I am done with Wrong Planet!! !

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I've tried PPR once more over the past week after many years. If I post in any of the threads, I don't revisit them. I also don't make threads in that forum. I also say that I come in peace in threads that are about very hot topics. I've given it a try, but I don't think I'll be posting around there for much longer, because I am a sensitive soul. I also don't want to start saying that I come in peace every time I post in a thread there. The people there will start laughing at me. They'll think that I'm either a hippie or a very childish idiot.

I do that too, it is a good plan - my own state of mind is often fairly upheaved, due to the frustrations of the so-called real world - and you have started a thread here that has brought up important information and points of view to anyone like me, who now knows what and where to avoid if they want a quiet cyberlife! That's a good thing.

I've been a member for about 9 months now, but have never visited PPR before. Sounds like a stressful subforum. I think the title of the subforum itself should include something like "[a debate forum]" to warn that it is a debate forum. That way those who are not comfortable with it can avoid it.

As for “Christian aspie resources”, maybe it could go to GAD, Random, In-Depth A etc.

I don't know whether OP is even reading this thread, perhaps he has already quit WP.

Regarding PPR, I think the fact that certain members asked for a forum (as per Tallyman) to enable "free speech" actually speaks volumes about those members. They are clearly the type who are frustrated at not being able to freely denigrate and demean other members as they are clearly used to elsewhere, without mods stepping in, and want virtual carte blanche to say what they like. Some, will also dress it up in convoluted ways in an effort to get away with what they are saying, so some members less verbally able, or without the same level of vocabulary knowledge cannot respond, or may sense they are being insulted but not get the full monty of what the insult was (hence feeding the condescending trolls further). The members who are doing the insulting probably therefore feel that their vocabulary and verbal abilities in linguistical convolution means they can insult until the cows come home.

The OP's profile says that they have not been back to the site since posting this. He might just need a little time to recover.

As for PPR I think it is fair to have a debate area, as long as the way that members interact there does not transfer to other areas of the site. Personally I enjoy a bit of a scrap myself, with the aim to challenge views that I feel are unrealistic.

I do agree that the distinction between PPR and other parts could be made more clear.

Scrap, you? Can't say I've noticed myself...

I do think debate is great, and I love a heated debate myself, but some are too near the knuckle at times. I hate seeing other members made fun of or demeaned in any way.

What you have to understand is that asking for citations is the best way of distinguishing between truth and non-truth, particularly in the field of science. I don't think the "intellectual snobs" are being arrogant when someone claims to have made a major scientific discovery and they ask for some evidence, that's just science at work.

It is arrogant when they ask for scientific evidence of something non-scientific, like the existence of God, and belittle people who believe in God despite this lack of evidence. But if people want to pretend to be scientists, they shouldn't be surprised that they have to stand up to scrutiny, and shouldn't resort to anti-intellectual snobbery.

Whirlingmind

It's great this site exists, I wish I had found it earlier.

I come here to learn, to support others and vent some frustration too.

I do feel that if the OP is going to judge the whole site because of the actions of 1 or 2 members then they could find a better way to deal with it. Leaving the site over this is a bit too much of a 'Cut off nose, spite face' reaction.

Some other members, no names , do seem to come on the site feeling that they are the new best thing, ignore polite advice and go on to make ridiculous claims. If someone posts on a public site that red is green, blue is orange and mixing them both together makes yellow then I feel they deserve what they get

Same here.

The thing to remember is, these people obviously feel the need to prove themselves by putting others down. Intelligence in that sense (or rather, having knowledge) is a form of shallowness just as bad as someone putting down people for their looks. i.e. "I know more than you" is the same as "I look better than you".

What defines us isn't by what we know, but by the choices we make. It depends on how people use their own knowledge - most say, who are into politics, to me, are just involved in a national b***h fest. How many of the people who put others down for their lack of knowledge about politics - ACTIVELY do something about their views? People love complaining and looking down upon others. Look at those people who watch the Jeremy Kyle show. It's the same thing but in lesser taste.

If person A judges you upon whether you know when the next election is or who put down some parlimentary rules...rather than judging you by who you are as a person, or what good you've done - then person A has their OWN morals messed up.

This is one of only three boards that I didn't leave due to trolling, personal insults, power hungry moderators who picked sides, etc. I find the community here to be a immense resource and the support I have received here is immense.

However, I did make two rare posts in PPR: one critiquing Libertarianism and why I rejected my previous beliefs and one explaining a "mystical" experience I once had and why I rejected my atheism because of it. I was swamped by people desperately trying to discredit me in any way possible for some bizarre reason. It's like PPR is a completely separate community amongst itself and I can't figure out why. In my younger days I would do anything to convince these people they were wrong but I'm smart enough to know just to stay away from PPR entirely.

I would absolutely love to hear about your mystical experience. I didn't see your thread.

@neilson_wheels: I wasn't digging at you, (I know who you are referring to BTW). At least you spent more time analysing and offering counter arguments in true debate style even if things did go downhill at the end. There are those who jump straight in with sardonic sneering and won't even consider an idea.

ETA: I agree no-one needs to quit WP because of the bad eggs, and they can maybe just take time out to recover their equilibrium. Letting those who put them down win just ensures that those members stretch the rope that bit further because they got what they wanted. It's very hard though when people are ganging up on you, so I think OP is not unjustified in having such a strong reaction.

Last edited by whirlingmind on 04 Jul 2013, 9:06 am, edited 1 time in total.

I didn't take it that way.

I like the autonomy of the site, I feel PPR should run as it is with more obvious labeling and bullying anywhere else can be dealt with by the members in thread.

Someone pulled me up for an inappropriate post in the Haven recently, I recognised this and apologised. For members whose main aim is to annoy others there is no option apart from ignoring their posts without the site becoming over loaded with rules and needing judgements from moderators. You can let them know that you are ignoring them, just once, every time they respond to your posts there will be a nagging doubt that they are completely wasting their time.

I do remember seeing the title of the OP's OP appear on the PPR board and thinking 'You've got no chance'.

Last edited by neilson_wheels on 04 Jul 2013, 8:28 am, edited 1 time in total.

Just a thought, but why not make the ppr section permission only. I've seen this done on another site somewhere. The idea is that to gain access to a particular section you have to ask a moderator to add permissions to your profile. That way no- one accidentlly walks into a potentially upsetting situation by mistake. And those who do enter can be warned that it is a cuthroat forum in there.

I personally think that a section where people can let off steam is a good idea, so long as it doesn't spill over into the other forum threads.

Why isn't it possible that the knowledge a person has influences the set of choices a person may think they have? If a person lacks knowledge on something couldn't it be possible that they may not realize they have this particular choice?

In fact, how is it possible for one to be able to discern what choices he or she has without some rudimentary level of knowledge? For example, for one to walk somewhere one would have to be able to understand the concept of walking and be able to walk.

Walrus, the thing is though science, mathematics and other systems have a set of axioms. Can you prove axioms. You would have to go outside of the system of science and mathematics to prove the axioms behind them. Can one prove the concept of proving? How would you do this and show a proof for this without proving? By proving, you will be using circular logic.

Therein lies the problem with demanding proof for all. Some things can't be proven and are not provable. When certain pretentious academics ask for proof on everything claimed what they're asking for is impossible to do.

If something is so obvious that it does need to be proven then it is defeating to go back and argue these ideas.
If someone requires philosophic debate over such concepts there are other web sites available that are more suitable.