Acting Respectfully (Friendly Reminder)

hamza23 on 09/06/2015 - 14:25
Last edited 11/06/2015 - 02:55 by 1 other user

Acting Respectfully

OzBargain members are quick to jump on a good deal but are not easily fooled by those deals that aren't. Certain posts may call for negativity or scrutiny, however there is a proper way to express yourself and we wanted this to act as a general reminder.

We don't want to create an environment where certain members, old or new, are scared to contribute due to the prospect of ridicule or hostility. Comments don't need to be sugar-coated, but lets act respectfully, properly and keep this community great - we all make mistakes.

We want to continue to build and shape the culture here on OzBargain, so let us all THINK before commenting on all occasions (is your comment/reply True, Helpful, Inspiring, Necessary and Kind).

As Neil stated last year in a similar post (R U OK OzBargainers?): Comments have consequences. People don't come here to be attacked and bullied. It's not us trying to censor you, it's us responding to complaints. While some may say 'suck it up' and that 'people should not be so sensitive', you should be aware that we don't truly know the people behind these accounts. Some are younger, some may come to here to escape a tough reality, be mentally unbalanced, or they possibly could have thick skin (we just don't know). Maybe in 2015 we all can treat each other respectfully, we are professionals after all. ;)

Sound off in the comments if you have any opinions or suggestions. Should you wish to discuss anything with moderators directly/privately please do so via TWAM.

Thanks for reading,
The OzBargain team.

Site Discussion

Comments

  • pyramid on 09/06/2015 - 14:26
    +53

    +1.

  • CyberMurning on 09/06/2015 - 14:32
    +6

    i say take it easy, this is just forum. without active members like jv etc this forum will be boring. they are all jokes. why people get super duper angry and down and stress out just because of a neg voting?
    peace!

    • SonGHosT on 10/06/2015 - 02:36
      +4

      can't agree more.

    • Japius on 10/06/2015 - 06:54
      +4

      well said

    • jjcf on 10/06/2015 - 10:11
      +7

      Because a neg represents -1 sweet, sweet internet points. Why don't you care about internet points?!

      • [Deactivated] on 10/06/2015 - 11:59
        +2

        Because Erwinsie doesn't know that if your points balance dips below -5 the Internet Police will come and disable your connection.

        • ProjectZero on 10/06/2015 - 12:55
          +1

          So how come JV still has his connection… I'm oh so confused…

        • [Deactivated] on 10/06/2015 - 14:12
          +22

          @ProjectZero: JV is flawless.

          He has 2 badges and a display picture.

          I hear his keyboard is insured for $10 000.

          I hear he does customer service… in GERMANY.

          His favourite movie is Cheaper by the Dozen.

          One time he met Scotty on a plane.

          And he told him he was cheap.

          One time, JV corrected my post… It was awesome!

        • ProjectZero on 10/06/2015 - 14:18
          +3

          @woolfenstein:

          All i know is… his call the sti… wait… i thought that was where it was going…

        • [Deactivated] on 10/06/2015 - 14:26

          @ProjectZero: Hahaha I'm a bit new and don't actually know much about this JV thing. I was just Mean Girls inspired.

        • Baysew on 11/06/2015 - 07:43

          @woolfenstein: JV is also bold

        • compugrid on 11/06/2015 - 10:24

          @woolfenstein: And all we know he is The Stig

        • weeenis on 11/06/2015 - 16:23
          +1

          @woolfenstein: aaahhh yes jv …. ill never forget the day he commented on my post asking if there were any bargain …. it feels like it was yesterday tear

      • Scrooge McDuck on 10/06/2015 - 23:25
        +1

        Now that I have 10 popular comment badges, I can retire from cracking jokes and let people know what I REALLY think. >:)

    • rmamila on 11/06/2015 - 23:48
      +3

      As long as you use neg voting with a proper and fair meaning then it's fine. But people use it if they personally couldn't find the stocks while many others managed to score the deal. Some just act like the guards of the forum. There are Admins to do that job, members should not try to be police on this forum. Some are very rude in their replies. You can't make a spelling mistake, grammatical error, you will be bashed. Let the members freely voice their opinion and contribute to the forum. If the post is dupe just mention it. No need to jump with all you have or even neg. Sometimes it takes time to collect info and pics before posting and another member can post it seconds before. While you are typing one post you don't get to see another posting it. You need to understand the reality there and just comment so that either the OP or admins will remove it.

      I totally agree hamza23. Keep this as a helpful forum.

    • Jackson on 12/06/2015 - 00:05
      +1

      I don't remember JV ever attacking someone without being relatively matter of factual. Fair enough things that bother him ppl may not think are a problem, but still least he is about the bargains (often he is just concerned about things not being specific time the rules)

      I think the community does a pretty good job of downvoting d-heads on its own, but what bothers me a bit more is some of the love for non bargains.

  • spychiatrist on 09/06/2015 - 14:50
    +20

    Not all jokes are funny, especially if you're on the receiving end. It's easy to say toughen up and it's just words but people are different and thus will respond differently.

