slashdot hasn't been worth reading since it was Chips N Dips (I think I've said that here before). It seems as more people flock to an online community, the general usefulness of that resource drops.

The empeg forum ain't it great wonderful and useful for gods sake don't tell anyone

Surely you're not saying that "non-specific internet board"s are the only ones like this? This message board certainly is an oddity for the number of members/idiots ratio, and I'm holding up the bottom end on that one

The only other online communities I've experienced like this one are ones that are very private. So private that nobody bothers joining just to post crap because their crap doesn't get heard by the maximum amount of people.

I've been trying to post on message boards relating to my P800 cell phone(there are at least three that I've tried). On those boards I'm the height of lucitidy, so that gives you an idea of what they're like. Trying to get anything accomplished when people are unintelligible a*holes is incredibly frustrating.

Thank goodness for the empeg board.

And why do people assume that just because they disagree with someone's stance that everything they do must be stupid and illogical?

How about "stupid and illogical" to protest the use of the court system by suing?

How about "stupid and illogical" to protest the use of the court system by suing?

Hey -- at least that's an argument. And you read the article. Two points more than most of the people on Fark could claim.

(And, not that this is the point of this thread, but the problem is that the city took them to court just long enough for Ringling Bros. to leave town, then dropped the suit. That's just a cheap delaying tactic, wasting taxpayer money, and that's what PETA's suing over -- an improper use of the court system.)

Don't give me too much credit: I hate PETA anyway. It has more or less nothing to do with:

That's just a cheap delaying tactic, wasting taxpayer money, and that's what PETA's suing over -- an improper use of the court system.)

And when they sue, it's free, of course.

But they're suing to protect their rights. The municipality was suing just for a delay. They had no interest in going through with the suit.

I hate PETA anyway

And, just to turn this into a flame war, why? You like torturing animals?

I'm not saying they don't have the occasional loopy idea, but I think it's important to have this sort of organization.

And, just to turn this into a flame war, why? You like torturing animals?

Only if and as long as PETA opposes it.

I'm not saying they don't have the occasional loopy idea

Why should I forgive them for it?

Don't bother citing any good they do if it's redundant with, say, ASPCA. If they're fulfilling some purpose uniquely other than being stupid, hey, great.

Lest you get the wrong idea, I'm in favor of free speech, and at the same time I wish people would just shut up and go home. How's that for a paradox? The only way I have to express my dissatisfaction is to do whatever is being protested, or they won't get my message, right? Using their logic, at least, I have to be obnoxious or my message won't be heard.

More seriously, you should just write me off as the bitter crank that I am. As either I'm becoming more liberal as I age, or everyone else is becoming more conservative, personal conflicts are ripping me apart anyway: many organizations I now find myself agreeing with spread their messages using techniques I find obnoxious and wish to discourage.

I should just give up and live in a cave.

The ASPCA doesn't seem to have any opinion on animal cruelty outside the realm of pets. If they do, they don't promote it.

You know what? I'm not going to get into it.

I'll admit it. This is the only forum on which I've ever spent any real time. Of course I've joined a few to get some work related questions (like Installshield), but never did anything other than post a question and run as fast as I could away. The truth is that as geeky as I am, I've had bad experiences with people in online gaming so I've strayed away from anything like this. From what I've heard I've found a one-of-a-kind community here, so I figure why bother with anyone else? So, you're stuck with me because I got lucky on my first shot! The only thing I fear is what will happen if my Empeg breaks? Will I be ousted?

Honestly, this is one of the few. Most seem to be populated by trolls and verbally challenged idiots, which is my point, I guess.

This is bound to be the best forum on the internet. At least for geeky stuff. My wife talks fondly of some of her less geeky forums.

The ASPCA doesn't seem to have any opinion on animal cruelty outside the realm of pets. If they do, they don't promote it.

It was an off-the-cuff example, but as far as I know, you're correct.

I hate PETA anyway

As karmic retribution, one of the hamsters cohabitating here died today. She'd been sick, and wasn't responding well to treatment, but wasn't getting worse. I suppose it was inevitable.

Does anyone else here read any of the forums of any non-specific internet board, like Fark or Slashdot?

It continues to amaze me how stupid, illiterate and egotistical the apparent majority of the internet community is.

The nearest I've found to "an Empeg BBS without all that car stereo nonsense" is http://www.plastic.com -- although it doesn't get the breadth of views that we do, being mainly politically left-wing and atheist/humanist.

Peter