Originally Posted by Cadiva:
“That's because, I've found personally, that smileys don't usually get used "correctly" or rather they're not used in the manner in which they were originally intended when they first started being introduced in message board software.
If I am writing something which is tongue in cheek, I will employ the use of the wink or the raspberry smiley. If I'm writing something where I am agreeing with a fellow poster over an amusing post or suggestion, I will usually use the basic smiley or the big grin one. I rarely use any other smiley.
As for the adversarial nature of debate, I think that's usually down to the type of forum. Anything which involves a competition is generally going to give rise to conflicts. There's rarely any vitriol posted in the Sci-Fi or US TV show forums as they're more often than not talking about things people all like. Even where there are disagreements, they don't tend to get anywhere near as confrontational as they do here on the SCD forum.
I moderated one of the biggest Sims related gaming forums on the internet for more than five years, we rarely had arguments there. I also mod a gaming forum which has been going more than 12 years, we only occasionally had arguments there and they're more often related to "real life" as we all know each other personally as well as on the internet having met over the years we've been gaming together.”
That may be true of those two forums, but I can vouch for the fact that it's not true of the UK TV forum. Try having the temerity to praise anything associated with Ricky Gervaise or James Corden (they appear to be two of the current pet hate figures)..you don't have to wait long for the vitriol to start coming, thick and fast. It's also far worse than anything I've seen written about any celeb on Strictly, I'm talking genuine hatred.
I'm not claiming to be blameless, I've had the odd "dig" at celebrities that I don't like..but real hatred doesn't come into it. Don't understand it myself.