    I raised a couple of forum topics and the responses are mixed, some helpful, some trying to make fun, some are just there to troll. It's all part of the forum environment, freedom of speech/ opinion/ expression. I'm also guilty of those things myself from time to time. It's just the way it is.

    My advice, THINK before you click.

  • goosegog on 09/06/2015 - 15:02
    +22

    I say " Yes". There are many nasty people on this site who like to put down other people who just ask simple questions. This, quite frankly is a form of bullying, & not what this site is all about. Should some of us who need an answer on terminology, technical matters, general help for day to day living etc. be subjected to abuse from others who feel they know it all ?

    • LurvinOZB on 10/06/2015 - 11:10
      +1

      Totally agreed.

      There are the few odd annoying keyboard warrior/ troll who truly shows their insensitivity on irresponsible commenting. These people hide behind their keyboard and type away without any fear of consequences, nor respect for fellow human beings. Only goes to show the type of upbringing one has received to develop such "bullying" traits.

      In a forum environment, not everyone wants sympathy, wants to be judged, wants to argue or win every small little battle etc. Yet trolls and nut wits take every opportunity to flame, nip and pick at wordings in a sentence without context, accuse others/ be the judge and also the executioner. Alot of people (me included) post on forums to get views and past experience, some for opinions and what not. I once came across an idiotic troll who post a reply (implying) my post was to get his sympathy (in his wishful dream); seriously!? One troll made a "cross the line" comment, only to have another troll giving a helping hand by implying the comment was probably a joke. You are what you say, take responsible of your own words that you say. Only a keyboard warrior hides behind the computer and type away nonsensical words irresponsibly without facing consequences. Imagine the trolls having conversations with their real life bosses, only to start to flame, abuse, judge and tell them to go to hell. It will never happen because these bullies are just keyboard warriors who don't have the guts to face consequences for what they say.

      IMO most folks here are nice. It's OK to have your opinion, justify your conviction and share your beliefs. It is NOT OK to cross the line to get abusive, get personal and start to harass by stalking every post a forum user post (just because you are an immature troll and can't take others opinion).

      In short - say no to cyber bullying, be constructive and objective in your comments, and lastly be supportive to other people's posts. If everyone gets put off and down, nobody will want to use the forum to start new threads or contribute positively

    • [Deactivated] on 10/06/2015 - 14:23
      +1

      no but you can't expect people to hold your hand. google it if you really need to understand terminology or something you have no idea about. It's faster than writing stuff on this website and waiting for a reply.

      • LurvinOZB on 10/06/2015 - 14:44

        I think the comment was geared more towards highlighting the type of negative/ antisocial bullying behavior, rather than the nature of the posts.

        Should we judge others on how competent their skills are on researching topics on Google or the library? Do we assume that these people did not make any effort, thus they are judged lazy and deserve to get "slathered" by negative comments from bullies? On an equal note, nobody should deserve to be treated any less than they want to be treated.

        • Ughhh on 10/06/2015 - 16:22

          What does the word deserve mean? And what is google?

        • stephendt on 10/06/2015 - 20:59

          Unpopular opinion - yes, we should judge people and they should have to deal with a "harsh" comment of some sort if the the information is easily accessible via a Google Search (eg. What is "Officeworks's phone number?" or "Does the x phone have an SD card slot?"). It just clutters up threads with unnecessary bulk. Of course, there are exceptions, but constantly being asked to be spoon fed information is not cool. It's still OK to ask questions of course, but make it clear that you at least made an effort to find the information yourself.

        • Ughhh on 10/06/2015 - 22:48

          Exactly. When we're kids, we get told that there's no dumb questions. But majority of users here are not kids, especially if the OP states he/she has a child! There's a difference between asking dumb stupid basic questions that can be easily googled by a 6 year old and complex questions that are worth discussing about. If you don't know what the ACCC stands for or what they do, google it- type in 'ACCC' in your address bar if you're on chrome. Put some effort to it and if it fails, then ask.

          Its the lazyness, the need to be spoonfed, relying on others or the incapability doing a simple task that makes me wonder how are these people are employed and/or studying. Again Im referring to dumb questions like "What is OW phone number?".

          Truth it, bullying exist in all different forms wherever you go, no matter what policy, rule or law there is. The best way to deal with it is to protect yourself, stand up for yourself, talk to someone close for advice and ignore it (the bully, not the friend :P). Im not saying bullying is ok, because it's never is. But this isn't a perfect world. No one can help (forever anyways) you if you don't help yourself. This is from my experience.

  • [Deactivated] on 09/06/2015 - 15:35
    +3

    Aw, but the:

    "That person's wrong, I know everything, but I won't contribute anything actually useful, because I am above such peasantry."

    people are my favourite forum people! They lead such full and interesting lives.

  • Ughhh on 10/06/2015 - 10:25

    Another thing that baffles me are people who apologise like he/she just murdered a whole family over small mistakes like a typo, or when their post was found not to be the best deal ever. Dude…

    • momov3 on 10/06/2015 - 19:31
      +9

      And do you know why that is? These are contributors who have possibly been ridiculed in the past and slaughtered before for a previous 'misdemeanor'. And they are now in defence protect mode' so they see the need to apologise first as they anticipate the same. It's all about being intimidated. They've been bitten once and are expecting the same.

