Aqva, if you open your eyes just a bit, you will see quotation marks
around the remark. Perhaps you are an online newby, so unaware that
when we quote other peoples posts, we use quotation marks. It makes
it easier for others to understand as to what the post refers to.

We can then loudly agree or disagree with the quote. Because
we quoted somebody elses point, certainly does not mean that it
becomes our statement. Look around OLO a bit, most posters land
up disagreeing with the quotes they envelop in quotion marks, for
good reason.

There are some amazingly clever posters on OLO. They present substantive
points of reason, which destroy the arguments of others.
Then we have the frustrated, who turn to ad hominem arguments when
their emotions take over and their reasoning skills are shown to
be deficient. Then we have the straw man types, who simply want to
win arguments for the sake of it. So they distort what others have
said, then argue against their own distortions Strawman arguments are
well known in debating. Then of course we have the people who simply
don't read what others have written in the first place.

Given your history of strawman arguments when debating with me,
I simply pointed that out, so that others are aware. I remind you
that I pulled you up time after time over this, during our abortion
debate.

Your ad hominem attack above, won't win you any brownie points either,
sorry :) Either you can present substantive points of reason or
you can't. What you think of me, I really don't care lol. But I
do enjoy those gems of posts, by people who can present great points
and don't need to divert to various debating fallacies to try and
win their arguments. Some people might be intimidated by your style,
not me sorry :)

Yabby

That's a good summation of OLO posting protocols and 'types' of posters. I couldn't help but think of particular recurrent posters when you described:

(a) the logical reasoners,
(b) the personal attackers,
(c) the straw man demolitionists and
(d) the aggressive non-readers.

Post your own examples into each of the four.

I think you'd agree that some people fit into more than one category from time to time (and even within a single post).

There's another type of poster - those who use OLO articles as an opportunity to push their barrows without heed for the topic under discussion. These include the religious nutters, the political aspirants and the know-it-all extremists who come to OLO with their minds firmly shut.

Aqvarvis

"I don't get your behaviour - Attack a poster for outlandish comments that they DIDN'T make. Then pat yourself on the back for taking posters to task for the ridiculous comments that YOU made."

It was me that wrote the above. You posted back saying I didn't get your sarcasm because you tacked a smiley face on.

I didn't misinterpret your intent. I recognised the sarcasm. I thought you were a jerk to put a smiley face at the end of such sarcastic comments. didn't like it. I said as much.

Good for you Liz. Nobody is knocking you for your opinion. I make a lot of writing mistakes trying to make a point and equally as often when I use sarcasm. It's the pouncers like yabby who pick up other peoples postings and repost them as if it's a free ride with out having to answer for them. Then instead of acknowledging that, they wiggle and weasel with words like distorted, strawman arguments and ad hominem attacks reminding people how clever they are, and how they pulled someone else up over their opinions. It's all more lies and BS.
Then to top it off they have the unmitigated gall to suggest that, "So they distort what others have said, then argue against their own distortions Strawman arguments are well known in debating. Then of course we have the people who simply don't read what others have written in the first place." Something for which yabby is at constant fault. Proof is found in yabbys now second use of a thread that has been discontinued and therefore no one can bring forth examples to prove or disprove. So now not only is yabby a liar but, two faced.
And yabby honey this is not an ad hominem attack. Grow up. And quit sulking because someone disagrees with you. Nothing said on this web site is world changing and your opinion does not by any standard of virtue supersede the opinions or base assertions of any other poster.
A week on and your still obsessing over my pro choice stance on abortion. Give it a rest.

FrankGol, you've listed it very well! After some time we realise
which posters are the gems worth reading, which ones are hardly
worth bothering with, as its sure to be another religious rant etc.

Aqva wrote:
"And yabby honey this is not an ad hominem attack"

ROFL, you could have fooled me :) Now you've even forgotten
your stance in the abortion debate, so clearly you were arguing
just for the sake of it, which is what I had suspected.
Per chance I saved a copy of that thread to my hdd, not long
before it disappeared. So there is still a nearly
complete record of it.

What people post does indeed matter, for its a reflection of their
character and philosophies. Knowledge is tentative and we can
learn from others, if we have half a brain. Just the other day
a smart poster like Pericles made a classic gem of a point.
I thought about it, he was absolutaly correct in his analysis,
I changed my mind on the matter. Those are the gems of posts
that I enjoy on OLO and the people that I respect for their
intelligence. The power of ideas is in fact world changing,
if you think about it.

But if you want to argue just for the sake of it, thats cool,
best that I know that and that makes dealing with you real easy :)

What I suggest you do yabby is publish my pro choice opinion on abortion that I argued against your pro abortion stance IN FULL with out your usual restructuring to suit your own negative view. Don't just try to bludgeon me with such an empty threat. You don't seem able to tell the difference between pro choice and pro abortion, and are still obsessed with someone disagreeing with the almighty yabby, the one and only valid opinion. Your getting to be a right prat. Better yet, see a doctor. You've gone completely off the reservation sunshine.