When Enough Is Enough: Flaming and Common Decency

[Tech_Jester]

I decided to pop back into the forums a few days ago and the first thing I read was this (http://www.tacticsarena.com/forum/showthread.php?t=13561) thread.

To reduce the influence and frequency of idiotic actions by new players on the forum is an admirable goal, however the method in which you attempt to accomplish this is flawed. The problem is that the people who have taken this task upon themselves fail to make the distinction between a new player with a genuine concern and a player who repeatedly and frequently annoying.

Case One: Reputation Question (http://www.tacticsarena.com/forum/showthread.php?t=13632)

To me it is clear that the first two posts in response to his question are lacking in maturity and forethought. After doing a a quick search on the forum for reputation, none of the results were relevant to his concern, so his question was valid. Rather than flaming idiotic actions, what you have done in this thread is to offend several players, instead of simply answering his question.

Case Two: Bottle's Question (http://www.tacticsarena.com/forum/showthread.php?t=13636)

This thread is the height of all your righteous hypocrisy. Had it been anyone else besides Bottle asking about Gold Accounts in the General Discussion forum, you would have flamed him and told him to go ask in the Gold Help forum. If anything, Bottle's thread is more noobish and more deserving of flames than Krome's question was in the previous thread. A veteran has no excuses for this kind of behavior.

Rather than promoting constructive threads, you are discouraging them. If your true concern is with the integrity of these forums, you are heading in the wrong direction.

This is not a personal attack on any of the forum members, but rather a heads-up to the hypocratic state of the general population.

[Dark*Demon]

the coolness police are just a banch of no good flamers who flame "noobs"
which they havent even seen they are being noobish

[lostandconfused]

The Coolness Police thing was an entire joke, if you didn't catch on. True, some of us may be a little harsh, but as to Krome's question, the topic had been discussed many places and many times. I appreciate the thought you put into this, however.

[_Thunder_]

True, some of us may be a little harsh
I think you guys were a little to harsh on me , and i tried to take it well, but you guys went a little over the top (I think). It made me not even want to bein in :( , and not even an apology or nothin.

[Blexican]

^^ me again (very sorry)

[Walrus]

I fully agree that something must be done to distuingish the n00bs from the newbs. I also agree/feel that veteran forum members should not be able to avoid punishment for bad behaviour.
I hesitate to draw on this as an example, as i might just sound bitter about it, but a month or so ago, in my own thread (http://www.tacticsarena.com/forum/showthread.php?t=13258) i made a vague attempt at imitating a n00b. Not mainly for laugh, but simply to imitate what has been going on for so long by other users. However, let me point out that although off topic and in stupid noobish language, that thread was based on complete facts. I had indeed played search66 recently, and he had beaten me with gold units. I say this because i feel it needs to be said. Might i add that there are dozens of other similar threads written by noobs in similar concept. As i expected, people insulted me, and probably with good cause. However, what i did not expect was to be banned for it with no warning or anything (check this thread (http://www.tacticsarena.com/forum/showthread.php?t=13343) for details).
What am i getting at, you mighty ask?
Simple really. I think it was already established on those two threads, some serious faults with the moderators and administration, so i wont regurgitate. The point is that just as experienced forumers shouldnt be "above the rules", nor should they be punished unjustly. Maybe my case was an isolated incident, but regardless, i have seen similar actions taken against many of the vets for pretty pathetic reasons.

Im sidetracking and steering away from what i meant to talk about, so let me change topic a bit.
noobs should be seperated from newbs, i said that already. If someone has a genuine question, or just a question, then people, especially experienced members, should have the courtesy to answer it politely, whether it seems obvious or not from a vets point of view. If it is in the wrong forum, say so, but people should not take it upon themselves to complain and possibly flame people for a minor offence like that. Again i refer to myself, the first ever thread i made on this forum was off topic, people pointed me to the right forum, the thread was moved, and i learned from it. The community has changed since then, and the vets have become far more isolated from the rest of the community. I see countless new members shoo'ed off by..unwelcoming behaviour from the most of the vets.

This has grown too long already, so ill just wrap it up:
New members should be treated the same as vets if they have a question.

damn i took a long time to say that. well its done now.


Here is a good example for you all:

The Newb (http://www.tacticsarena.com/forum/showthread.php?t=13639) vs The n00b (http://www.tacticsarena.com/forum/showthread.php?t=13501)

[Tech_Jester]

New members should be treated the same as vets if they have a question.


Exactly. Inconsistancy is one of the more frustrating things that I am seeing in some threads.

[Jeffery]

Gee, you mean people are inconsistant in how they deal with people? No way, that would never happen in the real world!