  • nahi11 on 10/06/2015 - 13:08
    +1

    So what threads in particular has caused this one to be posted? :P

    There seems to be an increase in both the number of helpful comments and ..not so helpful.

    • Moderatorscotty on 10/06/2015 - 23:17

      The moderators have been discussing this for quite a few months already. Then Reddit posted their new policy last month that prompted us to post something similar.

      • Parentheses on 11/06/2015 - 19:30
        -1

        Considering the effects actually enforcing said reddit policy have had on reddit… good freaking luck, you'll need it

        • Moderatorscotty on 11/06/2015 - 19:54

          Reddit is the kind of wild west that I do not wish OzBargain to become. We will see whether this community is more sensible which so far it seems to be the case.

  • rvsure on 10/06/2015 - 15:41

    I totally agree with this post. People tend to judge so quickly and come to conclusions. This happens in forums more often when someone makes some mistake asks for help or suggestion.

  • rodinthink on 10/06/2015 - 15:51
    +2

    Something to add as well, Neg-ing comment is part of bully too and heavily affect the OP emotional state
    Better think twice to neg UNLESS the comment is contemptible or despicable

    • LurvinOZB on 10/06/2015 - 16:15
      +1

      This comment holds alot of truth too; what may seem/ deem ethical or a "right" thing/ comment may get neg because it's a tool available for abuse. Similarly an unethical or wrong or abusive comment does sometimes get the positive up vote too, just because it's a tool that is there for users in the wrong mindset to abuse.

      This type of voting can sometimes (in an indirect and subtle manner) encourage trolling, abuse and bullying.

      • andy19363 on 10/06/2015 - 16:21
        +1

        may get neg because it's a tool available for abuse.

        Has been that way for a number of years….. the neg vote used to serve a purpose…… not any more.

      • rodinthink on 10/06/2015 - 16:37
        +2

        User nowadays in OZbargain be like, "I need to use all of my 5 limited neg vote daily"

        • TheOneWhoKnocks on 10/06/2015 - 16:41
          +1

          So true. This comment for example. The commenter had a very valid suggestion and was negged. He/She was merely giving some advice.

        • andy19363 on 10/06/2015 - 16:54
          +6

          It's the reason many previous users have given up posting….. it's not worth running the gauntlet…..

        • ilikeradiohead on 10/06/2015 - 17:18

          Maybe we should have a neg auction. Like, Scotty could fix the amount of negs and then those who desire to allocate more negs will have to bid for them. I'm not sure what currency we could use though, +1s? Eneloops? Udemy Courses?

        • Ughhh on 10/06/2015 - 17:25
          +1

          @TheOneWhoKnocks:

          It was only negged by 1 user, not by a whole mob…

          It could've been an accidental click on the neg button while scroll on the phone. I know that I have done that many times on my phone, majority of the time I realise it straight away or within the hour while you can still revoke the neg. However, there has been some times I didn't realise it till later on the day, by then its pass the revoke time.

        • TheOneWhoKnocks on 10/06/2015 - 17:28

          @Ughhh: Could be, could not be. They're numerous other cases which a 'whole mob' as negged a comment for no apparent reason.

        • TheOneWhoKnocks on 10/06/2015 - 17:29
          +1

          @ilikeradiohead:

          I'm not sure what currency we could use

          LG G4's and G3's?

        • LurvinOZB on 10/06/2015 - 19:17

          @Ughhh:

          Accidental? Huh??

        • TheOneWhoKnocks on 10/06/2015 - 19:33

          @ilikeradiohead: jv getting negged is just an average scene on OzBargain.

        • Ughhh on 10/06/2015 - 20:53

          @LurvinOZB:

          You've probably negged someone too by accident and still don't realise!!!!

        • ausmechkeyboards on 10/06/2015 - 20:55

          @TheOneWhoKnocks: that excuse for blatant bullying is old, worn out and doesn't justify it at all.

        • TheOneWhoKnocks on 10/06/2015 - 21:47

          @ausmechkeyboards: Who ever said it was bullying? Sometimes people can abuse the voting system. I was just stating how people neg comments for no fathomable reason… There was no sense of bullying whatsoever in my comments.

          Do not make this thread ironic by instigating an argument, I'm just here to loathe in bargains and its associated savings!

        • OZB Al on 11/06/2015 - 23:18

          @LurvinOZB: Small screen, fat fingers, or even just being too excited, it happens. I'd recommend making the + and - further apart or making the minus require confirmation, at least for the mobile site.

        • rmamila on 11/06/2015 - 23:54

          @TheOneWhoKnocks: True. At least those who give a neg should explain themselves otherwise no one knows why the neg was given especially when point is a valid one. The only way to explain those negs is that they need to use their daily quota somehow so just neg few comments blindly :)

        • rodinthink on 14/06/2015 - 13:15

          ~Ahh, As I expected, Bait worked and marked as inappropiate. The comment was censored by moderator because in their perspective it include the "hate" speech which I'm not really trying to. Mod think that it can ignite the "war" like in youtube comment section which can turn to be ugly.

