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Baiting: Its taking a toll on the Hangout

azstonie

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If you are reading this, chances are that you are a probably a regular here in Hangout.

We know each other. We know each other's basic geographic locations, our professions/work, approximate ages, *what kind of diamonds, gem stones and settings we like!,* pets, health status, marital status. Reading posts long enough, we get to know each other's personalities too.

I've noticed that, with some margin of error, we know each other's political and social stances and beliefs.

Because of this knowledge, it's possible to post a thread that is going to bait a group of people here on Hangout. There are a lot of threads right now that are nothing more than a blatant attempt to bait others.

Baiting: A provocative act used to solicit an angry, aggressive or emotional response from another individual.

For those of you who have said "Hey, you don't like a thread or its subject, then don't read it." Or "Use the IGNORE button."

My response to that is that yes, that goes without saying but if the excessive number of baiting threads doesn't stop, Hangout is going to become nothing more than the same few people posting baiting threads. It doesn't take long to 'kill' an online community. We should pay attention to the fact that SMTB has been slowing down for quite some time, including that there aren't many threads of people going to a jewelry store or jewelry show and posting lots of bling pics and commentary. I know we are looking at and shopping for more jewelry than I'm seeing discussed and shared. RockyTalky is a vital part of the PS community but its not getting the support it deserves and needs.

More than one person here has said that Pricescope is for ESCAPE from the mundane going on all around us, or from the problems we all endure. If PS becomes nothing more than a bait/tweak cycle for the few, then the many are going to spend their discretionary time on Instagram and other sites getting their bling on without any annoyance.

So what is to be done? Drop the rope. You cannot have a tug of war if the other people drop the rope.

I'm not going to 'host' this thread, all the better to avoid the baiters :lol: I like Pricescope and I hope the ship rights itself here before too long.
 

distracts

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Yeah I pretty much stopped checking hangout regularly when the political threads started.
 

jordyonbass

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I've found the Hangout to be less enjoyable with all the political jibes going on, I understand people are passionate about it and care about what is happening in their country - but for an off-topic sub-forum called the 'hangout' on a consumer jewellery forum, it's been anything but a place to hangout.

The closest I am coming to this political stuff is making haikus about our old Prime Minister's Guinness World Record for drinking a yard glass of beer in 11 seconds :lol:
 

AGBF

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I like your post, azstonie. However, I do not equate baiting threads with political threads. (Jordy said in response to your comments on baiting that he ceased coming here when the posts became political.)

I may be "voting" for a quiet space where people who wish to discuss politics seriously can do so civilly. But I would be happy to do so in Hangout, too. I have no need to be "exclusive". I just agree that when the threads get to be less discussion and more yelling at each other, that they are (for me, at least) a bit tedious. I enjoy a bit more conversation. A little more meat.

But I know people vary. ;))

Deb :wavey:
 

Dancing Fire

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Bait who???..There are only three Rep. here and the rest are left winger sore losers.. :bigsmile:
 

jordyonbass

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Dancing Fire|1487646379|4131547 said:
Bait who???..There are only three Rep. here and the rest are left winger sore losers.. :bigsmile:

Ohhh c'mon DF, you cast bigger baits than I do whether political or not!! :lol: :Up_to_something: :mrgreen:
 

monarch64

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Where is that fish-shaped diamond when you need it?!
 

kenny

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I like watching this guy because he looks like a real master baiter.

It's so hot how he squeezes his nice long worm firmly with those big strong manly hands.

screen_shot_2017-02-20_at_3.png
 

diamondseeker2006

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I have zero desire to see political threads on PS and rarely come over here. I was just curious about your thread title. I am still hoping they will make a separate forum topic for Politics so the people who love to "discuss" politics can do so to their heart's content.

I do appreciate the people who have tried to start threads here unrelated to politics, but I don't care for the tone of most of the political threads and would rather just avoid coming here, period.

Signed, a former regular in Hangout
 

monarch64

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Kenny! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
 

kenny

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diamondseeker2006|1487650726|4131579 said:
I have zero desire to see political threads on PS and rarely come over here. I was just curious about your thread title. I am still hoping they will make a separate forum topic for Politics so the people who love to "discuss" politics can do so to their heart's content.

I do appreciate the people who have tried to start threads here unrelated to politics, but I don't care for the tone of most of the political threads and would rather just avoid coming here, period.

Signed, a former regular in Hangout

Now now, DS, stop baiting us. :sun:

We've been through this a few times
Admin didn't do what you want.

