Two pieces of advice for new DUers starting an OP

[Cyrano]

1. Don't expect everyone to agree with you. There will be those who think you're wrong, those who think you're crazy, and those who will reply rudely/crudely/and malignantly. There will also be trolls, many of whom are right wing moles who have been subtle enough to linger here on DU for years. They are low-keyed, clever and mean-spirited.

2. Here is something I posted on another site which, to my surprise, didn't get deleted: "Never reply to a fool." What does that mean? Well, very often, someone will reply to your post with something that is asinine, irrelevant, and incredibly stupid. DON'T RESPOND. It will only highlight their post and, probably cause a stream of posts agreeing and disagreeing. When you see an really dumb response, ignore it. It's a pseudo argument you can't win.

As indicated above, these suggestions are mostly for newcomers to DU. So who am I to give advice? Someone who has, over and over again, done what I'm advising you not to do.

[lagomorph777]

1. Lately, I've taken to just putting fools on Fool Ignore.

My DU life is so much more pleasant now.

[MuseRider]

6. I waited about 18 years before

I really used that. Did we always have that? I do not remember but it seems that the ignore list was there for most of the last 19 years I have been here.

Mostly I used that so I could cool off and not get myself in trouble. A few years ago I realized that it was actually just plain helpful. Life was bad enough than to live through tfg AND trolls/fools on DU. I check my list regularly to see how many have been outed and are gone. Other than that, life is much better with all of them gone for me.

[Cyrano]

10. Gotta' admit that I haven't used "Ignore"

I can't really explain why.

Maybe someone had a stupid idea at the moment and posted it.

Maybe someone had a valid disagreement.

Maybe someone was drunk at the moment.

I really don't know.

Nonetheless, it's always easy to skip over a moronic post/response -- JUST DON'T ANSWER IT.

[hunter]

13. Whenever I declare an "Ignore List" amnesty it just makes me sad...

... as I repopulate my ignore list.

[MuseRider]

24. That was my problem,

I did not want to get into a long fight and I would have. I try to stay nice, I slip from time to time but I have to realize that for the most part the people here are true and honest and at least partly on my side, never on the other side but not always where I am. I just went from putting myself in the corner (ignoring for a while) to just needing to not hear all the moronic/stupid/mean and potentially troll posts. I figured I would miss some things but not lose my mind or temper . Tfg got to me, AND all of us. I lost my ability to tolerate a lot of that. LOL. I hate using it but it has certainly kept me in my frame and out of trouble.

[Gore1FL]

30. I use it sparingly

I had one user demand I put them on ignore because I threatened to do so if they continued to be uncivil. Apparently they thought they had crossed the threshold already, as they abused me further when I responded to a comment for not having already put them on ignore. I took their word for it and haven't had a regret for ignoring them.

[smirkymonkey]

40. I agree.

It's just more effort than it's worth.

[Tree Lady]

65. I am the same been here 17 yrs

Never ignored anyone. I guess because I like to know what people are saying even the stupid ones. Long time ago I would try to defend myself. Now like you I just don't answer.

[Paladin]

11. Glad to see your evolution on the Full Ignore feature.

I used it infrequently in my first years here---and then the 2016 campaign came along, and I started using it a bunch. Certain participants' lack of class, intellect and manners dictate that they be removed from wasting my time. No regrets...

[TheRickles]

21. I think newbies might appreciate an explanation of how to use the Ignore feature.

So would I, and I'm not a newbie.

[lagomorph777]

28. On the line with the poster's name, just above subject line, there's a shadow person with an 'X'

Click on that, then follow the instructions (one more button to click).

[TheRickles]

39. Thanks!

[drmeow]

89. I LOVE ignore

I love to go back to see how many people I put on ignore have been tombstoned.

I keep a list of why I put someone on ignore and sometimes give second chances. But usually it comes down to a fundamental ideological difference which I have no interest in tolerating. I learn a lot from DU so it is not merely a difference of opinion.

I have no interest in wasting my time with someone who has a core value radically different from mine! A different way of looking at things - sure. Information I don't know - absolutely. Endorsing something I think is morally wrong (but is not a moral absolute - those people don't tend to last here, anyway) - NO WAY.

[lagomorph777]

90. Pretty much the same as my criteria.

Also, I Ignore people with a long record of gratuitous rudeness. Generally, though, they also have different moral beliefs than mine, so there's a lot of overlap.

