Why is there SO MUCH negativity here?!

deksgrl

I roll my eyes at every 'welcome to the internet' response. *****es, I grew up with the internet. Its changed, and has become an integral part of peoples lives now - as such, normal social guidelines need to start being acknowledged. This is the only board I frequent that still has members saying 'errr its the internet' as an excuse for being a jerk.

Maybe as a general rule of thumb... If you wouldn't say it irl, then its probably mean.

Go look for the "nice" on Twitter then where there are no rules, no language filters, no guidelines or moderators. I'm sure all those people are conforming to your normal social guidelines.

Wilhellmina

Supporting is not telling people what they want to here, but telling people what they need to hear...

KeViN_v2pt0

Oh, look, another "people are mean" thread.

Let's see.... a calorie deficit is required to lose weight. A deficit is negative. Thereby explaining all of the negativity.

AllonsYtotheTardis

I roll my eyes at every 'welcome to the internet' response. *****es, I grew up with the internet. Its changed, and has become an integral part of peoples lives now - as such, normal social guidelines need to start being acknowledged. This is the only board I frequent that still has members saying 'errr its the internet' as an excuse for being a jerk.

Maybe as a general rule of thumb... If you wouldn't say it irl, then its probably mean.

you missed the growing up part.


Pro tip - us "Old Folks" (some of us have actually been on the internet since the 80's - you know, before they added pictures for the kids) actually speak online EXACTLY the way we would in person. Some of us hold back online. You're welcome.

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

Honestly, OP, threads like this seem much more negative and divisive than the average paleo/sugar/vegan/etc. thread. Like others have said, debate can be healthy. Blind support isn't really support at all. Some people respond better to tough love. And so on.

If you post a thread and you get 20 positive responses and 3 that you deem negative (I suspect our definitions of negative are very very different, but I digress), and you choose to focus on those "negative" posts, and then you go off to start a new thread to rant about all the negativity, then you are taking one small negative thing and magnifying it into a lot more negativity. Instead, why not focus on the responses that were helpful to you?

To me the gifs, snark, and sarcasm make things interesting and fun. I don't respond well to sugar-coating, and if that's all there was in this community I'd be very unhappy here. For you maybe the opposite is true. There's nothing wrong with that (except that my way is right. ) On the internet, just like in life, you have to take what helps you and ignore the rest.


TL;DR: don't be this chick:

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

I roll my eyes at every 'welcome to the internet' response. *****es, I grew up with the internet. Its changed, and has become an integral part of peoples lives now - as such, normal social guidelines need to start being acknowledged. This is the only board I frequent that still has members saying 'errr its the internet' as an excuse for being a jerk.

Maybe as a general rule of thumb... If you wouldn't say it irl, then its probably mean.

So what you're saying is that even though the people who have been on the internet since before the "normal" people have their own culture, methods of communicating, and understood rules/etiquette, they should change all of that because the new people coming in don't like it? That seems like the opposite of what should happen to me.

eric_sg61

Isn't this supposed to be a place of support?

No

Chevy_Quest

The people that really reached inside themselves and learned how to get fit and healthy often write posts thanking the "mean" people that they encountered when they were new to the forums. These people had the ability to "look at the big picture", swallow some pride and read.

Then, they started to see more positive information, make friends, join groups (which are generally super positive), and "craft" their experience here. As this went on... the negative people were ignored, or in some cases were appreciated for their cutting edge, humor, and wit.

KnM0107

There will always be negativity, just like in RL. This place is no different than any other forum. I try to read posts without giving it a personality. They are just words. Take the advice you feel will help you and leave the rest behind. You can also put people on ignore and you won't have to see it all.

LuLuChick78

Honestly, OP, threads like this seem much more negative and divisive than the average paleo/sugar/vegan/etc. thread. Like others have said, debate can be healthy. Blind support isn't really support at all. Some people respond better to tough love. And so on.

If you post a thread and you get 20 positive responses and 3 that you deem negative (I suspect our definitions of negative are very very different, but I digress), and you choose to focus on those "negative" posts, and then you go off to start a new thread to rant about all the negativity, then you are taking one small negative thing and magnifying it into a lot more negativity. Instead, why not focus on the responses that were helpful to you?

To me the gifs, snark, and sarcasm make things interesting and fun. I don't respond well to sugar-coating, and if that's all there was in this community I'd be very unhappy here. For you maybe the opposite is true. There's nothing wrong with that (except that my way is right. ) On the internet, just like in life, you have to take what helps you and ignore the rest.


TL;DR: don't be this chick:

:flowerforyou: :drinker: I may have to send you a friend request because of that...

rml_16

WE'RE ALL HERE FOR THE SAME REASON!!!!!!

GGDaddy

.

ChristineinMA

Fat and angry, duh.

And don't forget hungry

Mother_Superior

I roll my eyes at every 'welcome to the internet' response. *****es, I grew up with the internet. Its changed, and has become an integral part of peoples lives now - as such, normal social guidelines need to start being acknowledged. This is the only board I frequent that still has members saying 'errr its the internet' as an excuse for being a jerk.

Maybe as a general rule of thumb... If you wouldn't say it irl, then its probably mean.

you missed the growing up part.


Pro tip - us "Old Folks" (some of us have actually been on the internet since the 80's - you know, before they added pictures for the kids) actually speak online EXACTLY the way we would in person. Some of us hold back online. You're welcome.

1337 haxxors n ur bbs stealing all ur internetz.

randomtai

Fat and angry, duh.

And don't forget hungry

And this isn't negative right?

autihill

they HANGRY

^Can I get an AMEN? LOL :laugh:

rml_16

Fat and angry, duh.

And don't forget hungry

And this isn't negative right?

It's not the least bit nasty or insulting.

randomtai

I roll my eyes at every 'welcome to the internet' response. *****es, I grew up with the internet. Its changed, and has become an integral part of peoples lives now - as such, normal social guidelines need to start being acknowledged. This is the only board I frequent that still has members saying 'errr its the internet' as an excuse for being a jerk.

Maybe as a general rule of thumb... If you wouldn't say it irl, then its probably mean.

http://24.media.tumblr.com/45d2908b7a1d2b789b18f786954f0bc3/tumblr_mjbipyzkBC1qdqrpco1_1280.png

FAIL...

randomtai

they HANGRY

^Can I get an AMEN? LOL :laugh:

And you bring such a ray of positivity to the thread... right? :flowerforyou:

smc864

Les MFPerables

There was a time when posters were kind
When their tone was soft
And their words encouraging
There was a time when cardio was fine
And MFP was a song
And MFP friends were inviting
Then it all…went…wrong

I dreamed a dream in bandwidth gone by
When motivation was high
And logging on worth doing
I dreamed the MFP site would never die
I dreamed the Mods would be forgiving
Then I was a noob and unafraid
And strikes were made and used and wasted
There was no reason to be made

No post untrolled
No joke unwasted
But the bullies come at night
With their mean words soft as thunder
As they tear your hope apart
And turn your gurney to shame
MFP filled my days with endless distraction
It took my productivity in real life
But it was gone when I deactivate
And still I dream I’ll recreate
That we’ll live our days online
But there are dreams that cannot be
And there are threads we cannot weather
I had a dream my MFP experience would be
So different from this hell I’m logging
So different now from what it seemed
Now your thread has killed
The dream I dreamed

You're my hero. :flowerforyou: