CDZ More re: Behaviors - What percentage of people on USMB...

[JoeB131]

I would bet that the majority of posters who flame on here are totally opposite in the real world. In fact, most are probably afraid to voice their true beliefs to family, friends, and acquaintances.

Well, you'd be wrong again. Most people who know me know what my views on things are these days. What shocks them is that 12 years ago, I was conservative but just as outspoken.

Now, I do think that these boards make people a little more "Let's see if I can get a rise out of someone." I also believe, that when someone says something it doesn't quite have the same power as if someone writes something.

 

[Circe]

The Elephant in the room is the simple fact that leftists aren't hiding their true feelings anymore.

Right, I'd say that's the main problem, and it's probably because they are losing so bad. People on the losing side are very angry and eager to strike out, and that's what's happening. I am finding that people in real life are incredibly, openly obnoxious if they are on the left, while rightists are quieter than we have ever been. There is no use talking to anyone unless they are clearly on our side, so we don't. I don't allow bad verbal behavior from leftists IRL anymore -- I shut it right down. I'm not doing it to them, and they'd better stop trying it on with me.

But 2017 was sure a confusing year until I found my feet and started pushing back. I don't care about the foulmouth leftists so much on a discussion forum --- it's not real life. Only aggression in real life actually matters.

 

[Circe]

Yes, I'm seeing more and more of this in real life. I'm a financial advisor by trade, and I often have to speak with clients about taxes and the economy, etc., and politics often (by default) ends up coming up. And - and this is just my personal anecdotal evidence - more and more people are more and more likely to go full drama queen on me and launch into this seemingly canned diatribe about all the same stuff we see here. Talking points-o-rama.

And look at how politics has infected and saturated our entire culture - sports, business, restaurants, television, entertainment, on and on. I could be wrong, but I really don't think this is my imagination.

So I wonder how much of the stuff we see here is seeping into real life. Personally, I'm seeing more and more of it.

I don't think it's your imagination, either! I've left people, warned family, left groups. And it's not because I'm saying ANYthing about politics --- that would be rude! It's because of the yellers and cursers and grossly aggressive people parading their views at a shout. All, nearly 100%, on the left -- because they are losing and so they are mad.

And of course it has saturated every aspect of our society -- sports is ruined for me, never watch it anymore, many businesses have to be boycotted, can't watch TV news, it's a pre-civil war going on, of course. I would never bring up politics or any social issue of any controversial kind unless I'm completely sure I'm with my side, but wow, there are a lot of people on the left who plainly have been raised in a barn.

 

[DandyDonovan]

Yes, I'm seeing more and more of this in real life. I'm a financial advisor by trade, and I often have to speak with clients about taxes and the economy, etc., and politics often (by default) ends up coming up. And - and this is just my personal anecdotal evidence - more and more people are more and more likely to go full drama queen on me and launch into this seemingly canned diatribe about all the same stuff we see here. Talking points-o-rama.

And look at how politics has infected and saturated our entire culture - sports, business, restaurants, television, entertainment, on and on. I could be wrong, but I really don't think this is my imagination.

So I wonder how much of the stuff we see here is seeping into real life. Personally, I'm seeing more and more of it.

I don't think it's your imagination, either! I've left people, warned family, left groups. And it's not because I'm saying ANYthing about politics --- that would be rude! It's because of the yellers and cursers and grossly aggressive people parading their views at a shout. All, nearly 100%, on the left -- because they are losing and so they are mad.

And of course it has saturated every aspect of our society -- sports is ruined for me, never watch it anymore, many businesses have to be boycotted, can't watch TV news, it's a pre-civil war going on, of course. I would never bring up politics or any social issue of any controversial kind unless I'm completely sure I'm with my side, but wow, there are a lot of people on the left who plainly have been raised in a barn.