Besides, it's against PS rules to discuss moderator actions or policies.
 

VRBeauty

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diamondseeker2006|1487650726|4131579 said:
I have zero desire to see political threads on PS and rarely come over here. I was just curious about your thread title. I am still hoping they will make a separate forum topic for Politics so the people who love to "discuss" politics can do so to their heart's content.

I do appreciate the people who have tried to start threads here unrelated to politics, but I don't care for the tone of most of the political threads and would rather just avoid coming here, period.

Signed, a former regular in Hangout

I too would like to see a separate forum for the political threads. More than once in the past few days I've thought it might be time to abandon Hangout altogether. Not because of specific poster, but because the political discussions get accusatory and toxic so quickly. And yes I know I can just skate past them, but seeing them and knowing the discord that most likely hides behind the titles is enough to make a visit to Hangout unpleasant for me.

BTW while I agree with the characterization of some threads as "baiting," I suspect that which threads you think are baiting probably depends on which side of the political divide you're on. ;-)
 

arkieb1

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I think there has been baiting ie, people say things of a certain nature just to see how others will react. And I've been known to take that bait myself..... :saint: I think a separate area for the political threads might be a great idea that way hangout might calm down. Either that or it will be completely dead.
 

Snowdrop13

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I hope they do set up a separate Politics section. I come to Pricescope to chill out and relax- picking my way through the threads to find something to read does not achieve that!

Plenty of forum member are not from the US, and while I'm interested in politics (and horrified by Trump), we get enough news about him elsewhere, believe me.

I could be wrong, but I think traffic in other areas has slowed dramatically since the Politics threads started, there are definitely fewer people posting advice on Rockytalky, for example.
 

YadaYadaYada

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I've noticed while just scrolling through thread titles that there is one poster that seems to post a lot of politically themed threads that remind me of The National Enquirer. Just one liners enough to get a reaction, I don't read or post on these threads but it is tiring when you pull up Hangout and there is a ticker of the day's events as it relates to Trump or the election, all geared at inciting a reaction and pretty much all with the same trying to prove a point theme.
 

momhappy

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It's obvious what (or should I say who) this thread is about and I'm not going to validate that with a response because I don't think it's fair (or nice) to single someone/something out :((
Many of us have posted about how we don't visit hangout as often as we used to once political discussions were allowed, so yes, it's been challenging for many of us at times. Some of us don't like that politics seem to have taken over just about everything here. This is something that has been discussed many times before and it was responded to with, "If you don't like the political threads, then don't read them and/or don't post in them." Seems simple enough and any one of us has the ability to follow that advice. If you think you're being "baited" then don't bother going in to those threads. Problem solved.
This really isn't about that though, is it? It's more about personal feelings and a desire to silence views and/or opinions that might not align with the majority and again, I don't think that's fair or nice :nono: In my opinion, it's not "baiting" that's taken a toll on hangout, it's politics in general......
 

YadaYadaYada

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I don't know, I think there is a way to post about politics that doesn't come across as trying to stir the pot if you will. Also you have to consider the big picture, if someone posts mainly about politics with a certain tone to each thread started, then IMO that is baiting.

Also, this is not necessarily to shame anyone or come across as singling any person out, however when you put yourself out there in a certain way on a public forum, you leave yourself open to opinions that will be both positive and negative, it's just the nature of the beast. I do think it would help to have a separate place for political discussion but at the end of the day I just choose to ignore all the political stuff.
 

NewEnglandLady

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I liked it better when there was the "around the world" section, which was basically only political threads. That way Hangout wasn't dominated by politics (once politics were allowed again on PS). I didn't vote for Trump, but I'm not anti-Trump, so all the back-and-forth is just too draining to read.
 

momhappy

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NewEnglandLady|1487689598|4131678 said:
I liked it better when there was the "around the world" section, which was basically only political threads. That way Hangout wasn't dominated by politics (once politics were allowed again on PS). I didn't vote for Trump, but I'm not anti-Trump, so all the back-and-forth is just too draining to read.

This is exactly how I feel. It's all very draining.
 

AGBF

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NewEnglandLady|1487689598|4131678 said:
I liked it better when there was the "around the world" section, which was basically only political threads. That way Hangout wasn't dominated by politics (once politics were allowed again on PS). I didn't vote for Trump, but I'm not anti-Trump, so all the back-and-forth is just too draining to read.

