"A descent from thoughtful debate into childish babbling" : Thinking Out Loud : Blogs : News-Record.com : Greensboro, North Carolina

A descent from thoughtful debate into childish babbling

My colleague, News & Record Editor Mr. Robinson, passed this email to me today. It reflects a growing concern I share with the writer, Richard L. Yarbrough Sr. of Greensboro:

I, for one, am growing weary of some of the blogs on the Letters to the Editor. Today's responses to Herman L. Browning's letter are juvenile, hateful, and offensive. I have participated in some really thought/idea provoking conversations, but it appears that a few of the "regulars" have decided to downgrade the conversations to their lowest levels, terms and conditions of participation notwithstanding. I can put up with griping and complaining, but there is a point where one has to decide to maintain some decorum instead of showing his/her lack of taste and class.

There is probably not much you can do unless there are "cyberspace police" available but I just thought I would share my opinion with you.

Mr. Yarbrough:
I agree wholeheartedly. We created the blogs to provide places for thoughtful discussions and respectful debates. We also created guidelines that most commenters, thankfully, are following.

As for the vocal minority, one of the best remedies is peer pressure. Or the lack thereof. Ignore them. Refuse to be drawn into name-calling and other silliness. Don't feed their appetites for tastelessness.

And don't let them spoil the blogs for the rest of us.

We had assumed that adults would behave as adults. We were wrong.

Posted by Allen Johnson on June 30, 2005 11:41 AM | Permalink

Comments (17)

To report abuse of the comment feature on this site, please use the feedback form at the bottom of any page.

steve said:

Yeah! The nerve of some people!

Posted on June 30, 2005 12:09 PM

Eric said:

As with Usenet discussions, there was a learning curve for me here. I'm getting the hang of it and ignoring name calling (most of the time, at least).

Assuming that adults will act according to their ages, you can make some rather interesting errors that way, eh?

Posted on June 30, 2005 1:07 PM

truth said:

I agree with you and Mr. Yarborough on this one. I've been around since the beginning of this. Before, I'd just read the LTE's and occasionally write a thoughtful letter myself.

I admit that I've taken part in some colorful exchanges, but usually there has been some kind of point involved. Or at least it has been funny.

In the last few weeks, the blogs have been hijacked by people who don't care ANYTHING about thoughtful discussion.

What is perplexing (is that a word?) to me is that when I visit The Editor's Log or Thinking Out Loud, I don't find all this infantile garbage.

I guess I may have to come hang out here for awhile. I have stayed away because sometimes the people that chime in here seem to put smugness and ego before real intelligence.

But hopefully, that will change.

Have a great afternoon, gentleman.

Posted on June 30, 2005 4:45 PM

gentlemen. no slant intended.

Posted on June 30, 2005 4:46 PM

Joe Schmoe said:

I don't believe this was happening last month. I've had my exchanges with truth, Lilly, and steve among others. Those have boiled into, as truth stated, rather colorful exchanges. What is happening now is different. Although we have ruffled each other's feathers at times, we have found plenty on which we agree.

Ask yourself, are these people new? It would appear so. I would suggest that with summer vacation comes an abundance of juvenilles with too much time on their hands. Some are sitting at home with the family's computer and an internet connection. Hopefully, they have responsible parents who have blocked the "naughty" sites. What's left? Your LTE and Opinion sites. Too much free time, a creative vocabulary, and a forum to express the latest "Jerky Boys" attitude leads to what you're seeing right now.

I guess kids will be kids.

BTW, I've seen posts attributed to me that I didn't post. Anyway to assure us that we're not being post-jacked?

Posted on June 30, 2005 6:25 PM

Sarah said:

I can confirm Joe's theory in part. I found out my teen-age son went on here as me and exchanged words with Lilly over the UNC/Duke rivalry (my apologies Allen). Once we found out what he had done we revoked his internet privileges until he learned some manners and/or he dislodged my husband's size twelve hunting boot. unfortunately he told his friends (that's how we found out) about how cool it was that he could tick off some old folks. I guess that adds to the theory. Teenagers rebeling against authority figures.

Posted on June 30, 2005 8:11 PM

Allen Johnson said:

Thanks, Sarah. Little did I consider that what sounded like kids, in some cases, might actually be kids.

