Forum Sensitivity

It may just be me, but it seems like there has been an increase in sensitivity to the otherwise regular interactions we have in the forums lately. It makes me wonder what it is that people in general expect from an internet forum. It seems to me that if you come out to a public website full of mostly anonymous posters that you might expect to have generic, non-emotional discussion. Yet, so much of what is posted seems to get received (and reacted to) emotionally. Why is that?

I recently had a CBuzzer send me a message in Facebook and during the conversation he/she told me that a friend of his/hers had stopped posting in the CBuzz forums and my name came up as one of the reasons why. I was told that person said “this or that and that I was mean/rude.” Even the person who sent me this message admitted that he/she thought I was nicer in person than I am in the forums.

Obviously, I’m biased, but that seems like extreme feedback for what I generally contribute. On the other hand, recently even within the forums, my directing a new poster to our TOS was perceived as being harsh, so… who knows?

Anyone else think folks are being a little too sensitive lately? Or is a matter-of-fact and direct approach to posting really too mean/rude? Clearly, everyone’s mileage may vary as they say, but I’m curious where folks stand.

There are going to be over-sensitive people on any forum website as well as the presence of rude and mean people. Coasterbuzz is no different from that. The fact is that sensitive people and mean people clash leaving it awkward for us others. That's my take on it.

How long had the person who left been here? Is it possible that said person just hadn't properly grasped the Cbuzz style right away?

I remember struggling here when I first started. I think within two posts, I was already calling someone out for being mean. What I didn't grasp at the time was that the level of discussion here requires far more intelligence than most other forums and that if you want to be part of the community, you need to learn how to make logical, well-constructed arguments. Do that, and you're afforded a level of leeway to run off-topic and post little one-liners in the name of some laughs. Where else do you get that opportunity?

I don't profess to be the best judge of this, but I'd like to think I fit in pretty well here. I still have gaps in logic and make posts that wind up as little more than rambling with no real direction, but I don't have an issue with pressing the "submit reply" button, and I think that if I can reach that point from where I started out, anyone can.

Now, some might take issue with the fact that there's a minimum standard and that sometimes we have to be unwelcoming, but I think that given the extreme lack of quality discussion that pervades other forums and, well, the Internet in general, it's refreshing to know that Coasterbuzz exists where you don't have that problem. Jeff drew a clear line in the sand beyond which things can't go lest they delve into pointless discussions about gibberish with a bunch of noise-makers driving the show, and while that means this site is going to have a level of exclusivity about it, tough. All are welcome, but as has been said before, if you show up to Cbuzz, you play by our rules. I think that's where the hang-up is with some of the people who bail. They want Cbuzz to cater to their style, and it doesn't work that way.

For all the complaining, though, how often do you see coaster sites that last this long? CBuzz shows no signs of dying, and I think that's because people don't outgrow it. I was a staff member of another coaster site, constantly battling with the webmaster to let me drive off the riffraff in hopes of attracting a more adult audience seeing as the teen one it catered to saw people leave in droves as they outgrew it. With core members constantly leaving, many of whom outright blamed the decline in the quality of discussion and the tolerance if stupidity, the site died. Through it all, Coasterbuzz has been that popular that it could offer a paid club. I think it's easy to see that the formula is successful.

Just think:

Coasterbuzz is way less rude and profanic than TPR.

Coasterbuzz is way more organized than Coasterforce.

Coasterbuzz is way more accessible than ACE.

Coasterbuzz has it's flaws but has the better overall package than other forum sites. Kind of like Cedar Point.

Trying to be "better" than other sites is not a goal, and I find those comparisons as meaningless as whether Magnum is better than Millennium Force. It has nothing to do with what Carrie is talking about. You try too hard to contribute and you don't seem to take the hint. You need to be more sensitive.

To Carrie's point, I've seen this happen time after time, and I too am a little taken aback at how seriously some people take anything on the Internet. Is it really that important to feel loved by mostly anonymous people who visit a stupid roller coaster site? This is supposed to be a time killer and distraction from life. I'm not saying that important relationships don't materialize (I have many excellent real-life friendships that started here), but mostly this is just something to do between checking e-mail and doing work.

I don't post very often, but read a lot of the topics. I think a major problem is the politically correct world that we live in today. No one is allowed to be offended. Ever. It's gotten to the point that while growing up, kids are aren't taught that they allowed to have an opinion, instead its become everyone gets to have an equal opinion, which is not the case, especially if you cannot back up your opinion. And then when someone rebuts an opinion with facts, people take offense. Life isn't fair. Get over it. I've even heard in schools anymore, teachers aren't allowed to use red ink...because we don't want to upset the children. And everyone gets an at-bat in the tee-ball game. And everyone gets ice cream after the soccer match. And a Cleveland sports team gets to win a championship every few years...wait a minute...

Well, I think other people take it seriously because we take it seriously (as we should). You can't just jump on the site and post anything. I think that catches a lot of people off guard. I think they're expecting another site where you can just throw out a comment about how Maverick roXorz teh bIg111!!1!1! and fit in just fine. You can't do that here, and I think that's part of the site's successful formula.

I do think that part of the problem is an increase in noise that has led to an increase in the need for the core members to ramp up their efforts to drive it off. I'm not saying those members need to leave. I am saying that those members need to take a step back, analyze the style of conversation, and see if what they're posting fits.

