What the heck is going on here?

The amount of trolling seems to have increased exponentially with the release of the car. Flame wars & heated debates are erupting more and more often when compared to say a month ago. Why?

I guess I'll just have to get used to it. Maybe all forums & message boards eventually become like this, its just sad that it's happening to ours.

Sorry for venting....

EDIT: maybe there should be a "Heated Discussion" section of the forum where these threads can be moved.

It's pretty common with all boards, once the newness of the RX-8 dies down it will get better. You have a lot of RX-8 owners that are overly enamored with their cars because of how new they are, and then you have people with other cars test driving it and coming into the boards and giving their thoughts, or just plain bashing it because it helps boost their egos. It's just a bad combo.

I do think a section for people to put their reviews and testdrive info will help keep a lot of the flames out of the general section, maybe even a RX-8 vs. The Competition section and just make it clear that street racing will not be tolerated if you want to keep that off the boards.

Ike

no we don't need a 'flamewar' section to eat away the limited bandwidth this forum shares with rx7club.

i think the increased trolling is proportional to the public awareness of this car.

especially those that have only read about it in the trade mags and haven't driven/seen it in person.

and then of course we'll have those with performance cars in the same price range trying to put down the new kid on the block :D

No doubt there are more and more heated discussions around and I find the most effective way to deal with this type of threads is either to ignore or not replying; it's best to keep our mouth shut and trolls will eventually go away, I hope :D

i kind of wish there were some kind of icon to indicate apparent trolldom or flamewars, like maybe a troll, or 2 people throwing flames at each other, or like the old spy vs spy icon thatd be cool but i dunno how topical. The car vs car discussion was cool for a while but i dunno now

I think other boards are experiencing the same thing. When a forum reaches a certain critical mass, civility seems to erodes. A flashlight board I often read is experiencing a lot of flaming, bickering and the like. Maybe the internet has reached a point where the riff-raff comprise a larger percentage of members.

My own pet theory is that people are gradually discovering they can vent and attack others on the internet, because of the impossibility of physical retaliation. The possibility of physical conflict normally inhibits verbal attacks in the real world.

The key thing to keep the flame wars down is just to let the trolls troll and don't start an argument with them. If you do they win.

So do your part to help keep flamewars down.

Originally posted by rodmeister
I think other boards are experiencing the same thing. When a forum reaches a certain critical mass, civility seems to erodes. ...

My own pet theory is that people are gradually discovering they can vent and attack others on the internet, because of the impossibility of physical retaliation. The possibility of physical conflict normally inhibits verbal attacks in the real world.

"go to heck"! :D j/k
Actually this has long been a theory of mine as well and I have said so on this and other forums.

As for the first part, this is very true. A couple years back I wanted a 968 real bad. After spending a lot of time on the 968.net forum and researching the car and test driving a few I changed my mind. Anyway the point is I never saw "trolling" as you all call it or "flameing" on that forum. Some heated discussion maybe but mostly a bunch of nice guys sharing a love for the 968 trying to help each other out by passing on information. The guys used to go test drive cars for each other if it was closer to their home or just go check it out. They offered great advice for everything you can imagine. This forum used to be like that "back in the day" only a few months ago.

The 968 was more exclusive and had a lot smaller "customer" base. But I feel it also attracted less "younger" people and along with it a little more maturity. I find myself wanting to digress to responding like my teen would to some of these posts. I never had that urge over at the home of the 968. Maybe it's because I own an RX-8 and take it more personal or maybe it's the environment that molds our being...hmmmm.

I need T.P. for my bunghole...see there I go again. :D

[i] A flashlight board I often read is experiencing a lot of flaming, bickering and the like. [/B]

There's actually a board about flashlights? I'm surprised it could ever reach a critical mass. Are people really enamoured with their flashlights?

Originally posted by Napboy


There's actually a board about flashlights? I'm surprised it could ever reach a critical mass. Are people really enamoured with their flashlights? ROFL :D :D

Actually, I've had to handle more issues with existing members over-reacting to non-favorable opinions and comments than actual trolls in the last couple of weeks.

Maybe the HP issue is causing some people to be over-sensitive. A lack of actual information and response from Mazda results in alot of people talking out of their keister, and/or wildly speculating (amongst the valid concerns and thoughts), which isn't helping the "tone". And then there are others who don't thoroughly read all 30+ pages on the whole subject (can you blame them?), and re-hash everything over and over, keeping the wounds fresh.

Maybe some people are a little defensive after the few trolls we have gotten.

---jps

Originally posted by Napboy


There's actually a board about flashlights? I'm surprised it could ever reach a critical mass. Are people really enamoured with their flashlights?
I was wondering the same thing myself.. http://webhome.idirect.com/~jsmialek/Smileys/thinking.gif

Gotta love the Internet! :D

Yep. It's called CandlePower Forums. Mostly about high powered tactical flashlights from Surefire and other companies, and the growing tide of LED-based lights. A good place to study especially if you survived the Northeast blackout, and want to be prepared.

Originally posted by Sputnik
Actually, I've had to handle more issues with existing members over-reacting to non-favorable opinions and comments than actual trolls in the last couple of weeks.

Maybe the HP issue is causing some people to be over-sensitive. A lack of actual information and response from Mazda results in alot of people talking out of their keister, and/or wildly speculating (amongst the valid concerns and thoughts), which isn't helping the "tone". And then there are others who don't thoroughly read all 30+ pages on the whole subject (can you blame them?), and re-hash everything over and over, keeping the wounds fresh.

