What constitues a seasoned/reasoned poster?

[ksech]

I'm curious as to what others consider a seasoned/reasoned poster? Is it the length of time a poster has been a member? Is it the number of posts a member as submitted? Is it the number of times a member has had posts nominated?

I'm not trying to stir up a hornets nest, I'm just trying to understand.

 

[funeral979]

I don't think any of the above do. Maybe a better question would be, what makes a seasoned/reasoned gambler? There are some people here that, in my opinion, come here simply for attention: agree with whatever the flavor of the week is and gang up on the poor soul who has a "different" point of view....complete with high fives, back slaps, etc....thus the "mob mentality" that keeps popping up here lately. They simply argue back and forth over the same topics....post 10 times a day, have their buddies thank them each and every post....does that make them a seasoned poster?

I have been a member here on and off for 8 years, usually visiting a few times a day and read 80% of the threads here. I just choose not to post very often. I woudn't want to offend anyone if I have an opinion that differs from the majority.....and bring the mob out and get backed into a corner. I assume some members here get a kick out of this. Strong opinions are fine....childish insults and ridicules are not.

Im sure there are many others here that share my opinion....thats why you don't see that many new posters stick around....I hate to say it but this isn't a very friendly place sometimes. Who wants to hang around while the bullies here stick out their chests and pronounce how right they are?

 

[ksech]

Im sure there are many others here that share my opinion....thats why you don't see that many new posters stick around....I hate to say it but this isn't a very friendly place sometimes. Who wants to hang around while the bullies here stick out their chests and pronounce how right they are?

I agree with you. It seems in the last 6-8 months it's been a "feeding" frenzy on who will be the "target". I am sure I probably have offended someone at some point in time with something I have posted, but it was not intentional.

I get the feeling, reading thread after thread, where differing opinions don't matter any more. It seems to be one way or no way. That's not what I come here to read about. I enjoyed coming here and reading the differing opinions with active debates. Now it seems as if, and this is just my opinion, you don't agree with the select few then you are labelled, flamed, etc. The thin thread of common decency towards the fellow poster has been stretched past the breaking point.

The only reason I was asking this was because it was referenced to several times in several threads. Perhaps I am just being too sensitive, but it seemed as if labelling and name calling is beginning to become the mode here.

 

[Mavin1]

I am starting to like it when you, Kesch, ponder on things. My opinion of your question.......

To be a seasoned poster, one should be knowledgeable on the subjects being discussed and be able to give logical viewpoints in any debate. Being a forum member for many years does not necessarily make a poster seasoned if they are unable to keep personal attitude out of a discussion, or at least keep it somewhat restrained. When personal attitudes become greater than seasoned attitude, then the debates will always go south and turn into a jumbled hotbed of hormones and testosterone, leaving the original subject obscured and lost in the aftermath.
So to be seasoned, one would need to be able to give a fair and balanced debate, keeping personal feelings to a minimum.

A reasoned poster is one who can take an issue and participate in it with bringing both negative and positives together in harmony without personal attitude or preference overriding logical thinking.

Don't know if this makes sense as it is difficult to precisely nail that question down. But this is just my opinion.

 

[jetset]

I think the original question asked in this thread is already starting to wander off-point into the perceived causes rather than answering the actual question, so I'll try and stick to the topic.

I think what constitutes a seasoned and balanced poster resides mainly in the mind of the individual member here. We all have different opinions and sensitivities, and what may seem like a rude or provocative poster by one may be admired as a controversial and maverick contributor by another.

Equally, a poster with perceived value by some will be accused of being a gang member by others....and so on, and on.

And then there are some who are just perceived as trying to attract attention to themselves by adopting a posting style that may or may not be a truly accurate reflection of themselves or their personalities.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that we are all (thankfully) a little or a lot different in our characters and views of others, which is what makes a forum like CM so interesting.

That being the case, I'll stick with my personal definition of what I consider to be 'seasoned and reasoned' posters. In no particular order:

1) Courtesy - the ability to debate-argue with others without getting too hot under the collar and resorting to insults and/or capital 'shouting' and/or abusive language and/or rude PMs and emails.