          I just check this comment now and unable to saw the respond to my comment "(Replying to Deleted Comment)" 4iedemon, dealman
          I guess the freedom of expresion/speech isn't applied in this web. I did appreciate the effort to make the web "clean".

          However, This is one of the feature that I hate from OZbargain, CENSORSHIP. No matter how inappropiate , profanity, offensive & hateful the comment is, they shouldn't be censored. Why? so that other people can see how bad that user is from their comment history, or the user himself can reflect at their own comment and check if he is being hypocrite or not. Other user can respond to that comment and "correct" him. He might reflect upon that comment and he might choose not too and ignore it because ignorance is a bliss. He might improve himself and try to be a better person next time he comment.

          If the comment censored how can he know what he did wrong? It's not really helpful isn't it?

          As much as I loved the supportive,helpful,wise-advice-giving & asking-people-daily-habit in forum, and positive community over here in OZbargain ,This web is way too civilized that I guess this web is made for user of all ages which required heavy censorship.
          That's why people all over country insult us by being child-ish , for example the ban of GTA V target (in which most of ourselves really against upon). We got heaps of comment ridiculed our country as a very very sensitive - ultra conservative country, which can't even handle the profanity ,nudity,blood,gore,violence,etc. But we're actually wouldn't mind with those thing (majority) , it just because of authority (minority) who ban/censor those stuff. Because of minority (I didn't mean minority in term of race, I mean in number) , us majority got stereotyped by other countries as a nanny state and always ridiculed in other web like youtube comment,reddit,4chan and other comment-oriented web

          Well, that's me, maybe I over-reacted to the censorship. Maybe I don't read the OZbargain Policy correctly & thoroughly, but who does anyway? This is my impression to OZbargain : The community is a bit repressive and cherry-picked the comment. I can't even count how many of my comment already tagged as inappropiate,irrelevant,etc.

          Please consider this carefully , Mod or overly-sensitive user.

        • Moderatorneil on 14/06/2015 - 13:36

          @rodinthink:

          Commenting Guidelines.

          This is a thread to encourage and remind people to be respectful to others.

          The purpose of this website is to have free discussion of bargains so be sure that we fight to keep comments and deals posted in the face of many legal threats. This is the censorship we fight for.

          We don't fight for inappropriate comments regarding sexual acts with your grandfather or making racist comments to others. If you are finding your comments are being reported by community members, then perhaps OzBargain isn't the best platform for you.

        • bluedufflecoat on 14/06/2015 - 21:34
          +1

          @rodinthink:

          However, This is one of the feature that I hate from OZbargain, CENSORSHIP. No matter how inappropiate , profanity, offensive & hateful the comment is, they shouldn't be censored. Why? so that other people can see how bad that user is from their comment history, or the user himself can reflect at their own comment and check if he is being hypocrite or not. Other user can respond to that comment and "correct" him. He might reflect upon that comment and he might choose not too and ignore it because ignorance is a bliss. He might improve himself and try to be a better person next time he comment.

          1. The internet is largely anonymous… I don't think it's particularly important to see how offensive one particular ozbargain user is.
          2. People that troll like that, also don't really care to be corrected by other people. It is very unlikely that they will choose to improve themselves, as you say.
          3. I would much rather prefer the ozb we have now, mostly about bargains, community and some humour, than the one you are suggesting … Profanity, nudity, blood, gore, violence, etc.
      • dd721411 on 11/06/2015 - 00:45

        Yes, some people need checking their human selves because most of what I can see from their comments are "inhuman(e)". Someone posts things like b*tching about their boss/colleague not being nice to them and then, unfortunately they had some health problems and had to quit the jobs. The former felt satisfied seeing the latter suffering and blah blah about Karma. If he/she really knows about Karma, he/she should understand that there must be something wrong with them first so that they're treated badly by someone else. And if they try to "get revenge" then that Karma cycle NEVER ENDS. Hatred is the cause of Karma.

        However, that Karma is a b*tch and isn't worth to be call a "god"/"goddess". The Karma I know is the one that teaches what to do and how to be a good person, the one that warns me when I'm about to do something bad. She always leads me to the bright sight of life. I'm glad that I don't hate people or if I "do hate", it'll last for just a very short time. During that time, I think about what I did that make people do bad things to me. I realize that I'm wrong for most of the times and I apologize them. Everything is then back to normal. I gain more friends, or at least, I don't make enemies.

        And also, if you really believe in Gods, you should always treat people nicely and never ever hurt them because that is what Gods tell you to do. Correct me if I'm wrong!? My words to those people: Please don't go to churches, mosques, temples or any holy places because you just don't practice what you preach/pray.

  • momov3 on 10/06/2015 - 19:33
    +1

    In my day and age, trolls only existed inside colorful fairytale books. And they were ugleeee and scary.

    • bluedufflecoat on 11/06/2015 - 03:32

      Possibly green and live under bridges too 😅

      • RockyRaccoon on 12/06/2015 - 08:18

        👍

        Wow thanks, I tried all the Formatting stuff in the wiki and it didnt work. Your PM reply that you just used your 📱to do this gave the clue that this is now active on the site.