Ultimately, we aren't here to entertain anyone but ourselves. Those who expect us to entertain them need to re-evaluate their expectations. That said, I do think this site is massively entertaining given its extremely laid-back approach to humor and off-topic ramblings.

One of my old signature lines from WAY back (paraphrased): "If you really want to offend me, you're going to have to try a LOT harder."

Honestly, I think one of the problems is that the established core of people here are not mean enough. There are a number of recently joined members that would have never lasted 10 years ago. It was MUCH more of a tough crowd.

I did come back from a posting hiatus recently. That could be a cause... Although I try to be generally neutral.

Carrie J. said:

It may just be me, but it seems like there has been an increase in sensitivity to the otherwise regular interactions we have in the forums lately.

Yes. Annoyingly so.

Yet, so much of what is posted seems to get received (and reacted to) emotionally. Why is that?

Because as a whole, we've slacked at weeding these lame-asses out early.

I recently had a CBuzzer send me a message in Facebook and during the conversation he/she told me that a friend of his/hers had stopped posting in the CBuzz forums and my name came up as one of the reasons why.

Cool. Wear it as a badge of honor.

I was told that person said “this or that and that I was mean/rude.” Even the person who sent me this message admitted that he/she thought I was nicer in person than I am in the forums.

I think that applies to all of us.

Anyone else think folks are being a little too sensitive lately?

Yes.

Or is a matter-of-fact and direct approach to posting really too mean/rude?

No.

sirloindude said:

All are welcome, but as has been said before, if you show up to Cbuzz, you play by our rules. I think that's where the hang-up is with some of the people who bail. They want Cbuzz to cater to their style, and it doesn't work that way.

Which is so bizarre to me.

It's like going to a football game and complaining that it's not a baseball game.

kpjb said:

Honestly, I think one of the problems is that the established core of people here are not mean enough. There are a number of recently joined members that would have never lasted 10 years ago. It was MUCH more of a tough crowd.

Absolutely. We're getting soft in our old age.

And with the quoting portion of our program out of the way...

Yes, people need to get the hell over it. This isn't the house that rainbows and lollipops and hug sessions built. CoasterBuzz is a tough room - I say that to everyone. But like most tough things in life it can be very rewarding.

Honestly, the fact that a person leaves and cries to others that they don't post here anymore because of the big mean girl proves the system still works to a degree. I say, Good. I don't want to talk to people who who run away scared when it starts getting fun.

Everyone has gone through that initial period when they find the site, jump in, go a round or two (which I imagine like the cartoon squiggly-fight) and gets spit back out thinking, "Holy crap!"

It's at the point you make a decision. The absolute wrongest, worstest decision is to whine and think you're going to change the game. You're not.

I post often because roller coasters are a passion of mine. I like it here.

But you post too much, don't contribute to the conversation, have been asked to scale back, and you refuse. It's annoying and not cool.

But I have scaled back. I don't post much more than others on this site, also.

It's not about quantity. You still post a lot if stuff that doesn't contribute. If you only make four posts a month and they're about you and don't offer anything to the subject at hand, you're posting too much.

Yeah Tyler, but no offense your posts don't really contribute. Listen to me being all nice.

I've gotten into the habit of skipping past posts when I see the username (until Jeff incorporates an ignore feature), you've become one of those. Your typical posts are nothing more than. "I agree," "This is nice," "Me too!" "No," and "Carowinds!" That's about it. There's nothing new about what you post, no ideas are thrown out there, and it happens over and over. All it is, is just noise. Fluff. Not much else.

Now, I went through that phase too, I've been a sparse poster for about 13 years. Sure I'm not that high on the post count or scoring game and yeah some of my posts are jokes, memes and whatever. But we are asking you if you don't have much else to say, don't post it.

~Rob

And even though you don't post a lot, Rob, you're an established member.

I feel like we just had this conversation recently. Because we have.

Well, I will probably be banned for what I am about to say, I might even lose "friends". Here goes.

I really think that Jeff and his friends really should keep the sarcasm down. It's really not fun to read someone else getting torn apart. It may be the Internet, but it just isn't right to do that to someone. It turns people off or it might even make someone want to hurt someone. That's why I don't pay 25$ to join the club. I would rather talk and have fun. Tearing someone a new azz hole is not my idea of fun. Sorry.
I love to read the light hearted stuff, hell I've on here for a few years, sometimes posting, most of the time just lurking, not posting for fear of being ripped apart. I'm not sensitive but I just don't feel that people should be attacked. Sure I've laughed at some of the attacks on "trolls", but there are people that say "hey, I want to ask a question about a coaster" or maybe a "newbie" wants to post their 1st trip report to maybe get some creative criticism. I've been wanting to say something about this subject for a while now so forgive me if I seem like I'm rambling. Just had to this off my chest, incorrect spelling, bad paragraphs and all. I know it's "your" website Jeff, I love it to death, just had to talk. Ban me if you must, just wanted to talk and get it off my chest. I came here to hopefully make good friends and because of my love for coasters, parks and fun peeps.

I'd like to see examples of where the core membership make fun or are mean to people asking legitimate questions or posting trip reports.

I blame participation trophies. Been all downhill since.