Have you ever been swayed by a forum debate?

[+TrailGators]

I am curious as to how many people have changed their opinions about a topic after reading or participating in a forum debate.

 

I have changed my mind about DNFs. After reading many posts pro and con I decided to log all of my DNFs.

 

I also changed my mind about parking coordinates. I started a thread complaining about not being able to determine where to park. I realize now that some people (me included) leave them out for a reason.

 

What have you been persuaded to change your opinion about?

This is a good topic. Keystone's recent "Survivor: Traffic Island" experiment really helped me to learn to communicate more respectfully with others on a heated topic. I think the Ammo-I-likey tribe won that too!

 

I have also learned that some people like "Velvet Elvis!"

Hopefully, you'll share these new communication skills in the forums one day.

 

sbell...

 

What positive contribution do you feel you are making but saying things like this? From where I sit is it completely void of humor and insulting. Unprovoked, TG is a very positive and good contributor to this forum but you manage to goad him, myself and several others into a flame war by doing this. Maybe you and few others could do the right thing for once and reread your posts or better look at what overall effect they have on the discussion. Then perhaps taking some responsibility for the reputation* this forum has among geocachers.

 

* A shark tank. A place where great topics are consistently squashed by insults from a few very active malcontents.

Thanks TGB, I appreciate that!

[+Confucius' Cat]

i have learned several things from forum discussions.

 

I have learned to be a lot more careful of what i post online.

 

I have learned that it is not possible to have a structured debate here.

 

i have learned that many of the "common sense" things i have taken for granted all my life are not "common", especially among foreigners. (perhaps not "sense" either, but I'm not quite to that point yet)

 

Most importantly, I have learned to put the close quotes outside of the full stop even if it doesn't look like it "belongs there."

[+sbell111]

I am curious as to how many people have changed their opinions about a topic after reading or participating in a forum debate.

 

I have changed my mind about DNFs. After reading many posts pro and con I decided to log all of my DNFs.

 

I also changed my mind about parking coordinates. I started a thread complaining about not being able to determine where to park. I realize now that some people (me included) leave them out for a reason.

 

What have you been persuaded to change your opinion about?

This is a good topic. Keystone's recent "Survivor: Traffic Island" experiment really helped me to learn to communicate more respectfully with others on a heated topic. I think the Ammo-I-likey tribe won that too!

 

I have also learned that some people like "Velvet Elvis!"

Hopefully, you'll share these new communication skills in the forums one day.

 

sbell...

 

What positive contribution do you feel you are making but saying things like this? From where I sit is it completely void of humor and insulting. ...

Sorry, I missed your post until just now. Anyway, in the very post that he was congratulating himself for being a good boy, he managed to include a dig or two. Since you tend to stand with him through the drama, you probably missed it.

[+TrailGators]

I am curious as to how many people have changed their opinions about a topic after reading or participating in a forum debate.

 

I have changed my mind about DNFs. After reading many posts pro and con I decided to log all of my DNFs.

 

I also changed my mind about parking coordinates. I started a thread complaining about not being able to determine where to park. I realize now that some people (me included) leave them out for a reason.

 

What have you been persuaded to change your opinion about?

This is a good topic. Keystone's recent "Survivor: Traffic Island" experiment really helped me to learn to communicate more respectfully with others on a heated topic. I think the Ammo-I-likey tribe won that too!

 

I have also learned that some people like "Velvet Elvis!"

Hopefully, you'll share these new communication skills in the forums one day.

 

sbell...

 

What positive contribution do you feel you are making but saying things like this? From where I sit is it completely void of humor and insulting. ...

Sorry, I missed your post until just now. Anyway, in the very post that he was congratulating himself for being a good boy, he managed to include a dig or two. Since you tend to stand with him through the drama, you probably missed it.

..and you missed the joking smilies I included in that post: Those meant I was joking. TGB and others give me the benefit of the doubt and I appreciate that!

[+sbell111]

I am curious as to how many people have changed their opinions about a topic after reading or participating in a forum debate.

 

I have changed my mind about DNFs. After reading many posts pro and con I decided to log all of my DNFs.

 

I also changed my mind about parking coordinates. I started a thread complaining about not being able to determine where to park. I realize now that some people (me included) leave them out for a reason.

 

What have you been persuaded to change your opinion about?

This is a good topic. Keystone's recent "Survivor: Traffic Island" experiment really helped me to learn to communicate more respectfully with others on a heated topic. I think the Ammo-I-likey tribe won that too!

 

I have also learned that some people like "Velvet Elvis!"