As I read this thread I can see that the argument for moving political threads cuts both ways (which I have said all along). I see people posting to this thread whom I haven't see posting to Hangout threads in a long time. (Hi, NEL and good to see you here today, ds!). It certainly makes me want to move politics out again if it means that some of the old regulars will come back.

On the other hand, if the political threads are so popular, there must be a lot of people who really like having them here in Hangout. No one (well, except for a few of us nerds) used to frequent ATW. That is fine with me. I don't mind ATW being relatively quiet. But what about the people who seem to be enjoying all the political threads in Hangout (based on the fact they are posting to them now that they are located in Hangout)? Shouldn't they be allowed to enjoy them here?

I have no preference. I just want peace and happiness throughout the land.

Deb/AGBF
:saint:
 

cmd2014

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I'm not from the US and try to avoid the politics threads. This is partly because I don't feel that I have a right to an opinion about how you guys decide to run your country. But it's in larger part because of the nasty tone that is often used. Rather than a civil and open minded discussion of different views/value systems/priorities and trying to find a path that works for the majority and the good of your society (while respecting that not everyone is going to be the same and that everyone needs to be safe, valued, and protected), it seems to degrade into use of bullying terms like "sore loser" and "whining" or into concepts of payback (as in "we suffered under your pick, shut up and suffer under ours"). The lack of empathy shown towards complex issues and towards other (often vulnerable) people bothers me too. I find it shocking, frankly, and it makes me wonder if the chaos at your governmental level isn't simply a reflection of how badly things have deteriorated in general between various groups in the US. Compromise, consensus building, respect for varying viewpoints, and respect for the rights of others in general seems to be gone. The act of governing the country seems to be secondary to personal, religious, and political agendas. I think it's crippling your country. It makes me cringe when I come on here too. It's mean, it's disrespectful, and it makes me think poorly of people who are probably lovely irl. It also makes me think less highly of the US, which is unfortunate too.
 

momhappy

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I don't care for the name-calling either. Yesterday, for example, all Trump supporters were referred to as "drooling morons."
 

smitcompton

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Hi,

I want to mention one observation that I have had. Pricescope has not lost any viewers according to the stats at the end which show members posting and visitors. I noticed in fact there has been a noticeable increase in guests. I was waiting to see if these stats dropped after Valentines day, but they have not. What does this mean? Not sure, but I think its the reason the political threads have not been shut down. Maybe Admin isn't sure either.

Astonie, I do agree that a poster wants a response from others because each of the two sides of the spectrum won't give an inch on their views. But, each side provokes the other. And neither side is any different from the other in that they are unmovable in just about any view. I find that strange. Each side can't find anything they can agree on. I suggest a Gandi solution for a start. Each lefty must name one thing they like about Trumps agenda. The right should do the same. Be thoughtful. No negatives. Start small, only name one.

Lets look for some common-ground. It might be fun and maybe we can teach others how to start.

Annette
VR--I read your posts, so I miss you. A voice of reason.
 

Matata

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This thread wasn't started about politics specifically but about baiting. Another perspective is that people who post threads critical of scrotus are venting their fear, anger, and frustration and the threads are an invitation to participate for others who need to vent. If people feel baited and choose to participate in a conversation, that is their prerogative.

People complained about the Trumpet and wanted them consolidated into one thread while at the same time people complained about the number of political threads and also wanted political threads to carry the term "political" in the title so they could be avoided by those who didn't want to read them and now we have those who are complaining about baiting. So is the next demand going to be that the word "bait" is put in the title of threads? How about "political bait"? How about "controversial subject don't read if you're going to be offended' and this may be perceived as baiting"? Really?

Have any of you who complain about Hangout stopped to consider that you sound like first class whiners?
You want to come here to chillax; you don't want controversy; you don't want politics; you feel inconvenienced to have to scroll through threads that don't interest you; you refuse to start threads because of the acrimony you feel permeates the political threads and it makes hangout overall a bad place for you (but you wouldn't know that unless you read the very threads you say cause you distress); you want fluffy feel-good posts and a take-me-away Calgon moment and you sound as though PS owes you this.

Then there's the complaint that posts in other threads have slowed due to political threads. No consideration given at all to other factors such as people aren't buying bling as much as they used to or that the general demographic of PS members has changed or that people aren't interested in becoming expert enough to be prosumers or that other forms of social media for discussing bling are more popular.

Some of you have selective memories. There were complaints about threads in all areas slowing down prior to political threads heating up and especially comments about Hangout becoming a graveyard.

