Baiting: Its taking a toll on the Hangout

[AGBF]

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!

Well...now that you can't see my postings, I guess I can go into Colored Stones and make all kinds of mistakes about rubies and spinels without fear of being corrected!

Deb

 

[sstephensid]

I think prior to the political threads, Hangout was very slow. I used to lurk a lot. But the last year or two there wasn't much to even read. Threads were not very active. Page 1 would have threads that were very old. I stopped visiting regularly. If the thread from 2 weeks ago is still on page 1 with one additional response 6 days ago- not too exciting. Then the election drew nearer and there was action again. There are comments to read. So you take that away, what is left? Do you think attendance and comments will remain without the political banter? I don't know.

I'm not sure you can have your cake (separate political board) and eat it too (still have multiple new threads a day, lots of comments, posters, action). Which is the lesser of two evil for you?

 

[katharath]

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!

Well...now that you can't see my postings, I guess I can go into Colored Stones and make all kinds of mistakes about rubies and spinels without fear of being corrected!

Deb

LOLOL

I love you Deb.

(Minou- you know I think you're wonderful too, I have to hope it wasn't me that you blocked )

 

[OreoRosies86]

PS used to (no offense) be boring as hell, and now there is fresh content every single day.

 

[momhappy]

One person's baiting is another persons interesting topic.

Don't like a thread?
Pass it up.

 

[ruby59]

PS used to (no offense) be boring as hell, and now there is fresh content every single day.

 

[VRBeauty]

PS used to (no offense) be boring as hell, and now there is fresh content every single day.

Some would say fresh meat. With the accompanying predators.

In other words, it's a jungle in here.

 

[ruby59]

PS used to (no offense) be boring as hell, and now there is fresh content every single day.

Some would say fresh meat. With the accompanying predators.

In other words, it's a jungle in here.

You should try other message boards if you want to see a real take no prisoners jungle.

 

[rainwood]

Although the political stuff divides mostly into two camps, there is another divide as well. Those who want to debate the issues or politics of the day here in Hangout, regardless of their political beliefs, and those who mostly get their political news and views elsewhere and aren't interested in repeating that experience here in Hangout. I fall mostly into that second camp. I've put a number of people on ignore which helps, but doesn't really fix having to wade past all the political threads.

Ella, is it possible to have threads started by those posters on our ignore list also not show? That would accommodate those who hate wading through all the political threads while also accommodating those who wish to keep Hangout as a political arena. I'm going to flag my own post so that Ella will see it.

 

[lovedogs]

Although the political stuff divides mostly into two camps, there is another divide as well. Those who want to debate the issues or politics of the day here in Hangout, regardless of their political beliefs, and those who mostly get their political news and views elsewhere and aren't interested in repeating that experience here in Hangout. I fall mostly into that second camp. I've put a number of people on ignore which helps, but doesn't really fix having to wade past all the political threads.

Ella, is it possible to have threads started by those posters on our ignore list also not show? That would accommodate those who hate wading through all the political threads while also accommodating those who wish to keep Hangout as a political arena. I'm going to flag my own post so that Ella will see it.[/quote]

I like this idea, Rainwood. While I agree in general with the idea that "if you don't like a thread, ignore it", it makes it a bit hard to ignore people who you find to be engaging in "baiting" when you see their threads everywhere. I know we aren't supposed to discuss mod suggestions much so I'll stop here. But thanks, Rain!

 

[lyra]

I'm going to freely admit that I am terrible at perceiving tone online, and if in doubt, please assume something might have flown completely over my head. If there is baiting, I may or may not be missing it. I may or may not see passive aggression. I honestly don't give it too much thought, and assume mostly no one listens to my POV anyway, as this forum tends to be very American by nature. I do agree that there should be political discussions, and that hangout was pretty dead without them.

I don't as yet have anyone on ignore. I just do the "Mark topic read" thing quite often if I find myself with nothing to read or post.

 

[momhappy]

I think that each member is free to decide what threads they want to read, where they want to post, who they want to ignore, etc. If someone decides to "drop the rope" then that's their prerogative, but I don't agree with instructing others to do so.

 

[momhappy]

I think that each member is free to decide what threads they want to read, where they want to post, who they want to ignore, etc. If someone decides to "drop the rope" then that's their prerogative, but I don't agree with instructing others to do so.

 

[kenny]

Ella, is it possible to have threads started by those posters on our ignore list also not show? That would accommodate those who hate wading through all the political threads while also accommodating those who wish to keep Hangout as a political arena. I'm going to flag my own post so that Ella will see it.

I have more than a few people on ignore ... so I guess that make me 'ignorant'.
FWIW, I don't think putting threads on ignore would help.

