Has your participation on A Moving Train changed?

brianlux

Jason P said:

brianlux said:

Jason P said:

LOL

Always a pleasure to see the esteemed Jason P on the boards, as well as our dearly beloved Mr. Hanks!

I hope all is going well for you, Brian,  Peace!

Likewise, JP!  Peace to you as well. 

brianlux

Wobbie said:

if I thought I could win an internet argument, I might participate more.

What the heck.  Here ya go, bud!

brianlux

1ThoughtKnown said:

You can’t even win an argument against the Bing AI. Even it gets too emotional and existential. 😂
https://simonwillison.net/2023/Feb/15/bing/

I'll pass on trying that, haha!

Wobbie

brianlux said:

Wobbie said:

if I thought I could win an internet argument, I might participate more.

What the heck.  Here ya go, bud!

I have a good buddy on these boards….prolific poster….been trying to win an internet argument for 20 years….still trying.

brianlux

Wobbie said:

brianlux said:

Wobbie said:

if I thought I could win an internet argument, I might participate more.

What the heck.  Here ya go, bud!

I have a good buddy on these boards….prolific poster….been trying to win an internet argument for 20 years….still trying.

Well shoot, man, here's one for your buddy too!

Go Beavers

Wobbie said:

brianlux said:

Wobbie said:

if I thought I could win an internet argument, I might participate more.

What the heck.  Here ya go, bud!

I have a good buddy on these boards….prolific poster….been trying to win an internet argument for 20 years….still trying.

I bet he thinks Dave A is the best drummer.

static111

Go Beavers said:

Wobbie said:

brianlux said:

Wobbie said:

if I thought I could win an internet argument, I might participate more.

What the heck.  Here ya go, bud!

I have a good buddy on these boards….prolific poster….been trying to win an internet argument for 20 years….still trying.

I bet he thinks Dave A is the best drummer.

As if there is even a question. Jack was the best!

Gern Blansten

Go Beavers said:

I used to post in there a bunch, then really dropped off for a but, now I’m back in there more frequently. I enjoy hearing different opinions and people also post good information and articles. The higher level of mod intervention makes it the least cesspool place I’ve seen on the internet. 

I know conservatives complain of a lack if balance and inability of back and forth, but I attribute that to the state of the republican party and complete abandonment of conservative principles, and instead fully adopting the culture war battle. 

very well said on both points

in my opinon that level of moderation promotes good discussion...no reason to tuck your tail and run if someone disagrees with you

mace1229

For me it comes and goes in waves. Based on when I have time and if there's any interesting new topics going on and for some of the reasons already mentioned.
I lean right, and enjoy an actual conversation with someone who disagrees with me. Thats harder to find. And no one seems to call out anyone with a left viewpoint. AMT seems more like a support group for anti-republicans than anything else. 
First 2 examples that come to mind are a couple weeks into this Ukraine war someone seriously posted this war was started with Trump and Putin secretly in cahoots to make Biden look bad. I don't think a single person, other than me, commented on how ridiculous that sounded. Around the same time there was a thread about how it is illegal to be trans in Texas, and teachers are required to report trans students to child services for child abuse or lose their job. I pointed out what the law actually says, that it bans certain hormones, hormone blockers and surgery before a certain age, but does not ban being trans at all. A lot of places wont give certain drugs before a certain age and most medical professionals advise against it. The outrage against me for pointing out the facts got the thread closed within an hour and some people banned. No one had any issues with sharing misinformation as long as it made Texas look bad, and I was supposedly racist for talking about what the bill actually says. Thats about when I started checking less often and only reading fewer threads that interest me. But still comes and go in waves.

Wobbie

Go Beavers said:

Wobbie said:

brianlux said:

Wobbie said:

if I thought I could win an internet argument, I might participate more.

What the heck.  Here ya go, bud!

I have a good buddy on these boards….prolific poster….been trying to win an internet argument for 20 years….still trying.

I bet he thinks Dave A is the best drummer.

he only argues politics

Go Beavers

Wobbie said:

Go Beavers said:

Wobbie said:

brianlux said:

Wobbie said:

if I thought I could win an internet argument, I might participate more.

What the heck.  Here ya go, bud!

I have a good buddy on these boards….prolific poster….been trying to win an internet argument for 20 years….still trying.