You know one side has lost its collective mind when the very same people who shout " you can't criticize Hogg, he's just a kid" even though the kid is all over the place cursing at adults and then in the next breath saying the Covington kids should be killed because obviously they misbehaved , even though we have absolute proof that they did not misbehave in the slightest

Leftists are mentally ill and they have taken over the DNC.

 

[flacaltenn]

As we know, an internet message board provides both anonymity and, as a result, an opportunity to be more aggressive and anti-social for those who are not like that in "real life".

What percentage of people here, in your opinion, act like this in real life?

Given the general decay in public behaviors over the last several years, I suspect that the percentage has increased. I'd say that around 30% to 40% of the behaviors we see here by our more aggressive posters are also seen in real life.

One significant caveat: I don't think those who are overtly racist against minorities say these things in public. I'd put that down at about 3% to 5%, for obvious reasons.

Your estimate, hopefully without insults, deflection or name-calling - as comically ironic as that would be?
.

I'm not being facetious or trolling your thread when I say -- you're ASSUMING that the majority of "conflict" posters at USMB HAVE A LIFE or a social circle.. If you assume everybody talks to more than household and the SuperCuts lady and maybe a guy at the meat counter --- I'd say 60% are the same in real life...

Why do I say that?

Because we largely attract the zealots and partisan hack cable news crowd with one toe in the Hannity forum or Dem Underground. Or worse..

And --- Because I know many posters have acted sane and reasonable in private and just use USMB to take out their daily political and other frustrations.

It's a hard question for me personally. Because I certainly modulate the conversations in real life depending on who I'm engaging with. It's starts out civil and goes from there. On a message board -- the civil part ends pretty fast after your thread in Introductions.. Because there is hardly any personal interaction.. It's a GROUP dynamic.

Better question might be -- could you get better discussion from most of USMB members if you paired them up and trapped them in an elevator with weapons..

 

[Oddball]

I'm not being facetious or trolling your thread when I say -- you're ASSUMING that the majority of "conflict" posters at USMB HAVE A LIFE or a social circle.. If you assume everybody talks to more than household and the SuperCuts lady and maybe a guy at the meat counter --- I'd say 60% are the same in real life...

Why do I say that?

Because we largely attract the zealots and partisan hack cable news crowd with one toe in the Hannity forum or Dem Underground. Or worse..

And --- Because I know many posters have acted sane and reasonable in private and just use USMB to take out their daily political and other frustrations.

It's a hard question for me personally. Because I certainly modulate the conversations in real life depending on who I'm engaging with. It's starts out civil and goes from there. On a message board -- the civil part ends pretty fast after your thread in Introductions.. Because there is hardly any personal interaction.. It's a GROUP dynamic.

Better question might be -- could you get better discussion from most of USMB members if you paired them up and trapped them in an elevator with weapons..

Hannity forum is in hospice....Not even running with a forum software like vBull anymore......Kinda tragic.

 

[Aponi]

As we know, an internet message board provides both anonymity and, as a result, an opportunity to be more aggressive and anti-social for those who are not like that in "real life".

What percentage of people here, in your opinion, act like this in real life?

Given the general decay in public behaviors over the last several years, I suspect that the percentage has increased. I'd say that around 30% to 40% of the behaviors we see here by our more aggressive posters are also seen in real life.

One significant caveat: I don't think those who are overtly racist against minorities say these things in public. I'd put that down at about 3% to 5%, for obvious reasons.

Your estimate, hopefully without insults, deflection or name-calling - as comically ironic as that would be?
.

Im going to agree with you about race as a lot more people probally are more likely to show their true nature on a board.

I support a wall and have been called a racists many times here yet im biracial . i have never been called that in real life.
I am half American undain and white. I have half intrest in a business that is very profitable the co owner is a black man most of our current 36 employess are Puerto Rican a few blacks and whites.

Now in my private life im feisty.
Im involved with a man who is a biker and club member perhaps few say anything because hes into fitness and lifting weights and is a beast .