[malaise]

2. Sound advice

Get thee to the greatest page

[Journeyman]

3. I use Ignore liberally. Life's too short to tolerate "kiddie scorn". . .

Last edited Wed Oct 13, 2021, 04:57 PM - Edit history (1)

Most of all, I use it to avoid simple stupidity -- drunken fools, whacked-out conspiracy nuts ("BushCo caused the tsunami" ), one-note wonders who post the same drivel over and over. . . . Other people may choose what they perceive as the "high road" of tolerance and community, but I've no time for blithering foolishness and no interest in useless poppycock. Some will disagree but I figure they must have a surplus of life.

There are some posters whose every other utterance is imbecilic, and those who delight in being boorish with no regard for raising the level of conversation or thought. These too I choose to ignore. And it's not something I do lightly: before I click, I'm convinced these people have nothing to offer -- no insight, no new perspective, nothing to change either my attitude or thought. And though I perceive I have an open mind, that's no reason to let others use it as a sewer.

I also utilize ignore to remove trolls and other unsavory folk from my experience. Oh, I recognize they may be gone by morning, but how much more pleasant the evening is without them. I've never blocked anyone who intelligently debated me, but I'll not suffer fools gladly or madly.

If it makes people feel better about the DU "family" or some other such fantasy, you can occasionally clear your entire Ignore list. I do. Often, I find many of those I've shut off were soon after tombstoned, so I don't feel I missed anything.

[zuul]

17. Me too. I have no tolerance for folks who are just outright rude.

I hate to admit it, but I sometimes use 'ignore' on folks who consistently write so poorly that it gives me a headache.

I feel bad for them, but I usually only have limited amounts of time and if I have to read a post 12 times to understand the point because the writing is so poor, I just can't.

I get frequent migraines and trying to read a poorly-written post makes me literally want to vomit.

[keithbvadu2]

4. Please make your headline indicative of the subject, not vague.

Please make your headline indicative of the subject, not vague.

Such as: WOW!

[Pinback]

55. This!

[keithbvadu2]

58. What took you so long?

[Pinback]

62. Oh good, you don't have me on Ignore (yet).

This! and (Somename) Tweet are the two subject lines that will make me determined to never open the post!



Such consternation -- I guess I need to get a life!

[keithbvadu2]

67. Better... depending on settings of newest first or oldest first

[lagomorph777]

84. Same rules here. I don't open Tweet posts or "This!" posts.

[lpbk2713]

61. I see that.

[CrispyQ]

7. Two more:

Don't post blind links. Give a brief explanation where the link goes.

-nt at the end of a post title means no text. If your entire post fits in the title bar, please use -nt to indicate there's no more text.

[Qutzupalotl]

8. Some more:

Make sure the subject line of your OP says what it’s about. Avoid just using “OMG”, “Turn on Rachel RFN!” or “Guess What?”

When pasting a Twitter link, delete the ?s=20 at the end. Be sure to copy the text of the tweet so people who aren’t on Twitter can see it.

When replying, you don’t have to repeat the reply title in the message text. We’ll read it all straight through.

[Shellback Squid]

12. and "This!", I hate that

[DeeNice]

16. Yes! Thank you.

When I'm at work I can't access twitter so it's nice when people paste the text in.

[Irish_Dem]

20. I confess it is kind of fun to guess what the hell an OP is about.

Sometimes posts are like a crossword puzzle, you have to do a lot of guessing.

[Mr.Bill]

9. I would also say a third bit of advice

is don't be afraid to use the ignore list. It works well and is a very easy way to make some problems go away.

[UTUSN]

14. Too late for me but thanks. I seem to attract those who hate my posts, derail my thread with the

very first/keynote post,
* start flaming and are immediately joined by a swarm,
* claim to be guardians of Democratic thought,
* dictate what and how to post,
* go off-topic to distract,
* just plain ruin what small chance the thread had,
* prefer to attack fellow DUer's thread instead of passing it by and going to post in the thousands of threads they are silent in,
* prefer to spend their energy attacking fellow Dems/DUers instead of wingnuts out there,
* DEMAND that they own "freedom of speech",
* ignore requests to quit their bullying, ignore any info/reason countering their slurs,
* NEVER stop replying,
* make a hateful, embarrassing public brawl...

You never get used to it.

[underpants]

15. OH HELL NO! I completely disagree!!!

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

18. I'd reply to you, but that would break rule 2.

But I defend to the death your right to use all caps to make a point.

[KS Toronado]

25. Rule #2 clearly states "Never reply to a fool."

Underpants is not a fool so you didn't break it. I love your handle!

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

29. I know U.P. is no fool, but some posts just beg for a response.

It's like the siren call of a door buzzard.

