Please, Please Don't Start Public Plonking

[bobd]

I'm on my second year of paid membership here at DU. I discovered DU shortly after Bush's 2001 inaugural and have been an addict ever since. I probably visit here 20 times a day. I find it to be a great place to obtain a wide variety of news and opinion; in fact it's essentially the ONLY place I come for news and links to news. Lately, however, I've noticed an ominous and disturbing trend. The custom of "plonking" seems to have found its way here.

As a computer geek (Unix systems administration) I regularly visit the computer related Usenet newsgroups. Some of the groups, not all, have a rather mean-spirited plonking custom whereby posters deemed "unacceptable" are publically plonked into folks' ignore file. The bad thing, in my view, about this is that the hapless plonked poster has no recourse for appology, if one is warranted, or even a well reasoned response to the plonkers since the poster is now on ignore.

Personally I don't plonk, privately and especially publicly. It seems really arrogant to me and just plain mean. If I don't feel like reading a posting or a thread I just don't read it. In a political board, especially in times like this, there's going to be a LOT of venting. If we can't do it here where else can we do it? Besides, the alert button seems to keep the boards pretty clear of freeper/right-winger distuptors. Moreover, someone posting something nasty one time may post something enlightening the next time. I'm truely saddened that the custom has arrived here at DU. I'm especially saddened to see folks like Will Pitt giving into it. It's not one of the better angels of our nature.

I know I'm not the most optimistic person here. I struggle with my pessimism and am very grateful that DU allows me a place to vent when I need to. So please, please don't give it to urges to ignore folks. And I beg of you please, please, please refrain from public plonking. It's just not DU. :-(

Bob D.

[liberalmuse]

1. Good point!

I think it would be a good idea to understand that some people need a venue where they can vent. DU has helped me tremendously, even though I can come across as a really negative, doom-and-gloom b*tch a lot of the time. That's because this is where I feel free to vent my outrage towards our current government. I suppose that is why when I read a post that seems testy and rude, I figure it could be this person has a lot of anger pent up inside. Granted, I have responded testily to a couple of people I felt were rude, so can't get on anyone else for plonking without being a hypocrite. Let's face it, for many of us here, DU is the only place we can express how we feel about the current situation in our country. It could be because our family is right wing, or our friends are not interested in politics, or work is not an appropriate place to discuss such things. That being said, there are those whose sole aim is to blatantly abuse DU, and they probably should be removed if they continue after being warned.

[short bus president]

2. I would hope that

the "ignore" function is a last-resort way to avoid interacting with someone who has become threatening, or extremely and purposefully annoying. I have yet to use it, even on people who've sent me DUmail nastygrams. It's certainly contrary to the spirit of this forum if it's used capriciously. But I can see where it could be useful - not all verbal abuse on DU is in the open fora where admin can zap it.

[Droopy]

3. I don't use the ignore feature, either

I've used the alert feature only once and that was to a very clear-cut case of flame-bait. I do see stuff on here that is offensive from time to time and of course we have the flame wars, but there has never been anything that would make me ignore or 'plonk' somebody.

[bicentennial_baby]

4. I agree

I've seen people put others on Ignore for one comment, and use it in a very capricious way.

[quinnox]

5. I'm guilty of this

I admit I did what you described, only one time. A moment of weakness, I suppose. I agree it is bad form to air an ignored member publicly.

However, I do like the ignore function, I use it when necessary and find DU much more enjoyable with it. But I agree, it should be kept a private matter.

[NashVegas]

6. I Made My First DU *plonk* Today

And don't regret it.

Sometimes, some people NEED to be told they're being an asshole and they NEED to be shown they aren't going to get the attention they want so very, very badly.

Offline, for the most part, we get to choose who we converse with and who we ignore.

Online, in a place where masses of new people come in everyday, you need a way to set community standards to show the newbies what's acceptable and what's not. *plonk* is the best way to do it with the least amount of energy. No need to get into the bottomless pit of meta-discussions and soothe egos.

If you want to take the time to try to talk to and reason with an asshole, that's your choice.

[Nlighten1]

7. I get the feeling that some people...

take themselves far too seriously on this wonderful website. Plonking is for mal-adjusted people with thin skins.

[NightTrain]

8. I've never plonked anyone at DU

Admittedly, I've been tempted on more than one occasion, but have resisted the urge so far.

Now go ahead and tell me how wonderful I am! :7

[bobd]

9. I Agree - You're Wonderful!

and I hope other folks think so too! ;-)

Bob D.

[SweetZombieJesus]

10. What the hell is plonking?

Me am cornfused.

[NashVegas]

11. Public Shunning

Real usenet applications (not Netscape) give you the ability to filter posts and put threads/posters in a "killfile," meaning everytime you fire up, those posts are filtered out from the headers you download.

*plonk* signifies you're dropping a poster into your killfile, and doing it publicly. It's less than tactful, but it gets the point across.

Say you've got a troll coming into GD. Someone with over 700 posts all the sudden reveals themselves as an intentional disruptor. Some of us saw the thread and its poster immediately for what they were and hit the 'ignore button,' some of us publicly.

[bobd]

12. Plonking is

a rather mean-spirited custom whereby posters deemed "unacceptable" are publically dropped into folks' ignore or "kill" file. The word "plonk" describes the sound made when something is dropped into a deep metal bucket, presumably to be emptied into the sewer.

[arwalden]

13. Some Folks Are Incorrigible. Some Folks Have No Redeeming Qualities.

Some folks know how to skirt every rule and know how to goad others into making an angry and "rule-breaking" response... simply so that they can click "alert" and tattle-tale on the member that they have been purposely prodding to get a reaction from?

I understand your point... you explained it very well. But it's too lenient from a few users who raise my ire at the mere mention of or sight of their username.

Public plonking is a bit silly. Agreed.

But not plonking someone out of a sense of fairness and in hopes that they will come-around one day and be mature participants... or that they will apologize for their boorish behavior. Sorry... I'm not that forgiving and not that patient.

You're a better person than I am.

-- Allen

[SOteric]

14. I disagree with you on this.

I have placed few people on my ignore list, and have few in usenet killfiles. And I agree that the alert button does take very good care of most disruptors and trolls.

By the time that most of the posters hereabouts have grown irritated enough to drop someone into the rubbish bin, many opportunities to resolve, rehash or sort out have been offered.

If you quietly put an individual on your ignore list, I see that as an even greater rudeness. The individual being ignored will continue to rant and rave like an abject ass while you go merrily on about your business. It's much more polite to publicly say, in a very direct way, I'm sorry but I feel we've argued this to death and your further contributions will not be appreciated; than it would be just to disappear and leave them talking into the void.

Of course, there's no need for either individual to be mean about it.