Tit-for-tat reputation

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Well, to be fair, good taste is often not around with the above categories. (Although I don't know what "Flushed Away" is.)

Call me old fashioned - but jokes openly aimed against someone else are not funny.

(I can understand why Cara acted how he did, even though I probably wouldn't have done the same - don't think there was ill intent behind the words, just lack of thinking. If it were my country I would have written a tirade in reply or something.)

 

I get what you're saying. I may have acted rashly. I actually enjoy when comedians make fun of us in a clever way it's just a matter of context (I actually posted a link in the cool/funny video thread of a skit by Robin Williams making fun of the French).

I'm really annoyed about the scandal and the shame that surrounds the French team right now and although I wish for them to lose, the post in the football thread (sorry soccer) really pissed me off.

It just hit a nerve. We've been served that surrendering tired old line over and over again and that is just the last straw that breaks the camel's back.

It's definitely a question of context. I'm cooling off now as I type and I think I may have overreacted.

As I see it, there is a huge difference between political stunts like freedom fries and criticizing the previous French administration's refusal to go to war (what Chandos pointed out) and the fact of randomly associating France with cowardice and surrender whenever anything French comes up (and when it's not surrender it's sexual in nature -which to be frank I don't object to as strongly).

I understand that we are not blameless. The French have a reputation for being smug and to a certain extent that is well deserved. It's just that in that context it felt really gratuitous and offensive.

In the context of the world cup, going for that cheap line is like kicking a man in the groin when that guy is already on his knees.

It seems I've just answered my question. Ignorance is bliss indeed.

EDIT: I hate losing my temper over a silly thing like this. If someone could give the fellow poster his rep point back by approving of his post that would be fine.

 

Ok, let me go and check the post in question, Cara....

Is it Morgoth?

That's what I'm talking about. How lame and embarrassing was that (if you are an American)?

 

Yes. Thanks Chandos.

 

Ok. But check my edit (addition), Cara.

Plus rep done.

 

Yes, it always cuts both ways.

Two wrongs don't make a right. It's a bit of a cliché but this saying holds some truth.

On this topic, it's funny how people in France are stuck between two attitudes regarding the US, either complete unlimited admiration or utter loathing of anything remotely American. There seems to be no middle ground.

If it were now, there would be no freedom fries because the current French Government would have agreed to go to war, that much is certain... But that is off topic.

 

Negative repping is, in most cases, childish. Don't get me wrong -- there are plenty of times when it is justified -- casting aspersions toward an entire nationality, baldly lying about verifiable points of fact, personal attacks, etc. If I receive negative rep for something petty and childish, I feel no need to "be the better man". I may be a grown-up, but this isn't real life. It's a D&D forum. I come here for fun, and if someone wants to childishly sling **** like a caged monkey, then I'll gleefully throw it back.

 

Going a little off topic to offer an explanation:

"Flushed Away" is an animated movie from Aardvark Animations and DreamWorks. Voice credits include Hugh Jackman (a domestic rat who was flushed down the toilet), Kate Winslet (a crafty sewer rat), Ian McKellen (a British and brutish toad), and Jean Reno (a French ninja assassin frog).

In one scene the Jean Reno character and his subordinates are attacking a boat manned by our hero and heroine rats (Hugh and Kate). The fight begins and he yells, "TO ACTION!"

All of his subordinate French frogs raise their arms in unison and shout "WE SURRENDER!"

He respond with, "No, no, no ... the other action ... the ninja fighting thing...."

The movie is filled with British cultural references and openly mocks Bond movies (along with may others). It is complete with a mime, a world cup game with Britain as one of the team and the havoc halftime presents in the sewers (as most of London rushes to the loo).

 

Classic bunny.

Back on topic, I think I'd rather the rep system was positive only. Although I agree with DR's point about anybody who gets that worried about imaginary popularity points on a videogame site needing to acquire a life, I acknowledge that such sensitive souls do exist. Perhaps we should save them from themselves, and let people only indicate likes, not dislikes. But perhaps, even then, we would see threads like "I posted something ROFLMAO funny and no one rep'd me! What gives?".

Disregarding this, one problem with negative rep is that people can dig at other folks anonymously without explanation. This can lead to cycles of negative behaviour from even relatively normal people, let alone the portion of idiots that always exist within any given sample of a population (whether it's Nobel prize winners, forum members or glamour models the only certainty is that there are always more idiots than you expect. Always.).