In threads, while I do not see the content of posts by the ignored, I DO see THAT they posted.
Example:



So, (if ignoring threads works the same way ignoring posts worksI (if you want threads by person X 'ignored' you'd still see exactly what you see today ... a list of threads you can choose to open, or not.
You would not NOT see that they started a thread.

Today, when looking at the list of threads I can see everyone's threads, including those started by those on my ignore list.
I can choose to not open them.
If I do open them instead of seeing the ignored person's actual posts, I see the screen capture above, and I see the content of the posts of everyone not on my ignore list.

I do hope admin doesn't change a thing.
Sometimes, depending on the topic, I do want to read a post from someone on my ignore list. (I refuse to think of them as foes. )

 

[Queenie60]

When I see the topic, I choose to open the thread or pass on it. Most of the time if there's an indication that it's political, I don't bother to open. This is my way of coping.

 

[LLJsmom]

Sit on your hands! Don't respond to the post/thread even though it annoys you. I have been tempted to write "xxx, don't respond!" but I would have just added fuel to the fire. Just don't respond and watch the thread drop lower and lower, and it will die a beautiful, natural death.

I have learned to use the ignore function. It works so well!

 

[lovedogs]

Sit on your hands! Don't respond to the post/thread even though it annoys you. I have been tempted to write "xxx, don't respond!" but I would have just added fuel to the fire. Just don't respond and watch the thread drop lower and lower, and it will die a beautiful, natural death.

I have learned to use the ignore function. It works so well!

I use the ignore function, but am not disciplined enough to actually ignore threads. I think that's my weakness and I just need to get better about it.

 

[Dancing Fire]

Sit on your hands! Don't respond to the post/thread even though it annoys you. I have been tempted to write "xxx, don't respond!" but I would have just added fuel to the fire. Just don't respond and watch the thread drop lower and lower, and it will die a beautiful, natural death.

I have learned to use the ignore function. It works so well!

I use the ignore function, but am not disciplined enough to actually ignore threads. I think that's my weakness and I just need to get better about it.

Just click the "ignore all liberal button" then your screen will be blank...

 

[blackprophet]

Count me in with those who are tired of the domination of politics in hangout. And I see lots of threads here that are deliberately worded to bait others. I generally avoid those threads by the plague.

However I also remember how Hangout was dying a slow death before politics was allowed. There are some political threads that are generally well done, but those have to be dug for. So there is a good side and a bad side.

So I have a suggestion: Be the change you want to see.

If every poster that is tired of the politics resolved during the month of March to:
1) Post on one non-politics thread every day at least (or as much as possible)
2) Started one non-politics thread per week

I'm pretty sure some balance would be returned to the force...I mean board.

The politics threads wouldn't stop, but it would be much easier to find something else.
When it was quiet kenny was doing most of the heavy lifting from a content creation perspective and people complained that it was dead.
Then the election started and politics took over because that's what people were creating threads about and people are complaining (including me) that politics have taken over.

The solution to both scenarios is the same: post, post about stuff you wanna talk about, post more.

 

[Alybetter]

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!"

I frequent another forum, have for going on 8 years. It's very active, lots of posters, and used to be a really open, funny, cool place to hang out online. Then slowly but surely, over the course of 3-4 years, it started to morph into a place where if you didn't agree with the majority, (who were vast), then your posts would be moderated, removed, or lit on fire by every single person who didn't agree. Even if the posts were simple, civil, personal opinion, it was the end of the world if they didn't align with the group. Facts were treated even worse.
I said the same thing as you when I recently signed off that forum, for good I think. It felt to me exactly like what you have described. I miss civil discourse. It can be passionate, and emotional. But civility is the key. Civility is a necessary part of our evolution. I hate when it gets tossed.

I dunno what's been going on in Hangout, I've mostly always spent time in RT and SMTB, even before joining the forums. Just wanted to say that your comment struck home for me in relation to another place I frequent.

 

[LadyBlue]

The only reason a visit hangout daily is for the political treads, before that it was almost dead and now there is always something new to read.

I join Pricescope on 2008.


Enviado desde mi iPhone utilizando Tapatalk

 

[the_mother_thing]

Just click the "ignore all liberal button" then your screen will be blank...

Have any of you who complain about Hangout stopped to consider that you sound like first class whiners?

I feel the same about people who complain incessantly about everything ... including Trump. Everyone is in such a rush to complain about everything these days that I wonder if anyone actually enjoys life anymore, or if they just live to complain.


As for "baiting", it seems that it's only viewed as such when the 'minority' of PSers posts something (usually political); when it's the majority posting something, it's "free speech". Funny how that works.