Job Discussion Forums

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

We have been warned ladies and gents. Let's learn to play with our toys nicely or they get taken away.

Twisting in the Wind · Joined: 20 Oct 2003 Posts: 571 Location: Purgatory

Certain other posters, who will remain nameless, need to see PaulH's warning, IMO. It's too bad that newbies can't post without feeling fearful that they'll get flamed (for being a newbie, of all things. People, we all started somewhere),and more experienced posters and teachers can't post without wondering if they'll have their location, of all things, experience and quality of teaching called into question. We can disagree. Disagreement is what makes these forums interesting, but can't we do so in a courteous, polite way without resorting to name-calling or making disparaging remarks about someone's gender, sexual preference, religious or political affiliations? Can't we do so without making sarcastic personal attacks? Apparently there are some amongst us who never learned how to disagree civily. That's a pity.

When I form my reply to another poster with whom I find myself in disagreement, I generally look for some point of commonality first, any point of commonality. I've found that people generally listen more to what I have to say overall if I don't come across as so threatening, snide, and contrary right off the bat.

I'm sure there are people out there who would be great assets to this forum, but because they've seen how some posters treat other posters, they are hesitant to jump into the fracas. And who can blame them?