Battling the thread thugs!.....

[silkov]

It has come to my attention that this forum has become infested with an out break of hostility. Recently several interesting threads have been hijacked and spoiled by people with no interest at all other than forcing their opinions upon everyone else. This is supposed to be a boxing forum where people with genuine enthusiasm for the sport can discuss different points, fights and fighters. In such a forum differences of opinion are natural and indeed part of the spark within the discussions. The world would be a very dull place if we all thought the same and agreed on everything. However recent outbreaks of virulent hostility and personal abuse have I believe gone too far. This forum is in danger of becoming just a caricarture of what it should be. Where will this forum be if every decent thread is distorted by malice and bitterness. I'm sure having read recent posts, that some people are being put off placing thoughts and threads on the forum now due to the current level of hostility coming from some quarters.
The culprits who are causing this (lets call them the thread thugs) are not many, and I will not name them because they and we all know who they are. These are a few pointers too help the inexperienced spot a thread thug.
1. They are very fond of repetition. Words like 'mantras, mediocrity, hate, filth, bitterness and toilet' are particular favourites.
2. The thread thug is always right! always!!. By just insinuating that he may be wrong on even a minor point is a big no-no!.
3. The thread thug may be friendly at first if they think you agree with their personal viewpoints..... but never expect them to alway agree with you. They will helpfully point out where you go wrong (you inevitably will sooner or later) .... and just remember that they are always right!.
4. The thread thug can distort time and reality to fit his feindish needs.
5. The thread thug eats far too much garlic.
6. The thread thug has marmite stains down his front.
7. The thread thug has absolutely no sense of humour or irony.
8. The thread thug is always right!. Everyone else is always wrong.
9. Questioning the wisdom of the thread thug leaves you open to endless abuse and retribution. But its only fair because the thread thug is always right!.
So what can we do in order to tackle the clouds in our midst?. My solution is simple. We choose to ignore the thread thugs. We concentrate on building interesting threads full of (hopefullly) respectively contrasting views, and if a thread thug shout come along and say something alluding to your mentality being at the same level as the sewage in the drains, we ignore it!. Its hard to ignore an insult no matter how cackhanded it is but the truth is that the thread thug hates to be ignored.
You'd be surprised how useful this method can be when tackling the thread thug. Without reaction or attention the thread thug shrivels up and dropd off. The thread thug can not survive without provoking a reaction with it's insults. Why should we feed such a distorted ego.
Any thoughts and comments on this subject would be very interesting, lets hope that we can clean up this forum so it is a more harmonious place to visit and so that people do not risk abuse just for expressing personal opinions.

[Sweet Scientist]

You are, of course, correct...

Sometimes it's difficult to 'turn the other cheek' when a fighter one admires is being unfairly ridiculed...(over and over again!)
In reality, this stuff is all 99.9% opinion...

(I've been called an 'amateur' for saying this stuff is 99.9% opinion on another thread...still can't figure that one out.)

[tolstoy]

Unaccustomed as I am to letting "thugs" off the hook for their misdemeanours, either on the internet or in "real life", I will endeavour to ignore our very own said thug(s) in what I hope will be a step toward improving the quality of this forum.

Additionally, I hope said thug(s) will respond positively to high quality boxing posts unmarred by personal abuse and juvenile hostility. I, myself, have been drawn into petty squabbles. The difference being, I think, is that I tended to take them as light-hearted banter whereas, sadly, my opposite number was gravely serious.

Nice post, Silkov, I will try...

[knockout artist]

The best way to deal with a thread thug is to ignore his posts.

We should refuse to acknowledge his existence.

[silkov]

It's often harder to refrain from retaliation than to just ignore insults, but I think that a no-response attitude will have a more positive effect overall... it's very hard to argue with someone who doesn't answer back.
And again, this is a boxing forum where we should all be debating boxing rather than having to deal with bad vibes!....... lifes too short!.......

[KOJOE90]

It's often harder to refrain from retaliation than to just ignore insults, but I think that a no-response attitude will have a more positive effect overall... it's very hard to argue with someone who doesn't answer back.
And again, this is a boxing forum where we should all be debating boxing rather than having to deal with bad vibes!....... lifes too short!.......

I agree totally, I come on the internet after work to calm down after a stressfull day at the office. Like many of you I have a deep love and interest in Boxing and enjoy reading and talking about it on this forum whilst swapping bits of knowledge, stories, info etc on our beloved sport. I am sure there is plenty we can ALL learn from EACH OTHER on this furom.

I always try and be friendly and polite to all posters even if they have different opinion to myself after all they are just OPINIONS a lot of the time. Sometimes even when you are polite certain posters behind their keyboard will still insult and mock you for whatever reason. I try now just not to reply to their threads, but it's hard sometimes.

Lets all try and keep this a happy place.