Author

Topic: Fatawa for forum etiquette (Read 720 times)

legendary
Activity: 1540
Merit: 1000
January 06, 2013, 08:16:00 PM
#2
The great thing about the internet is everyone truly has a voice and it's dirt cheap ( No really O_O I constantly get surprised at the prices I find ) to host your own website, if you guys have a problem with it tell them to shut the fuck up, from what I've seen the admins aren't your typical ones that will ban you for pointing out what a moron someone is. As you know I got pretty pissed when the Newtown shooting happened and the political masturbatory crowd decided to make this forum their battleground but instead of flip out I just decided to mock them in the end, you're honestly far better off reacting this way otherwise you are as bad as they are.

So take the Jon Stewart approach, don't yell or argue with them, don't try to argue against their bullshit hypothetical and imaginary scenarios that have never happened or their flawed statistics, just laugh at them and point out how much they suck.
legendary
Activity: 1246
Merit: 1076
January 06, 2013, 06:34:54 PM
#1
We've had pleas for civility, Atlan rules for the forum, and various other proposals for order in the forum. Although I prefer a democratic, free forum where no rigid rules are in place (aside from, of course, legal considerations), I also find it helpful to incorporate general techniques that facilitate cooperation and constructive collaboration, rather than groupthink or libel (and yes, forum writings are libel and not slander).

As such, I intend this thread to be a collection of "fatawa", which are distinct from "laws" in that they are issued by the governing body. If you have a pet peeve about nonconstructive behaviour on this forum, please issue a "fatwa". I hope this thread to be education to all of us, even if we do not agree. The term "fatwa" originates from Arabic (فتوى), is properly pluralized "fatawa", and although it does not have a direct English translation, it means something akin to "opinion" or "advice", but more formally. Although fatawa are often in relation to Islam, they do not necessarily have to be—fatawa can just as easily be used secularly. Fatawa are not rules, but rather opinions of the issuer that promote healthy societies.

To start off, my fatwa for the day is inspired by recent events.

Fatwa 2013-01-06
I believe that BitcoinTalk members should respond, not react.

The recent events involving controversial user torac have brought the importance of this to light. Rather than remaining calm, devising a solution, and informing his customers accordingly, torac elected to enter a temper tantrum, in the process destroying whatever reputation he had. His reaction was rushed and nonconstructive. It was a waste of time to react, as it did not grant him any concessions—in fact, it did the opposite.

Anger is a powerful emotion, and displaying it causes other powerful emotions. Many healthy threads degenerate because of angry and rushed remarks.

To avoid this in the future, angry BitcoinTalk users should first consider the situation, take time off, and prepare a civil response that promotes positive and constructive communication. Well thought-out responses invite intelligent counterresponses, while rushed reactions only invite emotional flame-wars. This common childhood moral is equally applicable to an online forum.
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