The last time i experience race issues was in high school in person.
I get it here all the time woth progressives and democrats ovrr my support of the wall and trump.
They fail to understand i also support many liberal humanitarian issues fot americans .

I dont like white supremacy types and have had battles with them on our local web sites and in person lol i took robert and his brothers with me for the close incounters nothing like 20 large color wearing bikes to put nazis in place .

 

[Mac1958]

As we know, an internet message board provides both anonymity and, as a result, an opportunity to be more aggressive and anti-social for those who are not like that in "real life".

What percentage of people here, in your opinion, act like this in real life?

Given the general decay in public behaviors over the last several years, I suspect that the percentage has increased. I'd say that around 30% to 40% of the behaviors we see here by our more aggressive posters are also seen in real life.

One significant caveat: I don't think those who are overtly racist against minorities say these things in public. I'd put that down at about 3% to 5%, for obvious reasons.

Your estimate, hopefully without insults, deflection or name-calling - as comically ironic as that would be?
.

I'm not being facetious or trolling your thread when I say -- you're ASSUMING that the majority of "conflict" posters at USMB HAVE A LIFE or a social circle.. If you assume everybody talks to more than household and the SuperCuts lady and maybe a guy at the meat counter --- I'd say 60% are the same in real life...

Why do I say that?

Because we largely attract the zealots and partisan hack cable news crowd with one toe in the Hannity forum or Dem Underground. Or worse..

And --- Because I know many posters have acted sane and reasonable in private and just use USMB to take out their daily political and other frustrations.

It's a hard question for me personally. Because I certainly modulate the conversations in real life depending on who I'm engaging with. It's starts out civil and goes from there. On a message board -- the civil part ends pretty fast after your thread in Introductions.. Because there is hardly any personal interaction.. It's a GROUP dynamic.

Better question might be -- could you get better discussion from most of USMB members if you paired them up and trapped them in an elevator with weapons..

No doubt that (a) there's a helluva spectrum of people here, folks who would never cross each other's paths in real life, which is pretty neat, and (b) for some the anonymity of the internet provides a perfect opportunity for catharsis, to let all your inner anger and frustrations out and just dump on people. That's fine, since none of us are required to be here or stay. And hey, maybe acting out like that helps some people. Holy crap, if that's the case, that's a great service for free.

In real life, as in here, I see zero reason to escalate conversations into long, tedious, verbal slap fights. Nothing constructive is accomplished, since neither party is listening anyway, so I just walk away. I would love to know what motivates people to go through life like that, what they feel they have accomplished after such an altercation. Does it make them feel better in some way, for some period of time? Maybe they convince themselves they've "won" something? I dunno.
.

 

[JoeB131]

You know one side has lost its collective mind when the very same people who shout " you can't criticize Hogg, he's just a kid" even though the kid is all over the place cursing at adults and then in the next breath saying the Covington kids should be killed because obviously they misbehaved , even though we have absolute proof that they did not misbehave in the slightest

Leftists are mentally ill and they have taken over the DNC.

Uh, guy, most people on the left didn't call for the Covington Kid's demise.

Some people on the right actually did wish horrible things on Hogg.

the difference is their actions.

Hogg survived a horrific attack because we have insane gun laws in this country, and he spoke out about it.

The Covington kids were rude to an elderly native American veteran.

See the difference?

 

[JoeB131]

In real life, as in here, I see zero reason to escalate conversations into long, tedious, verbal slap fights. Nothing constructive is accomplished, since neither party is listening anyway, so I just walk away. I would love to know what motivates people to go through life like that, what they feel they have accomplished after such an altercation. Does it make them feel better in some way, for some period of time? Maybe they convince themselves they've "won" something? I dunno.

One more time.

You start out with these ridiculous premises. (Hillary didn't pay enough attention to white people, the PC Police are taking over, Muslims are going to kill us all!)

People point out to you why these premises are wrong. (Trump got less white votes than Romney did, People still get to say ignorant things, Muslims are often doing our fighting against the Jihadists).