I bet he thinks Dave A is the best drummer.

he only argues politics

Tell him Reagan sucks! 🙂

brianlux

mace1229 said:

For me it comes and goes in waves. Based on when I have time and if there's any interesting new topics going on and for some of the reasons already mentioned.
I lean right, and enjoy an actual conversation with someone who disagrees with me. Thats harder to find. And no one seems to call out anyone with a left viewpoint. AMT seems more like a support group for anti-republicans than anything else. 
First 2 examples that come to mind are a couple weeks into this Ukraine war someone seriously posted this war was started with Trump and Putin secretly in cahoots to make Biden look bad. I don't think a single person, other than me, commented on how ridiculous that sounded. Around the same time there was a thread about how it is illegal to be trans in Texas, and teachers are required to report trans students to child services for child abuse or lose their job. I pointed out what the law actually says, that it bans certain hormones, hormone blockers and surgery before a certain age, but does not ban being trans at all. A lot of places wont give certain drugs before a certain age and most medical professionals advise against it. The outrage against me for pointing out the facts got the thread closed within an hour and some people banned. No one had any issues with sharing misinformation as long as it made Texas look bad, and I was supposedly racist for talking about what the bill actually says. Thats about when I started checking less often and only reading fewer threads that interest me. But still comes and go in waves.

I didn't see the comment about Trump and Putin starting the war in Ukraine.  Obviously a far fetched idea. What's ridiculous about that is that the war has actually made Biden look good.  And I'll add that the reason I didn't see that comment is because I don't spend as much time in what often seems like a snake pit, so I miss a lot there.

As for Texas, well, because we all know Texas (in general, of course) is a bastion of homophobia, your not going to get much support there defending that state on that issue.  In any case, if you were pointing out misinformation and were correct in your doing so, I would support you on that.  But again, I wasn't there, didn't see it.

Loujoe

Hey hey you you get offa my AET cloud

brianlux

Loujoe said:

Hey hey you you get offa my AET cloud

Haha!  Definitely one of my all-tie favorite Stones songs.  Used to drive my folks nuts cranking that one. 

mickeyrat

yes. I post more articles than opinion. I will offer those or ask questions  for further understanding. will also post some snark where I feel its deserving.

place is a shadow of what went down before pay to post though. it was rough.

brianlux

mickeyrat said:

yes. I post more articles than opinion. I will offer those or ask questions  for further understanding. will also post some snark where I feel its deserving.

place is a shadow of what went down before pay to post though. it was rough.

Interesting.  That was before my time.  Sounds like it must have been rather rough going.

mickeyrat

brianlux said:

mickeyrat said:

yes. I post more articles than opinion. I will offer those or ask questions  for further understanding. will also post some snark where I feel its deserving.

place is a shadow of what went down before pay to post though. it was rough.

Interesting.  That was before my time.  Sounds like it must have been rather rough going.

huh. just scrolled back through. its the same with similar posters. I was grossly under-informed when I joined so I felt intimidated by those more knowledgeable. Reading some of the threads randomly, I now wonder what the big deal was for me.

now that was just back as far as my join time frame. I might just go back to the last page and move forward from there.

stuckinline

Visit AMT daily, but rarely post. 

brianlux

mickeyrat said:

brianlux said:

mickeyrat said:

yes. I post more articles than opinion. I will offer those or ask questions  for further understanding. will also post some snark where I feel its deserving.

place is a shadow of what went down before pay to post though. it was rough.

Interesting.  That was before my time.  Sounds like it must have been rather rough going.

huh. just scrolled back through. its the same with similar posters. I was grossly under-informed when I joined so I felt intimidated by those more knowledgeable. Reading some of the threads randomly, I now wonder what the big deal was for me.

now that was just back as far as my join time frame. I might just go back to the last page and move forward from there.

I cannot picture you being uninformed. You're certainly well up on things these days.

DarthMaeglin

I’ve been hesitant to post my own point of view simply because it could be seen as blowing my own horn (something I really try to avoid).

As was mentioned above it comes and goes in waves depending on what’s happening and what gets posted (for the most part I stick to the Canadian politics thread as I don’t generally feel informed enough to comment on other countries’ politics).

Several months ago I backed right off because I went back and looked at my (at the time) recent posts and didn’t like some of my own tone and words. I’ve dipped my toes in once or twice since, but my goal is to post better (whatever that means, lol), which is admittedly a work in progress.

