Can CP become a "civil" place again?

[Scroopy Noopers]

Originally Posted by PepsiFree

No, you would just stop buying Gillette. If you don’t like a product, you don’t keep paying for it.

But you do keep paying money into the Flames. Why? Figure out THAT reason, and embrace it. The Flames owe you nothing more than a game of hockey for the price of the ticket. That’s all. I get it, but if you’re just paying to see wins, you stand a good chance of not getting your money’s worth about 50% of the time. If you’re spending thousands of dollars, there are much better investments.

Im not a STH, but I go to games, and I just enjoy myself. I have a few drinks, cheer the home team, and just enjoy the fact that I get to watch the best hockey league in the world. That’s not to say it’s a better attitude, but I certainly don’t go home upset.

I really wish I could have put together something this well written in another thread today. This is exactly it.

[Since1984]

Sports fanatics are equivalent to religious fanatics, we follow our team and our beliefs of said team and its associated players deeply,enough so that we pay ridiculous amounts of money to attend games, kind of like how people donate crazy amounts of money to the church. Some fans think one way about player A as some people feel about Christianity, others feel another way about Player B the same as Hinduism.

You will always have head butting and uncivil discussions when people care/believe in their cause as deeply as many fans of this team do. I'm an arsehole to the nth degree and always say what is on my mind on here or in life sitting across from someone at a table.

If you feel the need to try and corral everyone's behavior into what you feel is civil, you should probably step away from the computer. Control the things that you can control, and know you aren't part of what you perceive the problem is.

[Igottago]

Originally Posted by taxbuster

I've been on the interwebs as long (or longer) than a lot of the posters here have been alive. Old enough to have been witness to flame wars on Usenet.

It's nothing new.

That doesn't mean that it's right.

It doesn't mean that we can't change the paradigm. It's about how we go about discussing things - not our personal positions and beliefs.

Respect goes a long way in getting someone else - even someone diametrically opposed to your position - to listen.

Have you ever considered that maybe some of the more blistering ways people engage with sports (not just with the Flames and CP, but every sport), is actually healthy to a degree? Maybe its healthy for people to be venting and engaging with that bit of tribalism (that we all have in us) by making bitter comments on a message board instead of in real life. If it bothers you that much maybe you're the one who has to assess why? Is it that hard to just read an annoying comment, shake your head and chuckle, and just get on with your day? Or do we need to make a concerted effort to police the board and make sure everyone displays optimum purity and virtue?

[nik-]

all is lost.

[Ozy_Flame]

Can we apply the rules to the Off Topic section? I know some political threads where people love to get abrasive and snippy.

[DuffMan]

Originally Posted by taxbuster

I've been on the interwebs as long (or longer) than a lot of the posters here have been alive. Old enough to have been witness to flame wars on Usenet.

It's nothing new.

That doesn't mean that it's right.

It doesn't mean that we can't change the paradigm. It's about how we go about discussing things - not our personal positions and beliefs.

Respect goes a long way in getting someone else - even someone diametrically opposed to your position - to listen.

HAHA, you should start a kinder gentler internet.

If it is a discussion board, which CP is, there will be discussions where people disagree and things will become heated. That's just human nature.

sports, politics, religion, none were meant for agreeable conversations.

[GioforPM]

It's funny how many excuses people have for their poor conduct on the board. I don't buy most of them.

[Makarov]

Originally Posted by Cecil Terwilliger

My only thoughts on this is that maybe instead of calling out the bad posters, maybe we need to applaud the good posters.

Bingo and Jiri, you've both somehow maintained civil discussion for the last several months despite people constantly baiting you, calling you schills, attacking your logical positions with insults, misrepresenting your opinions to rile up other people who are angry and want a scapegoat.

I've enjoyed quite a bit reading some analysis from people who have a genuine interest in discussing hockey without just insulting those that disagree with them and relying on bullying tactics and mob mentality to "win" an argument, hurl insults at the coaches/players/owners, make sarcastic drive by comments etc.

This is a great point. Many people post here in order to get attention or receive “thanks” or make themselves the centre of heated debates (and fair enough: I’m guilty of this too). It is often easier to get this attention with snarky, rude, or outrageous posts than it is with reasonable, polite, insightful analysis. We might try, as a community, rewarding the latter more often than the former.

EDIT: I think that there is place for both types of posts, but perhaps the balance is off a bit lately.

[iggy_oi]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

I know some political threads where people love to get abrasive and snippy.

[tvp2003]

A few random thoughts:

1) This is a Calgary/hockey related discussion board. Not an anger venting board, a place to ridicule others board, or a repetitive verbal diarrhea board. Is that too much to ask?