You then proceed to complain about how everyone is a partisan meanyhead because they don't accept your viewpoint.

Wash-rinse-repeat.

The constructive part is challenging these misrepresentations...

 

[Olde Europe]

One more time.

You start out with these ridiculous premises. (Hillary didn't pay enough attention to white people, the PC Police are taking over, Muslims are going to kill us all!)

People point out to you why these premises are wrong. (Trump got less white votes than Romney did, People still get to say ignorant things, Muslims are often doing our fighting against the Jihadists).

You then proceed to complain about how everyone is a partisan meanyhead because they don't accept your viewpoint.

Wash-rinse-repeat.

The constructive part is challenging these misrepresentations...

There sure is some truth in the above, but if you look at the OP and try to find factual content of postings even mentioned, you'd come up empty-handed. The OP concerns itself merely with the behavioral side, and singles out aggression, and muses about whether or not posters exhibit the same (aggressive) behavior in real life.

So, your focus on actual content is, sort of, besides the point, ridiculously devoid of facts the premises might be.

On the other hand, if you look at your list of "premises", you find one commonality:

"Hillary didn't pay enough attention to white people, the PC Police are taking over, Muslims are going to kill us all!"​

Each of them describes the poster in question as a (self-proclaimed) victim (of liberals / Hillary, the PC Police, Muslims). That, I find, is no coincidence, and the passive-aggressive waving of the victim card is, I would contend, no less prevalent in real live than it is on here.

 

[JoeB131]

There sure is some truth in the above, but if you look at the OP and try to find factual content of postings even mentioned, you'd come up empty-handed. The OP concerns itself merely with the behavioral side, and singles out aggression, and muses about whether or not posters exhibit the same (aggressive) behavior in real life.

The same OP has bemoaned for years that a "Political Correctness Police" keeps people from being able to express their honest opinions.

SO what is it, people are suppressing their opinions, or people are too mean to each other? He seems to want to argue both without realizing the contradictions.

 

[G.T.]

Of the people that I know IRL? 0%

Of the people who post here? 99%

Again, back to my point. I have a Brother, Trump supporter, who used to post his opinions on facebook, and frankly, what he posted on facebook was tame compared to what he says IRL, because there are certain words you use there that will probably get you banned.

A few other people I know on facebook are the same way IRL, some of whom I've known for 40 years. One kid I remember absolutely freaked out when Harold Washington became mayor of Chicago in 83, and he had exactly the same reaction when Obama became president. He just doesn't use the word we can't use here on USMB or Facebook in his postings.

I think the only difference is that an argument can continue over days on USMB or Facebook, while IRL, one side just walks away after a few minutes.

I heard an interview by a guy who used to work for Google and wrote a book about his time at the company. He devoted a section on individual behavior based on their Google searches. The interviewer asked him what behaviors people exhibited online anonymously that they tended not to exhibit in public. He said there were two things. First, people were much more likely to discuss medical issues, particularly terminal or debilitating diseases. Second, people were much more racist than they were IRL.

That sounds like a flawed methodology....or sounds like something is missing.

You said the study was based on their SEARCHES, and then went on to describe their DISCUSSIONS. Seems odd, like someone says something while hanging out in my kitchen and suddenly the rest of the folks are interested in some back-knowledge, and random person X whips out their phone and plugs in a search for something he may be totally detached from caring about.

Anyhoo, American culture as it stands today is pretty great.

Crime is in a good spot, relatively speaking (to our past).

The arts are flourishing, the internet is teeming with content creators ranging from beginner to seriously gifted.

Individuals seem to invent and implement business ideas a lot more efficiently.

Folks are charitable these days, and its easier because they can find specific things theyd like to help with such as a start-up project, or to help out when someone's house burns down.

Parents are back to being a large part of their child's education. Its actually obsessive, at times. Its an over-reaction to how these parents, themselves, were raised in 80s & 90s culture where the parents were nowhere near the same presence.