2) Knowledge - I always respect real and accurate knowledge in a poster because that is mainly what this site is all about - the exchange of useful information, opinions and perspectives in a hopefully convivial setting.

3) Balance - I don't believe that refusing to see another point of view is either constructive or useful. There's always room to argue and ultimately agree to disagree.

I don't think long service is necessarily a qualification for being a good poster; many interesting posts I have seen over the years have been made by newbies who have a wealth of gambling or other useful knowledge.

I think that where a lengthy presence can be useful to other members is where long-serving posters are able to historically tie incidents, companies, individuals and events to those in the past, creating a more rounded and effective picture.

Traits I abhor are:

Grudges - it's an entertainment forum, for God's sake - members who follow others around deliberately disagreeing with them, harping on old issues or members who's main mission seems to be getting in the last word across several threads just irritate me. But remember - there's always the ignore button!

Shills and spammers. These self-serving clowns simple clutter up the forum and get on my last nerve.

Posters who insult or disrespect the staff here without real cause or evidence. Such attacks or innuendos that the owner/mods are only here for the money are usually launched by still uninformed or recent arrivals who in years to come may well cringe at their initial posting efforts.

Those who are mainly here to build their own images or businesses at the expense of our host - there are always a few of those floating around on popular forums.

 

[Nifty29]

Past history + knowledge/willingness to learn + self-control = credibility.

 

[bernynhel]

F if I know. But if a poster is the most un-seasoned, unreasonable, king of all posting lames, shouldn't he be discouraged from posting? And shouldn't he be chastised for not conforming to unspoken social posting etiquette? And shouldn't he be banned if his opinion is too contrary to the opinion of the majority? If the answer to all of the above is "No", as is my answer, then I don't understand the relevance of the OP's question.

 

[jetset]

Clearly

 

[maxd]

Gotta have a sexy avatar too, obviously.

 

[skiny]

A quart and a half of tequila makes a well seasoned poster.

 

[jetset]

Good one Skiny - LMAO

 

[maxd]

A quart and a half of tequila makes a well seasoned poster.

:lolsign: Well said!

We're still on topic aren't we?

 

[jetset]

Well....sort of - veering rapidly, however

 

[Simmo!]

Balance, Respect and Politeness are the key ingredients for me. The problem we have is that gambling is a very emotional topic and attracts people from all corners of the social spectrum and that makes it almost impossible to create a constantly harmonious atmosphere.

I don't actually perceive their to be a gang-mentality here or on any forum I participate in for that matter. I see it that there are posters who share the same views and these often oppose the views of other posters. These naturally fall into two "groups". So yes, you get groups of posters who back each other up a lot of the time, but that's just because they empathise with the views of the others.

Bottom line is, anyone who can put over their opinion without belittling someone else is someone I take seriously, regard as an asset to a forum and enjoy engaging with.

 

[ksech]

Of course, the meaning of the word seasoned:

transitive verb
1 a : to give (food) more flavor or zest by adding seasoning or savory ingredients b : to give a distinctive quality to as if by seasoning; especially : to make more agreeable <advice seasoned with wit> c archaic : to qualify by admixture : temper
2 a : to treat (as wood or a skillet) so as to prepare for use b : to make fit by experience <a seasoned veteran>

And reasoned:

rea·son (rzn)
n.
1. The basis or motive for an action, decision, or conviction. See Usage Notes at because, why.
2. A declaration made to explain or justify action, decision, or conviction: inquired about her reason for leaving.
3. An underlying fact or cause that provides logical sense for a premise or occurrence: There is reason to believe that the accused did not commit this crime.
4. The capacity for logical, rational, and analytic thought; intelligence.
5. Good judgment; sound sense.
6. A normal mental state; sanity: He has lost his reason.
7. Logic A premise, usually the minor premise, of an argument.

My point in asking I guess, was to see if there could be a "conversation" with differing perceptions of what the meanings of the words are to each other. No rudeness, no name calling, but CIVIL debate.

