Why is it?

[genomachino]

i think this is a great thread. i've seen things done on here to each other that were really bad and had no real merit to deserve any of it. mt perfect aim is a great example.

for a while every time i started to say something about perfect aim i would have players trashing it that didn't even understand it. then the players that understood it and know how well it works would stick up for perfect aim and the whole thread would turn into a pissing match. that was not fun at all. i totally enjoy the az site and have directed 100's of players to it in my travels around the country that have never heard about it.

but i have to say that for about 1 month i was seriously thinking about deleting az from my computer because of the terrible and unjustified insults.

here i am 3 days after right shoulder surgery pecking away with my left hand(and by the way being left eye dominant doesn't help at all) eating a oxycodone or 2 every 4 hours and still i'm on this great site. and if you didn't already know it, az is the no. 1 pool site in the world. it fascinates me to no end.

i'm always learning things on here all the time and always trying to give something back.

i have a complaint though. it really sucks and takes a long time to type with one hand opposite hand. but then again i have a few friends that only have one hand. i guess in all truth i should be greatful. i'll be able to use both of them soon.

there's an old indian saying.. don't judge another person until you have walked a mile in his moccasins.

how true........great thread........

 

[driz86]

no need to get all verbose on a pool internet forum. keep it simple please.

-DR

 

[Danzing3]

i think this is a great thread. i've seen things done on here to each other that were really bad and had no real merit to deserve any of it. mt perfect aim is a great example.

for a while every time i started to say something about perfect aim i would have players trashing it that didn't even understand it. then the players that understood it and know how well it works would stick up for perfect aim and the whole thread would turn into a pissing match. that was not fun at all. i totally enjoy the az site and have directed 100's of players to it in my travels around the country that have never heard about it.

but i have to say that for about 1 month i was seriously thinking about deleting az from my computer because of the terrible and unjustified insults.

here i am 3 days after right shoulder surgery pecking away with my left hand(and by the way being left eye dominant doesn't help at all) eating a oxycodone or 2 every 4 hours and still i'm on this great site. and if you didn't already know it, az is the no. 1 pool site in the world. it fascinates me to no end.

i'm always learning things on here all the time and always trying to give something back.

i have a complaint though. it really sucks and takes a long time to type with one hand opposite hand. but then again i have a few friends that only have one hand. i guess in all truth i should be greatful. i'll be able to use both of them soon.

there's an old indian saying.. don't judge another person until you have walked a mile in his moccasins.

how true........great thread........

I hope you get to feeling better.Also a friend of mine told me your video is really helping him out.( Sorry not trying to highjack this thread.)
Take care Gene.

 

[Cuebuddy]

Ethnomethodology is a sociology theory that describes how people in certain situations, such as online environments, create the false impression of a collective social order when they don't understand, or perhaps don't care to understand each other fully. Inevitably, the different points of view within this forged community can lead to total anarchy if not intensely moderated by an unbiased member.

Within these online communities, notions of hierarchy are quickly established by the more seasoned posters who exhibit a rather skewed sense of importance and authority. Cliques are formed and mimic real life by picking on weaker or less popular individuals within the group.

One could say an online forum is a microcosm of society; however, a true microcosm would be comprised of unique individuals with a full range of interests and backgrounds. In an online setting such as a billiards forum, we find many people with varied backgrounds who share a specific interest. Despite differing opinions, there should be a blanket element of solidarity within the group and ironically, this does not seem to hold true.

Different personalities play a role in the hostility as well. People might suffer from low self-esteem, shyness, or a physical disability that prevents them from feeling comfortable enough to socialize with others in real life. For these people forums can be greatly therapeutic and fulfilling. Some people are passive-aggressive or have other control issues and find themselves in an environment where they are free to assert their aggressive nature in full force with no repercussions. Others can be tremendously passive in real life yet anonymously they are finally given a voice in a place where their opinions mean something to a captive audience. Also present are "trolls" that are just itching to start flame wars no matter that the topic is about and live to argue.

Class consciousness is brought into the mix by individuals who suffer from inadequacy or lack of validation and feel compelled to flaunt their real life social status, education, Mensa affiliation, employment or monetary status (whether genuine or fabricated) in an attempt to make others feel insignificant or to catapult themselves into the stratosphere of the forum's rank structure.

Why can some people cope with these unnatural interactions as if they were engaging with people in real life and why do others take on sanctimonious or belligerent attitudes?

