Forum Etiquette

[knottyfox]

There are many great points being made in this forum. I do appreciate the responses to this forum. One point stands out to me. I agree, if I am unwilling to look a person in the eye and say something, then I should not type it either!

 

We are all Scouters here. Our common bond is our interests in our Scouts well being. Another crucial point, I feel, is that the adults must enjoy themselves as much as the boys are. I have often stated to my circle of Scouting Buddies that it is very important to keep mom and dad happy. If they are not having a good time, they won't be driving back. That's ok I suppose, except, they won't be driving their son back either. It is hard to deliver the Scouting program to a Scout that is not in attendance!

 

I am pleased to be able to share your thoughts and have you share mine as well!

Happy Scouting!

Knotty Fox

 

[Fuzzy Bear]

I don't want to belabor niceness but I have something that bothers me; I call it "Echo". Echo is the same thing being said again but in different words. Now, when it is done once, it is an understandable mistake. When it is done two or more times in the same column, it is annoying. It makes me wonder if people actually read anything but the last response before pounding away at the keyboard. I think of it as a form of rudeness but then repetition is the way we remember things, so it could be viewed as being Helpful. I suppose some days the glass is half empty. FB

[FScouter]

Me too.

 

Considering the length of time it takes to navigate to the forum with the yellow lightbulb, click, wait awhile, click again, wait some more, scroll down to the latest message, hoping for a new perspective, it's discouraging to just see Joeposter say "me too" to 50,000,000 other members.

[packsaddle]

I was just reading some of the things mentioned by KnaughtyFox and Grumpye..wait, my glasses were dirty, I misread those names...and I decided to add some things. Aside from pouncing, etc., there is a question of accuracy here as well. I will use a couple of hypothetical examples.

 

First, there is a second-rate television show involving a Texas ranger whose main character is 'acted' by someone who will remain anonymous (but whose name rhymes with Chuck Norris). If I were to mention that he has a really bad beard and no acting talent, would that be poor netiquette? Bad manners? Rude? Accurate?

Sometimes the truth hurts. Should we therefore avoid it?

My personal answer is...it depends if someone with a really bad beard and no acting talent can flatten you.

 

Second, if I had a scout whose father was, let us say, rotund...corpulent as Falstaff. And, using Daniel Pinkwater as an example, if the father is proud of his portly dimensions (as is Daniel Pinkwater)...how do I refer to it if mentioned in conversation? Do I describe his fat butt as magnificent, as it surely must be? Or am I allowed to mention that he "...has a spread like a Texas back 40"? How about, "...if he wanted to haul 'butt', he'd have to make two trips"?

Surely something must also reside in the perception of the recipient - and while Mr. Pinkwater might be flattered by my comments, the other parents overhearing this might react differently. Doesn't it work the same on the net? H'mmm? Suggestions?

[SR540Beaver]

Me too!

[ManassasEagle]

packsaddle said "...has a spread like a Texas back 40"? How about, "...if he wanted to haul 'butt', he'd have to make two trips"

 

At Summer Camp our guys got into one of those "Your momma is so fat..." things. One of the guys, whose dad is a minister, came up with "Your momma is so fat that when she sat on a Bible, Moses popped out and said "Let my people go"". May be sacreligous but I had to laugh at that one.

[Lynda J]

As long as you have people in an open discussion that have different opinions about things there are going to be times when any discussion can get heated. I know I for one sure wouldn't want to live in a society where everyone agreed about everything. Sure would get boring.

I agree though when things get mean natured it isn't good. Especially since there may very well be times when there are young Scouts looking in.

So we sure do need to make sure anything we "say" is something we would say in front of our scouts.

[packsaddle]

Well, I think I've heard that 'mamma' joke version before. I've had to rethink that form after the whole soccer head-butt thing. Ouch, that could hurt!

 

Anyway, Linda J, the idea of something being 'mean-natured' is quite subjective sometimes. Meanness is something that (in my mind at least) implies intent. I guess there is accidental or unintended hurt but intentional hurt is meanness. And on the receiving end, perception is everything...which underscores the need for good communication skills, something that many of us (me included) often neglect.

And then there are persons who might be supersensitive about certain things, you know, like some of the hot-button issues discussed elsewhere in these forums. Perceptions are almost out of control in those cases. What to do? I guess we can just be ready to admit error and apologize...that is, unless we were being mean.