Hopefully, you'll share these new communication skills in the forums one day.

 

sbell...

 

What positive contribution do you feel you are making but saying things like this? From where I sit is it completely void of humor and insulting. ...

Sorry, I missed your post until just now. Anyway, in the very post that he was congratulating himself for being a good boy, he managed to include a dig or two. Since you tend to stand with him through the drama, you probably missed it.

..and you missed the joking smilies I included in that post: Those meant I was joking. TGB and others give me the benefit of the doubt and I appreciate that!

Laughing while making insults doesn't excuse the insults.

[+TrailGators]

I am curious as to how many people have changed their opinions about a topic after reading or participating in a forum debate.

 

I have changed my mind about DNFs. After reading many posts pro and con I decided to log all of my DNFs.

 

I also changed my mind about parking coordinates. I started a thread complaining about not being able to determine where to park. I realize now that some people (me included) leave them out for a reason.

 

What have you been persuaded to change your opinion about?

This is a good topic. Keystone's recent "Survivor: Traffic Island" experiment really helped me to learn to communicate more respectfully with others on a heated topic. I think the Ammo-I-likey tribe won that too!

 

I have also learned that some people like "Velvet Elvis!"

Hopefully, you'll share these new communication skills in the forums one day.

 

sbell...

 

What positive contribution do you feel you are making but saying things like this? From where I sit is it completely void of humor and insulting. ...

Sorry, I missed your post until just now. Anyway, in the very post that he was congratulating himself for being a good boy, he managed to include a dig or two. Since you tend to stand with him through the drama, you probably missed it.

..and you missed the joking smilies I included in that post: Those meant I was joking. TGB and others give me the benefit of the doubt and I appreciate that!

Laughing while making insults doesn't excuse the insults.

If I remember right, RK coined the "Velvet Elvis" term. Anyhow, how is Velvet Elvis an insult? It certainly didn't justify your harsh reaction. Don't you like Elvis?

[+sbell111]

I am curious as to how many people have changed their opinions about a topic after reading or participating in a forum debate.

 

I have changed my mind about DNFs. After reading many posts pro and con I decided to log all of my DNFs.

 

I also changed my mind about parking coordinates. I started a thread complaining about not being able to determine where to park. I realize now that some people (me included) leave them out for a reason.

 

What have you been persuaded to change your opinion about?

This is a good topic. Keystone's recent "Survivor: Traffic Island" experiment really helped me to learn to communicate more respectfully with others on a heated topic. I think the Ammo-I-likey tribe won that too!

 

I have also learned that some people like "Velvet Elvis!"

Hopefully, you'll share these new communication skills in the forums one day.

 

sbell...

 

What positive contribution do you feel you are making but saying things like this? From where I sit is it completely void of humor and insulting. ...

Sorry, I missed your post until just now. Anyway, in the very post that he was congratulating himself for being a good boy, he managed to include a dig or two. Since you tend to stand with him through the drama, you probably missed it.

..and you missed the joking smilies I included in that post: Those meant I was joking. TGB and others give me the benefit of the doubt and I appreciate that!

Laughing while making insults doesn't excuse the insults.

If I remember right, RK coined the "Velvet Elvis" term. Anyhow, how is Velvet Elvis an insult? It certainly didn't justify your harsh reaction. Don't you like Elvis?

When you consider the bile that you spewed at about the same time in the other threads, I certainly believe that my reaction was justified.

 

On one hand you claim to be behaving, on the other we have this and more.

[+TrailGators]

I am curious as to how many people have changed their opinions about a topic after reading or participating in a forum debate.

 

I have changed my mind about DNFs. After reading many posts pro and con I decided to log all of my DNFs.

 

I also changed my mind about parking coordinates. I started a thread complaining about not being able to determine where to park. I realize now that some people (me included) leave them out for a reason.

 

What have you been persuaded to change your opinion about?

This is a good topic. Keystone's recent "Survivor: Traffic Island" experiment really helped me to learn to communicate more respectfully with others on a heated topic. I think the Ammo-I-likey tribe won that too!

 

I have also learned that some people like "Velvet Elvis!"

Hopefully, you'll share these new communication skills in the forums one day.

 

sbell...

 

What positive contribution do you feel you are making but saying things like this? From where I sit is it completely void of humor and insulting. ...

Sorry, I missed your post until just now. Anyway, in the very post that he was congratulating himself for being a good boy, he managed to include a dig or two. Since you tend to stand with him through the drama, you probably missed it.

..and you missed the joking smilies I included in that post: Those meant I was joking. TGB and others give me the benefit of the doubt and I appreciate that!

