This is a rants forum, right?

[AlexCraig]

Rants: Dead horse Society
All venting, or whining posts here. Also for serious and thoughtful discussion.

Looks like it to me. So, if that is the case, why is it that many people believe that this forum is not for ranting, venting, or whining? This confuses me. I go into many rants posted here and I see people saying "You expect to get good results from a video game forum?". Uhh, yeah. That is why they post here. It is for this purpose. Not to be flamed, insulted, or put down. Where do people get this idea from?

You know, another thing that bothers me is how some people also say "Most of the people on these forums are teenagers still living in their parents' home.". Again, yeah. That is where teenagers live. Sounds like some people are condescending to teenagers, to me. Is there not a rule against such acts? Besides, I have known countless teenagers who are more intellectual and wisened than some adults. Why do these people consider teens stupid? I can understand some, but still...

Seriously, I don't get it. Where does all of this come from?

[McLaughlin]

I thoroughly enjoy being judged by my age, and age alone. It makes everyone look even more idiotic when their little world comes crumbling down. Age prejudice is a very clear indicator of who isn't worth my time.

As for the Rants issue, you can only expect so much from people whose brains take several minutes more than their computer does to boot up.

[ABDUR101]

Ranting and venting about the game itself and so on are what I'd expect on this forum, but the community has built up to a degree that personal life-based rants still come up. I personally see little benefit of ranting about stuff like that here unless you're looking for specific people's responses, or abit of attention. I find it much better to go talk to actual friends or post to my own journal to which my closest friends can read over my thoughts and give me solid, honest, balls to the wall blunt replies.

I don't much find the opinions of most people to be worth taking note of, so posting my random trash on an open forum doesn't solve anything.

Age prejudice? Hardly. Age isn't an indicator of intelligence or mental maturity, but for the most part I'm pretty sure I'm not going to be going to any of my neices and nephews for advice on issues I'm having. But then I don't get up in arms when a 50 year old doesn't think to take my advice either. And you pretty much answered your own question. "Why do these people consider teens stupid? I can understand some, but still...". Thats it, sorry, but the majority of people are stupid and ignorant, and it just so happens that teens are for the most part self-centered and emotionally driven. Do you want advice from someone who's idealistic, emotionally driven and not really had enough experience in life to look at things properly in order to give a logical and well-thought out answer?

You never get a haircut from someone with a worse haircut than you. Food for thought.

[AlexCraig]

True enough, but then there are those teens who do know more about the world than some adults. Granted, from what I have seen, only a handful of people here can foot that bill. But it never hurts to ask and find out. I also think it is kind of hard to say the most teens are stupid and ignorant, as there are just too many out there and it is impossible to know them all, let alone a fraction.

And, personally, would rather have opinions from one whom is emotionally driven and idealistic. Hard facts are nice, but can change depending on the person. Like how a person whom has seen much death in his time is used to it and would say "get over it", whereas a person whom has rarely dealt with death would say "I am sorry for your loss. I know how you feel". If a member of my family were to die, I would want comfort over hardness.

But then again, that is just me.

EDIT: In any case, the description of this forum does not say anywhere that it is for just-game material. That may be how it was used in the days prior to my arrival, but by the time I got here I thought this was how the forum was intended. I still see it as such; ranting and venting about anything that bothers you. Journals and blogs and whatever have you are fine, but not everyone has one. So a rant forum is the best place for these people.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: AlexCraig on 2007-11-11 20:59 ]</font>

[ABDUR101]

The forum is non-specific, and with the community has fostered any and all kinds of rants. Again, it comes down to whether you're comfortable accepting advice from members of a gaming forum. Thats pretty much up to the poster, no one else.

Sad truth; it doesn't matter if I've met the majority of teens, the reality is that as a person they aren't fully developed; socially, physically or mentally. If you're a teen, odds are you'll take the advice of a fellow teen because they may have had the same life experiences as you and may offer something you did'nt think of.