        On the Mac I just used the Character view. or Ctrl Cmd Space

        With Emoticons, we can at least send our feelings which will help those reading to understand our words a little better.

        ✌🏾

  • RockyRaccoon on 10/06/2015 - 20:11
    +2

    And on the subject of trolls, why so many have to give their opinion on technology of the post when it doesnt fit their own choice.

    If someone is posting about an Android/IOS product or accessory. Some people want their device to be simple, others want it to be complex, so what if you want to be able to modify the OS and likewise if you just want to pay not to be bothered by it. Vive la différence

    It maybe smart but it doesnt mean a thing, it just agravates in a sharing environment

    • ausmechkeyboards on 10/06/2015 - 21:08

      why so many have to give their opinion on technology of the post when it doesnt fit their own choice

      Why not? I'm in an industry where I play with practically every electronic device you can think of. This includes all of the on and off-brand stuff, from brands and products that are revolutionary through to the most worthless clone crap probably made in some basement in Guangzhou. If I make a suggestion on one phone or tablet over another, its not because I hate a certain brand, its just another way for me to contribute back to the community through domain experience. It happens in literally every other post from charger recommendations through to food products and even laundry detergent. This is a large point of the comment section; to discuss a bargain's merits and potentially offer cheaper alternatives.

      Only children will take legitimate recommendations for alternatives as scathing criticism or aggravation.

      Some people want their device to be simple, others want it to be complex

      Through this and this line alone you're probably an Apple fan boy who thinks that iOS is somehow "simple" and everything else is "complex" and you're upset that your $800 phone performs worse than a $250 Android phone. You will often see Android recommendations on iPhone threads because this is a bargain site and most bargain hunters can't comprehend why people would willingly throw away money for inferior products (read: iPhones). The mental gymnastics that iPhone users go through to justify their vanity purchase ("It's simpler", "it's more reliable", "the alternatives are too complicated" ad infinitum) is frustrating for anyone who is not a 16 year old looking to impress his 14 year old friends.

      And I say this as someone who is currently using an iPhone 6 Plus.

      tl;dr http://i.imgur.com/uyjm5gO.gif

      • andy19363 on 10/06/2015 - 21:15
        +5

        Through this and this line alone you're probably an Apple fan boy who thinks that iOS is somehow "simple" and everything else is "complex" and you're upset that your $800 phone performs worse than a $250 Android phone.

        wow……

      • RockyRaccoon on 10/06/2015 - 21:26
        +3

        I'm in an industry where I play with practically every electronic device you can think of.

        So what! Others aren't.

        I tried to keep the example simple to keep any OS BS out of it. Guess with you that failed. :)

        If we look at figures Apple may have 30-35% of the market Android 60% etc.

        That tells us somewhere between 25% - 40% at OB may like Apple, 60 - 75% may like Android.

        The point is that neither want to be dictated to or abused by the others eg your FanBoy BS

        Fanboys like one eyed barrackers come in all colours. Using that term in any argument is exactly what this post is all about. Its nasty offensive and immature

        If someone is looking for a bargain on a particular product let them have their "bargain". Being in the industry surely you know that people get used to the way a particular piece of technology works, not everyone wants a change.

        And these posts are found not only in the hardware bargain posts, they are in software bargains. AND it's by both types of FanBoy's.

      • driew on 12/06/2015 - 08:18
        +1

        Through this and this line alone you're probably an Apple fan boy who thinks that iOS is somehow "simple" and everything else is "complex" and you're upset that your $800 phone performs worse than a $250 Android phone.

        Ironically by that comment alone, you've highlighted yourself and I hesitate to use this term, an Android fanboy. Calling other people fanboys just because they have a different preference to yourself is immature and doesn't add any value.

        It's good that there are different products available on the market as this benefits everyone through competition. More choice means there are more products to suit different people's preferences. How boring would it be if everyone used an iPhone or Android or Windows Phone?

  • [Deactivated] on 10/06/2015 - 20:44
    +1

    Love u guyses

  • BlazinPast on 10/06/2015 - 23:10
    +4

    Imo, negative votes shouldn't be hidden. That way the trolls will be less inclined to neg a post and posts that will have neg will most likely be ones that deserved to be negged.

  • Cheap Steve on 10/06/2015 - 23:59
    +10

    Ozbargain is easily the nicest forum I hang out at. Some other forums I go to are like Wild West saloon bars. How they know all that stuff about my mother I will never know…

    • ilikeradiohead on 11/06/2015 - 12:36
      +3

      They probably picked it up from your 12 year old opponents in Call of Duty :)

      • momov3 on 11/06/2015 - 12:45

        My son is 22 and he still plays Call of Duty. I'm worried.

    • jdf on 11/06/2015 - 18:31
      +2

      Cheap Steve, I needed a laugh and you just provided it, thank you.

  • ganymede on 11/06/2015 - 01:21

    LIKE!

  • [Deactivated] on 11/06/2015 - 02:24

    Well it is not nice if someone says "suck it up"!

