Trying to pick a fight August 23, 2006 12:13 PM   Subscribe

How many times will he get away with this?
posted by StrasbourgSecaucus to Etiquette/Policy at 12:13 PM (142 comments total)

Does winning $30 make you immune to being a douchebag?
posted by StrasbourgSecaucus at 12:15 PM on August 23, 2006


1,264.
posted by cillit bang at 12:15 PM on August 23, 2006


douchebaggery aside, who really wants to do this again?
posted by sonofsamiam at 12:16 PM on August 23, 2006


idono, but it seems like it's that time.
posted by StrasbourgSecaucus at 12:17 PM on August 23, 2006


Well, mathowie keeps him around for a reason. You could always email him and ask. Anything else at this point is entirely trivial.
posted by prostyle at 12:19 PM on August 23, 2006


Does the world need another dios thread? Why not just email matt and maybe he can explain it too you. Obviously whatever he does and doesn't do is between him and matt, and any discussion we could have about it would be entirely pointless.
posted by delmoi at 12:19 PM on August 23, 2006


Also the examples you linked too hardly rise above the average rhetoric of this place, and they don't appear to be derails, but active engagement in the thread. Plus they're all examples from a single discussion.
posted by delmoi at 12:22 PM on August 23, 2006


So, uh, you're complaining that dios is being contrary? And you'd like him to stop with the blatant disagreement? Or is there a specific point of view you'd like him to stop having? Just trying to make sure, here.
posted by Plutor at 12:22 PM on August 23, 2006


dios4lyfe
posted by Stynxno at 12:22 PM on August 23, 2006


Boy, this takes me back to the days when there were dios callout threads every time he posted. What was that, like, two months ago?
posted by Astro Zombie at 12:22 PM on August 23, 2006


How many times will he get away with this?

Get away with what? Disagreeing with the dominant political consensus on MetaFilter?
posted by monju_bosatsu at 12:23 PM on August 23, 2006


Do what? Respond to all of the people who are dumb enough to respond to him? (I'm not defending dios' behavior, but it seems clear that if you don't engage his rhetoric then it'll matter much less.)
posted by OmieWise at 12:23 PM on August 23, 2006


I don't really follow the callout threads, so I don't know what everyone's beef is with dios. Based on this thread, I can't figure it out. Help?
posted by danb at 12:24 PM on August 23, 2006


I post pissy derails all the time, no one calls me out. Huh. What makes me so special?
posted by GuyZero at 12:26 PM on August 23, 2006


oh, you all love him, you know you do.

(seriously, you like piling on him, he likes being piled on. it's symbiotic)
posted by jonmc at 12:27 PM on August 23, 2006


I'm calling you out RIGHT NOW, GuyZero.

COME ON OUT!
posted by Astro Zombie at 12:27 PM on August 23, 2006


I'm outraged! How many times will dios be allowed to voice an unpopular opinion in a thread about censorship!!!
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 12:28 PM on August 23, 2006 [3 favorites]


Uuuuhhh... I bid 1299, Bob.
posted by GuyZero at 12:30 PM on August 23, 2006


*dons cape*
posted by cortex at 12:30 PM on August 23, 2006


I don't see anything wrong with any of those comments. They're not even moderately offensive or "trollish" by this site's standards. He's responsive, engaged in the conversation, and his viewpoint is totally mainstream (even, dare I say, reasonable). Seriously, what's the problem?
posted by mr_roboto at 12:31 PM on August 23, 2006


I hope you've saved the examples of his really bad behavior, and are waiting to lay them out just when it looks like you're thread lost it's steam. Because I didn't see anything that cried call-out from what you posted. I don't agree with most of his shtick, but he seems like he's learned to at least be more courteous when he puts out the bait. Maybe it's just that he's more consistent in posting things you disagree with.
posted by Slack-a-gogo at 12:32 PM on August 23, 2006


If you're going to post the millionth pissy anti-Dios MeTa, at least have the courtesy to explain your objection instead of using a vague, rhetorical pronoun and calling him a douchebag.
posted by cribcage at 12:32 PM on August 23, 2006


How many times will he get away with this?