I, personally, don't care if you're 14 or 45, if I find you and your opinion off base, I don't care for your advice. It's based on the person more than anything, thus why I don't talk to many people about any problems I have.(again, never get a haircut from someone who has worse hair than you.) Too many voices can cloud judgement, but voices of close friends who you know to be honest offer enough to let you choose based on sound judgement.

*edit*
As for wanting kindness and condolence over hardness; thats another reason why you decide whether you want to actually bring up your issues in public. If you have dirty laundry, don't do it where you can't take everyone's opinion.

You'll get the "I'm sorry for your loss, it wasn't long ago that I lost someone.." and the "Get over it, it's a part of life" in a public forum anywhere. That in itself is part of life, you have the people who are hardened and just deal with things and want to encourage others to accept the inevitable and just move on, and there are those who offer comfort. Too far in either direction is a bad thing, too hard and they come across harsh and rude, too soft and they feel like they're blowing smoke up your ass.

Again, I'd prefer the support of my personal friends than to go out into public looking for support and advice on my issues. Thats not to say you won't get it, but you'll be subjected to people who for the most part don't care and will only give you their straight forward view.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: ABDUR101 on 2007-11-11 21:33 ]</font>

[AlexCraig]

Very true. However, I fail to see how this being a gaming forum has anything to do with it. After all, the posters here are people, too, who have had different experiences to go off of.

[ABDUR101]

On 2007-11-11 21:28, AlexCraig wrote:
Very true. However, I fail to see how this being a gaming forum has anything to do with it. After all, the posters here are people, too, who have had different experiences to go off of.


You're missing the point. It doesn't matter if this is a gaming forum, a movie forum, anything. I'm not saying because it's a gaming forum that the people are incompetant beyond anything but gaming, obviously thats not true. However, I would'nt start a religious discussion on a gaming forum, nor a gaming discussion on a religious forum.

But again, I would'nt post my rants or seek advice from just anyone, and certainly not a forum that wasn't geared toward members who have had similar experiences; and would be knowledgable/well-versed enough to offer decent answers and opinions.

Moreso of importance, people who have the intellect to offer well thought out answers. Just reading these forums I can see who is capable of that and who isn't based on how they reply. Sadly, the majority of replies are more like "post count +1" than actually thought out and directed for what was asked. Thats pretty much anywhere though.

[Kendrik]

Fascinating. Personally, I enjoy reading the rants of others. Sometimes I can give insight to a situation, but, if nothing else, I can better understand human nature as a result of it. This being the case, I've got no problem with general/life rants taking place here.

That being said, Abdur has some valid points. I'm not far out of teenagedom, myself, but I still get ignored on account of my age from time to time. Then again, as I look around at age groups, I really don't find it surprising that such is the case. Let's face, there definitely are young people with intelligence and/or wisdom beyond their years, but those people are not the majority. I do all I can to minimize "age prejudice," but it doesn't surprise me, nor really offend me, when I see it happening.

My thoughts on rant forums/blogs: Go for it. People can rant all they want in the (oddly) safe environment of the internet. Let's not forget this, though: Constant ranting among friends and new acquaintances is a quick way to drive people mad. If you've got to get something off your chest, then get it off your chest! Just don't expect great advice or sympathy from the members of a forum (even less from a gaming forum).

On a completely different note, I know where you're coming from, Alex. I'm frequently a cynic (or, at the least, I generally have a dark and jaded view of humanity), but I still search for hope (I'm a living paradox). Emotion should follow logic. I've spent a lot of time being emotionally driven and idealistic, but these things can be detrimental in the long run if they are not held in balance with reason and fact. As in the case with your hypothetical death of a loved one, comfort is superior to coldness. However, this is based on a logical (though existential) premise: Given the ability to choose between optimism and pessimism without serious external impact (affecting others in a negative way), it is better to choose optimism. In other words, what good will it do you to be cold? Death is a reality, it is fact, and it is the necessary conclusion to life; however, it is reasonable and healthy to mourn the loss of a loved one, and it is equally good to comfort another when he or she has lost a loved one.

