Quote:
Originally Posted by squiggs96
You said you couldn't care less which account a person is on, or when they joined. I think that a person who has been an upstanding member of a board for over ten years would have more respect and a higher standing than a guy on his third account that rejoined in the last month. I'll read both posters, but I'd likely give more weight and credit to a poster I've known as a good poster for years, rather than someone who has been banned twice. That's how I really feel.
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Maybe that's true, but this is the Internet, this place doesn't exist in a bubble. You think the majority of people that read or contribute to this site look at join dates? I'd bet no. If it's important to you, like it is to a couple people, that's totally cool too. But the people that make it into an issue are just being silly.
In a sense, it's trolling/bullying or whatever you want to call it. When you say "Oh you're a returning poster," a lot of people do it to be condescending and use it as an insult. It's obviously got a negative connotation around here, but it's used fairly freely. Same with the people who see a new person they don't like and respond to their post with "Join Date: April 2014". Like really, WHO CARES?
We all make fun of the Oilers for being an old boys club, but there are absolutely a few "upstanding" members of this board that treat this like their own old boys club. This is the Internet, it's a public message board available to any person out there, not your clubhouse where it's cool to just sit back and trash new posters who come in a bit heavy. Congrats, you've been on a message board for ten years and your personality is such that you've never done anything that overstepped the bounds. That's good for you, but you really think it makes you a better poster or contributor than anyone else? It doesn't. The vast majority don't really care.
I can't speak for everyone, but personally, accusations of being a returning poster don't bother me when they're done in jest. I really couldn't care less what you think my history is. I know what it is, if you wanted to ask you could just ask, but I think it's easier just to sit there and throw around accusations. The only thing I ever take issue on is when people use stuff like that to be insulting and rude. It's the closest thing CP has to being accused of a crime (which totally over-dramatises it, but stay with me) and when you do it with the express intent of lowering someone's credibility, it makes you look small. It's the same with mentioning recent join dates. It's just the CP way of saying "You're just a child." It's condescending.
It's a message board, let's get over it, shall we? Whether you've been here for ten years with a perfect track record, or are on your 9th account, or just joined yesterday, your potential for value and intellectual input are the exact same.
At it's base level, it's a hockey board. If you come out and say "Giordano is above average" and UCB says "Actually he's better than that, he's great!" I'm not going weigh how many years ago each account was created before I decide whose opinion I respect more. I could see it if this were a job, you'd trust the experienced guy, but it's not, it's just a message board. If that's what you do, well, good for you I guess, but your join date doesn't make you right or wrong.
The only time I EVER weigh certain posts over others based on the poster is when I know for a fact those guys have insider information. Guys like Muta? If he says something that has to do with City planning (new stadium for example) I listen closer, because I know his opinion is to respected. That has nothing to do with what account he's on, who cares about that?
The Internet.