Heated debates are good, often showing multiple facets from differing opinions. But when a "debater" starts showing signs of tunnel vision and twisted references, that's when things will start to go south.

Funeral has offered interesting opinions as has Mavin, jetset, and Simmo.
Uhhh Berny usually confuses me, BUT I'm trying to work around that.
Perhaps berny and skiny need to pass the bottle around?

side note: Perhaps I should have included in my opening post (hindsight is great):
Is a seasoned/ reasoned member someone whose posts are unpredjudiced/unbaised? Is it someone who can switch sides of the "debate" if necessary? Is it a member who can get their point across without being rude, overbearing, and/or obnoxious? Is the member courteous to the other forum members/admin?

off topic: Apologies, many times my thoughts fly through my head a gazillion times faster than my fingers can type, so I often lose important thoughts I want to convey. And then of course, I have to go back and fix my typos.

 

[Nifty29]

Oh yeah - forgot to add - to be well-seasoned one must first be basted with paprika, garlic, and five spice.

After that, I'm with Skiny

 

[skiny]

I don't actually perceive their to be a gang-mentality here

Just for that, you're not in my gang!

 

[chayton]

I think if you're looking for an example of well balanced posters, you gotta look at Jetset, Jasminebed, and Simmo! - those are the three who stand out in my mind as never flying off the handle or being snarky even in difficult situations. They must have tequila AND valium.

...if you're looking for UNbalanced...well there's always this guy.

And the rest of us fall somewhere in between.

 

[skiny]

If it wasn't for snarky I'd have no reason to speak.

 

[maxd]

As someone said, "Know Thyself".

 

[ksech]

But with multiple personalities you are never alone...

 

[skiny]

But with multiple personalities you are never alone...

I actually have about 10 personalities. It's hard to tell though. They're all jerks.

 

[felicie]

And be really old! I"M KIDDING!! If I may use examples that I consider s&r posters. maxd, jetset, robwin, kk, pina, jasminebed, chuchu, oldtrvlagent, lauram, lovetowinalot, webzcas, aussie and bern mostly seasoned to name a few. sorry for leaving many more out probably and misspelling most. Forgot Simmo! (sorry)And funeral too.

 

[incrediblestuff]

I actually have about 10 personalities. It's hard to tell though. They're all jerks.

lmao!

im a well "reasoned" poster i guess:

when you ask such questions, the best you can do imo, is to think about how you yourself would like to be addressed, when questioning someone or something, or how you wouldnt like to be adressed in such a situation.
i use this as my golden rule of thumb, when answering.


this of course apart from everything humoristic; this is just a matter of taste mostly, some people have the eloquency to make all smile, or the opposite ^^
but this is a vague area imo.

some latin sayings that always should be considered:
Cogita ante salis!
reread and think quietly about what you have typed, before posting it

Merda taurorum animas conturbit
too much bullshit isnt going to make your point more solid
(except in the jokes section maybe)

i too find some people on this forum, very pleasant in their ways of formulating/ reasoning, but this is not the most important thing, im also happy with plain info, or opinions with some decent arguments to solidify them.

in short, one should not care too much for how something is posted, but more about why, and what you can do with the info.

on opinions/discussions, the only thing wise to uphold, is: dont get too emotional or personal.

if one sticks to this then one looks pretty reasonable to me

 

[LaurieJim]

I find posts by vinylweatherman, jetset, Steed, chuchu , nifty, silc and mavin, BB and others to be among to ones that i like to read.They tend to show class while posting and yet remain calm when a hot topic is the issue.

The posts i skim over are the ones that throw out the "F" word and "F" you like yesterdays trash, makes you wonder if they really talk like this out in the open public.

A reasoned poster imo is one that can hold it together and not take sides and does not berate or belittle others for posting their opinions and shows respect and thats the key word " Respect". There has been alot of that in the past and im just as guilty as some for taking sides and for that im sorry.

Laurie

 

[jod5413]

Dang it, Lauriejim and Felicie.

I am truly hurt that you did not include me in your posts about sane and rational posters and about showing some class!!

Don't I qualify??