Wow. This is a lot of rambling in a rant thread that isn't even my own. Basically, I'm just trying to say that it is necessary to balance all of these things. It is necessary to be reasonable, but being reasonable does not necessitate coldness or a lack of optimism/idealism.

I'm going to go back to my corner now. The living paradox needs to get back to being productive.



<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Kendrik on 2007-11-11 21:55 ]</font>

[AlexCraig]

I see your point.

Still, I don't understand why it is people decide to flame rant topics. I mean, people are looking for answers or advice through these, not flames. I guess it is as you said "post count +1". http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_nono.gif

[Solstis]

Sometimes, (I was/am guilty of this) what someone thought was a well thought-out rant is generic pseudo-philosophy.

So, those people tend to get made fun of. Pretty much everything I thought was profound when I was 16 looks naive and bland by now (21). My thoughts on the existence of God were developed in the 18th century, for goodness sakes.

Anyway, it's a rants forum. Some people don't like posting their own rants very often (me), so if someone posts on an issue I feel strongly about, I'll pipe up. I don't think that rants should be an ego stroking festival, which it would be otherwise.

[AlexCraig]

I agree. I have only made a few rants in my time and they were only about things I felt strongly about. I didn't make them to stroke my ego, I didn't make them to see if people agree with me (even though that ended up the case a lot of the time), I made them to get something off my chest. I do not have a blog or a journal, so I posted here. Whether people agreed with me or not, I did not care. What I did care about was HOW they responded. People calling me "immature", "foolish", and "stupid" I would not tolerate. I don't post here to get insulted. I post here to vent.

[EphekZ]

On 2007-11-11 21:55, AlexCraig wrote:
I see your point.

Still, I don't understand why it is people decide to flame rant topics. I mean, people are looking for answers or advice through these, not flames. I guess it is as you said "post count +1". http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_nono.gif



If you haven't noticed, the topics that do get flamed are the ones that are just beating a dead horse. I.E. OMG PSO>PSU AND LIEK MY RARZ FAILED!
However, threads that actually serve a purpose usually attract the posters that, somewhat, know what they're talking about and willing to give their insight.

[Blitzkommando]

You have to remember though. To some people, the way you handled your situation (or plan to handle it) could come across as juvenile, immature, foolish, or what have you. I never read your rants so I can't say about you, but I've read some where that is exactly how I would class their actions and/or reactions to the situation. And, hey, some people are a lot more forward about what they think. They're blunt and say what they believe, and really that has its place. But, sitting back and shutting up has its place too.

You're on a public forum. Not only that, but you're on a public forum that has a lot of immature and silly people on it. The internet is full of immature and silly people. On the flip side there are very intelligent and common sense smart individuals here as well. In the end though it doesn't matter which replies to a rant, one is always going to have a critical view of the situation and essentially tell the person making the rant to grow up. Fact of life, or the internet as it were.

As for age. I don't check profiles. I let the person's posts speak for their maturity and intelligence. When I have found out various member's ages I'm often surprised at how old they claim to be with the way they act. On the other hand I've been surprised a couple times where they are more level-headed and mature than most of their peers.

In real life it's quite a bit different but that's frankly an entirely different subject and one that I'd rather not get into myself as to explain it covers too many personal experiences. I'll just say though that I rarely take the advice of someone my age as I've found most people my age have a completely different outlook on the world that comes across as self-centered and completely uninterested in anything outside of their small bit of the world. That's not to say I'm looking at an opinion on something to cover a global view, but at least to consider something outside of themselves and immediate circumstances.