There's a difference between healthy debating and blatant antagonizing. In an online setting where you can't see facial expressions or always sniff out witty sarcasm, people can easily misconstrue others' intended words. Next time you find yourself in a hostile thread, try to take the high ground and shrug off offending comments. Users should also try to gracefully respect comments that differ in opinion even if they are unpopular statements about highly controversial topics. Always report any obvious attempts of flaming to the moderator before it gets out of hand. That's what they're there for.

If you are the offender, and are going off for the gratification of starting chaos or inflating your own self-esteem, perhaps seeking therapy might be in order or at least ask yourself why you harbor so much animosity towards the world. It is never okay to rationalize personal attacks with anonymity. Respect the person's rights, regardless of viewpoint.



Is this to long to be my tag line?:yes:

 

[Tom M]

i think you have to think of this place just like you were hangging out in your favorite pool hall.

That's a good analogy, but obviously some don't see it that way.

There are some people who can't help themselves in a relatively anonymous situation to just be jerks, or confrontational. I think it's very similar to the troll mentality, but not as pronounced.

To get really into the psychobabble here, I believe it's a power issue. Overbearing or "acting out" behavior in adults is common with people who feel powerless in one or more important areas of life. They tend to assert their small-minded (perception of) power wherever they can, usually where the challenges to that fragile sense of power are small, like an anonymous internet forum.

That's why the troll mentality is less common in face to face contact, and in pool halls. You come into a pool room mouthing off the way some folks do in this forum, and you're going to find out real fast where the real power is!

Peace,
Tom

 

[CreeDo]

ethnomethoTOOLONGDIDN'TREAD lol
Just busting your balls. I'm about to go tl;dr also.
For a laugh (it's funny cuz it's true) you should check out http://redwing.hutman.net/~mreed/warriorshtm/bigdogmetoo.htm ...and keep clicking "next".
Breaking down dickheadedness ... I see the following broad categories:

Trying to look smart at others' expense so you can feel good about how clever you are
- includes spelling nitpicking, correcting unimportant errors (while missing the general point), RTFM responses, quibbling over semantics (stick vs cue, deflection vs squirt, english means only sidespin vs. english means anything off-center, sport vs. game, etc...)

- also includes trying to look like the high level pool 'insider'. "I'm friends with several top pros and they would say you're full of it." "I saw kiamco play and there's no way alex beats him in an ahead set." "All the serious players know donny stands no chance." "LOL I didn't see a single guy at the US open using an elkmaster tip."

- includes shoehorning in some completely offtopic subject so you can show off how much you know about it. "The use of a pushout is a bit like using Yomi (the japanese term for knowing what your opponent will do) in a video game like Virtua Fighter. See, in that game a player will throw out a 'bait move' like an elbow that only has a small disadvantage when blocked, hoping to encourage a risky response such as a knee or throw" blah blah blah zZzZZzZZ.

- Throwing out whatever answer goes directly opposite the general concensus, just for the sake of it. That way, if someone buys your response... it's different and better than the other 99 guys who replied. That must mean you're smarter than 99% of the rest of the world! "funny, everyone tries to tell you that you need chalk... well somehow I managed to hustle thousands without it. Guess the other guys never heard of playing centerball position."

Axe to grind
- includes forcing some sort of political comment into the pool forums, going out of your way to post just to attack a specific guy... or bash a product or seller you had bad luck with. "Yeah no surprise another pool hall closed, thanks to Obama" ..."oh look, another retarded post from Cocobola Cowboy!" ..."lol APA. Par for the course."

-also includes and even more well-intentioned stuff like always promoting something you're selling as a universal response to certain posts. ..."while everyone's advice here is good, there's no true way to fix this unless you make an appointment with a qualified instructor today. How's next tuesday for you?" ..."click this link to buy my DVD. You'll find out why you missed that kick and never miss anything ever again."

General ignorance about life

-includes not knowing basic courtesy (think of the people who got banned here shortly after registering because they cussed out someone, then cussed out the mods who responded).