Oh, yeah, the handle. I can't take credit for inventing it, just for plagiarizing it.

[KS Toronado]

33. Yea, your post was begging me to say something funny.

Plus I figured you 2 knew each other.

[underpants]

54. Getting warmed up for internet discussions

[Pinback]

59. Duty calls.

- XKCD classic by Randall Munroe

[underpants]

64. 😆😆😆😆

[Hekate]

76. Best one ever, and very early on

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

82. Wait a minute, I gotta get another bowl of cornflakes.

Yeah, it ain't spinach, but it's good enough for light work ...

[Pluvious]

19. Also, clearly indicate a post is satire when applicable

It's not always obvious to readers - as I once found out the hard way

[ShazzieB]

74. I can't agree more with this.

No matter how clearly sarcastic you think you are being, somebody (maybe more than one somebody) will not realize it, and when that happens, problems can ensue. Why take a chance? We have any number of emojis you can use, from a wink to an eyeroll to a full on announcement.

[Irish_Dem]

22. Hey, cite your source, post a URL, and without a picture the OP is meaningless.

Good post. Great info for newcomers.
DU can be a tough crowd.

[hlthe2b]

23. I think if some of us gave ALL our honest tips--we might drive all the newbs away...

So, I'll just suggest that they grow a thick skin, know that you will be misunderstood many times (sometimes it may feel like the "misunderstanding" is INTENTIONAL) but likewise will feel good when you stimulate a lot of thought on an issue near and dear to you.

Oh, and 'swarms' are not merely seen with plagues of locusts. Sometimes (and it usually happens on a post that you have been misunderstood), that kind of gang behavior can happen here too. So, expect at least once during your time that you may feel like Frankenstein's monster chased by the villagers with their pitchforks. That too will pass.

But nowhere else is it as readily possible to find out what is going on politically and in general news--even international news--than flipping through the latest (or greatest) threads on DU for a few minutes. Invaluable.

[Hekate]

26. Good OP, good thread

[Skittles]

27. I put those "fly under the radar" trolls on Ignore

not interested in their drivel

[erronis]

35. For me, the biggest complaint is a title/subject that contains no content - just click bait.

And I see a lot of these from posters I really value.

"You gotta see this"

"This is amazing"

"Tweet of the day" (and there can be many of these during the day)

"Cute picture"

Please take the time to get a 30-40 character description of the subject matter.

[Pluvious]

79. Add to that: "THIS" and "Turn on *** Right F'n NOW" ( cringe )

Put full context in the Title is simply a courtesy

IMHO

[Beartracks]

83. I usually see "This!" as a reply of absolute agreement with the post to which it is replying.

I've done that. It's meant to point to the prior post, not to itself. It's a short-hand way to say, "I agree!"

I don't think I've ever seen "This!" as a stand-alone or OP post. Does that happen?

========

[Iggo]

37. So...the Internet.

Got it! 😎👍🏽

[Martin Eden]

42. What do trolls want more than anything else?

They want to be fed.

Their tactic is to provoke a response -- any response -- regardless of content -- but the more perturbed you are, the more the troll likes it.

Doesn't matter if your facts and logic and sources were unassailable and you proved six ways from Sunday how undeniably wrong the troll.

The troll got what it wanted. It was fed by getting you to waste your time and energy trying to reason with something that does not value reason.

It just wants to be fed.

Do not feed the trolls!

[bronxiteforever]

43. As was said before, this is an excellent post and thread!

[H2O Man]

44. Recommended.

My late friend Rubin Carter used to say, "What do you have when a wise man argues with a fool? ..... Two fools."

[GoodRaisin]

66. +1 ha ha (got one of those the other day)

“And by that, you mean, "blah blah blah”

“That's right up there with, “blah blah blah.."

They take your comment straight out of context with what you meant. When they know what you meant. Pure trolling.

[GoodRaisin]

69. Me too.

I say “Uh, no, I didn’t mean that at all”

I think it’s one of the more common types of trolls, and hard not to respond to. But we probably shouldn’t.

[Iggo]

46. I haven't had to post this one in quite a while (which gives me hope)...

…but, get comfortable with the difference between “compare” and “equate” and you’ll save yourself some headaches. (That’s just a general rule that’s true in life, but true here too.)

[viva la]

48. Also... Make the post title mean something-

I tend to skip reading posts that have titles like "A Thought I Have" or "What's up with that?"

I'd be more likely to read:
A Thought I Had while Re-reading Books I Loved as a Child
and
What's up with the delay in sentencing of Matt Gaetz's wingman?