"This" apparently meaning that he disagrees with your opinions, expresses his disagreement firmly, and occasionally backs up his arguments with facts.

And compare Dios' comments to your one on-topic comment in the thread: "Pretty much anything pisses conservatives off these days. It's actually pretty funny."

Hugely lame call-out.
posted by LarryC at 12:32 PM on August 23, 2006


can someone please write a rockabilly song about dios?

tia.
posted by Stynxno at 12:33 PM on August 23, 2006


Ok, next post at random I'm going to say you all missed the point, this is a waste of time and I am more than happy to embody the "contrarian" spirit. I'd imagine most people would call me an asshole, but I suppose it'd only make sense that a fellow lawyer would come to my defense. The best part is I don't even have to read the links - and when I'm called on it, I'll simply employ a linguistic trainwreck to denounce my detractors as petty, partisan fools. Perfect.

Straight from the horses mouth: dios is in a time out because he just likes to pop into threads and crap on them and I'm tired of it.
posted by prostyle at 12:33 PM on August 23, 2006


Again, there is no reason to have this thread. Mathowie watches over him and either slaps him or coddles him, depending on his mood. End of discussion.
posted by prostyle at 12:33 PM on August 23, 2006


1301, Bob.
posted by Zozo at 12:34 PM on August 23, 2006


Straight from the horses mouth: dios is in a time out because he just likes to pop into threads and crap on them and I'm tired of it.

I have no idea if that is true or not, but Dios is not crapping in that thread, he is discussing the topic.
posted by LarryC at 12:35 PM on August 23, 2006


All right, when are the animated gifs going to appear? That's the real reason for tis thread, isn't it?
posted by Astro Zombie at 12:36 PM on August 23, 2006


Isn't it a little odd to call out another member using an obvious sockpuppet?
posted by monju_bosatsu at 12:38 PM on August 23, 2006


In all seriousness, I'd like to take this opportunity to take a stand and say that I, for one, am tired, tired, tired of the constant kneejerk callouts around here invoking douchebags. What the Hell does MetaFilter have against douchebags, anyway?! Douching is a natural, healthy way to clean, and the misogynistic braying around here is hateful.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 12:39 PM on August 23, 2006


*adjusts boots*
posted by cortex at 12:39 PM on August 23, 2006


o.
posted by Zozo at 12:40 PM on August 23, 2006


Wait a second, a sock puppet called out dios?

That's a DOUBLE WHAMMY!
posted by Astro Zombie at 12:41 PM on August 23, 2006


On a related note, I was happy to see that he posted a pretty useless reply in a FPP I made recently, and that it was so blindingly obvious that his post completely failed to answer the point raised.

Or maybe I was just happy he apparently realized his shortcoming and left the thread.
posted by Kickstart70 at 12:41 PM on August 23, 2006


...he is discussing the topic.

In his last post he addresses the relevant Iowa code section, but not before complaining that the FPP didn't make that connection for him. He also glossed over a key fact from the case, that the individual in question was arrested. Kind of important things to keep in mind before you spout out eight comments of no substance decrying the merit of the post. Look, I think he has things to add. His last post is a wonderful example of that. But to say that his entire presence in that thread was as applicable to the FPP as his last comment was strikes me as laughable.
posted by prostyle at 12:42 PM on August 23, 2006


(seriously, you like piling on him, he likes being piled on. it's symbiotic)

Hey, if anyone knows that dynamic, it's jonmc ;P
posted by sonofsamiam at 12:43 PM on August 23, 2006


monju_bosatsu writes "Isn't it a little odd to call out another member using an obvious sockpuppet?"