    BUT, Is it really that hard if they are not insulting you? should you be offended? people could be offended for no reason, should we go through a massive self-censorship? it all starts there.

    I always say, I don't like people being "nasty" but to some extend "we need it"! Otherwise we will be dealing with a very conservative culture, people, government and legal system! anything could be "hate-speech" and crime (like it is now).

    Imagine you reply in twitter and they don't like it, even though you didn't mean anything, you are in trouble, and it could be you next time. I see this always when people joke about something.

    Imagine here, in conservative Australia, in 2015, same-sex marriage for example, still illegal, can you believe this?

    Please note that;
    By starting a public conversation you automatically accepted "term and conditions" and that means people "will comment" from different cultures, different point of view, different colors, different languages. They will judge you and they WILL comment, they will say what you asked them for! and they could be "mentally unbalanced" as you could be!

    This is a free society, You can't force people to respect you the level you want!
    You don't like these comments? ignore it, easy , specially online, massive audiences, most of them unknown like yourself! (maybe we need to work on our self-confidence a bit?)

    I stand by our freedom of speech, many have died for this, many will die in future, just so you can easily say "suck it up", I don't like it but I respect your right.

    After all it is nice to be nice to each other

    • LurvinOZB on 11/06/2015 - 09:49
      +4

      @Pal

      Interesting comments you got there …

      "By starting a public conversation you automatically accepted "term and conditions" and that means people "will comment" from different cultures, different point of view, different colors, different languages. They will judge you and they WILL comment, they will say what you asked them for!"

      "This is a free society, You can't force people to respect you the level you want!
      You don't like these comments? ignore it, easy , specially online, massive audiences, most of them unknown like yourself! (maybe we need to work on our self-confidence a bit?)"

      Going by the above, does it mean the below analogy is akin to the above statements?

      Scenario A -
      Young daughter (16 years old, could be yours or mine) attends a school senior's birthday party at a bowling venue. As what most 16-17 years old would wear - the in fashion bits that are either too short or too revealing. A group of older toolies approach the young girl and her small group of friends to make conversations. The conversation descend towards lewd suggestions and cat calls being made. Should daughter "ignore it, suck it up and take it as if its part and parcel of daily life" because we cant change the mindset of others?

      Scenario B -
      Your attractive young trophy wife (I am not sure if thats a good thing or not) goes shopping at a shopping center after picking up the bub from childcare. Passing a construction site, the workers (who are having breaks) made cat calls, whistles and shout unpleasantries. Wifey felt so threaten and "unsafe" that she decides to take a detour just to avoid those burly blokes. Wife comes home, told husband what happened and husband brushes it off saying "what can you do? Just suck it up and avoid that place then". Continues to add that it is a good thing that guys are leering at you, should boost your confidence eh! Proceed to make a silly wink at the missus and went back to his telly for his footy.

      Bear in mind in both scenarios, there were no mention of CALD folks, just local Aussies. Trying not to go into discussions of racism as that could potentially go out of hand with diverse views.

      IMO - sometimes "free speech" and/ or "free society" are both used in the wrong context. Believe in the freedom to promote and state your views, beliefs and conviction. But understand that your actions (in this case your mannerism and speech used) comes with consequences. Consequences can be wide ranging (for instance) receiver undergoing counselling due to constantly having to deal with harassment and having to "suck it up" everyday, right to the other end of the scale which someone may just commit suicide because they had enough of sucking it up. Some folks tend to use "free speech" too liberally without any responsibility or consequences. Other countries like Myanmar/ Burma, people (previously) gets incarcerated at length for "free speech". Over here, some people are using "free speech" to troll, bully and abuse. Contrasting?

      • [Deactivated] on 11/06/2015 - 10:18

        I guess you could read that comment "once" again. I see you have a point but… maybe "twice" then!

      • Ughhh on 11/06/2015 - 10:56
        -3

        What if you replace the comments made by the toolies and construction workers with something like

        Your deal sucks
        It's they're, not their or there.
        holds up a red neg sign as you're walking
        Apple is stupid

        No one here us threatening anyone or stalking anyone. Your examples are quite extreme compared to what's on ozbargain.

        • dd721411 on 11/06/2015 - 12:10
          +3

          Any kind of harassment, bullying, abuses is UNACCEPTABLE!!! You know many people take their own lives because they're victims of those crimes, don't you?

        • Ughhh on 11/06/2015 - 13:06

          @721411:

          When did I say bullying is acceptable? Your accusation is offensive to me and I find it a form of bullying.

          Would you call the police if I was to call you buttface?

        • LurvinOZB on 11/06/2015 - 13:14
          -1

          "your deal sucks" — not abuse, its your view and I respect that. Choice of wordings could have been better in a nicer manner (I think)
          "Apple is stupid" —- again, its not abuse, its your view, although you brought subjective opinion into the statement

          There is nothing wrong in expressing views, beliefs, or passion on what ideals are. I agree with this 100%. People state their views, others disagree, move on. Nothing more complicated. What goes beyond those (for example) comments (which are not needed) can be as simple as (a) your an idiot, (b) your lazy as!, (c) well suck it up like a man etc. These are not needed, subjective in nature, and they are not constructive in any form or shape to any discussion.

