What makes this worse is the obvious disrespect from Cowbee of my request to disengage. I made it very clear I didn’t want to argue. These communities have absolutely no standards of behaviour for members of the in-group. Which is exactly why I don’t engage with them in these communities.
Well, also the fact that I hate being constantly called a liberal for not repeating Capitalist Putin’s latest botfarm talking point. Talking to these people is an exercise in keeping my calm while I am constantly insulted. No thank you.
I don’t want to argue, but I do want to get the last word in, and I also want to explain that my reason for not arguing is that I know Cowbee by reputation and I refuse to be sealioned and trolled by him. I’d be very happy to say my piece without any sealioning and trolling, which is what I tried to make happen, but alas, once again he used the old “Why won’t you talk to me :(”, just like my ex does when she’s been drinking.
Number 1 rule in online arguments: “Do not feed the trolls”
If you even suspect someone is a troll, block immediately.
There is absolutely nothing to be gained from a proper “Internet argument”, and against a troll you will not only not gain, but lose, your sanity. I don’t know who Cowbee is or what they stand for neither do I particularly care, but I can and will tell you, that for your own good, you must have a 0-tolerance policy towards trolls. Do not try to get the last word in, down that path lies madness and neverending pointless back and forth. Even in good faith.
Also, when in a situation such as the one this post (that this is a reply to) is in, please keep in mind that a large amount of even mild criticism coming from several different people can feel nasty and personal. Especially on forum like places, such as where we are currently. Please try to detach your sense of identity from whatever behaviour you exhibited before analysing it and criticism against it.
Those are essentially mutually exclusive…
If someone wants to argue with you, and you want to disengage, you have to accept that you’re not going to get the last word in no matter how many times you say “don’t argue with me” - cause you can’t control what they can say afterwards.
This is especially true, and comes off as childish, when you’re the one that baited that argument in the first place with “your piece”.
This reminds me of the behaviour in young siblings where one will initiate, and when the anticipated response comes, they launch in to “Mom, they’re touching me!”
You clearly do want to argue, you just don’t want to be argued back with. Either that, or you’re just trying to provoke a response.
I’d be happy to have an argument without trolling, sealioning, and calling people liberals