Now its like every parent is on every school board possible and totally up-ass at every practice or activity possible.

All over communities, moms are starting businesses for parent/child activities ....trampoline parks, mommy daughter tea time, etc etc.

Lots of old, worn down inner cities are being bought up by Craftsmen that are converting entirely abandoned ghetto blocks to little boutique bars and eateries.

If you visit a Lowes or Home Depot and strike up a random convo - young couples are really obsessed with the new DIY projects that the internet enabled them to learn about.

Young kids these days are nicer than ever before, besides some outlier cases.

Theyre so nice they seem too soft, even, but theyre really pragmatic these days and their ability to think practically about issues without the emotional baggage of the angry elder-class is very promising.

The future sciences are growing at an INCREDIBLE rate....and theres tons of start-up podcasts you can listen to that have physicists, inventors and such speak at LENGTH without the time constraints of traditional television.

Once these old kooks whining about who has the worst ideas fade away ~ humanity in general is embarking on one of its greatest periods of achievement literally ever.

The stars will be traveled.

 

[Olde Europe]

SO what is it, people are suppressing their opinions, or people are too mean to each other? He seems to want to argue both without realizing the contradictions.

These are not necessarily contradictions, at least not to the point of being mutually exclusive. Folks might (relatively freely) express their resentments, while still feeling under the horrible, terrible PC threat of facing reprobations, and complain about them.

 

[OldLady]

As we know, an internet message board provides both anonymity and, as a result, an opportunity to be more aggressive and anti-social for those who are not like that in "real life".

What percentage of people here, in your opinion, act like this in real life?

Of the people that I know IRL? 0%

Of the people who post here? 99%

What about in the culture in general, not just people you know personally?
.

How can any of us answer the question about people we don't know personally?

Like Toro, no one I know talks like that. And I've had some students so conservative they'd curl your hair. I also engage in some discussions over my morning coffee at the local diner with a table full of conservatives, and we keep it clean, with mild smiles on our faces. No one calls me a kunt and I don't get bitchy.

I do think the aggressiveness that gets articulated here is probably an honest emotion for those posters, and IRL they just have good brakes and don't share those thoughts out loud. Last week, after on two threads in a row a crew of alt right trolls declared me a liar, I figured I'd cook up a big fat clever lie and post it.

I couldn't think of one.

It's got to be in you in order to express it, doesn't it?

 

[JoeB131]

These are not necessarily contradictions, at least not to the point of being mutually exclusive. Folks might (relatively freely) express their resentments, while still feeling under the horrible, terrible PC threat of facing reprobations, and complain about them.

Not really. I think that we are all kind of stuck with each other, and there are lines, and sometimes those lines are crossed, and sometimes there are consequences.

 

[Mac1958]

As we know, an internet message board provides both anonymity and, as a result, an opportunity to be more aggressive and anti-social for those who are not like that in "real life".

What percentage of people here, in your opinion, act like this in real life?

Of the people that I know IRL? 0%

Of the people who post here? 99%

What about in the culture in general, not just people you know personally?
.

How can any of us answer the question about people we don't know personally?

Like Toro, no one I know talks like that. And I've had some students so conservative they'd curl your hair. I also engage in some discussions over my morning coffee at the local diner with a table full of conservatives, and we keep it clean, with mild smiles on our faces. No one calls me a kunt and I don't get bitchy.

I do think the aggressiveness that gets articulated here is probably an honest emotion for those posters, and IRL they just have good brakes and don't share those thoughts out loud. Last week, after on two threads in a row a crew of alt right trolls declared me a liar, I figured I'd cook up a big fat clever lie and post it.

I couldn't think of one.

It's got to be in you in order to express it, doesn't it?

I would think so. My guess (and that's all I have) is that those who are quick to lie and distort and attack here are probably more likely to do so in real life.