          I agree to some extent what Pal mentioned the perceived norms from other cultures, and that is understandable. My analogy (my views whether you agree in a logical sense or not) are based on the contextual comments provided by the originator:

          • "BUT, Is it really that hard if they are not insulting you? should you be offended? people could be offended for no reason, should we go through a massive self-censorship? it all starts there."

          • I always say, I don't like people being "nasty" but to some extend "we need it"! Otherwise we will be dealing with a very conservative culture, people, government and legal system! anything could be "hate-speech" and crime (like it is now)."

          • "By starting a public conversation you automatically accepted "term and conditions" and that means people "will comment" from different cultures, different point of view, different colors, different languages. They will judge you and they WILL comment, they will say what you asked them for! and they could be "mentally unbalanced" as you could be!"

          • "This is a free society, You can't force people to respect you the level you want!
            You don't like these comments? ignore it, easy , specially online, massive audiences, most of them unknown like yourself! (maybe we need to work on our self-confidence a bit?)"

          • "I stand by our freedom of speech, many have died for this, many will die in future, just so you can easily say "suck it up", I don't like it but I respect your right."

          Do we accept what some individuals perceive as a right and a societal norm that it is ok to make unnecessary comments (in my view depending on the language and tonality) that constitutes to abuse? Is there a guide to how serious we should take comments, how we interpret a comment as a joke, half jokingly or meant it like its your wedding vow? It far easy to make an irresponsible comment and back pedal on a later stage to say its a joke.

          You may think the examples provided are extreme … not in my views. Many people experience these type of common behaviours day in day out. Simply brushing it off thinking it should be accepted in society as "part parcel of life" or "no big deal cause I am so manly" or "everything in life is a joke so chill bro and have a smoke"; IMO has got a problem up there. Certainly there are the odd posts in OZB that are personalised and targeted at OPs. Is there any difference between the cat calls in the example provided, versus the keyboard warriors who hid behind keyboards doing the flaming? The actions are the same, consequences for the receiver (majority) will be the same, difference being those toolies and tradies (in the examples) got the balls to say it out in front of your face, rather than hiding behind keyboards (different delivery method).

          The nature of this thread (my interpretation) is "Acting Respectfully". The below is a cut and paste from OP - I think we all just need to be NICE. You dont agree, its ok. Dont be mean =)

          "Comments have consequences. People don't come here to be attacked and bullied. It's not us trying to censor you, it's us responding to complaints. While some may say 'suck it up' and that 'people should not be so sensitive', you should be aware that we don't truly know the people behind these accounts. Some are younger, some may come to here to escape a tough reality, be mentally unbalanced, or they possibly could have thick skin (we just don't know). Maybe in 2015 we all can treat each other respectfully, we are professionals after all. ;)"

        • dd721411 on 11/06/2015 - 13:24

          @Ughhh:

          • Well yeah, you didn't AT ALL. Sorry for that!

          • No thanks! That nickname suits you well.

        • LurvinOZB on 11/06/2015 - 13:26

          @Ughhh:

          @721411 poster merely made a general statement of their own, but you tried to made it out like you are being victimized.

          What 721411 said is true, and I totally support that any kind of harassment, bullying and abuses is unacceptable.

          Lastly, would you like your old nana or your children being ridicule and called names like buttface? No, I dont think you like it at all. But would you call the police or you would set a good example to your kids and remind them to treat others the way they want to be treated - with respect? And if the situation allows for, teach them to stand up and say NO to bullies?

          If you reckon its ok and its fine to subject your loved ones to such treatment, well I am truly speechless.

        • Ughhh on 12/06/2015 - 13:19
          -2

          @LurvinOZB:

          I would also teach my kids to be strong and how to deal with these situations physically and emotionally. I can't be there 24/7 for them for the rest of their life and shield them from everyone that is mean. No matter how many schools or work places you change, on the street or bus, chances are there's gonna be someone mean. Open your mind and take things less seriously, those people dont know you, who the fk cares what they think.

          You can only run for so long.

          Neg me if you like, has no affect on me because, quite frankly, you're a no one to me.

    • dd721411 on 11/06/2015 - 14:22

      Free of speech means you can say whatever you want. YES! But bear in mind that your choice of words and your attitude may affect different people at different levels.

      I think people have no (or maybe a little bit) problem with getting compliments. That will definitely encourage them to be more active, positive in life. Criticism, by definition, is good but also bad. It's good when it helps someone see their mistakes and correct them in an appropriate way. It's bad when you all want is to dump rubbish into someone's yard (bad-mouthed words without any constructive message). Again, choice of words and attitude help clarify which side you stand for. This is very important. When on the internet, we can't read people's body language to see whether they are joking, serious or offensive towards us.

      If you accidentally make someone feel bad, an apology is necessary. Don't bring up cultural differences. That's not a valid excuse because no one ever has the same cultural background as others. Even identical siblings are never the same persons, never they like or dislike same things. The best thing to do is to discuss any differences between people and then find a solution that everyone agrees on. It's hard to achieve but not impossible.