The Internet is a bit like a room full of blindfolded people. Personally, I'd rather give them sweets to share than sticks to beat each other with.

 

... but the image of a room full of blind people swinging sticks is really funny.

 

I was going to add "until someone loses an eye", but I realised that my own analogy is imploding upon itself...

 

Well, I don't have that problem because I start with the assumption that everyone is an idiot until they prove otherwise. So far the only one to have successfully done that is me. And of course T2, for whom being an idiot would actually be a step up.

 

Interesting analogy.

Blindfolded works better.

Blind people with sticks would be just fine. They'd feel their way through the room better than a bunch of blindfolded persons who would be totally disoriented because they just rely on eyesight too much.

 

I am not in favour of the rep system at all, we are here to discuss things or gain information about things not to raise in the ranks.

That said I have given out my fair share of rep, not much and quite evenly distributed as positive and negative. I must say that I enjoy being repped, negative more so than positive at times. It is usually some frantic comment attached and I get a warm fuzzy feeling inside of me knowing that I have managed to make someone I find to be an idiot angry enough to give me negative internet reputation.

 

I really don't bother much with reputation unless it's a forum that have some form of facility for buying and selling. My giving of positive/negative reputation would then based on whether I have good or bad experience with a certain buyer or seller. And even that, I'm not exactly prolific about giving these points.

Here and some other discussion forums that I frequent, I never give reps any thoughts at all. Likewise with number of posts. The only time that I even consider looking at a member's post count is when he/she is posting like it's his/her first time ever in an internet forum. Sort of like helps me decide how to respond or not to respond at all.

My take on rep is that it's not really accurate. Let's say I posted an opinion which offended some members. So they gave me some negative rep points. But would these guys give me positive rep points if in another thread I an opinion that they agreed with? Most often, no. So I'm left with a one-sided reputation. What then if the 'offended' guys were fair enough to give me positive reps for opinions they agreed with. I just basically have nullifying rep points which simply puts me back to square one. So whenever you see some members with high negative rep points doesn't automatically makes him a jerk or someone with high positive rep points doesn't necessarily mean you'll agree or respect them.

 

Hey! HEY! HEY!

JUST WHY ARE YOU GETTING SO PERSONAL!

Don't make me go all neg on you.

 

Personally, I want to be a chaotic evil halfling warpriest of cyric and get a reputation of 1. If I attack Tal or Lorekeeper do I get minus in reputation? They're close enough to the Flaming Fist, right?


But honestly, I always thought the rep system was a neat little BG-esque idea (like in-game rep). Not something so serious. Help people with things and act polite, you generally get good rep. Tell all the nobles you're going to rob them, or take their pantaloons and run for the hills, you're probably not going to get as positive of a reputation.

I myself have never given out any rep, there are lots of good posts by too many people for me to rep all of them. If I repped every constructive, well-put together or funny post, I'd be giving people reputation constantly. I've never received, nor given, any negative rep; but I can say that if I did get some negative rep I wouldn't go negatively rep them back unless I was going to in the first place. If I ever truly felt the need to negatively rep anyone here, which I highly doubt I will, it would be for something way out there; extreme racism, degradation, dehumanization, etc

I've never seen anyone on the boards post something like that, and if they did, I assume something worse than a little negative rep would happen to them. Anywho, I'm off to shin-hobble people with my +2 Fanciful Morningstar of Shin-Hobbling. All hail Cyric!

 

Car, if it makes you feel any better, I was in France a couple of months ago for the first time, and found your country to be very impressive, even breath-taking. Paris makes any city in the USA look like a total dump in comparison.

Many French people might be a little smug, but I also found that the citizens tend to hold themselves with a sense of dignity. They take great care with little details. Restaurants, even in small towns, have everything set up just so. Clothing is clearly chosen with great care. I really enjoyed watching French citizens go about their days while in Paris. Oh, and the ladies aren't bad to look at either!

On topic, I have never given negative rep on any message board. I would only possibly do so to someone being overtly belligerent or disrespectful.

 

Thanks Marceror for trying to make me feel better.

I just feel foolish for losing my temper because of a remark on a forum. I've got a very short fuse and I ran into much trouble in real life because of that. Losing one's temper can only have bad consequences.

The things you say about Paris and France could be said about Rome and Italy as well. I think Paris is a very beautiful place to visit but as a Frenchman I'd hate having to live there (I turned down jobs for that very reason). I'm glad you enjoyed your stay.

 

I only give positive rep and have given it to posts that I disagreed with because I though the argument well don.