Dude, doesn't dios has your wife's ultrasound pictures on his blog? Not saying you're a sockpuppet, but not saying you're unbiased either.
posted by orthogonality at 12:45 PM on August 23, 2006


What the Hell does MetaFilter have against douchebags, anyway?! Douching is a natural, healthy way to clean, and the misogynistic braying around here is hateful.

It's not so much the douche, it's the bag.
posted by pdb at 12:46 PM on August 23, 2006


I wish Matt could half-ban dios. Keep the clever, slightly twisted guy with a sense of humour who posts fascinating and offbeat FPPs, but kick to the curb the troll who drops into left-leaning posts to shit on them with responses that have nothing to do with the actual link(s).
posted by Zozo at 12:47 PM on August 23, 2006


depends on who's doing the piling, sonofsamiam. ;)
posted by jonmc at 12:49 PM on August 23, 2006


I think you take the good with the bad. Not all of us can be like me, all good. For instance, I wish you just went by Zo. I find the second 'zo' a bit much.
posted by OmieWise at 12:53 PM on August 23, 2006


Take a valium, prostyle.
posted by mischief at 12:53 PM on August 23, 2006


orthogonality: "Dude, doesn't dios has your wife's ultrasound pictures on his blog? Not saying you're a sockpuppet, but not saying you're unbiased either."

Sure he does. Of course, I've got those pics plastered all over my own blog and flickr account, so it's not like he needed some sort of special access in order to post them. Others have them, as well. Look, dios and I chat occasionally, but it's not like we're BFF.

Anyway, that somehow disqualifies me from commenting in this thread?
posted by monju_bosatsu at 12:53 PM on August 23, 2006


I wish Matt could half-ban dios. Keep the clever, slightly twisted guy with a sense of humour who posts fascinating and offbeat FPPs, but kick to the curb the troll who drops into left-leaning posts to shit on them with responses that have nothing to do with the actual link(s).
posted by Zozo at 12:47 PM PST on August 23


Dios and matteo have a lot in common.
posted by Optimus Chyme at 12:54 PM on August 23, 2006


He goes on and on and on in that thread about how the post is worthless and completely misses the point that the guy was arrested, revealing that dios didn't read the original articles, didn't read the other comments in the thread, and then when called out on that, just leaves, never to return.

This is standard operating procedure for him. Crap on the thread with some divisive comments, argue over biases or some other meaningless quibble in the original post, then, when he's shown to be wrong, he leaves.

He's not interested in actual conversation. He's only interested in riling people up and then heading for the next crap-on-able thread.
posted by bshort at 12:54 PM on August 23, 2006 [2 favorites]


Maybe a little over three months ago this place was raging with histrionic call-outs, and hissyfiting hippster webtards. So I joined. As Christ is my witness I thought that this was what metatalk was all about, a place for functional shallow disorder disorder [sdd] sufferers to whine like mewling babes about the most inconsequential self referential bollox. I paid my 2 euros and prepared to unclench amongst your illustrious selves. Finally a place with people who have their heads so far up their arses, they have to open their mouths to see. Just like me. It all stopped. Was it the summer? Seem like cause now metatalk is back. And I'm lovin it. Bring in the dancing gifs.
posted by econous at 12:55 PM on August 23, 2006 [2 favorites]


Take a valium, prostyle.

Take some acid, mischief.
posted by prostyle at 12:55 PM on August 23, 2006


take a laxative, everybody.
posted by jonmc at 12:56 PM on August 23, 2006


Dios and matteo have a lot in common.

So they do.

Clearly this calls for a cage match of some sort.
posted by Zozo at 12:56 PM on August 23, 2006


I have a wordcloud snap shirt made up of descriptive phrases of monju_bosatsu's wife's ultrasound. It means nothing.
posted by Astro Zombie at 12:56 PM on August 23, 2006


monju_bosatsu writes "Anyway, that somehow disqualifies me from commenting in this thread?"