      About ignoring invalid negative comments/votes, I don't think it's a good practice. You are being voted down, you need to know the reasons why. The votes are valid if voters say their opinions of why they left it. If voters have a good intention to correct commenter's mistakes, much appreciated. If voters don't leave any opinion or, even worse, they just want to troll or stir up hatred, this then seriously affects the commenter's feeling in a very bad way. Should you ignore them, they will find it easy to make negative votes and comments and continue that ugly practice. HIT THE REPORT BUTTON AND TELL MODERATORS WHY YOU THINK ANY DEALS/COMMENTS/VOTES ARE INAPPROPRIATE.

      Words can save or end someone's life. The choice is yours.

  • [Deactivated] on 11/06/2015 - 02:36

    Yep, seen what it like here and have been good to post deals but get put off by the trolls or whatever you call them.

    One thing that bugs me is that you will have a Coles or woolies half price sales items and one person will pick one thing from the catalogs and hey presto its a winner but its not really going out of the way to get t a deal.

  • andy19363 on 11/06/2015 - 07:16
    +7

    The neg vote is like providing a mob with stones that can be thrown with one click. There is no way of seeing who threw the stone, so no way of knowing why they threw it. The only purpose it serves is to shut down a person's comment or opinion and show how big the stoning mob was…….
    People often get negged simply for who they are…. Irrespective of what they say.
    The neg vote does nothing to encourage and develop a community, it's simply a device that assists division.

  • LurvinOZB on 11/06/2015 - 09:55
    +2

    Voting (IMO) should only be used for voting up or down the validity of the deals. Voting comments may achieve objectives set out by owner of the site, but too often it becomes a tool that deviates from its original intent.

    • gimli on 11/06/2015 - 21:09
      +1

      yeah i agree. Maybe voting on comments should be limited to plusses only.

  • momov3 on 11/06/2015 - 11:53
    +4

    I find it amusing that people actually place so much importance on the +ves and - ves they receive. They don't bother me one bit nor the popularity vote of your deal. What bothers me more are some derogatory attacks and terms used on others. 'Suck It Up Princess' for eg…..should ban the commentator for life. It is vulgar, sexist and denigrating. And people use it on others not even knowing their gender. It's the kind of language used in school yards and by bogans.

    • andy19363 on 11/06/2015 - 12:07
      +1

      I find it amusing that people actually place so much importance on the +ves and - ves they receive.

      The negs have an impact on who can view your comments (or deals). Too many negs and your deal, (or comment) disappears for most ozbargain users….. You may have a great deal or information to impart, yet that can be removed from the majority of members by mob negging… So the neg votes do carry importance….
      +ves do not have that ability

      • andy19363 on 11/06/2015 - 12:15
        -1

        there have been previous private discussions between members about setting up a kind of 'club' in which members would neg particular deals or comments that were deemed inappropriate, effectively killing the deal or comment before it even got to the bulk of members.
        This may or may not happen currently…. I'm not aware of any such group at present.
        However, this current system will allow for that to happen… eg competitors negging deals or comments, fans of particular phone systems or gamimg systems negging opposing views, etc. Too many negs and a poster is banned from posting for a while…. a retailer may be banned permanently

        It's a system that promotes negativity and attack

        • Moderatorneil on 11/06/2015 - 12:30

          competitors negging deals or comments

          Negatively voting a competitor's deal or commenting negatively on their post violates our Rep's Code of Conduct and is not permitted.

          Too many negs and a poster is banned from posting for a while…. a retailer may be banned permanently

          This doesn't apply to normal users, only reps.

          Posting Limits for reps are a way of rewarding/suspending stores. Post good deals, get extra abilities to post more deals. Post bad deals, lose ability to post deals. All stores that have been banned permanently were offering very poor deals.

          I spoke in our monthly stats post about one company that learned from posting bad deals and now is smashing it with good deals for members.

        • andy19363 on 11/06/2015 - 12:51
          -1

          @neil:

          This doesn't apply to normal users, only reps.

          I stand (half) corrected…. it was the case that users were banned for a number of days…..

      • momov3 on 11/06/2015 - 12:33

        If +ves don't have that ability, and -ves can unjustifiably banish a contributor, it's not fair game. The negs are subject to personal opinion and abuse as well as trolling. How then, can this be good when you don't know the face behind the neg vote and their true intention? I think there are many tit for tat negs as well, ie if you think your suspicion about whom exactly negged you is correct, haha.

        • Moderatorneil on 11/06/2015 - 12:43

          If +ves don't have that ability, and -ves can unjustifiably banish a contributor, it's not fair game.

          This is incorrect. Votes don't affect your ability to further comment.

    • rompastompa on 11/06/2015 - 15:55

      As a bogan, I disapprove of you labeling me with such terms.

      (Btw, I haven't taken it personally. I'm just pointing out that you've just used a term to attack a group of people while stating it bothers you that people use derogatory attacks and terms on others!)

      • momov3 on 11/06/2015 - 22:04
        +1

        Sorry, my bad. I should not assume that bogans use such language when not necessarily so. It looks like it is a commonly accepted phrase used by many from all walks of life so I should not have made that assumption (accusation?):):)

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