Stop with the ego-centric flame wars - bit-tech.net Forums

WilHarris · 14th Feb 2006, 10:09

http://www.bit-tech.net/news/2006/02/14/flame_wars/

Nexxo · 14th Feb 2006, 10:44

I can believe that!

Kasrkin Guard · 14th Feb 2006, 11:07

I could believe that line of thought, however there are some that will always be looking to flame bait anyways.. So in those cases, it won't really matter as I see it whatever the tone is. It still wouldn't stop the flamebaiters. Many will always argue for however long to come.

Nexxo · 14th Feb 2006, 11:24

The emotional valence of written text is notoriously difficult to interpret though, unless it is made explicit. This is why smilies came into use...

Meta-communication (communication about communication) is the tricky bit. Face-toface we can use facial expression, tone of voice, gesture, posture, pattern and pace of speech (in fact, remember that 93% of communication is non-verbal) that we cannot resort to in text-based communication. We have smilies to help us along, but some geexperts have proposed that HTML should have emotional Meta-tags to convey the mood or feeling of a certain text. In this respect, on the forums we sometimes notice the creative use of emotional tags such as : [SARCASM] [/SARCASM] or other clever ways of trying to convey emotional and other meta-communicative context.

Basically, writing (or at least, writing in a clear, expressive and intelligible way) is a skill. Writing on forums, I find, is a particular skill because the reader can (and will) respond and interact with the writer. You get a sort of emotional engagement that you don't get if you just write a text and remain blissfully unaware of how the reader reacts to that. So demands are made on a complex mix of verbal intellectual reasoning ability and social skill and expressiveness. Some people can clearly be seen to be possessing both, some to possess one but not the other, some to (painfully) obviously lack both.

As for flame-baiters: just because someone invites you to a game, does not mean you have to join in.

The best way to deal with flame baiters is to collectively ignore them.

The_Pope · 14th Feb 2006, 11:54

LOL - I've been spouting this theory for years now /ego

specofdust · 14th Feb 2006, 12:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nexxo

As for flame-baiters: just because someone invites you to a game, does not mean you have to join in.

The best way to deal with flame baiters is to collectively ignore them.

Beg to differ, the best way to deal with them, is to goto hollywood, pick up your movie check, then fly around the country beating the living crap outta every single one that slags you off

/movie reference

Monkey200SX · 14th Feb 2006, 13:21

I like the photo very cute.

i do wonder if i am fully understanding what someone writes and what emotion is sposidly used to understand it properly.

Nexxo · 14th Feb 2006, 14:31

Perhaps we should have a "mood status at posting" in the left-hand Avatar pane.

Sort of like this:

Adnuo · 14th Feb 2006, 14:35

I can vouch for my mood affecting how I read certain posts or emails...

...or IRC conversations

Shadowed_fury · 14th Feb 2006, 14:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nexxo

Perhaps we should have a "mood status at posting" in the left-hand Avatar pane.

Sort of like this:

[pic]

Yes! We need that!

specofdust · 14th Feb 2006, 14:40

I actually really like that idea Nexxo, I'd be surprised if its possible to implement, but its a great idea

I_Slider_I · 14th Feb 2006, 16:34

I think that would leave it up to the writer to tell you what type of mood he/she is in, which is often a difficult task for some people. [screams] I AM NOT IN A BAD MOOD [/screams]

*sheepeshly looks at the ground*

Ok well maybe I am...

kiljoi · 14th Feb 2006, 16:57

Nice idea Nexxo. Also, for a superb demonstration of this, hop onto irc. I don't think I've ever seen so many things get taken the wrong way.

Shadowed_fury · 14th Feb 2006, 17:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by kiljoi

Nice idea Nexxo. Also, for a superb demonstration of this, hop onto irc. I don't think I've ever seen so many things get taken the wrong way.

But in IRC, its hellishly funny at the same time

cpemma · 14th Feb 2006, 17:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nexxo

...we sometimes notice the creative use of emotional tags such as : [SARCASM] [/SARCASM] or other clever ways of trying to convey emotional and other meta-communicative context.

I take what you're saying on-board, but it does spoil the joke. I love dead-pan humour, adding an <IRONY> or <SARCASM> tag to an already OTT remark gives the game away too easily. A few web articles have caused outraged criticism here and elsewhere until some kind soul has pointed out the spoof indicators.

However, with some people and even nations (I'm thinking of the Swiss, not ~~just~~ the Americans and Dutch) irony goes down like a lead balloon, so I'd better add a

as and when.

LoneArchon · 14th Feb 2006, 20:40

I think the tags in the side would help out. The amount flaming here is not that high compared to other sites. I believe what account for a lot of it is the type patrons the site attracts. In other forms i seen really bad levels of flaming

Nexxo · 14th Feb 2006, 20:45

The Mood at time of Post tags are not really a serious proposition, guys...

I was joking. Hence the

smiley...

Highland3r · 14th Feb 2006, 21:13

Interesting read tbh... Kinda why I try and use smilies where ever possible either when sending text based messages (email/sms/IM etc...)