Posted on June 30, 2005 8:53 PM

What kills me is just how absolutely certain people are of knowing a stranger's motives. Many times I've had zero intention to offend only to be ganged up on by thick-necked readers. I know for a fact without the facts that many people who write on these blogs are sheltered and/or incapable of accurate discernment. I have been to all but four states and I can say without fear of any retribution that North Carolina has more igmos per square mile than any other state.

Whether it's in the water or what happened when one got alone with a twisted uncle, these people here have a pathetic sense of sophistication and social skills. I was at a stop light on High Point Road recently and noticed the lady next to me was shovel digging nose craps with a glued on thumbnail. She would shamelessly dig and eat, dig and eat. There is no other place on this planet that had the same scenario happening at that moment. My first thought was "only in N.C."

If anything of fruition happens here, there is ALWAYS someone bursting at the seams to label it and ruin it. I will go to my grave early due to the horrors of ignorance I've witnessed in this area. My synapses are growing gig fingers and they are pointing back at me.

There are infinite possibilities as to why a person says or writes anything. Maybe people should stop with the first impulse and give more thought to the heart of the matter.

Posted on June 30, 2005 10:54 PM

Jim said:

From the 'handles' on the posts, it would seem that these 'children' and their attitudes have oozed over from the Chalkboard.

I suppose it is good to see they have an interest in something other than bashing the schoolboard.

Posted on July 1, 2005 7:33 AM

Lilly said:

It appears that the cyber cops do not do a very good job at what they are supposed to do.
I have been the victim of unprovoked attacks on my character, and other things. It's allowed to just go on and on.
I have thick skin, and I love to play nice, but if I am provoked then it's on and I make no apologies for that.
Someone should fix the link to work to be able to read the terms of use notice.
Don't sensor us, but for God's sake, when its OBVIOUS that someone is either a child or just insane, then its ok to delete.

Posted on July 1, 2005 1:40 PM

Wow,

I can see we're all running away from the LTE's. Allen, you are 100% right about the way to fix it. Everyone should just ignore these kids. To them, it will probably end up feeling like playing a video game in 2 player mode when nobody else is manning the other controller. After racking up 10 zillion points to zero, they'll get bored and go find another game to play.

Posted on July 1, 2005 2:02 PM

Truth, I agree. If an insult pops up on a blog and everybody else chooses not to hear it, the writer would have failed at his or her mission.
Steve, I am willing to tolerate edgy comments if there is a point. If I sense it's there out of mischief or merely for shock value, no dice.
(It's not hard to distinguish.)
Lilly, don't be sucked into namecalling back and forth. What's the point? Isn't that what we teach our kids?

Posted on July 1, 2005 7:20 PM

I taught my kids if someone hit them first, to make sure that kid never came around them again wanting to fight. ie: don't stop till they are on the floor crying. Needless to say, my kids were never picked on. :)
While my (now grown) kids dont have anything to do with this topic, I thought I would let you know my thoughts, since you brought it up, sorta. :)
Your point is well taken Allen, but in my particular case, sometimes it's hard to resist. In the future I will do my best to provide only fun, loving responses. :)

Posted on July 1, 2005 8:18 PM

Allen Wrench, It's not hard to distinguish if someone thinks they're God.

Posted on July 1, 2005 10:27 PM

David Hoggard said:

There is a rule that covers all of this...

DON'T FEED THE TROLLS.

Posted on July 1, 2005 11:26 PM

querrty said:

terasteios zesto II aperigraptos ntoyz II mpg fysikos mpompina II mobie mpikini klima II latino neito lesbisk II cronspisen finland orgasmi II jenter i miniskjort nitten II runke knep amator II nakense dick II nakna lisa porn II sexsin lesbisk II viileampi ystavallinen neito II ammatti korkea II taydellinen teini aasi naida II mpeg porn dildo II bunden tjej utlosning II amator sex stygn II hon sog dildo II aventureux lesbienne merde II chaude poupee fait pipi II kald jenter urinering II val vald amator tillverkningen alska II ragazze 18 puttane II sexvertente bionde pompino II download prostyhi kinimatografos II kalos mihanobios II overnaturlig snut dildo II fornimmelse sjukskoterska asna till mun II