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I've seen it used to insult someone's intelligence, or at least that's how I perceived it. And aren't most of the posts in this thread about "perceived offense"?I wasn't raised in a bubble honest, I took it to be a light hearted joke, like 'tomfoolery" or being silly but in a harmless way or something, is it nasty?
I fail to see how the smiley is more offensive than the :gans:.That was indeed the spirit in which it was created. Not to repeat myself but:
Taking offense should be listed as an All American past time. It seems to be ingrained in every facet of our society. A few smilies were removed and now I am bludgeoning flies with a sledge hammer, depriving good honest crooks of their screw drivers and fomenting shenanigans outside of Ireland. It gives way to my continuous observation that no good deed will go unpunished.
EXACTLY.I think the point is, that telling someone they are performing shenanigans (when in fact they are just trying to get through someone's thick headed skull) constantly is far more offensive than a popcorn smilie. This is just another example of.........
EXACTLY. I found it to be very demeaning to the intended target (BTW, I've never been a target of it).I've often found it to be demeaning ... particularly when used against an honestly-expressed opposing viewpoint. In the context it's usually used it's a statement that the person you're responding to lacks sincerity ... or more often, lacks intelligence ...
... Bob (Grateful Diver)
True that. And if we're going to wipe out offensive smileys, there are many more offensive than . I always thought was pretty cute (and I've been a target of that one more times than I can remember). I always took it as "I'm waiting to see where this goes". How is that offensive?Exactly, Pete ... and I'll ask a question you asked me earlier ... where do you draw the line?
Is it your intent to wipe out everything that someone on ScubaBoard finds offensive? Because if that's the case, there won't be anything left ...
... Bob (Grateful Diver)
Originally Posted by NetDoc
So far, it seems to be working and the protests are coming mostly from those who routinely abused it. It's just a tad ironic, doncha think?
I don't know if I count as protester, but if so - I definitely don't see myself as a routine abuser. Wouldn't routine indicate like at least 5-10 uses (and abuses)? I think I used just a couple of times before this thread. I just liked it. I get it's gone, and I'm not asking for it back (pushing a rope and all that).
But - before this thread I would have never voiced my opinion that I was sad it was gone - and somehow seems representative of something bigger - so I am voicing an opinion. Nothing more, nothing less.
Personally I think Pete and a bunch (not all) of the moderators continue to get their panties in a bunch about the little emoticons because THEY are the problem! Not the emoticons!
"Popcorn Eating - Waiting to See what happens next"
and
"Popcorn has arrived and this smiley is gonna kick back and watch the entertainment, trolls anyone?"
I think it's just a "we're in control" kind of issue.... your "perfect forum world" doesn't exist, kinder gentler posting will never happen...Some people need a kick in the butt to get something through to them, and being kinder and gentler could get you dead and rather quickly!
In the social forums...who cares....
Where it's at right now.Exactly, Pete ... and I'll ask a question you asked me earlier ... where do you draw the line?
In spite of conclusions, extrapolations and conjecture to the contrary: No, that has never been my intent. However, the real control freaks can't stand the fact that we made a decision about a very minor smilie without their permission. I doubt that I'll contact them on the next smiley addition/retraction either. No matter what I do, they will be sure to be offended.Is it your intent to wipe out everything that someone on ScubaBoard finds offensive?
No Pete ... that's not my logic at all.
My logic is that you're making decisions that affect all 200,000 users of your board based on the actions of maybe a dozen members.
A couple years back you made the same decision when you disabled the "Thanks" feature ... based on the fact that a handful of members were using it in ways that you considered abusiive. Basically, they were Thanking each other for posts that struck you as "dogpiling". And therefore everyone lost the "Thanks" feature.
Now, if you look at who's been using the popcorn smiley in a way that you have decided is unfriendly, you'll discover that it's basically those same people. And so once again you're responding to what you perceive as their bad behavior by removing the means they're using to express themselves. And once again, the vast majority of people who are affected by it weren't using it in the manner you've based your decision on.
So what makes you think this same small group of users won't just go find some other smiley ... or some other feature ... that will enable them to continue doing the same thing again? What's next, Pete ... remove the "Like" function? I've already seen a couple of people complaining that people who make snarky comments get "Liked" by their friends ... and once again, they're complaining about the same users who misused the Thanks and the popcorn smiley.
You can't change someone's behavior by taking away their toys, Pete ... they'll just find something else to play with. You have to address the behavior at the source ... and the source isn't the tool, it's the person who's misusing it. What you're doing amounts to TSA management practices ... one guy gets on a plane with explosives in his shoe, so now everybody has to take their shoes off. It doesn't address the problem ... it just gives the appearance that you're doing something about it.
If the board looks "unfriendly" because a handful of people are misusing a tool, you aren't going to make it any friendlier by removing the tool ... you have to address it at the level of those who are misusing it.
And for the record, I own a drawer full of screwdrivers ... and I've never once used one to break into someone's house. I'd be mighty upset if someone decided to ban screwdrivers ... or even make it harder for me to own one ... because of the actions of a few people who misused them.
Also for the record, I'm not the least bit concerned about the smiley ... I almost never used it anyway. I have other ways of expressing myself. My concern is that the manner in which you're trying to resolve the problem is ineffective, and basically treats everyone as though they were the ones who were misbehaving. In that respect, Pete, it isn't the miscreants that are making the board less friendly ... it's the management team that behaves as though they are assuming that no one is capable of using the features of the board responsibly ...
... Bob (Grateful Diver)
What do you think it means ???I still think :gans: is the most offensive smiley...yet nobody responded to my statement about that earlier.
:gans:
look foward to having it used on me in the future.
"No matter what happens, somebody will find a way to take it too seriously" -Dave Barry
Actually, the flies are being bothered by the offending mods!they are still being bothered by the offending "flies".