14th Feb 2006, 10:09	#1
WilHarris Just another nobody Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Oxford Posts: 2,671	Stop with the ego-centric flame wars http://www.bit-tech.net/news/2006/02/14/flame_wars/

14th Feb 2006, 10:44	#2
Nexxo ...like a geek! Moderator Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Birmingham, UK Posts: 15,111	I can believe that! __________________ "You actually hope to achieve your ideals, I just use mine as an excuse to hate everything" --specofdust "There is no Real Life, only Away From Keyboard" --gpw111 "...my wife says I can't have any trolls, cause they argue with the dog and eat the fish" --KayinBlack

14th Feb 2006, 11:07	#3
Kasrkin Guard Multimodder Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: US Posts: 73	I could believe that line of thought, however there are some that will always be looking to flame bait anyways.. So in those cases, it won't really matter as I see it whatever the tone is. It still wouldn't stop the flamebaiters. Many will always argue for however long to come. Last edited by Kasrkin Guard; 14th Feb 2006 at 11:17.

14th Feb 2006, 11:24	#4
Nexxo ...like a geek! Moderator Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Birmingham, UK Posts: 15,111	The emotional valence of written text is notoriously difficult to interpret though, unless it is made explicit. This is why smilies came into use... Meta-communication (communication about communication) is the tricky bit. Face-toface we can use facial expression, tone of voice, gesture, posture, pattern and pace of speech (in fact, remember that 93% of communication is non-verbal) that we cannot resort to in text-based communication. We have smilies to help us along, but some geexperts have proposed that HTML should have emotional Meta-tags to convey the mood or feeling of a certain text. In this respect, on the forums we sometimes notice the creative use of emotional tags such as : [SARCASM] [/SARCASM] or other clever ways of trying to convey emotional and other meta-communicative context. Basically, writing (or at least, writing in a clear, expressive and intelligible way) is a skill. Writing on forums, I find, is a particular skill because the reader can (and will) respond and interact with the writer. You get a sort of emotional engagement that you don't get if you just write a text and remain blissfully unaware of how the reader reacts to that. So demands are made on a complex mix of verbal intellectual reasoning ability and social skill and expressiveness. Some people can clearly be seen to be possessing both, some to possess one but not the other, some to (painfully) obviously lack both. As for flame-baiters: just because someone invites you to a game, does not mean you have to join in. The best way to deal with flame baiters is to collectively ignore them. __________________ "You actually hope to achieve your ideals, I just use mine as an excuse to hate everything" --specofdust "There is no Real Life, only Away From Keyboard" --gpw111 "...my wife says I can't have any trolls, cause they argue with the dog and eat the fish" --KayinBlack Last edited by Nexxo; 14th Feb 2006 at 11:30.

14th Feb 2006, 14:31	#8
Nexxo ...like a geek! Moderator Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Birmingham, UK Posts: 15,111	Perhaps we should have a "mood status at posting" in the left-hand Avatar pane. Sort of like this: __________________ "You actually hope to achieve your ideals, I just use mine as an excuse to hate everything" --specofdust "There is no Real Life, only Away From Keyboard" --gpw111 "...my wife says I can't have any trolls, cause they argue with the dog and eat the fish" --KayinBlack

14th Feb 2006, 11:54	#5
The_Pope Geoff Richards Moderator Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: UK Posts: 2,089	LOL - I've been spouting this theory for years now /ego

14th Feb 2006, 13:21	#7
Monkey200SX Hypermodder Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: England Posts: 604	I like the photo very cute. i do wonder if i am fully understanding what someone writes and what emotion is sposidly used to understand it properly.

14th Feb 2006, 14:35	#9
Adnuo Banned Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Minnesota Posts: 489	I can vouch for my mood affecting how I read certain posts or emails... ...or IRC conversations

14th Feb 2006, 14:40	#11
specofdust Banned Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Aberdeen, UK, EU Posts: 7,617	I actually really like that idea Nexxo, I'd be surprised if its possible to implement, but its a great idea __________________ Like marmite, only no-one hates it Mmm bop!

14th Feb 2006, 16:34	#12
I_Slider_I Multimodder Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: The Park Posts: 88	I think that would leave it up to the writer to tell you what type of mood he/she is in, which is often a difficult task for some people. [screams] I AM NOT IN A BAD MOOD [/screams] sheepeshly looks at the ground Ok well maybe I am...

14th Feb 2006, 16:57	#13
kiljoi I am a computer king. Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: pants! Posts: 2,302	Nice idea Nexxo. Also, for a superb demonstration of this, hop onto irc. I don't think I've ever seen so many things get taken the wrong way. __________________ I NEEED YOU AND TEH GUYS HELP ME TO GET TEH ORANGE BOX WITH WHICH I DONT KNOW I NEED TO KNOW FORM YOU

14th Feb 2006, 20:40	#16
LoneArchon Supermodder Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Waldorf,MD Posts: 422	I think the tags in the side would help out. The amount flaming here is not that high compared to other sites. I believe what account for a lot of it is the type patrons the site attracts. In other forms i seen really bad levels of flaming __________________ .:NEED MORE ENERGY:. A64 x2 4800+/eVGA Geforce 8800gtx with dangerden Water Block/2GB Corsair 3200/250gb Western Digital/Asus A8N32-Sli Deluxe/24" Acer LCD

14th Feb 2006, 20:45	#17
Nexxo ...like a geek! Moderator Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Birmingham, UK Posts: 15,111	The Mood at time of Post tags are not really a serious proposition, guys... I was joking. Hence the smiley... __________________ "You actually hope to achieve your ideals, I just use mine as an excuse to hate everything" --specofdust "There is no Real Life, only Away From Keyboard" --gpw111 "...my wife says I can't have any trolls, cause they argue with the dog and eat the fish" --KayinBlack

14th Feb 2006, 21:13	#18
Highland3r I Mod, Therefore I Own Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Leeds UK Posts: 7,159	Interesting read tbh... Kinda why I try and use smilies where ever possible either when sending text based messages (email/sms/IM etc...) __________________ Prawn or not...?