A Single Article

Arguing online

I hate arguing online. This is considering that I avoid discussing anything that I know will turn into an argument. Which leaves me with arguments that shouldn’t even happen.

If people were better cyber-citizens, I wouldn’t have this problem. Here’s one way to improve your cyber-citizenship: if you are going to respond to what someone says, read what they said! Read all of it, and then make sure you have all your facts straight before starting an argument.

Obviously there’s a case in point here. It’s all going on at Stylegala, and it bothers me like no other. Let me explain what’s going on here.

I announced the rebuild and realignment of Liquid Designs there. I did this because it’s a great way to make announcements to the design community about resources like Liquid Designs. Afterwards, some blockhead came along and started complaining about how the plethora of CSS galleries on the web is crushing his childhood spirit. He then tried to give me advice, as if I really needed to be talked down to about a project that has already had more success than anything he’s ever done… in his life. He said something about “no offense” but there was definitely some taken. He even had the nerve to say that Livejournal.com was done in tables. As if I don’t do my homework! Would I really be so stupid as to post a table based site on Liquid Designs? Mr. Blockhead is calling me stupid!

Obviously you see the problem here. Mr. Blockhead didn’t get his facts straight. He was condescending too. Case in point, an argument that never needed to start. You can read the response I gave… it stinks that I have to waste my time correcting people like this, but I had no choice. I explained that Liquid Designs is not a cookie-cutter CSS Gallery, that it’s a very useful resource to the design community and it’s not a “me-too” project. I also clarified that the Livejournal website is CSS based (it only has 3 small tables for tabular data).

You would think that was the end of it, but then Mr. Blockhead’s cousin comes along and decides it might be fun to just flame. Mr. Blockhead’s cousin claims, despite everything I’ve said, that Liquid Designs is still just another CSS Gallery. He then even goes so far as to say that I’m breaking the rules on Stylegala public news entries. Well, now I’ve been called a liar and a criminal. Thanks, flamer.

Mr. Blockhead’s cousin is obviously just as bad, if not worse, than Mr. Blockhead. If cyber-citizenship were a requirement, they would both be deported. He hasn’t bothered to do his homework or read the replies I made. I obviously had to waste even more time setting him straight too, by reiterating the points I made and then making it clear to him that if my entry was an advertisement, then every entry on Stylegala news would be an advertisement too.

The saddest part is that I’m sure more people will come along and make stupid comments. There’s enough stupid people on the web to keep up an argument for centuries. Posting every minute. At the same time. I just wish there was someway to delete their comments. As a service to everyone else, just log in to Stylegala and say, “here, this comment here, it’s unbased and stupid, delete.” Well, I can’t do that, and I’ll just have to entertain the blockheads. I know that they will probably never change, because people who are prone to argue are also stubborn. No matter how clear I make my points, they will just argue for the sake of arguing. That’s gotta be advice number 2: when arguing, be willing to change your view if the other person proves you wrong. Just admit it and move on. There’s nothing stupider than arguing for the sake of it.

Well, I hope that’s good advice. Maybe you can go over there and say something like, “I agree with montoya, back off blockheads. He’s doing a good thing.” That would be nice. Until then, I’ll fight the good fight. You be a good cyber-citizen too!