[Sekani]

On 2007-11-11 22:16, AlexCraig wrote:
I agree. I have only made a few rants in my time and they were only about things I felt strongly about. I didn't make them to stroke my ego, I didn't make them to see if people agree with me (even though that ended up the case a lot of the time), I made them to get something off my chest. I do not have a blog or a journal, so I posted here. Whether people agreed with me or not, I did not care. What I did care about was HOW they responded. People calling me "immature", "foolish", and "stupid" I would not tolerate. I don't post here to get insulted. I post here to vent.


Sounds like you need a livejournal or myspace or something. If you just want to rant/vent with no repercussions, that's where you need to take them. On internet forums in general, you will get some feedback on whatever you're posting whether you care about it or not, and to expect that it'll all be of the "nice" variety is a bit naive. Think about your audience here; you have the people who are supportive no matter what; you have the people who only like to post smart-ass responses for their amusement; you have the people who give it to you straighter than a shot of whiskey; and you have others I can't even think of at the moment. Everything you post here will be seen by all of the above, and to expect them all to change their posting behavior for someone who means almost nothing to them is a bit unreasonable.

[Mystil]

I used to read a lot of personal rants here, but I've stopped. I just can't offer any advice for the things these people experience. In game though - thats different.

Age discrimination is heavy during the teens, it's something you have to live with for a while. It doesn't go away when you're in your 20s either.

[AlexCraig]

Here's another thing that I see a lot of. This goes for all forums, though, not just this one,but it is something I have noticed and it confuses me. Why is it that people frequently post the EXACT same thing that several people (possibly even themselves) have posted before? Do they think we did not catch it the first time? Or is that also "post count +1"? I don't get it. If it has been said once, that should be fine. The post isn't going anywhere. But to see 3-5 people say the same thing over and over (frequently the same person), that is kind of silly and useless in my eyes. Not sure if people agree with me; don't care if they do or don't. Just getting that out there.

[mizukage]

On 2007-11-11 19:53, AlexCraig wrote:
Rants: Dead horse Society
All venting, or whining posts here. Also for serious and thoughtful discussion.

Looks like it to me. So, if that is the case, why is it that many people believe that this forum is not for ranting, venting, or whining? This confuses me. I go into many rants posted here and I see people saying "You expect to get good results from a video game forum?". Uhh, yeah. That is why they post here. It is for this purpose. Not to be flamed, insulted, or put down. Where do people get this idea from?

You know, another thing that bothers me is how some people also say "Most of the people on these forums are teenagers still living in their parents' home.". Again, yeah. That is where teenagers live. Sounds like some people are condescending to teenagers, to me. Is there not a rule against such acts? Besides, I have known countless teenagers who are more intellectual and wisened than some adults. Why do these people consider teens stupid? I can understand some, but still...

Seriously, I don't get it. Where does all of this come from?



Correct. This section of the forum is for ranting, venting, and whining. However, most people chose not to do so. But why?

Simple! The majority of the people on a video game forum happen to be kids. Would kids whine about something? Eh....no, I doubt it. Kids are always cheerful about getting to play video games and toys. They don't need to whine or rant or whatever..

Aside from that, the only reason why people need to rant or whine is that they are in either an unhappy mood or a bad mood. Will it help them to whine on a video game forum? Eh, probably no. More over, most results of the whining will lead to the OP getting flamed or laughed at. Thus, it explains why nobody uses the rant section often. This section to me is like PSOX....which is in eternal Christmas!!! http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_lol.gif

I believe you are not ranting and so, I hope I answered your questions. By the way, neither am I ranting either, because there is no point in doing so. Its a video game forum, have fun and enjoy!!! http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/anime1.gif

[AlexCraig]

Have you read all the posts up til now?

[mizukage]

On 2007-11-14 16:13, AlexCraig wrote:
Have you read all the posts up til now?



Unfortunately, no.... I only read the OP and replied. http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/anime2.gif

[ABDUR101]

On 2007-11-14 17:04, mizukage wrote:
Unfortunately, no.... I only read the OP and replied. http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/anime2.gif


Don't do that, make sure you read every reply. Makes you look less...stupid, basically. This is a forum, you should take your time and read everything before spurting a post. Sort of like only reading a single paragraph out of a book, you only get a peice of the story.

