Before I say anything, I am going to recommend the reading of a book called Straight and Crooked Thinking. It is a book which teaches auratory and debative skills and tactics, what to use when, and what to avoid. Essentially, language is the key here. Subtle nuances of the english language are picked up, quite often subconsciouslly, and can do much to sway how a statement is taken. This can easily be done both through verbal and written word. So, just as I had stated that much of the behaviour in SYM could possibly be unintentional, much of how people react is as well.Xandax wrote:As for the language, well - that is in the eye of the beholder so to speak, which is why I time after time, stress that people should read the text, and not attribute it with all sorts of reader-subjective bias/interpretations etc. It is simple communication gone south there. These people write posts on an open Internet forum, with no requierments, and then people complain when reading something extra into these peoples post. It is the wrong way around.
Having said that, people post in this open internet forum with a certain decorum of curtosy and self-moderation. Anything further, and the offical moderators step in. However, when one is not responded to with a similar decorum of respect and curtosy (as the example I gave in my previous posts regarding the textbook type language), it is only naturally to find offense or issue with such a response. Why is this? Because it comes off as being lectured to. This is the case of the 'intellectual' group, of which I merely provided two names, chosen primarly because of their name value, they are two prominent members of that sub-community. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the 'whatever' posters can respond with a complete disregard to the same post, and can be seen as 'irrelevant' and 'destructive' to the cohesion of the discussion, or for a more well known term, as spam.
Language is a vital component of discussion, and the medium in which it appears does not change the infliction and tone of the source. The only aspect we lose when reading, as opposed to verbally speaking, is body language, and that is what the smiley's are there for, to assist in that department.
As a historian, I have also learned that it is impossible to escape emotion in research. You either feel compassion or dislike for what you study, and the use of words reflects such bias. As for whether or not that is better or worse in terms of discussion, that is neither here nor there, nor can it be declared either way, as past occurances have taught me (in life experiance) it is the impassioned debater that often presents the strongest case, but the impassioned one is not necessarily the 'emotional' one. Almost every serious discussion I take part in, I do so because it is a topic I often am passionate about (Hence why you tend to only see me in political or historical/religious discussions).As a historian, I'm sure you've also come across the fact that it is often much easier to present factualities in an "emotionless" manner, to avoid clouding the text to much with writer-subjectivities. If having to present factualities, I to would turn on "emotionless mode", the reason why I might not do it so often here at GameBanshee, is that I seldom find a thread which I can present such factualities, and thus I often use more personalized writing, however I do so every other place.
These other people you mention, Fable and CE, often can present factualities and in vast numbers and thusly I think it is quite good they debate with less emotion when in the "serious topics", and I'd hope more would do the same, because it gives them the tools to handle differences of opinion and take things less personal.
My personal habits, however, is not what is at the centre of discussion here. Myself, and others, have presented view points and interpretations, and offered examples of past experiances, and reasoning behind such thoughts and ideas. I have already accepted my portion of what I feel is the blame, and find it interesting why the only thing that seems to have been read regarding my posts (as well as Fas' to an extent) was us pointing additional fingers at everyone else, as well.
Having said all this, it is late, I am tired.
