Wow. The maturity displayed and ability to actually stick to the topic at hand rather than resorting to personal attack is breathtaking.

But that was the point and several of you have proved in spades.

Thanks for making my night! :)

Suggested new thread title:

Why don't GCers that have been on here long enough know better than to start high-and-mighty-sounding threads "disciplining" fellow GCers?

or Waaaaaaahhh, why don't the meanie GCers care what I think????

Or why can't some GCers show deference occasionally to fellow members who'd like to show a little kindness?

This cycle could be broken more than one way, assuming that anyone wants it broken.

Is it really kindness? Or is it enabling people to whine?

While it may go too far sometimes, I think it usually starts as appropriate sympathy for what was probably hard on the pnm or the mom or whoever. And honestly, if you're talking about someone who really needs correction or to buck up, getting in an internet fight probably isn't going to do it. Ignoring her would probably be the best way to go in terms of not giving whiners what they want.

Sure, it can be entertaining, but after a while it just looks like a never ending cycle of trollish first post, reasonably sympathetic first responses, then bitchfest. And it probably does reflect on NPCs to those who come here looking for real information, few as they may be.

That is true...but honestly, how many times have people ignored newbies (I don't wanna say PNM, cause they aren't always PNMs) and they just don't get the hint, so then they post their question in 50 million threads, even bumping old ones so that they can post their question? How does that make the situation better? It just ticks more people off.

I don't go out looking to pick fights with people, in fact I try to stay out of most (although it doesn't always work), but many times there is no way to come out looking like sunshine and roses no matter what route you use.

Why do so many threads turn so bad? There's an internet clique on here that gets way out of hand. The whole "flounce" and "troll" thing is more lame than actually "flouncing." Some members also think that they know how much time every member has spent on GC and if they're lying about having "lurked" or changed their user name.... Who the hell cares and what difference does it make? It takes about 30 minutes to soak up the dos and don'ts of GC, so if this forum is the only place where you have seniority or authority, you've got bigger problems than people "flouncing" during an online argument. I agree with TriDeltaSallie. If someone is bugging the shit out of you, don't post!

This is by no means the only way to deal with even the most trollish PNMs and Helicopter Moms...women like KSUViolet do a perfect job of dishing out kindness but, when needed, will tell a woman she is out of line or she needs to step down.

Let's call it like it really is. What some people are doing is reveling in the fact that they can be bitchy. I think that's ludicrous. I am a current collegian and I am amazed by the immaturity, rudeness and blatant insecurity of some posters, many of whom (as far as I understand) are long past their collegiate days. What really irks me is that you are either a) not this way in real life and have some newfound status kick on this website or you are b) this way in real life, in which case I do not even want to think about how your relationships with people fare.

Honestly I know this will not change anything. I know you have way more fun being rude than you would be being classy, tactful and helpful. I am just putting my opinion out there because I don't want somebody to ever think I would condone this type of thing. If that's high and mighty, so be it.

I seriously just wanted to use that picture. I love that picture.

I agree that it's a funny picture. I laughed to myself. I'm going to look up the etymology of the word flounce. It's a pet peeve of mine on here.

So, then, do like someone said previously and close the thread when the answer has been given. Better yet, don't even talk to the PNMs. Just post links to threads they should have found themselves through a simple search.

Or we could make a game of it, counting how many times the same answer can be given through different wordings. Ah, but this one is my favorite...when an appropriate answer is given, everyone who comes in after that can just copy and paste the same answer so everyone gets a word in (even if it is the same word).

And, DrPhil, that video scared me. :(

Love you, APhiAnna. Exactly how I would have liked to have worded it.

But...you...posted...instead...of...just...ignorin g people and so did TriDeltaSallie.

The reality is that everyone's a hypocrite when it suits them. Some are just nicer about it than others, just like TriDeltaSallie was nicer about her high horse than you were.