Comments on: How could I have made my post better?

How could I have made my post better?

dgt — Wed, 04 Dec 2002 22:24:31 -0800

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.)

By: mathowie

mathowie — Wed, 04 Dec 2002 22:30:27 -0800

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.

By: dgt

dgt — Wed, 04 Dec 2002 22:36:27 -0800

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.

By: riffola

riffola — Wed, 04 Dec 2002 22:41:02 -0800

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.

By: jheiz

jheiz — Wed, 04 Dec 2002 22:45:20 -0800

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?

By: riffola

riffola — Wed, 04 Dec 2002 22:55:02 -0800

It wasn't just me, everyone who posted in that thread felt that a warning was missing.

By: dg

dg — Wed, 04 Dec 2002 23:00:09 -0800

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?

By: dgt

dgt — Wed, 04 Dec 2002 23:05:07 -0800

Whatever happened to "To err is human..." ? I goofed, I 'fessed.

By: Yelling At Nothing

Yelling At Nothing — Thu, 05 Dec 2002 02:12:01 -0800

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.

By: y6y6y6

y6y6y6 — Thu, 05 Dec 2002 03:35:27 -0800

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.

By: crasspastor

crasspastor — Thu, 05 Dec 2002 03:52:24 -0800

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.

By: quonsar

quonsar — Thu, 05 Dec 2002 04:12:23 -0800

a fantastic, useful portal site which everyone would have bookmarked immediately would have been far more appropriate.

By: y6y6y6

y6y6y6 — Thu, 05 Dec 2002 04:22:09 -0800

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

No?

[takes away crasspastor's car keys]

By: mkelley

mkelley — Thu, 05 Dec 2002 04:58:56 -0800

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"

By: rory

rory — Thu, 05 Dec 2002 06:54:37 -0800

NSFW

As an Australian, every time I see this I like to pretend it stands for New South Fucking Wales.

By: dgt

dgt — Thu, 05 Dec 2002 06:59:09 -0800

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.

By: dg

dg — Thu, 05 Dec 2002 07:11:24 -0800

Just couldn't help yourself, could you quonsar?

By: amberglow

amberglow — Thu, 05 Dec 2002 07:20:48 -0800

quonsar!!!! (cizzzuffed and mizzzuffed?) ; >

By: y6y6y6

y6y6y6 — Thu, 05 Dec 2002 07:35:11 -0800

"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?

By: RJ Reynolds

RJ Reynolds — Thu, 05 Dec 2002 08:44:28 -0800

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.

By: quonsar

quonsar — Thu, 05 Dec 2002 09:34:02 -0800

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.

By: amberglow

amberglow — Thu, 05 Dec 2002 09:46:51 -0800

rofl!

By: dg

dg — Thu, 05 Dec 2002 14:52:22 -0800

Hey, that was supposed to be cuffed, buffed, muffed and stuffed, wasn't it? The order is soooo important :-)

By: jonmc

jonmc — Thu, 05 Dec 2002 17:35:02 -0800

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

yet, sadly, unfluffed.....