And...
If you're posting some news article or event, check to make sure no one's already done it.

[ShazzieB]

77. I can relate to this.

I'm much more likely to skip a post with a nondescript title than one that says something that piques my interest. Like the examples you just gave.

[Initech]

49. Never engage with the trolls. Just block, report, move on!

[Woodwizard]

50. I agree.

But sometimes I just have to respond.

I have been on forums and boards since the beginning they all have that mix, and if not moderated turns into a free for all that crashes and burns.

[Joinfortmill]

51. 👍

[beemerphill]

52. Great Advice

These suggestions will be beneficial on any forum that you use. When someone is posting just to jerk your chain, ignore them and don't give them the courtesy of a reply. Doing so will just encourage them to mess with you again and again. If your initial post is any good the other members of the forum will see this and watch for your opinion on other matters. If you are posting just to get a reaction, you will get ignored and find that you are just wasting your time.
Cyrano gave you some good advice. Many of us could benefit by following it ourselves.

[3catwoman3]

53. If it is a long OP or response, PARAGRAPHS PLEASE!

I have passed on any number of posts that are just to hard to read because of no spacing. I always fear that I am missing something worthwhile when I do that, but if it too hard to read, it's not worth the effort.

[Scrivener7]

75. I can't read those. The ones with no punctuation, no capitalization, just one single

spaced run on block o' text.

I don't click those posters.

[Crunchy Frog]

56. Don't immediately jump in and start scolding the board

for something you disapprove of. Don't start out with with an attitude or an aggressive tone.

Take some time to become acquainted with the culture of the board. Expect that people may be a little suspicious initially, especially if you jump in with something controversial. That's a natural byproduct of getting lots of low post trolls. It will go away as people get to know you better.

Just some things that I've observed over my time here.

[crud]

57. Where are you located?

when you post about the weather outside...or how many people had face coverings at your local grocery store or anything else that requires a location to put it in the proper context. I love reading about folks local observations and...

I always try to ask the OP nicely but it comes out a little harsh when I say...so...where the fuck are you?

[LakeArenal]

63. I actually have more folks on Banned Jury List

I don’t want people I think are bullies or trolls judging my comments.

[Wingus Dingus]

70. Watch out for posters who pop up out of nowhere to shit on anything you say,

no matter how benign/noncontroversial, and then leave, addressing no one else and contributing nothing else to the discussion. I have a few of those sorts who rear their ugly heads from time to time. Just happened to me recently! I chalk it up to their bad childhoods or unpleasant personalities, poor dears. That's the only way to handle it.

[Wingus Dingus]

71. Ooops, one more: Probably few others are watching the same TV show you're watching, so

if you want to say something about that CNN segment you just saw, create some context around your comments so we know what the heck you're talking about.

[DashOneBravo]

72. Dang it

I was too slow and a bunch beat me to it

[mdmc501]

73. Things have changed

I was here back in the day 2004
mdmc
Got banned for third party Bernie support

thanks for the advice

peace and low stress

[mia]

78. Wise advice.

I ignore mean-spirited replies because responding makes me feel worse. Let it go.

[UpInArms]

80. I have learned so much from other DUers

The art and skill of debate …

How to keep my cool and learn how to not engage

How to hone the fire of my passion

How to engage those who disagree without losing my cool

….

My advice:

Patience …

Answers are there for legitimate questions

[Ellipsis]

81. 3 pieces of advice from and old DUer

1. Don't expect everyone to agree with you. There will be those who think you're wrong, those who think you're crazy, and those who will reply rudely/crudely/and malignantly. There will also be trolls, many of whom are right wing moles who have been subtle enough to linger here on DU for years. They are low-keyed, clever and mean-spirited.

2.) fuck 'em.


3.) Respect your elders like Cyarno and others. We age with time. Oh, and never fuck with Skittles unless you want you ass kicked.

[central scrutinizer]

85. Avoid acronyms and textspeak

Some of us don’t use social media and aren’t hip to the butchered language used so often.

[dalton99a]

86. 3. Not everyone on here are Democrats or vote for Democrats.

Beware

[CousinIT]

87. Utilize the ignore button too.

Some of those who like to reply to be nasty, tell you you're crazy, or be rude, can be dealt with by just putting them on ignore.

Also if you're female, maybe don't put that in your profile. Females are more often targeted for meanness, bullying and harassment online than males are. That said, there seems to be plenty of nasty here for everybody though, so just do your best not to escalate it or engage it. That ignore feature is a Godsend.

[Patton French]

88. Thank you! (n/t)