For a long time now I've felt like a living contradiction. Everything I used to think about myself has been inverted, and everything I currently think about myself include both ends of the spectrum. Brilliance and idiocy, joyful and sorrowful, sincere and flippant, superior and inferior. There have been some constants, but those appear to be dying.
The latest to fall is probably for the best. I've played up my own negativity on things, as I do tend to focus on what the problems are. I think it plays into programming, as handling exceptions is necessary, so picking apart the little things is part of the job. But in a general sense, I'm so sick of the negativity.
It's one of the best things we had going for us for a long time here -- the criticisms may have been legitimate when we had them, but they were in good humour. Yet, nowhere's perfect; here and moreso the Internet at large is creating a great big bastion of hate. I'll mention up-front that I'm not referring to factual matters; those who, for example, rally against vaccination are doing enormous harm and deserve to be vehemently shot down. It's the realm of significant subjectivity. It doesn't have to be videogames and it doesn't have to be personal; any area where there's room for reasonable disagreement, there are plenty to take it as an absolutist position.
If there's a criticism, it's not enough to just bring it up in the appropriate context, or if as a reaction, to expand on it. With anything and everything, there are some to try to ruin it for everyone else. It also gets worse, as it does spread to personal attacks by relation. Those who support X are amateurish, or any number of other insults for no other reason than a difference of opinion.
So I'm done. Keep it to yourselves, I don't want it destroying me from the inside out. If you want to berate people for playing "casual" games, or PHP developers as not real programmers, or country music fans as hicks or any other selfish, outwardly hateful, spiteful and utterly immature positions, that's your prerogative, but you're not going to ruin it for the rest of us. You're not going to ruin it for me.
The latest to fall is probably for the best. I've played up my own negativity on things, as I do tend to focus on what the problems are. I think it plays into programming, as handling exceptions is necessary, so picking apart the little things is part of the job. But in a general sense, I'm so sick of the negativity.
It's one of the best things we had going for us for a long time here -- the criticisms may have been legitimate when we had them, but they were in good humour. Yet, nowhere's perfect; here and moreso the Internet at large is creating a great big bastion of hate. I'll mention up-front that I'm not referring to factual matters; those who, for example, rally against vaccination are doing enormous harm and deserve to be vehemently shot down. It's the realm of significant subjectivity. It doesn't have to be videogames and it doesn't have to be personal; any area where there's room for reasonable disagreement, there are plenty to take it as an absolutist position.
If there's a criticism, it's not enough to just bring it up in the appropriate context, or if as a reaction, to expand on it. With anything and everything, there are some to try to ruin it for everyone else. It also gets worse, as it does spread to personal attacks by relation. Those who support X are amateurish, or any number of other insults for no other reason than a difference of opinion.
So I'm done. Keep it to yourselves, I don't want it destroying me from the inside out. If you want to berate people for playing "casual" games, or PHP developers as not real programmers, or country music fans as hicks or any other selfish, outwardly hateful, spiteful and utterly immature positions, that's your prerogative, but you're not going to ruin it for the rest of us. You're not going to ruin it for me.
Recently Spotted:
*crickets*
Since this is now officially derailed.
Mrs Aspro startd playing Infinite Space last night. She adores it, so thanks for the heads up on that one Leo.
G'night Yoda!
G'night Aspro!
Let the serious conversation now resume! Try not to miss me too m...
YEEOUUCCHH ! ! !
*Yoda's mysterious THIRD shoe bounces off the center of Leo's forehead!*
This place is about the only place I visit on the net that is generally positive. Yeah there are arguments but everyone has those. I love what we have here and I hope we never lose focus of that.
It's more of an urban thing than the internet.
Example, let's say we used our real names here. My name is Dan Patrick. Would that change my comments? No. I'm in Australia, what are you going to do, jump on the next Qantas flight, open the white pages, look for Dan Patrick, drive to my house, knock on the door and kick my ass? No.
It's a big city thing. In a big city we are all anonymous regardless of if we wear name tags or not. It's a very freeing thing, no one cares about you, you don't care about anyone. But it's also harsh. So if you are broken down on the freeway and don't have your cell phone you are screwed. Some people will probably even flip you off for slowing down traffic. But on a remote country road, everyone stops, because they probably know you, or know someone who knows you -- so there is accountability.
You are correct, I just want to let the internet off the hook for what is an inherent part of being in a densely populated area.
But we're not like that here. I always thought we have this mutual respect for each other. Even when we're joking around, we're just having fun for the most part and not getting personal. Sometimes we may go a little too far but I always thought it was still sensible.
And Yoda, if you or anyone here see me going to far or if I say something that gets under your guys' skins, just let me know.
I dislike you profoundly.
<3
"Oh Leo, how did you get to be so wise, good-looking and well-hung at such an early age?"
I'm not sure why you're trying to draw a distinction.