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Now that I have your attention I want to bring attention to a common theme on the boards. That would be people assuming that anyone disagreeing with them is saying there is only one way to play the game and/or insulting them. That is not the case. If I say I don't like rolling dice, or any thing else playstyle related and I give reasons for it, that does not mean I am insulting you, or insisting you change your style of play. I am sure that if you are asked why you play the way you do, that you will have your reasons, and you are not trying to insult me or saying I am "doing it wrong." Don't go reading between the lines for insults that don't exist because if you look for an insult you will find it, whether it exist or not. That also goes for statements that don't exist.
The other issue is people assuming you are trying to say one thing due to reading between the lines, when you are discussing something else. My last thread got a lot of off-topic GM rants. It seems they did not read the topic, but read between the lines or tried to. This led them to believe I was trying to deliver a message that was never in the process of being made.
There are some people who will tell you that your style of play is inherently wrong, but all you have to do is ask those people is that their belief, and they will say yes. They won't try to hide it, and force you to figure it out.
In short don't accuse, ask. It is better for discussion, and stops bad blood before it starts. You might think you know someone's intent, but if they don't say it in exact words, then you really have no proof.
With that said I will apologize for my recent snark over the past day or so, but in the future I would also like anyone who falsely accuses another poster to apologize. If the person does not apologize to you then it is better to ask for a quote and an explanation than it is to turn up the sarcasm meter. I feel like asking for a quote is fair for someone being accused of something online. The accused can either explain the quote, if it exist, or they just get to denounce the accusation since the lack of a quote is a lack of evidence.
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The problem I'm seeing is that sometimes even if they ask the question they don't want to hear the answer unless the answer agrees with their postion. For example in many "Is this evil or broken" etc style threads where the OP asks for feedback. then when the feedback is usually against his original post they get angry. My thing is this yes if you feel strongly about something and your mind is set on a topic. Then do not ask for feedback on a forum. Espcially if it's a topic guaranteed to get posters disagreeing with you. And no I'm not saying don't post yet at the same time expect the answers to the question or topic posted not to always be in your favor.
I'm reminded of someone who assumed I was wrong, merely because I was pointing out that the source of my troubles is the DM.
Apparently for some, it's heresy to question the DM, no matter what he does. And you're free to insult a heretic and his ideas as well.
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RPG Superstar 2015 Top 16, RPG Superstar 2013 Top 16
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This is a problem inherent in this medium of communication. Maybe even in all media.
It's why I stopped posting in political threads in OTD for the most part. You agree with something that somebody notices some individual in the Tea Party once said and suddenly everybody assumes you believe the whole Republican Party platform.
Sometimes i get the idea that people intentionally interpret the OP wrong so that they can rant about someting that is on their mind.
And so the topic gets easily lost.
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For example in many "Is this evil or broken" etc style threads where the OP asks for feedback. then when the feedback is usually against his original post they get angry.
For a lot of those people it's a binary option. You get to pick "evil" or "broken" for purposes of the discussion but there is no third value.
SPIDERMAN: THREAT OR MENACE?
-- an editorial by J. Jonah Jameson
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A lot of it just boils down to people having already formed an opinion on a subject, and then going on to a message board looking for validation and support of that position. When they are not given that validation they came begging for, they get mad.
I'd say this actually accounts for 90%+ of any thread that has "feedback:" in the title. Just cut the BS and call it what it is; "Please tell me I'm right!!!"