No, of course not, and wasn't my intent to imply that.
posted by orthogonality at 1:01 PM on August 23, 2006


Let's all roll around in the dios muddy, muddy!
Let's all roll around in the dios muddy, muddy!
Oh, let's all roll around in the dios muddy, muddy,
until we stop and have to do it all again ... in a week or two ... or maybe even less ...!


(I admit, the last line needs work.)
posted by crunchland at 1:01 PM on August 23, 2006


bshort: With a link to some website even more biased than Fox News, the FPP is worthless.
posted by mischief at 1:03 PM on August 23, 2006


Douching is actually really bad for your girl parts. So is dios, but even I'm bored of hating him.
posted by dame at 1:10 PM on August 23, 2006 [1 favorite]


With a link to some website even more biased than Fox News, the FPP is worthless.

We all know where to take issues with posts lacking substance, right? Metatalk! Dios knows the grey well, and could have taken issue with it here if that was his problem. If the admins thought it was a shit post it would have been gone long ago. Do you have anything else to add?
posted by prostyle at 1:13 PM on August 23, 2006


MetaFilter: Really bad for your girl parts.
posted by Zozo at 1:16 PM on August 23, 2006 [1 favorite]


*fiddles with decoder ring*
posted by cortex at 1:20 PM on August 23, 2006



posted by Eideteker at 1:20 PM on August 23, 2006


Heh. I had a bet going with myself that someone would feel compelled to make that point, dame. Mea culpa. The views expressed in that joke do not necessarily represent the views of actual persons, living or dead. No girl parts were harmed in the making of that joke.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 1:24 PM on August 23, 2006


*pays cortex some attention*
posted by dame at 1:24 PM on August 23, 2006


I just don't want anyone hurt, IFRH. Besides, it gave me a chance to type "girl parts."
posted by dame at 1:25 PM on August 23, 2006


I'm 99% in agreement that this is a bad call-out. The 1% is only because the repeated "I won MetaFilter" assertions are pretty lame.
posted by brain_drain at 1:29 PM on August 23, 2006


well, if anybody has a rolling doughnut, we can find another us for the douche, I guess.
posted by jonmc at 1:29 PM on August 23, 2006


I'm not complaining, dame. I seriously almost didn't post the joke for that very reason. Then I figured: anyone who would base health decisions on thowaway jokes in MetaTalk is probably beyond help, anyway.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 1:30 PM on August 23, 2006


No, I know. I think I have trouble with the word typing thing. I've had a tough day at work. (I know it was a joke. But girl parts.)
posted by dame at 1:32 PM on August 23, 2006


*powers up hovercraft*
posted by cortex at 1:34 PM on August 23, 2006


Who can we look cool by piling onto today? O, mighty oracle of culturally empowering and generally hip cynicism, tell us who to hate!


posted by Eideteker at 1:34 PM on August 23, 2006 [2 favorites]


The 1% is only because the repeated "I won MetaFilter" assertions are pretty lame.

Who are you to judge? You haven't won MetaFilter, have you? Didn't think so!

Strawman? Did you actually read the thread, Eideteker? I know images are fun, and it makes you sound really clever to put forward conceptual fallacies, I'm just curious.
posted by prostyle at 1:38 PM on August 23, 2006


I was a straw man, once.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 1:38 PM on August 23, 2006


I know, dame, I know. Girl parts. I'm their number one fan.
The phrase is cute, too.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 1:40 PM on August 23, 2006


Uh, actually, I think I'm their number one fan.
posted by OmieWise at 1:45 PM on August 23, 2006


Sorry, prostyle. "Straw man" is also a type of effigy. But I'll be damned if I'm going to re-edit that gif every time, except to change whatever the final result showing is.

I did read the thread. Someone made a grievous* exaggeration, and dios called them on it. Fast forward, usual bear pit happens, dios vs. everyone, the inevitable callout then push to MeTa, blah blah blah, some inline images are posted, dios gets another week off, everything's back to normal by the end of the episode.

