The state of negativity

[Shrink]

I belong to a number of forums and am a moderator on one as well.
I am on this site very frequently and have gotten a lot of great help from many members.
I have never seen such negativity on any forum(that I frequent), as often and as intense as I see here. I've been in the field of mental health for 30 some odd(heh heh) years and I'm confounded as to why this exists with a vengeance on this group.
Its pathetic and not a little sad. I see constant references to this on other forums and even on ClieSource, but the negativity still persists.
It's FRUSTRATING!
alan:confused:

[Molerat]

You've noticed that too, huh? ;)

It amazes me that people claim "Unregistered" posts are such a hastle when the demeanor of registered users is often so much worse.

[Shrink]

It's embarrassing.
alan

[fireman54]

People here take remarks just a bit too seriously. They should lighten up. I used to think that everyone here was still in high school. ;)

Oh well, I am probably going to get flamed again for my remarks since I usually do post something that offends someone at one time or another.

[sam knupp]

I was wondering if I was just oversensitive and out of touch with communicative styles. I found these boards on cliesource to be disturbingly angry, punitive and judgemental. I also work in menal health (I ran a crisis unit) and was recently severly brain injured. I am currently disabled and struggling to find ways of coping and communicating. I stopped attempts at posting after some less than sensitive responses I realized though that that was not the answer and will persevere. Much effort is spent deciding issues that simple courtesy, respect and kindness could make irrelevent. I have used PDA's since their inception and now rely on them in a "special" way. They help me function and carry in their slender cases a lot of hope and dreams. I have always found PDA people kindly "geeks" who excell in helping one another. It always catches me by suprise when I see meaningless "slams" and "taunts". Courtesy does not require "registration".

[babsk]

I wholeheatedly agree! I also work in the mental health/helping professions field, and I really am apalled by some of the cruelty and pointless viciousness I see on these boards.
I understand why some of the people I've served have such terrible and low self-esteem! If humankind cannot even be kind on a forum pertaining to PDAs, good grief!
I hold on to a hope that there are indeed some kind spirited people out there, like when I see posts that are cheerful and helpful.
I wish everyone, before they do something, would pause if just for a brief second, and ask themselves how they might be able to positively affect someone, even in the slightest way. Instead of barking at someone to do a "search", (for a topic that has been posted on before) try to look at things from another's perspective-they may be new to something, etc. No need to be so judgemental.
Let's provide care for one another.

[OcellNuri]

I agree with everything that's been said here. I started my internet life on VisorCentral.com. I was always impressed with how helpful and professional everyone was. I think a lot of it has to do with the product we are here to discuss. The Visor was a very high end device at the time. People who got Visors were business professionals, college students, and a few gadget freaks (ala me).

As the Sony Clies have developed, we get more and more features that attract a broader group of people. I never remembered the Visor really being associated with "cool". I thought it was cool, but it wasn't something that the general public was going to embrace like they have the cell phone. I feel that the Clie has gained a lot of momentum as far as becoming a part of pop culture. The Clie is "cool". We all know how cruel the "cool" crowd can be. :D

Please don't take this post too seriously, and I'm not trying to attack anyone. I just wanted to share my thoughts, though they wern't well developed before making this post, on why we have so many people here that are quicker to attack than help. I admit I have attacked a couple people before, and I regret that. Though I would like to say that I have never lashed out at anyone who had not shown 100-times the same aggression towards others first. Don't make it right, but might make it forgivable.

[dphar]

I am fairly new to the forum side of things although I have owned a PDA since 1998. I have been alternately astonished at the amount of good, valid information that is shared on ClieSource and amazed at the vitriolic and sometimes dishonest posts. (Who was the guy that claimed to have 100+ stolen styli?)

But, optimist that I am, I try to disregard the negativity in hopes that the positive will win out.

And reading the posts above bolster that feeling. Thanks, folks!
:p

[Sid]

Shrink,
You make a good point. I have found CS to be the most interesting and informative Clie/PDA forum going, the downside is the "bad apples" who are frequently more negative than helpful. However, most of the rudeness seems to be in the OT section, I have not noticed as much in the actual Clie related forums.