[mizukage]

On 2007-11-14 17:47, ABDUR101 wrote:

On 2007-11-14 17:04, mizukage wrote:
Unfortunately, no.... I only read the OP and replied. http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/anime2.gif


Don't do that, make sure you read every reply. Makes you look less...stupid, basically. This is a forum, you should take your time and read everything before spurting a post. Sort of like only reading a single paragraph out of a book, you only get a peice of the story.



Alright. Next time, I will do that. http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_smile.gif

[Scejntjynahl]

The issue about age. It only really comes to play when most people give "us" that information to begin with. If someone doesn't want to be treated accordingly to their age... well don't mention it. It is possible to write a rant/or ask for advice without giving too much personal information.

And the thing about this being a video game forum. It is. Which only brings this notion to my mind. If for example you require advice, lets say pregnancy for now, wouldn't it be more beneficial to find a source of information that actually "deals" with that topic? I mean why go to a forum dedicated to an online game? Hoping that there is a doctor in the net? Again if you are only here to post a rant to vent, by all means go ahead and do so. We all need to vent once in a while. But the minute anyone begins to ask for help, then you best be prepared to get blunt responses. It should also be noted that aside from a select few exceptions, everyone on an open forum doesn't really know each other in any intamate form or manner. Suffice it to say, we only know that which has been shared. Yet because this is foremost a forum on the internet . . . you will find that most people tend to "exagerate" themselves. Afterall, how can they be called out on it?

And I would add more but that which I wished to convey has already been done so by Abdur, which by the way from reading his posting style for the last few years that I have participated in this forum I can safely say with confidence, is a very mature individual.

[mizukage]

On 2007-11-14 18:54, Scejntjynahl wrote:
The issue about age. It only really comes to play when most people give "us" that information to begin with. If someone doesn't want to be treated accordingly to their age... well don't mention it. It is possible to write a rant/or ask for advice without giving too much personal information.

And I would add more but that which I wished to convey has already been done so by Abdur, which by the way from reading his posting style for the last few years that I have participated in this forum I can safely say with confidence, is a very mature individual.



I agree with you. He is one of the few mature individuals on this forum, considering its one dedicated to MMORPG, more specifically PSO and now, PSU/AOI. Thus, I also admire Abdur.

Personally, I chose not to be my age here. After all, this is a video game forum and the fact that most people don't play video games after a certain age. Then again, it is much better this way.. Long Live Youth!!! http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/anime1.gif

Edited: You are correct. It is inappropriate to act like a n00b and for that reason, I believe I should to be my age, whether this is a video game forum or not.



<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: mizukage on 2007-11-15 01:19 ]</font>

[thunder-ray]

I guess i can agree with that

[thunder-ray]

I guess i can agree with that

[Sord]

On 2007-11-14 15:21, AlexCraig wrote:
Here's another thing that I see a lot of. This goes for all forums, though, not just this one,but it is something I have noticed and it confuses me. Why is it that people frequently post the EXACT same thing that several people (possibly even themselves) have posted before? Do they think we did not catch it the first time? Or is that also "post count +1"? I don't get it. If it has been said once, that should be fine. The post isn't going anywhere. But to see 3-5 people say the same thing over and over (frequently the same person), that is kind of silly and useless in my eyes. Not sure if people agree with me; don't care if they do or don't. Just getting that out there.


In the case of a person reapeating what someone else has said, there's a possiblity that by backing a statement, an opinion will become further reinforced on the OP. It's not much diffrent than the thread where someone asked if they should get 360 or Wii. It more or less all came down to 3 choices, Wii, 360, or look at gaming selection and such yourself to see which to buy. If everyone had said "get 360!" instead of everyone saying "get a Wii!" then it's more likely the person will choose the 360 (though I think the majority of people said the 3rd option.)