* The real crime is that the administration is not burning and trampling the constitution, but gradually circumventing it. I mean, if you want to be outraged, be outraged about the right things; manipulation and fear-mongering are more insidious than outright defiance of a public mandate. So dios provides a community service by keeping things in perspective.
posted by Eideteker at 1:47 PM on August 23, 2006


I guess some people just have this fading hope that something is actually done about thread-crapping.

You guys can scream "lame callout" all you want, but it's really hard to deny the fact that what dios was arguing about throughout the thread had absolutely nothing at all to do with the discussion at hand. In fact, that's why I linked to his posts; so you could read them.
posted by StrasbourgSecaucus at 1:51 PM on August 23, 2006


In any event, I liked the flag thread because it taught me the expression "stuff it up your balloon knot in protest."
posted by brain_drain at 1:51 PM on August 23, 2006


Falls into coma.........
posted by Joeforking at 1:53 PM on August 23, 2006


SS, I think lots of people agree with you (I certainly do). And I'm sure this thread, when added to other inevitable threads, will get dios another time out. Till that happens, though, silliness shall ensue, because at this point the dios argument is overdone.

(cortex, can I have a ride?)
posted by dame at 1:54 PM on August 23, 2006


I read most of the comments linked and I don't see them as crapping on the thread or being unreasonable. He's taking a counter position, to be sure, but it's not the kind of flagrant "you are all shitheads" kind of stuff that real thread crapping is about.

So I'd say this is a lame callout.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 1:56 PM on August 23, 2006


It was a shitty FPP anyway, SS. I didn't say so in the comments to the thread, because I didn't want it sitting on my MyComments page for the next three weeks. Links to cached articles barely constitute the best of the web. And the issue with the guy on the farm who would attribute whatever the hell cause he felt like to why his flag was upside down (now it's cause of a bankruptcy judgement, now it's cause of Iraq)? What the hell was that, other than padding to make the issue seem more urgent than it is?

Two cached articles and a barely on-topic local interest story spells either newsfilter or contest-padding to me (or both). OMG OUR FREEDOMS!
posted by Eideteker at 1:57 PM on August 23, 2006


Mondo Meta.
posted by weretable and the undead chairs at 2:02 PM on August 23, 2006


Douching is a natural, healthy way to clean, and the misogynistic braying around here is hateful.

Actually, douching is about the worst thing you could do to clean your vagina, and any intelligent woman stays the hell away from commercial douches.
posted by agregoli at 2:04 PM on August 23, 2006


And I see that was already said. Good.
posted by agregoli at 2:06 PM on August 23, 2006


I hear intelligent women also read the entire thread before throwing pointless hihhies.
posted by dame at 2:06 PM on August 23, 2006


*sigh* Please declaw your vaginas. I've already apologized.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 2:07 PM on August 23, 2006


I also hear intelligent women don't make typos. Sigh.
posted by dame at 2:07 PM on August 23, 2006


There's nothing like a good callout. And this is nothing like a good callout.

I want to watch as a shameless self linker, a batshit sociopath or an insufferable asshole is taken to task and the iron justice of matthowie's banhammer metes out the ultimate metapunishment. But when we come here, salivating over (or as I suspect from many, masturbating to) the prospect of a deserved tarring and feathering or a real fight, only to find that somebody got picked last for dodgeball--we are DISAPPOINTED.

I want real beef in my callouts. This is a boiled and undersalted soydog.
posted by kosem at 2:13 PM on August 23, 2006


yeah, MeTa isn't as rough a neighborhood as it used to be...
posted by sonofsamiam at 2:16 PM on August 23, 2006


(you can copilot, dame—but only because of the girl parts)
posted by cortex at 2:16 PM on August 23, 2006


sonofsamiam: "yeah, MeTa isn't as rough a neighborhood as it used to be..."

