How could I have made my post better?

December 4, 2002 10:24 PM

I realize that the 'ethnic cleansing' was inappropriate as it was. I'm wondering though if anyone who saw it for the five minutes or so it was up could give any suggestions as to how to post it differently, other than a disclaimer on the front page rather than inside. Or was it inappropriate altogether, warning or not? (Yes, I've read posting guidelines.)
posted by dgt to etiquette/policy at 10:24 PM (23 comments total)

I don't know how you could possibly properly frame photos of mutilated bodies as something interesting on the web you found that might be worth discussing.

Also, the ethnic cleansing video game was posted here about six months ago, which ended up becoming a story at Wired news a few days later, so the subject has been covered before.
posted by mathowie at 10:30 PM on December 4, 2002

Well, I for one find it very interesting... Not in a positive way, but as a lover of people I can't help but feel strongly about this. As for whether it is worth discussing, I again don't see how it isn't...? Perhaps this is just the part of me that cares about improving our world speaking... but I for one want to figure out what, if anything, can be done, ASAP.

But yes... I concede.. MeFi is not the best place at all to discuss or to share it. Had I not been prepared for it by my friend, and if I had just seen it as a post, I would've reacted the same way, and snapped at the poster, most likely.
posted by dgt at 10:36 PM on December 4, 2002

Had I not been prepared for it by my friend, and if I had just seen it as a post, I would've reacted the same way, and snapped at the poster, most likely.
Then why didn't you warn us? I saw no NSFHE (Not Safe For Human Eyes) warning.
posted by riffola at 10:41 PM on December 4, 2002

Then why didn't you warn us? I saw no NSFHE (Not Safe For Human Eyes) warning.

'Ethnic cleansing' ... 'absolutely disgusting'. True, a warning would have been nice, but couldn't you guess that link wasn't going anywhere nice?
posted by jheiz at 10:45 PM on December 4, 2002

It wasn't just me, everyone who posted in that thread felt that a warning was missing.
posted by riffola at 10:55 PM on December 4, 2002

I concede.. MeFi is not the best place at all to discuss or to share it

Then why did you post it in the first place?
posted by dg at 11:00 PM on December 4, 2002

Whatever happened to "To err is human..." ? I goofed, I 'fessed.
posted by dgt at 11:05 PM on December 4, 2002

I guess the question is this: What were you trying to do with the post? What did you see in the link that you thought was worthy of view by the community?

If all you were going for was an orgy of sympathy, then the post was a mistake; well intentioned though you may have been, that kind of thing rarely works well here.

I just saw the images first a little while ago and have been in somewhat of a rage since

That's pretty much not the attitude you want when composing a post.
posted by Yelling At Nothing at 2:12 AM on December 5, 2002

Piling on at this point........

" I just saw the images first a little while ago and have been in somewhat of a rage since."

That's your problem right there. Try not to post in that state.

The main problem is that you give us nothing to talk about. The image is just too disgusting and we can't read the text. I think the reaction of anyone would be to recoil and flee. People seem to think that a slap in the face is a call to action. It isn't. Especially on the web. We just click the back button and go somewhere else.

IMHO this is one of the problems with posting things that got forwarded to you in email.
posted by y6y6y6 at 3:35 AM on December 5, 2002

I'm just wondering (the post sucked), but where do we differentiate between NSFW and NSFHE? If you're a military member, perhaps the less than quality miniature jpegs don't quite cut it as far as the amount of inhumanity one human is able to inflict on another. Maybe some have seen the disembowelment of another human and are perfectly comfortable with what disembowelment, or catastrophically destroying another's internal organs with shards of metal traveling at the speed of sound means for the greater cause. Maybe. Maybe.

Isn't what is NSF automatically SFME (Safe for military eyes)? I mean fuck, isn't it time to get used to the brutalities of war? We've been admonished about our current Forever-War. And God almighty we're prepared. Well, fucking prepare yourself for more photos of humanity being annihilated for the cause of Freedom.
posted by crasspastor at 3:52 AM on December 5, 2002

a fantastic, useful portal site which everyone would have bookmarked immediately would have been far more appropriate.
posted by quonsar at 4:12 AM on December 5, 2002

"I mean fuck, isn't it time to get used to the brutalities of war?"

No?

[takes away crasspastor's car keys]
posted by y6y6y6 at 4:22 AM on December 5, 2002

I think it still boils down to, people believing they must make a post to the front page. you don't. I've never, simply because I never find anything interesting or that hasn't been covered before. And what's the old saying, "When in doubt, don't"
posted by mkelley at 4:58 AM on December 5, 2002

NSFW

As an Australian, every time I see this I like to pretend it stands for New South Fucking Wales.
posted by rory at 6:54 AM on December 5, 2002

I love the assumptions.

mkelley... If you'll look at my User Information, I think it is clear that I am not one who suffers from feeling an urge to post. This was only my second post in over a year. That's as few as you, while being a member for 3 months more.

y6y6y6... I did not receive it in an email, as the comment explained.

I also would like to draw attention to the previous thread on the video game, as Matt posted above.
In there, Mack Twain made the comment:
...And contrary to popular belief, you can yell fire in a crowded theater, if there is a fire.
I for one never want to see the images again, but at the same time, I'm glad they were shown to me. I realize that "ignorance is bliss" and all, and that certainly holds true in this case, but I for one would prefer to be aware of the horrible atrocities that are going on in our world, than to have this blissful ignorance. Had I posted a link or two to do with ethnic cleansing and simply referred to the injustices in Indonesia, I would have been told to back up my claims.

I guess the question is this: What were you trying to do with the post? What did you see in the link that you thought was worthy of view by the community?

Look at the conversation that developed from the video game post. Thoughtful and intelligent, for the most part. Similar outcome desired. As tpoh.org said:
I presume that the majority of MeFi people are intelligent, thinking individuals and are capable of tackling controversial issues like this one.
posted by dgt at 6:59 AM on December 5, 2002

Just couldn't help yourself, could you quonsar?
posted by dg at 7:11 AM on December 5, 2002

quonsar!!!! (cizzzuffed and mizzzuffed?) ; >
posted by amberglow at 7:20 AM on December 5, 2002

"but I for one would prefer to be aware of the horrible atrocities that are going on in our world"

As would most of us, myself included. The problem (and I know you see this) is that the link was repelling. The instinct was not to learn more or care about the issue or even wait for the image to finish downloading. The instinct was to click the back button as hard as possible and then say something nasty to you. Right?

Slapping people is not a good way to engage them in this forum. You got it from your friend and you have some motivation to listen to him rather than be repelled. You know this..... I'm just saying.....

" As tpoh.org said"

Exactly. He did it well. You did it poorly. You admit that, so I don't know why you're being so defensive. No harm done okay?
posted by y6y6y6 at 7:35 AM on December 5, 2002

dgt, you probably want to pick up the new New Yorker, and read the essay Looking at War. In it, Susan Sontag recants a good bit of On Photography, for exactly many of the reasons people have brought up here.
posted by RJ Reynolds at 8:44 AM on December 5, 2002

Just couldn't help yourself, could you quonsar?
i was absolutely powerless over it. one might almost say i was buffed, cuffed, muffed and stuffed.
posted by quonsar at 9:34 AM on December 5, 2002

rofl!
posted by amberglow at 9:46 AM on December 5, 2002

Hey, that was supposed to be cuffed, buffed, muffed and stuffed, wasn't it? The order is soooo important :-)
posted by dg at 2:52 PM on December 5, 2002

one might almost say i was buffed, cuffed, muffed and stuffed.

yet, sadly, unfluffed.....
posted by jonmc at 5:35 PM on December 5, 2002