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Most of us post in forums such as CD for several reasons:
Searching for information such as health or fitness, opinions and recommendations on consumer products etc.
Seeking camaraderie from the likeminded, such as retired, hobbies, cooking etc
Seeking a discussion on topics that interest us. Movies, books, philosophy, religion.
Politics and current events.
I believe most post to not only express themselves but also to seek other opinions. In other words responses, either affirming or otherwise. All of this can be done with courtesy even in disagreements and is pleasurable time pass.
What is puzzling to me are those who post snarky one liners. These posts offer no new information, does not address the topic, and are there just to attack the poster.
Do you experience this? Often they need to be placed on ignore to save your own mental health.
What is the psychology behind those who post this way? When placed on ignore they dont even get the pleasure of a response to their attack, just silence. Yet they persist with post after post.
Mod cut.
What is your experience? Are you one of those who post this way?
Last edited by PJSaturn; 01-18-2022 at 10:12 AM..
Reason: Inappropriate.
In my relatively brief experience here, I've observed two types of those who post "snarky one liners."
1. Left-wing brainwashed youngsters. (Yes, it's not difficult to tell the age and gender of the poster.) These kids are bathed in the cancel culture, where they've learned that simply shouting down their opponents would shut down many of those. The kids don't know much beyond what was drilled into them, so they cannot debate issues rationally, only insult those who say something different. I've had such responses to some of my controversial but reasoned posts -- the snarky kids obviously did not even read them!
2. There are true Russian trolls on every major social media site, whose job is to saw discord in the US. They have performed well in the 2016 election and afterwards. They also tend to use those one-liners, because they have no time to spend on any one particular thread (and many have poor English that gives them away).
In my relatively brief experience here, I've observed two types of those who post "snarky one liners."
1. Left-wing brainwashed youngsters. (Yes, it's not difficult to tell the age and gender of the poster.) These kids are bathed in the cancel culture, where they've learned that simply shouting down their opponents would shut down many of those. The kids don't know much beyond what was drilled into them, so they cannot debate issues rationally, only insult those who say something different. I've had such responses to some of my controversial but reasoned posts -- the snarky kids obviously did not even read them!
2. There are true Russian trolls on every major social media site, whose job is to saw discord in the US. They have performed well in the 2016 election and afterwards. They also tend to use those one-liners, because they have no time to spend on any one particular thread (and many have poor English that gives them away).
Sometimes the snark is because people are tired of the stupidity or the obvious attempts at stirring up drama some people post over and over again.
That's true--there is a community of sorts on message boards like this, and if you've been posting for a while often the same people come back to the same place with the same questions or problems and regulars can recognize similar names and stories. Usually people are kind and helpful to a new poster with a sincere question, but if that poster comes back time and time again not having taken any advice or showing any self awareness, the responses might become more blunt.
I don't think there is a vast conspiracy going on here.
Internet anonymity gives power to the otherwise ignored and impotent. You can attack, ridicule, and provoke without risk to oneself.
You can't usually tell your boss exactly what you think - job risk. With the major polarization of opinions, you are also at risk of loss if you tell your friends and family what you think.
Hence, the anonymous internet forum and posting boards as an outlet for our frustrations and feelings. I've been known to use one-liners to zing some posters. I think it's healthy to have an outlet that helps the poster and doesn't really harm the others on the thread and forum. Be honest - who really cares what anonymous posters think of you? Who cares if they ridicule your post? While there are outliers who are deliberately cruel, they are very few and are usually disciplined by the moderators.
This topic has been discussed extensively in the past. Duplicate topics are not permitted. Thread closed.
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