I blame the immigrants.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 2:17 PM on August 23, 2006


Dios killed his sensi in a duel and he never said why, so he'll kick you apart. I mean the guy fucks the shit out of bears and can kill with his stare. His tears make persuasive arguments, too bad he never cries.
posted by econous at 2:21 PM on August 23, 2006


Does someone have an animated gif of a chicken or elephant literally crapping on a thread? Should I post this to AskMe?
posted by mattbucher at 2:31 PM on August 23, 2006


"it's really hard to deny the fact that what dios was arguing about throughout the thread had absolutely nothing at all to do with the discussion at hand"

Actually, it's fairly easy to deny that. dios was responding to someone else's comment. A response, by its definition, is part of 'the discussion at hand'. As for saying the FPP was worthless, dios did not say that until about his 4th or 5th comment. heheh
posted by mischief at 2:35 PM on August 23, 2006


StrasbourgSecaucus, are you Insomnia_lj, or Alex Reynolds?
posted by LarryC at 2:38 PM on August 23, 2006


Have you considered making a youtube video about your griefs?
posted by buzzman at 2:40 PM on August 23, 2006


I hear intelligent women also read the entire thread before throwing pointless hihhies.

Everyone makes mistakes. Damn, you're bitchy.
posted by agregoli at 2:50 PM on August 23, 2006


Have you considered making a youtube video about your griefs?

What is "youtube"?
posted by mattbucher at 2:51 PM on August 23, 2006


Twenty bucks, same as in—ah, fuck it.
posted by cortex at 2:54 PM on August 23, 2006


Everyone makes mistakes. Damn, you're bitchy.
posted by agregoli


I almost posted "Wow, someone's got some serious PMS" (as a snarky joke), but I'm not that stupid. Glad to see someone else has less sense than I :)
posted by Kickstart70 at 2:55 PM on August 23, 2006


I believe the correct inappropriate snark would have combined all the previous elements of conversation with an old Meta meme, to wit: "Wow, someone's got sand in their vagina! If only there was a way to get that clean..."
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 2:58 PM on August 23, 2006


Thanks to MetaWhatsit I think I'm beginning to understand what people mean by "the extreme left and the extreme right sorta blend together": it means that while I might strongly disagree with dios sometimes he's really less of a "douchebag" than the majority of his oh-so-"liberal" critics. But do keep giving him an excuse to demonstrate there is intelligent life on the Internet.
posted by davy at 2:59 PM on August 23, 2006


But I'm not that stupid, either.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 3:03 PM on August 23, 2006


Okay, I am that stupid. I am exactly that stupid.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 3:07 PM on August 23, 2006


there is intelligent life on the Internet. - davy

Really! Where? *grabs binoculars and digital camera to record historical event*
posted by raedyn at 3:16 PM on August 23, 2006


To summarize the thread so far:


posted by LarryC at 3:28 PM on August 23, 2006


Metafilter: Dios is being contrary
posted by desuetude at 3:44 PM on August 23, 2006



posted by Rhomboid at 4:20 PM on August 23, 2006 [4 favorites]


Excellent!
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 4:30 PM on August 23, 2006


You guys can scream "lame callout" all you want

LAAAAAAMMMMMMMMMMMMMMEEEEE!!!!!
posted by SweetJesus at 4:42 PM on August 23, 2006


Whoohoo, I made the cloud! Two more comments and I level up!
posted by Eideteker at 4:45 PM on August 23, 2006


Hey. You. Get offa my cloud.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 4:54 PM on August 23, 2006


Dios:The freedom to do something does not entail the freedom to do something without any consequence.

This is a trenchant observation of a behaviour which is all to frequently exhibited. Many people, in my experience, seem to think that freedom of speech should render them immune to criticism for their words.
posted by Neiltupper at 5:07 PM on August 23, 2006


If this site is a left wing echo chamber...how come so many folks stand up for the contrarian republican?
posted by dash_slot- at 5:12 PM on August 23, 2006


The truth about Dios : He is a lawyer who uses MeFi as a chance to practice his rhetoric.

