TR Forums

I'm getting a bit concerned about the tone some of these threads have taken. Ad Hominem attacks are becoming more frequent, something that we've managed to avoid, for the most part, in the past.

Mac vs Wintel arguments are always fun, but in the long run, always boil down to personal preferences. There is no right answer for every computer owner, it depends largely on needs and expectations. There is no cold, hard, fact that can't be overcome with a well reasoned response based on personal preference. This goes for both hardware/OS models. To be willing to insult another person for what ultimately boils down to personal preference is just childishness.

Since the Mac vs. Wintel argument ALWAYS comes down to personal preferences, the best you can hope to do is influence another person. Calling someone else names, questioning his/her heritage or intelligence, or generally belitting him/her is rarely effective when you are trying to influence that person and will not be tolerated.

I don't mind some teasing, but let's keep the discussions civil.

Here's a link to the Forum Rules. I would suggest all of you review the following text when you find yourself about to post something that is negative:

2.) Personal attacks will not be tolerated. If you have to resort to such behavior, perhaps you belong someplace else. It is understandable that some discussions can get heated (such as in the Religion and Politics forum) but try to maintain civility.

The full list of rules can be found here:

viewtopic.php?t=11214

Just point them out to me, my dark master, and I shall destroy them utterly.

No, really.


Let's all be happy! Or else!

Good grief! I would hope most would take this as an opportunity to learn. (I do) I want to learn more about a MAC. Honest.

If Forge can switch...Spock must really still be alive

I just saw the first mac ad on TR. Corsair Mac Memory.

I agree. More over, I'd like to generalize this to all the fanboy dialectics: Intel-AMD, AMD/ATI-nVidia, Xbox-PS3-Wii (ok, that's a trialectic). For some reason the volume and nastiness of invective seems to have increased recently. This is particularly true with front-page articles, where a post about a product from any of those companies inevitably results in comments that rapidly degenerate into little better than two overtired 4-year-olds with one toy between them.

I know some people reliably troll, and I know some people reliably rise to the bait, and I'd really like you all to stop (or take elsewhere). There's been more than once where interesting comments and discussions got completely derailed by this, and I just gave up in disgust. It's reached the the point where I don't even bother with looking at the comments for some posts (or some forum threads) because I know what I'll get: "You're a poopy-head!" "I know you are but what am I?"

And I reserve particular opprobrium for the people who (AFAICT) never post anything anywhere else on the forums except when there's a fanboy pissing match going on. If you're not going to contribute anything constructive at all, why are you even here?

GokuSS2 wrote:

I just saw the first mac ad on TR. Corsair Mac Memory.

I noticed that too, but wasn't going to say anything

LicketySplit wrote:

If Forge can switch...Spock must really still be alive

And he should eat more salsa

TR's articles are some of the best around, but the discussions that attend those articles are no better than at many other places. Sometimes the discussions at TR are even more out of line than they get at other places. I, unsurprisingly perhaps, lay the blame on the trolls. How can you blame someone for standing up to a troll? Trolls suck. If it's opinion presented as opinion, or even facts thrown in someones face, I leave it alone. I only rise to the bait if it's clearly BS that's out of line. And FWIW I try to be dispassionate and objective in my responses - with mixed results. I don't engage in name calling - I won't say someone is an asshat but I will say they're acting like an asshat - and I consider that distinction to be real. I need more convincing that exposing lies / fud / rumors presented as fact is a bad thing.

Nonetheless I have been considering making a complete exit from front page discussions.

FWIW, I love it when UberGerbil or JBI post in the discussions - I just wanna sit back and learn something when they do. But they don't post too often, perhaps because they don't want to step in the sh** that has been deposited by everyone else.

flip-mode wrote:

FWIW, I love it when UberGerbil or JBI post in the discussions - I just wanna sit back and learn something when they do. But they don't post too often, perhaps because they don't want to step in the sh** that has been deposited by everyone else.

??? Youre not around during the day? Or nite? JBI is always on..his recent PUI surge has him hovering close to passing my post count this week

Lots of trolling and bad mouthing lately..one reason im not here much anymore either.

I meant that I don't see them post much in front page discussions lickety. And yes I have noticed, with some sadness, your diminished presence and pondered the reasons for it. FWIW I'm glad to here it's just because of the atmosphere around here and not because of some personal crisis.

flip-mode wrote:

FWIW, I love it when UberGerbil or JBI post in the discussions - I just wanna sit back and learn something when they do. But they don't post too often, perhaps because they don't want to step in the sh** that has been deposited by everyone else.

That's because the best way to shut up the trolls usually is not by shouting louder, but ignoring them. By "standing up" you are feeding the cycle. To break a cycle...