Comments on: [Important must-read updates below the fold] Posting Comments at NoQuarter:

By: sarainitaly

sarainitaly — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 01:48:34 +0000

i think the best way to get them to shut up is to ask them a serious question.

the only sound you will hear is *crickets*

By: Sassy

Sassy — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 23:52:20 +0000

I saw part of that thread, and I don’t really care who started the fight.
It was insulting to Pat’s work and the effort she made!
Perhaps we should all respect those who are contributing their writing, and stay out of brawls!

By: Ellen D

Ellen D — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 22:58:27 +0000

BTW – Our workforce numbers are about the same but there are only 3 women besides me. And they are young twenty-somethings. I presume your staff has older demographics.

By: FembotsForObama

FembotsForObama — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 22:57:57 +0000

Good advice Susan.

In responding to trolls, I try to just make one remark to them, then ignore away. NO ONE should take remarks from a troll personally. It’s like dealing with an idiot on the street you wouldn’t have the time of day for. Make your point and move on!

By: Ellen D

Ellen D — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 22:55:17 +0000

Interesting.
I was surrounded by Obama T shirts but then the business I am in is populated mostly by twenty-somethings. One of my guys even went to the inauguration.

Your business seems more sensible and down to earth blue collar (my background). My business is artist and programmer heavy. They don’t know what’s going on in the world except what the media tells them.

I instituted the same policy here that I had in our company in Ireland. No political or religious arguments on company time. It’s worked out well. There have been some general discussions but nothing heated.

By: foxyladi14

foxyladi14 — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 22:30:25 +0000

thanks for the update susan.
i guess i missed the fireworks.
peace love and good wishes to all.

By: Seattle Moss

Seattle Moss — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 22:29:01 +0000

I have a feeling that this blog is going to get really boring soon!

By: AlexisM

AlexisM — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 22:26:46 +0000

Like I said, I thought it was gone. I haven’t been back to that thread and would rather move on.

By: Chris Martin

Chris Martin — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 22:23:43 +0000

One problem with some of these threads is that both sides of a debate feel they are entitled to the last word. I’m not a lawyer, but I like to practice the point-counterpoint-rebuttal-closing method. If it takes you more than two times to get your point across, then you need to work on clarity. When people like to repeatedly extend debates beyond the four responses then they are either full of themselves or being deliberately disruptive.

One argument style I see used a lot is to change the subject, or to address an unrelated topic which may be of importance, but irrelevant to the current debate. A lot of times folks will engage these comments and the thread gets lost. People intentionally try to disrupt debates using this method, typically when they are losing the argument (it happens in real life as well and you can tell when I’m being serious in an argument when I have a single mindedness on the debate topic).

The big point is that it may feel good to respond and put the disruptive people “in their place”, they go to threads specifically to get a response. You let them win when you engage them because they have little interest in real engagement.

By: Sonic Ninja Kitty

Sonic Ninja Kitty — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 22:23:11 +0000

I’m not telling them to read it, I’m just saying they can if they want to. They should judge the situation for themselves if they are so inclined.

By: AlexisM

AlexisM — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 22:05:30 +0000

It was my understanding that Susan was going to remove it which is probably a good idea for all concerned. That’s why I didn’t get why you keep telling everyone to go read it.

By: Sonic Ninja Kitty

Sonic Ninja Kitty — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 22:00:33 +0000

My point: people can read for themselves who got aggressive and decide what constituted an attack. It’s all there in black and white.

By: AlexisM

AlexisM — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 21:44:43 +0000

I’m really unclear on your point Kitty. I defended a friend against what I found to be a drunken, dirty attack. If you were my friend I would defend you too, although you’re an adult and don’t need me to do so.

I was also defending the integrity of this blog, which I enjoy coming to. I rarely complain about what anyone posts, or if I get attacked for my POV and get called names which happens all the time. I can handle it and move on. Like I have said, over and over and over again, there are just a few things that I don’t believe Seattle needs to be attacked on. And that happens to include his sexuality, which is no one’s business, and the poster in question was lying and slandering Seattle’s desire for his “ass.” I stand by my outrage but thanks for reprimanding me.

By: kat in your hat

kat in your hat — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 21:25:50 +0000

I post comments at NoQ less often because it takes a long time to leave a comment. I thought maybe it was just me, but then I read someone on another blog complain about the same thing concerning NoQ.

Maybe there is something I can do to speed it up?

By: Seattle Moss

Seattle Moss — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 21:14:49 +0000

Ellen,
As a result of having women in charge of the shipping dept and plant management I have learned much on how to relate with women in general.
This is important for guys to understand and I believe that a lot of them just don’t get it.
What was interesting about last year is that almost everyone in the plant voted republican last year despite the fact that most like myself had been democrats. This company rallied around both Hillary and Sarah and bumper stickers could be seen throughout the plant.
My employees realized that Obama was bad for business and his class warfare rhetoric and defeat in Iraq talk was a major threat.
I’m glad to see my fellow workers involved politically in the campaigns.