If you think jabbering on MeFi has one iota of usefulness in the practice of law, you don't know much about said practice.
posted by monju_bosatsu at 5:31 PM on August 23, 2006


If you think jabbering on MeFi has one iota of usefulness in the practice of law, you don't know much about said practice.

And of that, you can be proud.
posted by dersins at 5:56 PM on August 23, 2006


I tease dios occasionally, but I'm glad he's here. Often a devil's advocate makes you examine your own position more logically or carefully.
President Kennedy consulted with advisors who had contrary opinions so he could make more thoughtful decisions. Too bad Bush does the opposite.
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 6:09 PM on August 23, 2006


So, what have we solved with this thread?
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 6:17 PM on August 23, 2006


hold me.
posted by Stynxno at 6:20 PM on August 23, 2006


I miss 111.
Actually, I don't.
posted by signal at 7:19 PM on August 23, 2006


*holds stynxno*
posted by konolia at 7:19 PM on August 23, 2006


Kind of a spoon-type deal or are you in the mood to tussle?
posted by Divine_Wino at 7:20 PM on August 23, 2006


Hey McLeod, get off of my ewe!



Wait, what were we talking about?
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 7:21 PM on August 23, 2006


"Will", "he", "away", "with", and "this" are entirely acceptable comments and I'm amazed that you think otherwise.
posted by Ethereal Bligh at 7:23 PM on August 23, 2006


Man, we haven't had one of these in a while. Seemed like a lot more fun way back when I was younger, instead of trite and repeative like it is now. Kinda like Motley Crue.

We all know where to take issues with posts lacking substance, right? Metatalk! Dios knows the grey well, and could have taken issue with it here if that was his problem.

No. Some of us believe that some in-thread commentary on the quality of the thread is part of the whole self-policing thing. And you'd pretty much be able to cut-and-paste the same conniption fit you're having here into the theoretical Metatalk post anyway, so what's the difference?

but it's really hard to deny the fact that what dios was arguing about throughout the thread had absolutely nothing at all to do with the discussion at hand.

I'm a little curious, but IRL do you pout whenever a conversation strays just slightly off a given course? (As defined by you, clearly.) Are tangents or digressions so odious to you? They've made up most of the best conversations I've ever had. Maybe a few viewings of James Burke's "Connections" are in order.

Are dios' comments on Metafilter going to be the stuff that will one day shape the world? If I had money to bet, I'd bet on "no." Shit, the ones I understand I rarely even agree with. But derailing a discussion is no better than, well, monorailing it in my opinion.
posted by Cyrano at 7:49 PM on August 23, 2006


Will he away with this?

I really want to know.
posted by Kickstart70 at 7:50 PM on August 23, 2006


But derailing a discussion is no worse than, well, monorailing it in my opinion.

Oy.
posted by Cyrano at 7:51 PM on August 23, 2006


I don't think that dios's continual patrolling for left-wing bias and resulting attempted citizen arrests are productive. A lot of people just tune them out. He's done this long enough, and consistently and exclusively about left-wing bias, that the rest assume he's completely partisan and therefore his words can't be trusted to stand on their own without constant examination for hidden partisan motivation. In the end, this pretty much defeats his purpose, which is to reduce partisan bias. In fact, he's probably increasing it.

You can ask why he doesn't seem to see this, and why he continues. I think he gets very annoyed. Further, I think he has good reason to get annoyed. Though that's not much of an answer.

People are people. This is the sort of thing that happens in relationships, certainly in mine. Sometimes there's something your partner or friend constantly does which annoys that you respond to, in annoyance, and with an almost formulaic rhetorical barb that, of course, never results in anything other than the other person becoming angry and defensive. Yet you continue to do this. Why? You'll probably claim that you want the other person to realize that what they're doing is annoying and to stop. But clearly your response has proved, over and over, to be counterproductive in that aim. Yet you continue. There seems to be seated deep in the human psyche that fighting with someone is an effective path to mutual comprehension and conflict solving. It's as if at some deep level we really believe this—which we also know only too well is false.