Seriously though, there was a distinction between n00b and newb made in that thread (which was a joke btw) Not a single newbie was flamed during that thread, None.
As for your pointing out Kromes thread, well, Krome had proven time and time again to be a King of N00bs. His former persona is TAO Ruler.

And new people asking questions do receive help. They are newbies, and are treated pretty good again, except for a few cases. It is the newbies who come in and announce they are the best and one and only ruler that are treated like trash.

[Tech_Jester]

Seriously though, there was a distinction between n00b and newb made in that thread (which was a joke btw) Not a single newbie was flamed during that thread, None.


That thread was ment to be an example, it in itself is not the problem. The problem is, that in an attempt to make the forums better, people seem to be flaming those who have valid concerns while ignoring those who actually are causing the problem.


Gee, you mean people are inconsistant in how they deal with people? No way, that would never happen in the real world!


:rolleyes:

[Jeffery]

That first line was sarcasm BTW.

And trust me, very few people here flame in an effort to make the forums a better place. I'd say just about 0 people in fact. Anyone claiming otherwise is lying to themselves as well as everyone else.

[nads]

It's been a long time since I flamed, so let me see if I can still do it...

Tech_Jester- When I was in junior high there was this super annoying kid we all hated who thought he was sooo funny. He always had a comment he though was hilarious, but we all found stupid. Midway through the year, we all got so sick of him being a dumb ass we'd all just flame him whenever he opened his mouth, right in the middle of class and in front of the teacher. It was funny how the teacher never said a word to us as a class either, probably cause he was sick of it too. Anyways, one day, someone else made a wise crack during class that was pretty funny. The whole class busted up laughing, and the dumbass followed with his own stupid comment. Immediately all the laughter ceased, and someone told him he wasn't funny. He got all mad and said something about how his jokes were funny but we wouldn't laugh at them because we didn't like him. It's funny that this story would suddenly come to my mind after several years of not thinking about it. I wonder what triggered that memory...

[Jeffery]

I wonder how you remember anything after smoking that much oregano.

*notices the laughter stopped*

Well, screw you guys too!

[Link9]

"Diferences in newb and noob, by link9"(sorry if i had grammar problems)


Newb:When you come in the first time to the tao forums, and post in the genereal dicussion,saying "Hi , i am new how do i play"(or something like that), and then, some "guy" post a reply asking to the newb to go to the correct forum, but another "guy" post saying that he is stupid cuz he is posting in the wrong place. That the first reason why some body is flammed for being new here.Or posting asking to much things

Noob:(Wow if i now this) If you make constat posting whit no reason(this one can be an example), if you make anoying threads ( an example of this can be the ones of the legends server,or if greys will get a new unit.., most of you know what i am saying )
IF YOU HAVE GRAMMAR PROBLEMS or if you don´t write correctly english.(I am one of those guys cuz english isn´t my first languaje). If you trie to flame some one more old than you in tao, and you don´t make it. IF you trie to say something fun and you don´t make it. FInaly the only way to quit being a noob is to turn another member into noob, flamming in the way.

This is a short list of things that you musn´t do, and don´t tell me that i am wrong saying this, because all of this is tru.If you ask, i am a noob since the first day that i whent to the forums.

" If some one whants to flame me only because this post,put an angry face, i am to old here to know all the flames, so lets take less time"

"Pardon if i have grammar problems again, thx to understand"

[Kyir]

dont forget spelling errors

[Northwind]

dont forget spelling errors
Ahem . . . "don't"

Anyway, spelling and gramatical errors are annoying and should be strongly discouraged and flamed if necessary. Link, however, gets a bye as English is not his first language.

Also, I made my "I miss Wurtil" thread when I was still relatively new to the forum (I did read things for about a month before posting any threads as I had never really posted on a forum before and didn't know how they worked.) I rode in on my high horse, claimed to be better than everyone, and was appropriately flamed. I had it coming and enjoyed every minute of it. I heartily agree with Tech and Jeff that new people should not be flamed simply for being new. However, if they are being annoying, they are asking for it and it would be impolite not to flame them.

[Kyir]

it was a joke

[Northwind]

it was a joke
Ahem . . . "It was a joke." :D

[Hugh Junit]

* Burgess Meredith voice *

Stay down, Kyir! You got nuthin' left, kid.
He's killin' ya to death out there!

* throws in towel *

[Kyir]

*upercuts, Northwind* PWNED

[Jeffery]

"*uppercuts Northwind* PWNED"

[Office_Shredder]

*undercuts Jeffery*

Did that hurt? :confused:

[Jeffery]

Nope. If you undercut me, you are not going to be making any profit. If you want to sell at your cost, so be it.

[nads]

However, if they are being annoying, they are asking for it and it would be impolite not to flame them.

And we musn't forget our manners around here now