Maybe some people are a little defensive after the few trolls we have gotten.

---jps


I think jps is correct, to you your cars are new and fresh and you love them to death. There is nothing wrong with that, but it clouds some peoples feelings about how they will feel about their cars once the newness wears off. As soon as someone says something that is not completely complimentary of the RX-8 people are quick to rush to it's defense and call that person a troll. My cars has some issues, your cars have some issues, that's the way it is with all cars. Some people need to stop taking an insult the the RX-8 as a personal insult.

When I first came to this board the cars had not been released yet so I hate a wait and see type attitude, no problems there. But once I test drove the car and others ownde the car, if I said anything bad about the car it was like I was insulting their mother. I like the cars, I really do, but I drove it and liked many things but also found some things I didn't like and was in some instances attacked for it. Most of the time I felt I was attacked when I was defending other cars that RX-8 owners were bashing.

I've seen it happen with other boards I was visiting that had other cars I was interested in. As soon as the car is released it's the greatset thing ever made and you had better not say anything bad about it, and everything else besides that car is crap. Which just isn't the case, and people need to kep that in mind. Just because someone doesn't own an RX-8 doesn't make them a troll, and just because it's not an RX-8 doesn't make it a piece of crap.

Beyond that, the ones that are trolls will sense you defensiveness and move in for the kill. There's things lacking in the RX-8 that other car owners will bring up every time they feel the need to get a rise out of you, and for now they will sweep in like vultures because the trolls know those things will hit home and you will blindly defend the RX-8.

For the WRX it's the transmission and the looks of the car, for the RX-8 it's the lack of torque and missing hp, you either need to accept it and get used to it or be ready to be stressed out every time a troll shows up and rubs it in. If they really are a troll and they don't get a rise out of you they will move on.


/rant off

Ike

As for the flashlight forums... someone has a little too much freetime. :p


Ike

Quote: "As for the flashlight forums... someone has a little too much freetime. "

I know this was meant in jest, but a lot of members are paramedics, police - including SWAT, firefighters, soldiers, military and civilian pilots, hikers, swing and graveyard workers: those whose lives and livelihood depend on the best lights.

I work on swingshift at airport operations, and need the most powerful, dependable lights to inspect aircraft ramps, terminal facilities, and responding to life threatening emergencies.

Admittedly, the majority are "wannabees." :D

sorry for the thread creep here, but i saw an ad for a new led flashlight a while ago. it was one of those "shake it" no batteries needed flashlights that after like 20 shakes works for about 10-20 minutes. and with the multiple led's was very bright. have you tried one of these yet, rodmeister? if so what do you think of them?

Yes I've heard about those "shake lights." A good secondary light for the home especially those in the Northeast. A bit heavy because of the magnet, weak but usable beam, and can wreak havoc on magnetic media - keep it away from cassettes and sensitive electronics.

Sounds like you may be a prospective member of CPF. Take a look, especially those in the Northeast and Californians (land of riots, earthquakes and rolling blackouts.)

I think a lot of the retaliatory flaming on negative comments regarding the RX-8 is quite simply founded on this:

We the people, who have conducted a more or less exhausting study as to what car currently on the market fits our wants and needs, having just finished only just within the last month or so, would like to think that we have made a wise choice.

We have narrowed our search to a mere handful of cars, then probed & picked away at every little detail of each and every one of our finalist group.
We have finally committed to our final decision that the RX-8 is the car of our choice.
We have just within the last 40 days or less taken posession of our new RX-8 - the fruits of our efforts and the item which has consumed a rather large portion of our income, and will continue to for quite some time.

The last thing that any of us need is some pimple-faced twirp who probably can't afford to purchase a Red Flyer that in his opinion, based on whatever, we have obviously overlooked the one fatal flaw that renders the RX-8 a worthless pile of junk. The low torque, or the missing hp, or the piece of plastic around the door switches, or the missing spare tire, or the................

Hey, what we need is two forum sections - one for people who have already taken the plunge and want to move on to RX-8 Owner topics - another for people who have not decided yet and are more interested in car shopper's topics.

Anyone who wants to call the car that we have just purchased a POS is in turn calling me and my fellow RX-8 owners a bunch of incompetent car buyers, or in other words, stupid, duped, blind, inexperienced, maybe even brainwashed. I dunno, a bunch of other "words", but none that could be taken as a compliment.

I was always told "If you don't have anything nice to say, then don't say anything at all."

Really, if you don't like the poor gas mileage, and if you don't have anything constructive to say about it, then I don't want to hear it! Why bring it up? We know that fact already here and most people are discussing it in a way that is not cramming it up our noses.

Some people do some cramming cuz they are seriously trying to make their own decision about buying their new car, and so, I think they deserve a place to do just that. They have a need, are in a bit of a hurry to get answers, so they are blunt and to the point. I have no problem with that, but it should be in the car shopper's topics. Any current RX-8 owner who ventures in that area will be aware of the potential consequences.

Anyone who is a genuine Troll would have nowhere to go. In the shopping area, a troll can badmouth the RX-8 all he wants. Anyone who wants to go troll hunting can go there. A troll who wanders into the owner's section can be booted for violating a "NO TROLLS" warning message. The owner's section has no place for people wanting to argue about which car is better, but rather, "how can I make my RX-8 better", as well as social events calandering and the like.

Just a thought.

That's what I was getting at earlier. I think a Test-drive section would do this forum well, or a comparison section where people can battle it out over which car is better and it won't interfere with those that already have the car and don't want to hear about it.

Ike