Laughing while making insults doesn't excuse the insults.

If I remember right, RK coined the "Velvet Elvis" term. Anyhow, how is Velvet Elvis an insult? It certainly didn't justify your harsh reaction. Don't you like Elvis?

When you consider the bile that you spewed at about the same time in the other threads, I certainly believe that my reaction was justified.

You continually attack me and not the issues. It better stop. I am not going to stand for it anymore.

[+VO2WW]

I can't think of a specific issue where I have my view has been fully reversed but a few times it has moved one way or the other. The forum may not always have defined my view but they have occassionally refined them.

 

From the forums the best thing I've gained is just plain old knowledge. Reading about other Geocachers experiences, be it with hints, locations, containers, types of caches, information posted and so on. I feel I have gained knowledge based on other Goecachers experience. I think I have changed the way I cache and look at others caches as well as my own. The forums have made me a better Geocacher in my opinion.

[+"we two want to play too"]

I am curious as to how many people have changed their opinions about a topic after reading or participating in a forum debate.

 

I have changed my mind about DNFs. After reading many posts pro and con I decided to log all of my DNFs.

 

I also changed my mind about parking coordinates. I started a thread complaining about not being able to determine where to park. I realize now that some people (me included) leave them out for a reason.

 

What have you been persuaded to change your opinion about?

This is a good topic. Keystone's recent "Survivor: Traffic Island" experiment really helped me to learn to communicate more respectfully with others on a heated topic. I think the Ammo-I-likey tribe won that too!

 

I have also learned that some people like "Velvet Elvis!"

Hopefully, you'll share these new communication skills in the forums one day.

 

sbell...

 

What positive contribution do you feel you are making but saying things like this? From where I sit is it completely void of humor and insulting. ...

Sorry, I missed your post until just now. Anyway, in the very post that he was congratulating himself for being a good boy, he managed to include a dig or two. Since you tend to stand with him through the drama, you probably missed it.

..and you missed the joking smilies I included in that post: Those meant I was joking. TGB and others give me the benefit of the doubt and I appreciate that!

Laughing while making insults doesn't excuse the insults.

If I remember right, RK coined the "Velvet Elvis" term. Anyhow, how is Velvet Elvis an insult? It certainly didn't justify your harsh reaction. Don't you like Elvis?

When you consider the bile that you spewed at about the same time in the other threads, I certainly believe that my reaction was justified.

You continually attack me and not the issues. It better stop. I am not going to stand for it anymore.

 

ANYWAY...I was getting pretty sloppy about my cache logs online and an argument from another cacher persuaded me that perhaps I should write more (thanks Vree) I have also taken another look at what I now consider a DNF. I still wait a day or two to post it.... I have also had an argument or three with Hubby over what 'team' caching is and, NO Scott, Mark cannot go get the FTF for you I don't care if he is only 5 miles away....

Edited May 8, 2007 by "we two want to play too"

[Trinity's Crew]

There was another time I was recently swayed in these forums. I was pretty upset about some personal issues and let loose with a post along the lines of, "I just found out that <insert personal tragedy here>. Stop going back and forth about this petty stuff and live your life." Briansnat pointed out that the forums are here for the exact purpose of discussing and debating the "petty stuff."

 

This did two things for me. First, it made me realize that my grief had caused me to make a stupid, unwarranted post. (Since deleted.) Second, it put the forums in perspective for me. Reading and posting here has been a welcome distraction from other issues over the past several weeks, which is why I have been a little more active lately.

 

Thanks Brian.

Edited May 8, 2007 by Trinity's Crew

[+TrailGators]

Totem Clan also helped me yesterday by making me realize that taking more of a middle position and discussing the small differences that we have is more effective in these forums and can greatly reduce tensions. I think this is the way we all typically talk to each other in person. The forums allow people to be much bolder than they would be if they were face to face. There are a lot of people I would like to discuss things face to face with someday. Thanks Totem Clan!

Edited May 8, 2007 by TrailGators

[+vree]

...I was getting pretty sloppy about my cache logs online and an argument from another cacher persuaded me that perhaps I should write more (thanks Vree)

Wow, thanks! An unexpected treat to read that. You've made my day.

 

I've been swayed on issues about which I hadn't had a strong opinion: TBs are travelers not trade items, and I don't need to find every. single. cache. and... probably more.

 

I may not understand how some people think and operate the way they do, but at least I have some idea of where they are coming from. I find that to be helpful and it's one of the reasons that I check in on the forums every so often.