Rudeness in Pittsburgh (Philadelphia: find a job, move, rich)

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by Humanoid

From my point of view the problem is that you can't post a negative comment without the same group of people immediately posting that "no no that isn't true". This immediately stops any sort of discussion on the matter for people that do think its true.

Why does that stop the discussion? If people disagree with your claims, that seems like an opportunity to have a civil discussion about this point of disagreement.

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by BrianTH

Why does that stop the discussion? If people disagree with your claims, that seems like an opportunity to have a civil discussion about this point of disagreement.

Yes, you're right. It should be an opportunity to have a civil discussion. Often, it ends up as personal attacks, telling people to go away, etc. There is not so much "separate the message from the messenger" here. What some of us are trying to say is, this happens more often on this forum than on other fourms. I don't know why it is so hard to make this point here.

[Humanoid]

Why does that stop the discussion? If people disagree with your claims, that seems like an opportunity to have a civil discussion about this point of disagreement.

Lets suppose someone makes a post about how nice they think the people in Pittsburgh are and I come along and post "No they aren't...blah blah blah blah". Would this lead to any sort of interesting conversation? No, probably not. People should be able to post a thread and have a conversation about something without nay-sayers taking over.

[Chuckles1821]

I'm not trying to be a jackass here, but:

People should be able to post a thread and have a conversation about something without nay-sayers taking over.

That doesn't seem to really be a conversation, but more of a bunch of people saying, "Yes I agree."
I fully support your right to say that Pittsburghers are rude, but I also think that other people have the right to rebut that opinion. To me, that's how a conversation works.

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by Chuckles1821

I'm not trying to be a jackass here, but:

That doesn't seem to really be a conversation, but more of a bunch of people saying, "Yes I agree."
I fully support your right to say that Pittsburghers are rude, but I also think that other people have the right to rebut that opinion. To me, that's how a conversation works.

I agree. And they should rebut without calling people names, using inflammatory language, reading things into their posts that aren't there, telling them they have a bad attitude, etc. Go to some of the other city fourms. You will see what some of us mean.

[Humanoid]

To me, that's how a conversation works.

So should I start posting my views in every thread? To you know..start conversation? Because all those positive posts, must be pointless without any negativity.

That doesn't seem to really be a conversation, but more of a bunch of people saying, "Yes I agree."

No, not in any sense. You can have a meaningful conversation about "rudeness" in Pittsburgh without disagreeing about there being high levels of rudeness in Pittsburgh. Just as a Christian can have a meaningful conversation about god without debating the existing of god.

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by Katiana

You want some examples of "in a very negative fashion"? Look at these ... In other words, people who attack the person, suggest the person go away, and the like. And I really don't think you had to ask that question, I think you knew what I meant all along. This is the stuff londonbarcelona and I are saying doesn't happen as much (in my case by a factor of about 10 X less) on some of the other forums.

But you originally claimed:

I'm saying when half a dozen people immediately disagree with a post in a very negative fashion, it feels like the "whole forum".

The posts you quoted were not the first six responses to Humanoid's claim about rudeness in Pittsburgh, and I think if you go back and look at those first six posts in response to Humanoid, they were generally quite civil, even though they were expressing different viewpoints.

Also, I would note that londonbarcelona's very first post in this thread included the line:

It IS a problem, even if all ten people on this board who stick up for Pittsburgh swear to g-d it's just me, it's not, the customer service here is embarrassing!

So I think that is actually an excellent illustration of the point I am trying to make: londonbarcelona started off her participation in this thread with an unnecessarily antagonistic characterization of "all ten people on this board who stick up for Pittsburgh", and I think that what happened after londonbarcelona choose to include this line demonstrates that these generalized attacks do not help to improve the tone here.

But in any event, I have done my best to explain why I think this is a bad practice, so I will end my participation in this part of the discussion here.

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by Humanoid

So should I start posting my views in every thread?

You should feel free to participate in any thread where you feel you have something on topic to contribute.

You can have a meaningful conversation about "rudeness" in Pittsburgh without disagreeing about there being high levels of rudeness in Pittsburgh.

Sure, if all the participants happen to agree with your premise. But if some of the participants don't agree with your premise, then it isn't going to be a meaningful conversation if you refuse to let them express that disagreement.

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by BrianTH

But you originally claimed:

The posts you quoted were not the first six responses to Humanoid's claim about rudeness in Pittsburgh, and I think if you go back and look at those first six posts in response to Humanoid, they were generally quite civil, even though they were expressing different viewpoints.
Oh, for God's sake! That is not what I was talking about at all. Actually, I probably could find a thread where I posted something and the first six resposnes were negative. But I think you know what I mean. You are an attorney. You are intelligent. You know these are just turns of a phrase, not meant to be taken stone cold literally.
Also, I would note that londonbarcelona's very first post in this thread included the line:



So I think that is actually an excellent illustration of the point I am trying to make: londonbarcelona started off her participation in this thread with an unnecessarily antagonistic characterization of "all ten people on this board who stick up for Pittsburgh", and I think that what happened after londonbarcelona choose to include this line demonstrates that these generalized attacks do not help to improve the tone here.

But in any event, I have done my best to explain why I think this is a bad practice, so I will end my participation in this part of the discussion here.

I obviously am not getting my point across at all, no matter how I phrase it, so I too am giving up. I have said everything I can say about this in my previous posts. You can blame londonbarcelona and I all you want for the tone of this thread. I would suggest you go back through the history of this forum to see what she and I are talking about.

[londonbarcelona]

Originally Posted by BrianTH

But you originally claimed:



The posts you quoted were not the first six responses to Humanoid's claim about rudeness in Pittsburgh, and I think if you go back and look at those first six posts in response to Humanoid, they were generally quite civil, even though they were expressing different viewpoints.

Also, I would note that londonbarcelona's very first post in this thread included the line:



So I think that is actually an excellent illustration of the point I am trying to make: londonbarcelona started off her participation in this thread with an unnecessarily antagonistic characterization of "all ten people on this board who stick up for Pittsburgh", and I think that what happened after londonbarcelona choose to include this line demonstrates that these generalized attacks do not help to improve the tone here.

But in any event, I have done my best to explain why I think this is a bad practice, so I will end my participation in this part of the discussion here.

This is a joke >>>>>> How much DOES the city pay you Brian?