Always Angry?

[DizzyDallasDi]

While most of the conversation in this thread has been about posters who are angry at RCI and complain in here, there is a whole other contingent of "angry posters" who aren't so much angry at RCI, as they are other posters. And within that group, there are two categories: the "cruise line apologists", and the "message board cowboys".

 

I'll start with the latter. I've been a participant on various message boards for many years, and I've seen them on every single board I’ve ever been on, regardless of the topic. They’re related to trolls, but are not classic trolls (who are usually only on a board for a short time, posting bizarre controversial stuff JUST to stir up trouble, then disappearing, only to reappear later with a different screen name.) No, these message board cowboys are regular members, who simply seem to enjoy getting into post wars and launching hurtful grenades at other members. They will post their opinion on any topic, preferably controversial ones…which in and of itself is perfectly fine – I mean hey, we’re all entitled to our opinions, and that’s what these boards are for: to share them. The problem is that they have no knowledge of the concept of “civil debate” – they are unable to post their opinion without attacking the PEOPLE with differing opinions. They toss out liberal insults; think that anyone who disagrees with them is a moron or worse, and come right out and SAY so; and they generally just cause really bad feelings among people who were usually having a very polite discussion, before they barged in and started in with their demeaning, condescending crap.

 

It’s hard for me to comprehend the mindset behind people like this. There are several of them on this board – one in particular, and I’m sure many of you know who I’m talking about. These people seem to have no boundaries to their nastiness – and no rhyme or reason for why and when they dole it out. They are agents of discord, rarely adding anything of value to the conversation. All they do is inspire hurt feelings, defensiveness, and arguments. They forget or ignore the fact that there are real people in here, trying to ask questions, help other members, learn things, pass on knowledge, or just have an interesting discussion about an activity that we all enjoy.

 

Naturally, one of the key reasons they do this is the anonymity of the board. For whatever reason, this is their outlet for their internal toxicity, and they are able to get away with it because they don’t have to actually interact with any of these people that they hurt. They can toss out the pain, and then shut off the computer and go back to their real lives (or whatever sad semblance of one they actually have outside of the computer.) They know that what they do causes hurt and unpleasantness – but the payoff is probably all the attention in garners them. This may very well be the only place in their lives where they are able to get so much attention. And as any parent knows, to many people, even negative attention is better than no attention at all.

 

Then there are the cruise line apologists. Every line has them, and we all know who they are. They are the folks who cannot stand to see the slightest complaint lodged against their beloved cruise line, no matter how valid. They will go to any length to discredit the complainer…all the way to calling them out-and-out liars. It’s an interesting phenomenon – it’s essentially based in fear. These people have spent, or continue to spend, thousands of dollars on this cruise line – and they cannot handle any information that might make that expenditure seem like it was not worth it. They NEED to believe that their cruise line is perfect, or it calls their own opinions and actions into question. These are usually also the folks who can’t handle anyone questioning their beliefs about ANYTHING – politics, religion, whatever – because any chink in the armor can bring their entire house-of-cards crashing down. It’s a certain personality that we all have encountered out in the real world – and this is how it manifests itself on these boards.

 

Anyway, thanks for posting this topic! I’ve had these thoughts for a long time, and have written about them briefly in the past, but this is the first time I articulated the whole thing. Personally, I think Message Board Behavior would be a great thesis for a psychology student!

 

BRAVO!

[Leejnd4]

Wow, I go away for a few days, and this thread continues on a convoluted path that takes more twists and turns than the Upper Cornice in the French Riviera! And what an interesting read it's been.

 

Couple things I want to comment on...first, count me in the crocs-are-hideous crowd. ;)

 

Second, re this:

 

And I do NOT think CC is a fair representation of society at large.

 

You make the assumption that an even number of all "types" frequent the boards. And that is just not so. You have a number of posters who happen to work at jobs that allow them to be on line during work hours (yes, I know that is a shocker...:D ). And then you have shut-ins and people who find it hard to get out that spend a large amount of time on the computer. And then you have the segment of the population that doesn't have a life - and so their on-line world is their life.

 

But there is also a large segment of the population that has a life or work in jobs that do not allow continuous internet use.

 

So you end up with a weighted population here that has a greater percentage of "misfits' (how is that for a nicer way to describe these members) in the general posting population.

 

Excellent points here, and you have swayed my opinion. After reading this, I have to agree with you that the nature of this message board, and the type of people who would have the ability to actively participate in it, limits the segment of the population that will be represented here, resulting in a heavier concentration of certain personality types than you would find in general society. And given this truism, I think it adds even more fuel to the concept that a thesis on "Message Board Behavior" would be a fascinating read! :D

 

(Note to the lurking Angry Posters out there: Didja see that? Didja?? Two people who DISAGREED were able to state their opinions, respectfully and sans insults, and the opinions were so well stated that one of us was actually persuaded to CHANGE HER MIND! See how that works??? ;) )

 

As for the "the segment of the population that doesn't have a life - and so their on-line world is their life," I fully agree and think you've nailed a large chunk of the "Angry Posters" - especially the ones who seem to take pleasure in being unnecessarily mean to others. These folks are probably just miserable human beings anyway - and this misery comes through in the way they interact in here. Misery loves company, doncha know.

 

Just for the record, while I'm sure many probably assume I'm a shut-in no-life misfit :p, you can put me in the category of folks who happen to have jobs that allow us to be on the boards. And I probably participate more than some others in this category, because a large part of my job involves writing, and I often need a mental break so I go on this board to clear my thoughts and think/write about something entirely unrelated for a few minutes, allowing me to return to my work with a fresh perspective. And what better way to clear my head than to read/write about cruising!

 

Several other posters in the past few days also nailed some truisms about this topic - for example, the folks who run a sports-related message board, and see members who act perfectly nice in person, but are total a-holes on the boards. I agree that anonymity plays a large role in this.

 

Anyway, I'm happy to see that this thread carried on and continued to remain interesting and POLITE. It's renewed my faith in humanity - at least, the narrow segment of humanity that happens to participate on this message board!

 

Jc, no worries - I haven't abandoned the booze threads. I didn't disappear because I went off and slit my wrists over being disagreed with on CC.... :D I was off whitewater rafting on class 5 rapids. Similarly suicidal, but much more fun!