As someone who leans a bit right I accepted very early on that I will fall in the minority here, and there’s zero wrong with that, I apologize for sometimes letting that get my goat just the same.

All that said, I continue to lurk in AMT and really appreciate how knowledgeable so many around here are. I do believe that the various threads there have helped me learn.

brianlux

DarthMaeglin said:

I’ve been hesitant to post my own point of view simply because it could be seen as blowing my own horn (something I really try to avoid).

As was mentioned above it comes and goes in waves depending on what’s happening and what gets posted (for the most part I stick to the Canadian politics thread as I don’t generally feel informed enough to comment on other countries’ politics).

Several months ago I backed right off because I went back and looked at my (at the time) recent posts and didn’t like some of my own tone and words. I’ve dipped my toes in once or twice since, but my goal is to post better (whatever that means, lol), which is admittedly a work in progress.

As someone who leans a bit right I accepted very early on that I will fall in the minority here, and there’s zero wrong with that, I apologize for sometimes letting that get my goat just the same.

All that said, I continue to lurk in AMT and really appreciate how knowledgeable so many around here are. I do believe that the various threads there have helped me learn.

Great post, Darth! 
I think we could all learn something from what you said.  To look at how we respond to others and assess how useful our approach is would help make AMT have more purpose and usefulness.  I know I have had my moments of being egregiously confrontational and judgemental.  So much so one time, that when Trump was elected I said something that I later saw as so inappropriate that I banned myself from all PJ forums for six months.  How I felt was not wrong, but how I expressed my feelings was way off base.
So yeah, we can all do better.
Thanks for your excellent post!

1ThoughtKnown

DarthMaeglin said:

I’ve been hesitant to post my own point of view simply because it could be seen as blowing my own horn (something I really try to avoid).

As was mentioned above it comes and goes in waves depending on what’s happening and what gets posted (for the most part I stick to the Canadian politics thread as I don’t generally feel informed enough to comment on other countries’ politics).

Several months ago I backed right off because I went back and looked at my (at the time) recent posts and didn’t like some of my own tone and words. I’ve dipped my toes in once or twice since, but my goal is to post better (whatever that means, lol), which is admittedly a work in progress.

As someone who leans a bit right I accepted very early on that I will fall in the minority here, and there’s zero wrong with that, I apologize for sometimes letting that get my goat just the same.

All that said, I continue to lurk in AMT and really appreciate how knowledgeable so many around here are. I do believe that the various threads there have helped me learn.

This is a great post. Do you know the reason it’s called “Canadian Politics Part Deux”? ME. The OG Canadian Politics thread was closed and I ended up in the Forum penalty box for a while. Got five and a game. 

I had everyone so worked up on that thread due to my (at the time) heavily leaning right wing pro-oil and gas leanings and because I was the target of much vitriol, I lashed out on people and was a big ol prick. (Why I get a helluva laugh being called “woke”). 

It got quite personal and quite frankly, until that point I never took online discussions seriously, so I thought why would anyone else. 

I’ve worked since then to be a better human. Im more moderate politically, more understanding of people’s feelings and such and avoid AMT discussions for the most part.  Go back to when people just didn’t talk politics. No one is going to change my mind, not going to change theirs. 

brianlux

1ThoughtKnown said:

DarthMaeglin said:

I’ve been hesitant to post my own point of view simply because it could be seen as blowing my own horn (something I really try to avoid).

As was mentioned above it comes and goes in waves depending on what’s happening and what gets posted (for the most part I stick to the Canadian politics thread as I don’t generally feel informed enough to comment on other countries’ politics).

Several months ago I backed right off because I went back and looked at my (at the time) recent posts and didn’t like some of my own tone and words. I’ve dipped my toes in once or twice since, but my goal is to post better (whatever that means, lol), which is admittedly a work in progress.

As someone who leans a bit right I accepted very early on that I will fall in the minority here, and there’s zero wrong with that, I apologize for sometimes letting that get my goat just the same.

All that said, I continue to lurk in AMT and really appreciate how knowledgeable so many around here are. I do believe that the various threads there have helped me learn.

This is a great post. Do you know the reason it’s called “Canadian Politics Part Deux”? ME. The OG Canadian Politics thread was closed and I ended up in the Forum penalty box for a while. Got five and a game. 

