Welcome to Pistol-forum, such a friendly place. Almost like Austin.

[StraitR]

Are we defining trolling as when someone disagrees with you? If so, that isn't what I meant. I play video games so my idea of a troll is someone who's only function in that environment is to disrupt or ruin other people's expreriences. Not sure but it feels like others are saying that complaining about trolling means you can not support your claims? I have and always ask "why do you think that" or "what are your sources?" Maybe that's just the educator in me but my bs flag is up basically 24/7 because like others said in this thread, most people take their own words as gospel.

This is also my definition of troll, and has absolutely nothing to do with disagreeing with one another.

To expound... I don't think anyone needs to earn their right to be here, or even contribute in any way. I lurked here for a year without even making an account, and I bet there are plenty who still do the same. That said, if one's sole purpose for participating is to disrupt the thread for their own enjoyment, then they're trolling. If you don't like the thread, and can't participate without being a pompous prick, don't participate. If you can only respectfully and productively participate in threads you find interesting or agree with, but none of those threads happen to be gun related, then you're probably on the wrong forum board.

I typed out considerably more, but I'll save it for PFestivus.

[RevolverRob]

I don't think I've ever had any drama here either....

We can fix that, you know.

Whatchoo think you are? Better than those of us who can't show restraint? Merely 'cause you're able to show personal self restraint and respect? I got two words for you!
















Nice Job

[jondoe297]

That's fine and all, yet not a single person on here has once said it to my face. But it's the internet after all, right? Easy to let words go without thinking much.

It's funny how that works. I try to never say anything online to anyone that I wouldn't say to their face. Judging from the things I see on various forums and social media, I feel that I'm clearly in the extremely small majority. The internet makes people more bold than alcohol does, in my opinion.

[Mr_White]

Tom mentioned the logout button, so here's a story of my own. Around the Fall of 2012, I self banned myself from every forum on the gunternet. I just logged out and stopped posting. I lurked, here and elsewhere, but kept my own mouth shut. Why?

Because I got into a pretty good argument on another forum where both parties, me and the other dude acted like total shitheads. I decided after my head cleared that that wasn't how I wished to act online and that I needed a timeout to rethink my own actions. No mod said a damn thing to me on that forum, it was my own decision. Part two of that was that I got smart with one of the mods here, and regretted it. Nobody gave me an attitude adjustment over that one either, just myself, and that was with the old PF moderation.

So I took a year off from posting and just read. Along that time I realized that there wasn't anything on the internet worth acting like I had over. Nothing. Not to me anyway. Now I'm actually much more polite online than I am in person. Not that I go out of the way to be a rude asshole in the real world, just that I do proofread posts to make sure they are as polite and respectful as I can make them. That said, the whole "you wouldn't say that to my face" does not apply to me. I'll say a lot of things in person I won't post online. A lot

I also don't try to be funny here. My sense of humor and jokes rely heavily on facial expressions and tone of voice and that shit is lost in text. Rather than piss off someone I respect by trying to be witty, I just pass on the funny stuff.

It was about a year before I started posting again, and I much prefer this online version of myself to the old one. I don't think I've ever had any drama here either....

Jared, FWIW, my impression of you has always been one of a pleasant and respectful person.

[voodoo_man]

"We" aren't defining it differently. Your statement is spot on to what's generally understood to be "trolling."

Some people confuse disagreement with trolling, for whatever underlying issue-driven reason I cannot understand. Some people interpret what is correctly described as poor etiquette/behavior to be trolling as well.

As an example of the latter, I've been shitty to voodoo_man before. I can think of two occasions where I went out of my way to speak more directly than my ordinarily more polite discourse. I did that because, despite his self-described educator complex, I believe he speaks beyond his relevance far more often than he'd like to admit. As a recent example, he posted in a manner which is possibly criminal under Pennsylvania (and all other states') law -- and gave advice that, if followed, would potentially land somebody in prison. But hey, "knowledge that wouldn't be otherwise available" and such. My response to that post he would very probably consider to be one of those many "pissing[s] on anything [he] post[s]." Nevertheless, the handful of times I've deliberately locked horns with him, there was genuine, substantiated disagreement feeding the aggressiveness. Does that make me a troll? I don't think so, despite the unprofessional manner in which I've posted and the fact that I contributed at least once to thread-lock.