You have options -- go with the flow (sooner or later political threads will drop off); continue to complain; leave altogether; take a hiatus when you feel overwhelmed; start threads about topics you like and stop depending on others to provide you entertainment.
 

kenny

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One person's baiting is another persons interesting topic.

Don't like a thread?
Pass it up.
 

bunnycat

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cmd2014|1487693253|4131702 said:
I'm not from the US and try to avoid the politics threads. This is partly because I don't feel that I have a right to an opinion about how you guys decide to run your country. But it's in larger part because of the nasty tone that is often used. Rather than a civil and open minded discussion of different views/value systems/priorities and trying to find a path that works for the majority and the good of your society (while respecting that not everyone is going to be the same and that everyone needs to be safe, valued, and protected), it seems to degrade into use of bullying terms like "sore loser" and "whining" or into concepts of payback (as in "we suffered under your pick, shut up and suffer under ours"). The lack of empathy shown towards complex issues and towards other (often vulnerable) people bothers me too. I find it shocking, frankly, and it makes me wonder if the chaos at your governmental level isn't simply a reflection of how badly things have deteriorated in general between various groups in the US. Compromise, consensus building, respect for varying viewpoints, and respect for the rights of others in general seems to be gone. The act of governing the country seems to be secondary to personal, religious, and political agendas. I think it's crippling your country. It makes me cringe when I come on here too. It's mean, it's disrespectful, and it makes me think poorly of people who are probably lovely irl. It also makes me think less highly of the US, which is unfortunate too.

Well, you are definitely not alone in thinking this. There has been a very strong trend away from Centrism and bi-partisanship documented in the past several decades. Sadly, compromise is key to actually keeping as large a society as the US has functioning, and it's basically gone down the toilet and degraded in to Hatfields and McCoys now...
 

kenny

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Baiting?
Pffffft.

This is really about intolerance of diversity.
"Everyone should be just like meeeee because that's how mommy said everyone should be.
Whaaaaa!"
 

redwood66

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I was not going to post in this thread for obvious (to some) reasons. But Matata and I disagree on just about everything and I find myself agreeing with her a teeny bit. I enjoy the discussions I have with her and others when we can keep it civil. We try to mostly. It does not mean that I do not respect them that I disagree with them. Baiting is done on both sides and I am guilty of it. If I feel baited sometimes I rise to the occasion. It is my fault for allowing someone to do it. Deb and I don't agree but we make it work. We are all adults here presumably and the topics can be divisive but we should be able to handle it. When we can't we should take a break.
 

bunnycat

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smitcompton|1487695140|4131714 said:
Hi,

I want to mention one observation that I have had. Pricescope has not lost any viewers according to the stats at the end which show members posting and visitors. I noticed in fact there has been a noticeable increase in guests. I was waiting to see if these stats dropped after Valentines day, but they have not. What does this mean? Not sure, but I think its the reason the political threads have not been shut down. Maybe Admin isn't sure either.

Astonie, I do agree that a poster wants a response from others because each of the two sides of the spectrum won't give an inch on their views. But, each side provokes the other. And neither side is any different from the other in that they are unmovable in just about any view. I find that strange. Each side can't find anything they can agree on. I suggest a Gandi solution for a start. Each lefty must name one thing they like about Trumps agenda. The right should do the same. Be thoughtful. No negatives. Start small, only name one.

Lets look for some common-ground. It might be fun and maybe we can teach others how to start.

Annette
VR--I read your posts, so I miss you. A voice of reason.

I did try a thread in that vein not exactly as you say, but one where you are supposed to form your support of a policy in terms the other side could view more favorably....It was sound of crickets chirping or seen as yet another way to "prove" that one person's side was "right"...not at all the point there....so now I mostly don't bother with something unless I can see a way to respond in a strictly factual fashion.
 

minousbijoux

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So I have my own politics but largely have stayed out of the political fray here as the vitriol expressed by some on Hangout has ruined it for me, and I found that as I was reading the threads, I could feel my blood pressure and anger rising.

Anyway, there is one individual that I found to be starting many threads of a baiting nature (maybe they didn't mean them to be, but they certainly weren't open to any opinions or viewpoints other than their own). So I blocked them, and now I love Hangout again! There are still many political threads, including those whose opinions differ from mine and from whom I can learn and importantly, there is a logical flow to the discussion and respectful discourse in these threads. Do it - it will change your life! :lol:
 
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