-having a white trash mentality ("we should just ban fillipinos and build a wall around texas"..."u keep talking smart but if u were rite in front of me i'd knock you the **** out")

-thinking you're hot shìt at pool and not understanding how small a fish you are ("haha whatever.. u think ur guy shane whoever can run racks... my friend skeeter and I played at mccallahans once didn't lose for three strait hours and ran four racks if u don't count the one game he lossed in between")

-trying to put down anyone or anything that's different or more advanced than what you've personally experienced ("It's funny people still think it matters what stick you use."... "LOL spending money on DVDs is a waste of time, the only way to learn is to spend 40 years busting chumps at the bars"..."I tried it and it sux" ..."I never tried it but I have a 230 dollar cuetec that could run circles around it")

Mob mentality
- This is basically just me-tooing the guys who fall into the patterns above. Why not just join the swarm and bash the same thing they're bashing? You got backup.

--------
There's probably more I'm not thinking of but it's already too long. Note that there are perfectly good guys who sometimes might do some of the stuff I listed here. Doesn't mean I hate them or that I think I'm perfect. I don't automatically think anyone who says "deflection is a measure of how much a cue squirts. Squirt is the actual process by which blah blah etc" is a jerk. I know for a fact I've done some of this stuff. Probably still do. Might be right now!

 

[12310bch]

why here?

In what way is this thread connected to the game of pool? Why don't the moderators boot these pontificaters (sp?) down to the NPR section? This is an official complaint. So there. :barf:



The game only, here !

 

[Beware_of_Dawg]

In what way is this thread connected to the game of pool? This is an official complaint. So there.

The game only, here !

pull up your zipper, your stupid is showing. lol.

 

[Tramp Steamer]

It's hard to respond to such a general question.

Right off the bat, I felt very very ashamed of myself for having such a terrific and hilarious time here lately, and I was deeply worried that I might have hurt someone's feelings with my stunningly funny jokes.

I am sorry if I offended anyone. I meant what I said about Cog's- they're truly beautiful, but I really don't know how they hit. And to the guy who absolutely loves his Predator shaft: Yay, Predator; I even have one too. For the male drivers who hated my little link in NPR... Learn to drive, dammit. (Sorry, I couldn't help that one.)

Truly I think you have to take it on a case- by case basis, and remember every single post was written by a different person in a different circumstance with a different level of concentration, right then.

So if you don't like a particular reaction set or an individual post, address it right then and there.

But I am sorry if I hurt any feelings- that was dead serious.

Blah Blah, you and I are kindred spirits. Don't apologize for using humor to point out the many petty, not to mention surly, inequities found here.
Did I ever tell you the one about the two bums walking along the railroad tracks...

 

[avmaster]

How come ya all pickin on me.......????

 

[12310bch]

Yeah, Dawg. I should have just quit reading the before I got to that point of exasperation. Sorry for screaming.:thud::sorry:

 

[Beware_of_Dawg]

Blah Blah, you and I are kindred spirits.

Yo Brokeback Billiards, get a room. Save the scotch doubles reach around session for the closet.

We are talking about why it is that insecure members try to be funny and hurt people's feelings. Don't know why anyone would try to be funny at someone else's expense. It's just plain mean. [insert sarcastic, ironic, clever, stupid smiley face here]

ROFLMAO.

 

[Tramp Steamer]

Yo Brokeback Billiards, get a room. Save the scotch doubles reach around session for the closet.

We are talking about why it is that insecure members try to be funny and hurt people's feelings. Don't know why anyone would try to be funny at someone else's expense. It's just plain mean. [insert sarcastic, ironic, clever, stupid smiley face here]

ROFLMAO.

Kind of like you're being right now, huh?

 

[Beware_of_Dawg]

Kind of like you're being right now, huh?

Exactly!

See?!? I could be sarcastic and witty with my subtley vailed hypocrisy... and he saw my sense of humor and knew I was just being playful with my last post...

I rep'ped you because I hope we shared a laugh. :grin: me was bein playful.

 

[Tramp Steamer]

Exactly!

See?!? I could be sarcastic and witty with my subtley vailed hypocrisy... and he saw my sense of humor and knew I was just being playful with my last post...

I rep'ped you because I hope we shared a laugh. :grin: me was bein playful.

Right back at ya, big guy. :grin:

 

[12310bch]

Best question/quote of the 20th century: "Why can't we all just get along?"

 

[blah blah]

I avoided AZB all day for fear of not being able to keep my own sense of humor in check, and what happened?!?

I MISSED ALL THE LAUGHS!!!

Sheesh.

I have to "spread it around" before giving out rep again to Tramp and Dawg.

Whoa... I have made belligerent fun of someone just for having a friend named "Weasel." And now I speak directly to a Tramp, a Dawg, a Monkey, and a 12310bch? What is that?

: )