Opinions aren't much diffrent. Further backing by multiple people makes them apear more solid. The masses can be stupid of course, so no one really should ever folow something simply because the majority backs it, but that doesn't stop humans from dislpaying that follow-the-crowd mentality.

In the case of repeating oneself, this is often because the OP posted some sort of argument against their opinion. By human nature, many people have a desire to feel as if they are right. The very fact that the OP would argue with it can give the appearance that they are calling them wrong. So the person naturally re-states their opinion, and (possibly) tries to back it further. The other case would be because something was spoken about or acknowledged in the OP reply to the opinion, but some others were ignored.

EX
Responder: give opinion backed by A B C
OP: replies, but only talks about A and B
Responder: restates C since it appeared skipped

You have to remember that we are dealing with being online. That means everything is more or less coming from a posters point of view. The only other way they can guess what someone else is thinking is by what they put in their post. Beyound that, it's all human speculation (which can be rather faulty and attempt to make conclusions with inssuficient amounts of data, which can lead to more misunderstandings or offenses until everything develops into a flame war.)

[AlexCraig]

True enough. Still, the person could just let it go, rather than repost his initial statement.

[Sord]

On 2007-11-15 14:12, AlexCraig wrote:
True enough. Still, the person could just let it go, rather than repost his initial statement.


Well, the key word there is could, obviously. Also, one could likewise say the same of the OP and his problem. If the OP should be allowed the right to hope he gets a response, as well as responding negatively or positively to that response (and often times that involves repeating something made in their first post,) why should the responder be denied it?

You seem to carry the mentality that somehow the OP should be exempt from all negative talk against him.


On 2007-11-11 22:16, AlexCraig wrote:
People calling me "immature", "foolish", and "stupid" I would not tolerate.

That statement alone makes it seem like you will immediatly disregard any advice if it seems insulting to you (even if that's not the case, that's how it appears.) Anyone may very well make an immature rant here, or say they are about to do an immature act to solve their problem. Regardless of the fact that they might not like being called immature, they are actually being immature. Often times, being immature and doing foolish things won't solve a problem, so telling somebody they are "immature," "stupid," "foolish," etc. can be advice to stop what they are doing or stop making a big deal out of something on the basis their actions are immature.

I guess I should also state that what one defines as "immature," "stupid," or "foolish," are entirely variable upon the person speaking it. This of course includes even the strength to which it is applied. Messages being in text, that can easily be misinterpreted. Person A may say Person B is being immature, but not mean it with any malice behind it. Yet Person B might certainly read it as having such, since they are limited by text. Then of course they take offense, fling an offence at Person A, who then takes offense, and flings it back in turn. Flame war.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Sord on 2007-11-15 14:55 ]</font>

[ABDUR101]

On 2007-11-15 14:12, AlexCraig wrote:
True enough. Still, the person could just let it go, rather than repost his initial statement.



Kinda like how you keep basically re-posting that same sentence with every one of your replies, right?

"Why? -blahblahblah-" "Why do people do this? -blahblahblah-" "Yeah but why? -blahblahblah-"

You've just kept restating your opinion on the issue this entire thread, no matter who replies. Hello redundancy?

[AlexCraig]

That is not how I see it, Abdur, for if you notice, I am asking different questions each time, not the same. My first post in here, for example, was asking about flaming and discrimmination against teens. Wheras my recent one asks about reiteration of posts. I see no similarity in the questions aside from how they are asked.

EDIT: @Sord: It is times like that in which I wish tone could carry over the internet. That would eliminate a lot of flames/flame wars.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: AlexCraig on 2007-11-15 15:15 ]</font>

[TetsuyaHikari]

I don't know Alex..after reading through these replies, I don't even think I should say something about this, cause all you're really doing is running around in circles >.>

[AlexCraig]

Very well, if that is the decision of the majority, I will stop asking questions.