[Leb]

Let the fights settle themselves. If you feel that the argument is lame, don't take a side and don't bother with it. If you feel someone is right take a side, but don't cry to the moderators like a baby.

And another thing, cursing. Give me a break. If you don't like it then don't have cable and internet.

If you think saying $hit is bad, it must be 10 times worse to actually do it.


Better stop buying toliet paper too.

[anniebluesky]

Some of them you simply have to overlook:rolleyes:

[elf]

I don't understand what negativity is being referred to.

I currently read 3 forums: General, ClieSJ and Apps, and I would say everyone is helpful and civilized. I cannot remember, in the one month I have an been a SJ33 owner, of reading any nasty posts on any of the 3 aforementioned forums.

I was going to ask which forums this is happening in but, for my peace of mind, I am not going to-- I don't want to know.

A tip: mentally insert smilies liberally throught all the posts, especially any nasty ones-- you will be amazed how the tone of the post changes.

[ballistic]

I have also noticed the negativity that you are referring to. The majority of it is done by the same people over and over again.

Here's just one example that I have noticed recently. I won't mention names. There is a registered user with an avatar that shows his/her obvious bias towards PPC over Palm. That by itself is fine, but this registered user rarely offers anything constructive; most of his/her posts are inflammatory, argumentative, and offer little assistance or information other than constantly replying that the previous poster should get an HP1910 instead of a Palm.

I"m a firm believer in spirited debate, but it should remain civilized, cordial, respectful and tolerant of others' opinions.

I guess some people are either miserable, immature, insecure, have some sort of superiority complex, or all of the above.

[hherbzilla]

Originally posted by babsk
I wish everyone, before they do something, would pause if just for a brief second, and ask themselves how they might be able to positively affect someone, even in the slightest way. Words to live by. :)

Instead of barking at someone to do a "search", (for a topic that has been posted on before) try to look at things from another's perspective-they may be new to something, etc. No need to be so judgemental. You make a good point... and I'm sure I've been guilty of firing off a quick reply without thinking first. We should tell people about the search function (or whatever) in a positive rather than negative way.

Other great advice here:
"Some of them you simply have to overlook" - anniebluesky
"mentally insert smileys" - elf

[Rick 098]

I dont see much negativity here exept about"DO A SEARCH!"
what if they did a search slightly different that had no results?

[Jake K]

Cliesource is the LEAST negative of any forum I've ever seen!

At a PPC forum called Pocket Matrix, the only thing they do there is get angry at eachother for almost no reason.

Cliesource has almost no negativity at all. Yet it seems that it has the highest number of posts per day then any other forum.

People here are consitently friendly, although they may get worked up about something that they are passionate about.

[wellsjs]

The anonymity of the Internet invites people to say things with typed words they would never consider saying face to face with a person. A good rule of thumb is don't type what you wouldn't say to a person in a small group conversation. That environment usually constrains people to polite behavior. :)

With a wide range of ages, early teens to those like me, born in BC (Before Cable not Before Christ - I ain't that old :eek: ) there's bound to be different maturity levels. If a thread doesn't meet one's level of maturity, leave it alone! ;)

[rob_squared]

At least this board isn't quite as bad as some comment boards on thinkgeek (pda horror stories page). That kind of trolling causes health issues I think.

[SamuraiCatJB]

Well... I am not in the mental health field... but do have some inside knowledge therein.... I know a few people of the people get upset if you don't agree with their positions. Not just agreeing to let them have their opinions, but actually getting angry if you have a differing one. Most of these are in the OS arguments, and model arguments. Ask which is the best, and you have the instant makings for a fight. The OT threads are the worst because it has the most room for opinions, the most room for differences.

I lived for far too many years hiding my opinion because there was only ONE right opinion, hers. I feel nothing but pity for anyone who must undermine someone else only to better themselves. I do not even hate my ex for it, just won't get close enough to her to let her do it again... and work on myself so that it doesn't happen to me again.

[*YellowRose*]

Originally posted by Jake K
Cliesource is the LEAST negative of any forum I've ever seen!

