Fear of the Left . . .

[_Jersey Girl]

After all this time can you not tell that I realize when you are joking with me?

Hey. I still remember when our smilies were hand made and had no nose.

:)

Get thee behind me, Gunnar!

[_Some Schmo]

For a board that regularly takes up the cause of an MG or a subgenius derailing threads, regularly ridicules ajax about racism, or addresses the unhinged behavior of a DJT and the combative and hateful tone that has washed over America as if it was our job, only one poster addressed the unhinged and vicious personal attack that Ceeboo was confronted with.

This is rich, coming from you.

Unhinged indeed.

There must be something in American right wing DNA that makes people oblivious about their own behavior. If you want to know why I spoke to Ceeboo that way, damned ask, ya passive aggressive hypocrite.

But you won't because you'd rather whine about to everyone else.

You can dish it but heaven forbid you take it.

[_Maksutov]

For a board that regularly takes up the cause of an MG or a subgenius derailing threads, regularly ridicules ajax about racism, or addresses the unhinged behavior of a DJT and the combative and hateful tone that has washed over America as if it was our job, only one poster addressed the unhinged and vicious personal attack that Ceeboo was confronted with.

This is rich, coming from you.

Unhinged indeed.

There must be something in American right wing DNA that makes people oblivious about their own behavior. If you want to know why I spoke to Ceeboo that way, ____ ask, ya passive aggressive hypocrite.

But you won't because you'd rather whine about to everyone else.

You can dish it but heaven forbid you take it.

Do you really think you handled it right, Schmo?

[_Some Schmo]

Do you really think you handled it right, Schmo?

State your criticism.

Look, I hadn't visited the thread in a while, and just reading his recent responses all in one sitting was nauseating. He is someone I perceive to be exceptionally insincere. Perhaps you could chalk it up to a communication deficit, but that was my take. I said what I was thinking at the time.

[_Some Schmo]

And by the way, Jersey Girl's defense of Ceeboo is less about Ceeboo and more about Jersey Girl's issue with me.

Just naming the spade.

[_Maksutov]

Do you really think you handled it right, Schmo?

State your criticism.

Look, I hadn't visited the thread in a while, and just reading his recent responses all in one sitting was nauseating. He is someone I perceive to be exceptionally insincere. Perhaps you could chalk it up to a communication deficit, but that was my take. I said what I was thinking at the time.

I'm often an abrasive prick and it seemed harsh to me.

This thread is very educational. The divisions seem to be based on completely different narratives of how we got here and what is going on. Like parallel universes but firing hyperquantum cannons at eachother. WTF?

[_Some Schmo]

I'm often an abrasive prick and it seemed harsh to me.

I didn't feel like pretending at the time. Apparently it was harsh. I'll own that.

This thread is very educational. The divisions seem to be based on completely different narratives of how we got here and what is going on. Like parallel universes but firing hyperquantum cannons at eachother. WTF?

This was the exact reason I made my edit. I wanted to point out specifically that it had little to do with the political divide and everything to do with the way I perceive Ceeboo. It's the opposite of bigotry. It's me judging one man's character based on the way he behaves, not because of whatever group he or I think he belongs to.

I'll point out that earlier in the thread, I thought he made a decent post and I said so. Later, not so great.

[_Kishkumen]

I think CeeBoo is basically a decent, good-hearted person who sincerely wants to be on the side of truth and decency. I don't think he deserves the excoriation and verbal abuse to which some have subjected him. I think it is tragic, though, that he buys into the delusional claims of Prager "University" and the extreme, far right that seems to currently dominate our national government.

As a veteran of this board and the world of online political conversations, I sympathize with Ceeboo's frustration. Thing is, I have been subjected to some pretty stiff challenges here from people I often agree with. It's not pleasant, but, then, why should I be happy to have people swallow what I am saying without me justifying myself and making a good argument? On the other hand, I do believe it is the case that people recognize the rhetorical boundaries of their group and are unsettled when they see associates or allies wandering off into the rhetorical territory of the opposition. The latter is something I find dismaying.

The problem with online discussions is that they take some of the humanity out of human interactions. It is a bad place to figure out what is happening with Kishkumen in his in real life life under his in real life name, or DocCam, or Ceeboo. Missing that context, we are missing half of what goes into any decision, or more, actually. That is why I wrote about my concern for Ceeboo. I should do much more of that with everyone, but this platform does not encourage such human concern. In a way, it is antithetical to it. Not deliberately. Not because the board creators or mods have done or are doing something wrong. It is the structure and the technology working against us here.

Ceeboo is a person who has reached out to me as a human being. He has PMed me when he was concerned about me or wanted further clarification about something I was saying. For this reason, my concern about Ceeboo reaches beyond the confines of what is on the screen. I wonder what is informing what is on the screen. Something is. We just don't think about it enough. None of us do. Sure, we learn to cope with that, but I wonder whether we sacrifice some of our humanity in the bargain.

I wish you well, Ceeboo. I know you are a good person, regardless of politics.

[_Some Schmo]

I think CeeBoo is basically a decent, good-hearted person who sincerely wants to be on the side of truth and decency. I don't think he deserves the excoriation and verbal abuse to which some have subjected him. I think it is tragic, though, that he buys into the delusional claims of Prager "University" and the extreme, far right that seems to currently dominate our national government.

I can't help but take what you say seriously Gunnar based on your posting history.

I just happen to think that what I said to him was a more succinct and direct form of what he was saying to people with whom he disagrees. It's only a style difference.

In fact, it felt like I was the only one willing to say what it felt like almost everyone else was more or less thinking.

[Guest]

I don't feel Schmo was really out of line even if it wasn't the words I'd use. I don't care for passive aggressive behavior and when it gets countered with aggressive aggressive behavior, I generally view it as of a kind. People like Dr. Steuss or Xeno rarely take shots because they offer quality content and are model citizens who turn the other cheek when the first shot gets thrown. Ceebs isn't a member of that exclusive group. Dicks like me take shots all the time, and I'm cool with that. I hope there is some substance in those exchanges and not just heat, but I don't mind the heat. Ceebs isn't part of that group, either, though I think the majority of posters here at least keep a toe in that pond.

Ceebs posted a clearly polemic piece for an O P. He had every opportunity to show he was legitimately interested in engaging people over its content. It wasn't just that he was being overwhelmed that he didn't respond. He clearly wasn't interested in a good faith conversation, and seemed mostly interested in people validating whatever beliefs he already had. It gets old being asked a question, offering up a response with intent to dig into them a bit to only get a, "Thanks for playing!" That's not being nice. That's being a dick in a different kind of way. I'm sorry if it is offensive to say this, but frankly the quality of content in his posts went up after he erased them. That's how little actual content was there before.