It seems to me that the correlation between the behaviors we see here and those in real life are more closely tied than they have been, and it seems pretty clear to me that these behaviors are infecting a larger share of the culture, from politics to sports to public life to entertainment to business.

For whatever reason, I'm fascinated by this stuff. Behaviors and the motivations behind them. I sure have plenty to chew on.
.

 

[Crepitus]

As we know, an internet message board provides both anonymity and, as a result, an opportunity to be more aggressive and anti-social for those who are not like that in "real life".

What percentage of people here, in your opinion, act like this in real life?

Given the general decay in public behaviors over the last several years, I suspect that the percentage has increased. I'd say that around 30% to 40% of the behaviors we see here by our more aggressive posters are also seen in real life.

One significant caveat: I don't think those who are overtly racist against minorities say these things in public. I'd put that down at about 3% to 5%, for obvious reasons.

Your estimate, hopefully without insults, deflection or name-calling - as comically ironic as that would be?
.

I'd be willing to bet it close to 100% not acting like this in public.

Maybe in a private group of like minded friends or family but that about it.

 

[Circe]

I do think the aggressiveness that gets articulated here is probably an honest emotion for those posters, and IRL they just have good brakes and don't share those thoughts out loud.

Oh, sure, agreed. My rule of thumb is always to assume people mean exactly what they say. Of course they mean it: that's why they say it! This rule has served me well over time: trying to pretend people don't really hate me or want to kill me despite what they say is like Chamberlain's government trying to believe that Hitler was really an okay guy and wouldn't make war anymore despite a pretty obvious train of aggressive takeovers of territory.

That's why forums are valuable: it's as well to know what people REALLY think, and this is one of the places they can say what they really think, though even here moderators sometimes kill that.

 

[Circe]

My guess (and that's all I have) is that those who are quick to lie and distort and attack here are probably more likely to do so in real life.

It seems to me that the correlation between the behaviors we see here and those in real life are more closely tied than they have been, and it seems pretty clear to me that these behaviors are infecting a larger share of the culture, from politics to sports to public life to entertainment to business.

I don't think that. What I think is that it's a simple case of who is losing. The more people are losing, the angrier they are: a life rule. The more openly aggressive they become. The 2016 election result was completely unexpected by anyone and so it was a terrible shock to us all, but especially to the Left. They have figured out how badly they are losing by now and so we have the open physical aggression of the rioting, the mobs attacking congressmen, the restaurant throw-outs, the trapping of a Senator in an elevator, the grotesquely costumed screaming "Handmaids" in the USSC Kavanaugh hearing, etc. Of course, this terrible aggressiveness does nothing but hurt them with the winning part of the population, but it's a pre-Civil War now, I think. I read three histories of the 1850s the summer of 2016 (I knew we were in trouble) and the degree of anger and aggression by the abolitionists, who were losing (the Dred Scott decision opposed them) simply amaze me. Most people don't realize Emerson himself and several wealthy friends FUNDED, like Soros does, the terrorist raid on Harper's Ferry by John Brown!

This stuff going on today is much worse than the aggression around the Vietnam War, which I remember, so I am pessimistic. As you say, it is spreading to every aspect of society. My example is how many books published since the election, both fiction and nonfiction, are completely unreadable because the author uses the platform to inappropriately carry on furiously, usually against Trump. And there's no point to such a jeremiad given the subject or purpose of the book. So I stop reading the book and that author -- and some I've read for years and they NEVER wrote about politics before! Stephen King, for instance. Laurence Tribe, with a book supposedly on a scholarly examination of impeachment that turned into nothing but a useless diatribe -- a waste of money, I had to stop reading, pointless and disgusting. Cass Sunstein, whom I normally haven't liked (he did "Nudge"), recently put out a book on presidential impeachment so clean and pure he never mentioned Trump's name or any issue he might have with the current situation. Bravo! I'll be reading him more in the future --- that's how to write books.