Alternatively, perhaps what is really motivating us is that we enjoy the conflict much more than we enjoy a resolution to conflict. Or most likely it's the particularly potent and resilient combination of both where we can enjoy the conflict while believing that it is productive.

If you really and truly want to be effective in showing people the error of their ways, whether it's that they're wrong about something in particular or if they're being obnoxious and don't realize it, you almost certainly have to coat your words with honey. You have to play by different "rules" than the person you're trying to correct. It's not about "fairness", it's about whether you care enough to actually be rhetorically effective.
posted by Ethereal Bligh at 8:08 PM on August 23, 2006


Granted some people delight in being the schoolroom prick, but why not just ignore the obnoxious outbursts? Seriously. I make no bones about the fact that there are some MeFites I've decided to just not respond to. Sometimes I catch myself writing a comment in response to repeated derails, but then I think better than actually posting it. It's certainly not always been the case, but I'm getting better at this abandoning "conversations" which, after a little reflection, would otherwise turn into a pointless bitching session.

In real life when you walk into a crowded room do you pay attention to every single thing everyone says? No. Of course not. If you try and do that you'll walk away with nothing. You pick out the people who have something interesting to say, and you ignore the "type A" jerks who try and dissimulate their inability to contribute by repeatedly pushing other people's buttons.
posted by clevershark at 8:15 PM on August 23, 2006


Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
posted by edgeways at 8:26 PM on August 23, 2006



posted by Joeforking at 9:03 PM on August 23, 2006 [1 favorite]


he didn't get away with it ... i didn't let him ... judging from the looks of it, i actually got him to shut up for once

it's someone else's turn, next time
posted by pyramid termite at 10:13 PM on August 23, 2006


I tend to be an inline-image-hater when they're just borrowed from elsewhere and/or stupid and/or old, but I fully approve of the handmade Mefi-related images posted in this thread. [they are good]
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 12:30 AM on August 24, 2006


General rule of thumb: tangents and side-discussions are generally accepted in political posts, as long as the person writing them agrees with the original poster's politics.
posted by Bugbread at 5:36 AM on August 24, 2006


Everyone makes mistakes. Damn, you're bitchy.

Yes, yes I am bitchy. You always say that like it's news. But not reading the fucking thread isn't a mistake. It's laziness.

(thanks, cortex!)
posted by dame at 5:46 AM on August 24, 2006


The truth about Dios : He is a lawyer who uses MeFi as a chance to practice his rhetoric.

Heee!! I'm a rhetoritician who uses Metafilter to practice my rhetoric.
posted by mrmojoflying at 5:47 AM on August 24, 2006


I'll say . . . 420 Bob. What? I'm late? The game is over, and everyone has gone home?
posted by tr33hggr at 6:01 AM on August 24, 2006


No, I think Cortex is building up to something...
posted by Jofus at 6:27 AM on August 24, 2006


Oh, I was just prepping the DDF Emergency Thread Evactuation gear should the team need to swing into action. Looks like the crisis was more or less averted, but we can never be to careful. It's my calling. My mission. My passion.

*powers down DDF skysignal, sighs*
posted by cortex at 6:41 AM on August 24, 2006


*Slashes funding for DFF Emergency Responce Team*

*Poses for news-op stating we are doing all we can to help*
posted by Balisong at 6:43 AM on August 24, 2006


Free Candy Samples
posted by If I Had An Anus at 8:01 AM on August 24, 2006


This thread is hard work.
posted by Otis at 8:15 AM on August 24, 2006


The truth about Dios : He is a lawyer who uses MeFi as a chance to practice his rhetoric.

And probably billing his clients for it, too :) [note: I'm kidding, don't sue me]
posted by empath at 8:57 AM on August 24, 2006


This image needs a "Serious business" caption.
posted by Eideteker at 9:48 AM on August 24, 2006


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