2) It has already been said in different ways already but I think it would help if more people thought about what they were contributing -- whether it is something funny, informative, or whatever. Save your rants and inane opinions for your twitter page and 3 followers.

3) My concern is not so much those who don't contribute anything (although it makes it harder to slog through posts sometimes -- I stopped reading several threads including the GT entirely for this reason); it is the users who do have thoughtful, reasoned opinions and contributions that are turning away from CP. Sure, there will always be "bad" posters out there. But if all the "good" ones leave then what are you left with?

[Reggie Dunlop]

Edmonton is no good.

[Lanny_McDonald]

[Ozy_Flame]

Here's another way to look at good posting conduct - be the person you would want responding to your posts. I would wager to say 99% of us would want a professional, non-abrasive, and friendly demeanor that can foment more discussion.

Also, unlike some folks who continually war cry for stats and numbers, I am perfectly happy to have anecdotes as responses, just as long as they are good natured and acknowledged as such. I think there is too much "anecdote as fact" statements, but that's not a CP thing - that's a broader internet thing. Let's break from the mold!

[Gaskal]

I'll try to post more positively too... I've been pretty damning of GG myself, and being a younger person I tend to be more hotheaded and impatient about coaching/player indictments.

Now that it's offseason and I have more time, I'll be doing some video analysis on individual players, similar to how I was doing for our special teams early in the season.

Some topics I was spitballing (Open to suggestions):

-Brodie on RD
-Johnny as a RW
-LW Bennett vs C Bennett
-Potential RWers for the top line

[Since1984]

Originally Posted by tvp2003

A few random thoughts:

1) This is a Calgary/hockey related discussion board. Not an anger venting board, a place to ridicule others board, or a repetitive verbal diarrhea board. Is that too much to ask?

2) It has already been said in different ways already but I think it would help if more people thought about what they were contributing -- whether it is something funny, informative, or whatever. Save your rants and inane opinions for your twitter page and 3 followers.

3) My concern is not so much those who don't contribute anything (although it makes it harder to slog through posts sometimes -- I stopped reading several threads including the GT entirely for this reason); it is the users who do have thoughtful, reasoned opinions and contributions that are turning away from CP. Sure, there will always be "bad" posters out there. But take away all the "good" ones and what are you left with?

The issue with the bold point is that it is your opinion. Some people may enjoy the rants, inane opinions because they feel the same way and have yet to put it down on the webs.

Like I said before Sports Fans => Religious fanatics. Use the ignore button as brought up previously and continue along with a filtered out version of CP.

[Ozy_Flame]

Originally Posted by Gaskal

I'll try to post more positively too... I've been pretty damning of GG myself, and being a younger person I tend to be more hotheaded and impatient about coaching/player indictments.

Now that it's offseason and I have more time, I'll be doing some video analysis on individual players, similar to how I was doing for our special teams early in the season.

Some topics I was spitballing (Open to suggestions):

-Brodie on RD
-Johnny as a RW
-LW Bennett vs C Bennett
-Potential RWers for the top line

You can say whatever you bloody well want, as long as you keep posting the ATL Reports. You have earned it, good sir!

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by Since1984

Like I said before Sports Fans => Religious fanatics. Use the ignore button as brought up previously and continue along with a filtered out version of CP.

Comparing sports fandom to religious fanaticism is probably not helping your “there’s nothing wrong about this!” cause.

I think religious fanaticism is a pretty low bar. One that people cheering for a game can and probably should rise above fairly easily.

[tvp2003]

Originally Posted by Since1984

The issue with the bold point is that it is your opinion. Some people may enjoy the rants, inane opinions because they feel the same way and have yet to put it down on the webs.

Fair point. Perhaps the key thing to emphasize then is quality >>> quantity.

[Makarov]

Originally Posted by PepsiFree

Comparing sports fandom to religious fanaticism is probably not helping your “there’s nothing wrong about this!” cause.

I think religious fanaticism is a pretty low bar. One that people cheering for a game can and probably should rise above fairly easily.

Blasphemer! Stone him!

[bubbsy]

meh, i think the tone of this place is somewhat cyclical, based on how polarizing the team situation is at the given time.

I found the tone and aggression was at its peak this year when there was a stronger 2 sided debate regarding the coaching staff. It feels like most folks are done with the coaching staff, and the biggest controversial topic out of the way, things are more civil.

It's been a frustrating year for any flames fan, and CPers are somewhat obsessed so it's no surprise there was a lot of pissed of folks around here. I think many posters, me included, but also a lot of posters i have a lot of respect for as very sound and respectful posters, have been more abrasive this year. I know on 2 separate occasions, I have had to PM someone to apologize for an unnecessary post, and i felt really dumb/stupid about it, but i also felt better having done so, and getting a similar apology back.