babble is rabble.ca's discussion board but it's much more than that: it's an online community for folks who just won't shut up. It's a place to tell each other — and the world — what's up with our work and campaigns.
"some babblers"
June 10, 2010 - 6:11pm
One suggestion to improve the atmosphere on here: can the passive-aggressive personal attacks on "some babblers". It's clearly an attempt to get around any moderation, when we all know who people are referring to. See this thread for an example: http://rabble.ca/babble/western-provinces/preliminary-statement-bc-gingers
Can they what?
Stop fighting ambiguity with vagueness?
Some Honourable Members: Hear, hear!
I think that all good, left thinking people in this country are sick and tired of being told that all good, left thinking people in this country are fed up with being told that all good, left thinking people in this country are fed up with being sick and tired. I'm certainly not, and I'm sick and tired of being told that I am.
Never happen. We enjoy our clever little jabs too much.
pot kettle, seems 'some' can dish...but they can't take it....
I'm too tired to respond to Fidel's clever jab.
Don't put me on your perch, Mr. Beltov.
I agree that people here are too quick to lash out at other babblers they disagree with. Often it goes straight to calling the person names and implying they have some "agenda" rather than point out what they got wrong factually and how, and offering a better view.
Seems babble suffers from the same problems that other boards do, some people come here to discuss and learn and share ideas, while others come here to get into some kind of heated confrontation so that they can stroke their intellectual ego's.
And it has nothing to do in my view with not "hurting peoples feelings" it's that no rational discussion can take place when people are arguing about themselves and not the facts or ideas were trying to figure out.
You point out the problem with some babblers by asserting that some babblers smear, trounce and humiliate some babblers in a thread calling us to ? the use of the term some babblers.
Well done!
Genstrike - I agree with you. And do me a favour - don't give up on this place. If we don't recruit and retain young activists, natural erosion will finish us off.
On the more serious side, I agree too. Though I would like to know what the end of that sentence is!
I believe that "can" is being used as an imperative, as in "Can it!" (Is this a generational thing?)
Can the grammar lesson, skdadl?
Some babblers can't tell the difference between a noun and a verb. Proof positive that progressive boards are laughable and irrelevant and I think I might not post here any more.
Not to be a pendant, but both usages mentioned are verbal: one as an auxiliary and one as an imperative.
LOL @ SparkyOne
Doesn't it just annoy the hell out of you when "some babblers" start making pop psych diagnoses about the behaviour and/or mental state of other babblers... (and yes genstrike, that is a jab at your OP... although I would prefer you interpret it as a friendly one rather than a personal attack -- I don't think your point is without merit, but I also think the majority of the "some babblers" or "some posters on this site" type comments are motivated by diplomacy, not passive-aggressiveness.)
Putting aside the veiled personal attack scenario (and you are quite right that it happens, I am not trying to challenge you on that) there are at least two other distinct problems with generalized "some babblers" comments:
1) That there are too many of us who seem to be fixated on the righteousness of our arguments and interpret any criticism of the argument itself as a personal attack - it is (sickly) amusing when this gets taken to the extreme of when someone disagrees with a third party (who we see as agreeing with our very righteous position) and we respond as if the criticism of the third party is again a personal attack on us. Let's call this the "Hey, It's All About Me" flaw to generalized comments.
2) At the other end of the spectrum, there are probably just as many of us who are so fixated on the intention of our comments and arguments (as opposed to their content) that we would never even entertain the possibility that we mis-spoke (mis-typed?) and that a generalized comment decrying what has been spoken or typed should be applied to us personally. Let's call this the "Hey, I Mean Well... And They Are Obviously Talking About Someone Who Doesn't Mean Well" flaw to generalized comments.
But, for all their flaws, and the possibility they are veiling a personal attack, they are still damn useful... diplomacy, hell simple civiity, sometimes requires them.
E.Tamaran.... I believe genstrike was using the word can in the sense of stopping or terminating. As in, getting canned (fired).
Fine. You guys or some of you guys... we use psuedonyms here, so maybe it should be "you guise" can go ahead and please yourselves by canning passive aggressvie attacks, even if I quite enjoy reading them. But, hey, don't mind old Tommy and what he likes. But then don't be surprised if I retaliate in an backhanded way. For example I might spell "canning" with only one "n" leaving you all guessing my true intent.
Oh, fetish allusions in Tommy's comment... *waves to Maysie*
Caning's been a huge turn on for me since I was a kid. I mean, you name it: Ratan chairs, Bentwood rockers.... I can hardly pass a "Pier 1 Imports" without having to carry school books in front of me.
It was very kind of you to use the question mark there, Catchfire.
I pretty much agree with bagkitty. (Some babbler!) I sometimes resort to "some members" or "some commenters" precisely because I don't want to single anyone out. Are "some" people saying here that they prefer frequent direct confrontations?
I mean, obviously the best thing is to address the specific argument that bothered you with an specific argument of your own, but o' course sometimes that doesn't work (maybe because you've done that too often before), and sometimes people will want to make general observations about the tone of an extended discussion. "Some commenters" or "some members" is sometimes the most diplomatic way of doing that without starting a private war, eh?
It's true that I have been called passive aggressive for trying to be diplomatic that way, but I've completely given up on the way that SOME people seem to understand the meaning of passive aggression nowadays. Lately, I just take the knocks and try to grok other people's passions as best I can.
What about your other place, skdadl ? Same as here?
Did you mean "pedant", or did you just want to leave that hanging?
If I could be ernest for a moment instead of tommy, sorry, let me start again....
If I could be serious for a moment, Skdadl, yes, it's true. Some people are passive aggressive. Some people genuinely and vigourously deffend a space for feminists, aboriginals, etc. And, language plays a part in this. And, yes, some people will ignore your points because your points are devastating to their position, and instead make vieled accusations concerning your psychological make up because you might have chosen this word or that phrase instead of another.
We are constantly at war with the language, and I don't mean at babble.
I mean, that's what it's all about.
Now, there are blatant things with which we should not put up. And there's the subtle stuff that is just part of, well, conversation. Complaining about it is like joining a pick up hockey team and then complaining that the ice is slippery.
We argue and sort it out.
You'll understand why I would rather not answer that question in much detail, N. Beltov? Catchfire can, maybe. BnR is little and a different kind of place, but yes, occasionally these discussions happen, and the same spectrum of views about open confrontation will emerge, although the balance is maybe more towards the non-confrontational than here.
You put your left foot in, you put your left foot out, you put your left foot in, and you shake it all about ...
k. That makes sense.
Allow me to pick a minor nit.... don't do this in an off leash area... lots of irresponsible dog owners don't bring a plastic bag with them.
heyhey HEY HEY HEY.
I am not the straight man around here.
This is one of the reasons I love babble!
