Dear JJ,

Have debates on OLO degenerated into
name-calling and hatred?

No and yes!

Perhaps hatred is too strong a word -
but I would have to agree that
name-calling has been a part and parcel
of this Public Forum - and that's to be
expected. If the right buttons are
pushed, people do react. Myself
included. People often forget to attack
the argument not the arguer.

Constructive debating is an art.
On a public Forum such as OLO -
not everyone is going to be practising
the art. Not everyone is going to be
informed on the issues or acquainted
with alternative points of view.

Not everyone reads the post to which
they're responding or is
open to learning. Not every one treats
people as individuals and certainly not
everyone is polite.

Some people use emotionally charged words and
sentences such as "Have you stopped beating
your wife?" And many make wrong assumptions about others -
for example - not everyone who's anti-gun is also
pro-choice and so on.

Also using various terms which can be interpreted
differently by different posters adds to the
reactions of people. Words such as "Krudd" "Mad Monk"
"Rodent" "Weasel" "Leftists" "Righteous Right,"
"Socialists" "Conservatives" "Baby killers,"
and so on. And racial, ethnic or religious hate
words have no place in rational debating.

Personal attacks on another poster is an
admission of intellectual bankruptcy.

However, having said all that - were we all to
strictly adhere to the rules of constructive debating -
OLO would become so dull and boring that
no one would want to be a member. Therefore, much as
name-calling can hurt at times (and be frustrating)
it is worth keeping the uniqueness that makes OLO
the popular discussion Forum that it has become.

Graham Y, as far as I can tell is quite even handed
in his dealing with OLO posters, and doesn't allow
things to get out of hand.

'Personal attacks on another poster is an
admission of intellectual bankruptcy.'

Haha. The mistake you make is that OLO is necessarily an intellectual pursuit. You confirm my long held belief that to some, OLO is some sort of competition to prove who can sound the most intelligent.

I think posters such as The Pied Piper showed much more intelligence than the pontificators (in the general use of the term, although of course including the prime pontificator) of OLO.

For those in it for fun, with nothing to prove, a personal attack is an merely an admission that the reactions of the posters is more interesting than the supposed 'intellectual' ideas and issues being discussed.

In fact I find a distinct lack of original thought in most of the topics. They're comfortably predictable like a SOAP operah. I'm not saying I could do better, but I would have no desire improve this aspect even if I had the intellect. As I said, that's not what I'm here for.

There are some posters that come out with some cool stuff, but they are generally derided for the majority of their posts being rubbish.
The forever derided Antispetic is one example. I'm sure he derides people out of a mere sense of trained antagonism and volatile nature rather than any supposed 'intellectual bankruptcy'.

Dear Houellie,

Happy New Year!

Welcome back!

Keep on stirring!

You're soooo good at it!

None of us could ever accuse you
of attacking the arguer instead of
the argument.

You're always so attention-centred on the
topic itself.

This idea that only the facts to be debated is a fallacy. This is on line OPINION. Whatever side you take on GW, if only scientifically qualified people were allowed a say the comments area might add up to 2.
We already have national broadcasters who are closed minded and bigoted in their selective dogmas. At least OLO gives everyone a go. A sincere congratulations to GrahamY and team.

"On Line Opinion"
or OLO
is Australia's e-journal of
social and political debate.

I have upset Ludwig and recently two others.
And I am aware I had no need to, but that is how I would have reacted in real life.
I constantly remind myself to do better, but fail sometimes.
Of interest before lashing out in two cases, not Ludwig's, I read recent post history of my opponents, both insulted some one in all recent posts.
Do we want to be able to debate, tell it like we see it? or just as we may do in our private life say things we do not believe just for peace sake?
OLO has always been boisterous, it always will be.