In the past, he has spoken to me and others in a manner which I find unacceptable; "condescending" is putting it gently, as the guy often displays quite the Napoleon complex online. In particular, I find his constant refrains that nobody offline has trouble with him like he encounters here and elsewhere to be particularly rich -- he remains incredibly self-unaware when it comes to his posting style. Over the past year or two, he's repeatedly shit up threads on a forum I've enjoyed -- and paid to support -- for several years. Do I think he's a troll? There are words I'd use to describe him, but troll is generally not one of them.

The above stuff gets threads locked, but it's also not on the playing field of, say, that fishing guy who got read-only'd a few months back.

I literally pointed at the screen and laughed.

You being unprofessional? Is that what cursing at someone who makes points you cannot wrap your head around means? Maybe it means just going out of your way, as your admitted, to piss on every post I make. By the way that is tantamount to troll activity, because not only do normal people not do that, but I've never done that to you even though you clearly seem to believe I'm the worst person alive.

Regardless of what you may think you know, you clearly do not. If you cannot open yourself up to learning something new, then it is best you do not try.

Also, for the record, your assumptions about me are literally laugh out loud funny as they are so wrong it should be embarrassing.

Before I forget, there is nothing criminal, almost criminal or whatever it is you think I said. You either did not understand it correctly or you don't understand the way that particular section of the law works. Also accusing someone of a criminal act is extremely short sighted and it would do you well to refrain from such action.

[voodoo_man]

It's funny how that works. I try to never say anything online to anyone that I wouldn't say to their face. Judging from the things I see on various forums and social media, I feel that I'm clearly in the extremely small majority. The internet makes people more bold than alcohol does, in my opinion.

I completely agree. People seem to forget that things posted online should be in the same context as face to face interactions.

[NH Shooter]

FWIW, I benefit from my interaction with nearly everyone here. What I truly appreciate is an objective, well written post supporting a POV, even if it's in opposition to something I posted. In fact, that is exactly the type of feedback that is often the most useful.

Leaving one's ego at the door and entering with an open mind to opposing POV is how growth happens. IMO, the status quo is something that should be questioned and challenged, and left as such only when nothing else offers a better way or explanation.

SMEs participate to advance their own cause. It's not unusual for them to decide that there is no benefit from further participation, especially if they feel their reputation or business will suffer. This happens on any forum where there are SMEs, regardless of the subject matter expertise.

User profiles are really useful - they help others understand the background and experience a participant brings to the conversation. Those who take the time to tell us about themselves get more careful consideration from me and helps me understand "where they're coming from."

Simply saying "thanks" for a useful comment goes a long way.

As with all Internet forums, what you gain from participation is often directly proportional to what you put into it.

If the participants of this forum weren't so passionate, this thread would be dead by now.

My thanks to all who answer my questions and participate in discussions I start (regardless of how lame they think they are).

[Joe in PNG]

One happy thing is that your classic, thick headed, gunternet lore derpsters don't last very long.

[voodoo_man]

@ssb since we are airing grievances of one another...

You started a thread about the drive through, I typed out a really long post speaking from experience about certain aspects and whatnot, then deleted because I knew the moment I commented in that thread you'd attack me for simply trying to give you information. Not because that information is incorrect or negative, far from it as I worked years without a uniform in some of the worst areas. No, because you will have an emotional reaction to my post and instantly revert to what you, yourself, have admitted to doing which is pissing all over my post. It is very unfortunate you have this opinion of anyone you have not met in person, and it is definitely to your detriment.

[Hambo]

This is an interesting thread, with an interesting link about why people react in certain ways.

https://pistol-forum.com/showthread....-little-g-gods