People here are consitently friendly, although they may get worked up about something that they are passionate about. Wow! What a wonderful compliment. I'm fairly active in a number of forums. In the ones I frequent, I'd say ClieSource falls somewhere in the middle of the 'Negativity Scale'.

I think we all have 'pet peeves' that get us irritated sometimes (lack of searches IS a big one here) . . . and BabSK is correct that we need to ... pause if just for a brief second, and ask themselves how they might be able to positively affect someone, even in the slightest way. I disagree that we're being judgemental when we suggest a search. Instead of barking at someone to do a "search", (for a topic that has been posted on before) try to look at things from another's perspective-they may be new to something, etc. No need to be so judgemental.

If a topic has been discussed and re-discussed, there is a wealth of information to be found in the older threads. Ask a question in the old thread to bring it up . . . it will help another in the future . . .

The regulars here actively help people, more than many forums . . . but when there's recently been a 6 page discussion on ZLauncher 3.0, b3, and somebody asks a question that was discussed WITHOUT searching . . . who's going to feel like answering? Um. Nobody.

Just my .02. :)

[Shrink]

YellowRose:
It's not an issue when nobody feels like answering, the issue is when they DO answer and phrase it in a negative way, or even vicious way.
Yes I've seen more negative forums but these were seemingly high school age (or HS mentality) kids and I don't frequent these sites anymore as I can't contribute or get much from them. I love this site and have not felt the need to move on. I think some of the issues I object to are from the sheer number of members. This is such a plus and I've gotten so much help that it outweighs any other issues. That doesn't mean we should bury our heads and deny that there are negative issues to be addressed as JakeK suggests.
Any site that is active in the least has room for growth and improvement. If we deny that then the next step is stagnation.
This thread was not started to denigrate ClieSource, but rather to enhance it, and I certainly apologize if it is seen as any other way.
alan

[sindu]

always come to the forum with open mind and heart and be willing to help. At the end of the day, controlling expectation is key for our judgment. At time i make fun at Rob_Squared but he takes it lightly and with stride...overall, I find this forum to be quiet reasonable than the other forum i have been. As a matter of fact, this is the only forum i visit now.

[madkins007]

I agree that VC is 'middle of the road' in regard to negative, mean-spirited, nasty, or unhelpful responses.

I think a lot of us in one forum or another have been guilty of shooting off quick comments to questions we have seen over and over.

There are a lot of posts that can tempt me to answer in a less than polite way, and I have to be careful to review my posts before I fire them off- and even that is not always enough.

Just for the heck of it, my 'buttons' are:
- Yet another person asking the same old questions. (I often wish there were FAQ's or similar spots we could post a few comments from each side of a question, then just refer people there!)
- People too lazy to do basic research (such as kids trying to get others to answer their homework questions, or people asking things are are clearly posted at other sites, such as the weight of a certain model Clie.)
- People passing along rumors, hoaxes, misinformation, etc. Warnings about fake viruses and 'free certificates if you pass this email to 10 people' are major buttons!
- Posers, especially company people posting as 'unbiased reviewers'.
- and so on.

I am not usually a big 'do a search, bozo!' kind of guy since I know that many newcomers don't understand how these things work, and even experienced people can get frustrated trying to locate old information.

One minor pet peeve is when someone asks an innocent question like 'what is your favorite calculator program', and someone will guaranteedly post 'this has been discussed beofre. Do a search'. Sure, it has been discussed before, but since then there have been new developments- new Clies, new updates, new users with new opinions, etc. I often find new 'favorites' when these kinds of questions are resurrected.

Anyway- I'll try to curb my sarcastic streak some more!

[Flash-57]

Hmm. I see almost none of this negativity on ClieSource that people speak of. Perhaps it's a matter of what forums I visit. I tend to skip all of the off-topic subjects and stick to the general topics and topics about applications that I use.

Perhaps the best way to avoid negativity is to avoid messages with subject lines that can obviously generate conflict.

Don't go looking for trouble unless you can handle finding it.

[*YellowRose*]

Originally posted by Shrink
It's not an issue when nobody feels like answering, the issue is when they DO answer and phrase it in a negative way, or even vicious way.

Yes, I understand what you're saying. I guess we're all guilty sometimes of 'rapid reply syndrome' . . .

Originally posted by Shrink
That doesn't mean we should bury our heads and deny that there are negative issues to be addressed.

Any site that is active in the least has room for growth and improvement. If we deny that then the next step is stagnation.

I agree completely. But, (don't you hate that word?) I think it's also doing newbies (whether they're palm newbies, board newbies or PC newbies) a grave disservice by NOT explaining that it's 'correct' to do a search PRIOR to asking a question. It's appropriate on any board with more than 30 days thread retention.

Originally posted by Shrink
This thread was not started to denigrate ClieSource, but rather to enhance it, and I certainly apologize if it is seen as any other way. I don't think anybody on here has taken what you've written in that way.

I did decide today, that if I suggest anybody to do a search, I will also post a link to my search for the topic to make sure they get good, helpful results.

I'm cranky, but I'm NEVER mean on purpose . . . ;)

[hherbzilla]

Originally posted by *YellowRose*
I did decide today, that if I suggest anybody to do a search, I will also post a link to my search for the topic to make sure they get good, helpful results. [/B]That's usually what I do: Let them know they could have done a search to find what they're looking for, and then link them to some good existing threads. Teach them to fish and all that, right?

[GANZ]

This place is nothing...I used to goto Kingsnake.com...now that place was downright ugly....i used to post then duck!

[anniebluesky]

I do tend to agree about the searches, but sometimes a person wants fresh views on a topic that has been discussed before. Maybe asking something again is not such a bad thing....people that didn't contribute to the other posts (maybe because they didn't see it or maybe because they are new members) will give their points of view. It doesn't bother me to read something over again. And I do learn new things from topics that have been posted over and over again.

[sindu]

Originally posted by anniebluesky
I do tend to agree about the searches, but sometimes a person wants fresh views on a topic that has been discussed before. Maybe asking something again is not such a bad thing....people that didn't contribute to the other posts (maybe because they didn't see it or maybe because they are new members) will give their points of view. It doesn't bother me to read something over again. And I do learn new things from topics that have been posted over and over again.

Right On Annie. At times new member or some Joe just bought a new Clie would ask the same question that was posted in previous thread. We could either help this guy or ignore it. In this instance, the attitude of our senior member DanT is something we should learn. He answered a Memory stick question that was asked many times before..Guys like DanT that makes this forum a place to be in.

[hherbzilla]

Originally posted by anniebluesky
I do tend to agree about the searches, but sometimes a person wants fresh views on a topic that has been discussed before. Maybe asking something again is not such a bad thing.... However, sometimes there's more benefit in bringing up the old thread and simply appending to it rather than starting a new thread. That way, the old stuff that someone may not have seen before and any new things that are added are all in one place.

In either case, I think we're all in agreement that we should be helpful and positive in our reply.

[babsk]

Originally posted by *YellowRose*


I did decide today, that if I suggest anybody to do a search, I will also post a link to my search for the topic to make sure they get good, helpful results.

I'm cranky, but I'm NEVER mean on purpose . . . ;) [/B]

Yes-that's exactly what I mean. A link to a search can be helpful to a person that may not have thought or realized to do a search. There's nothing wrong with suggesting a search, but a link is a nice touch. I know we all get a little irritated at times, and I've seen the same topics come up in boards here and other forums. But to just approach things from a kinder angle is really what I'm getting at. Yellow rose-I'm sure youre never "mean" on purpose.
My main interest is just common niceness in life, whether it's on a PDA forum or at the supermarket. People do have differing opinions and a right to them. It's how we all go about it that counts.

[click]

I've frequented this forum on and off ever since I've owned my Clie.
Heck, this forum is the reason I purchased a Clie!
I try and do searches for answers to my questions but I've never had anyone snap at me when I've asked a question on a topic already covered.

And most of the time its usually been that I've not used the right wording in my search.

The Off Topic forum seems to generate the greatest amount of ill will. But I wouldn't eliminate it, as many have suggested.

All in all, Clie source works for me. I read opinions and except them just as that....opinions.