I had everyone so worked up on that thread due to my (at the time) heavily leaning right wing pro-oil and gas leanings and because I was the target of much vitriol, I lashed out on people and was a big ol prick. (Why I get a helluva laugh being called “woke”). 

It got quite personal and quite frankly, until that point I never took online discussions seriously, so I thought why would anyone else. 

I’ve worked since then to be a better human. Im more moderate politically, more understanding of people’s feelings and such and avoid AMT discussions for the most part.  Go back to when people just didn’t talk politics. No one is going to change my mind, not going to change theirs. 

Another fine post!  You must know I'm an anti-oil dude but I hope any discussion I might have had on that topic with you was civil.  I may disagree with folks on some things,  but I want to be at least decent enough to not sling vitriol and be a prick myself.  If I did so, I humbly apologize. 

1ThoughtKnown

brianlux said:

1ThoughtKnown said:

DarthMaeglin said:

I’ve been hesitant to post my own point of view simply because it could be seen as blowing my own horn (something I really try to avoid).

As was mentioned above it comes and goes in waves depending on what’s happening and what gets posted (for the most part I stick to the Canadian politics thread as I don’t generally feel informed enough to comment on other countries’ politics).

Several months ago I backed right off because I went back and looked at my (at the time) recent posts and didn’t like some of my own tone and words. I’ve dipped my toes in once or twice since, but my goal is to post better (whatever that means, lol), which is admittedly a work in progress.

As someone who leans a bit right I accepted very early on that I will fall in the minority here, and there’s zero wrong with that, I apologize for sometimes letting that get my goat just the same.

All that said, I continue to lurk in AMT and really appreciate how knowledgeable so many around here are. I do believe that the various threads there have helped me learn.

This is a great post. Do you know the reason it’s called “Canadian Politics Part Deux”? ME. The OG Canadian Politics thread was closed and I ended up in the Forum penalty box for a while. Got five and a game. 

I had everyone so worked up on that thread due to my (at the time) heavily leaning right wing pro-oil and gas leanings and because I was the target of much vitriol, I lashed out on people and was a big ol prick. (Why I get a helluva laugh being called “woke”). 

It got quite personal and quite frankly, until that point I never took online discussions seriously, so I thought why would anyone else. 

I’ve worked since then to be a better human. Im more moderate politically, more understanding of people’s feelings and such and avoid AMT discussions for the most part.  Go back to when people just didn’t talk politics. No one is going to change my mind, not going to change theirs. 

Another fine post!  You must know I'm an anti-oil dude but I hope any discussion I might have had on that topic with you was civil.  I may disagree with folks on some things,  but I want to be at least decent enough to not sling vitriol and be a prick myself.  If I did so, I humbly apologize. 

Actually b, we had some pretty decent and civil discussions early on in your Keystone XL pipeline thread if I remember correctly. The history is there. I’m sure it was a heated, yet civil debate.  I feel we were always respectful to each other and you are one of the coolest people on this forum. I was very happy you stuck around after the membership increase! 

The world is a complicated place and the answers aren’t simple. An open forum where dialogue can be shared and discussed is positive. AMT turned into a lot of name calling (neocon, libtard, woke, nazi, etc). That’s exactly what the despot leaders of the world want, is for us to turn on each other. Divide and conquer.  I no longer want to be a part of the division, more the solution. Look for common ground. 

brianlux

1ThoughtKnown said:

brianlux said:

1ThoughtKnown said:

DarthMaeglin said:

I’ve been hesitant to post my own point of view simply because it could be seen as blowing my own horn (something I really try to avoid).

As was mentioned above it comes and goes in waves depending on what’s happening and what gets posted (for the most part I stick to the Canadian politics thread as I don’t generally feel informed enough to comment on other countries’ politics).

Several months ago I backed right off because I went back and looked at my (at the time) recent posts and didn’t like some of my own tone and words. I’ve dipped my toes in once or twice since, but my goal is to post better (whatever that means, lol), which is admittedly a work in progress.

As someone who leans a bit right I accepted very early on that I will fall in the minority here, and there’s zero wrong with that, I apologize for sometimes letting that get my goat just the same.

All that said, I continue to lurk in AMT and really appreciate how knowledgeable so many around here are. I do believe that the various threads there have helped me learn.

This is a great post. Do you know the reason it’s called “Canadian Politics Part Deux”? ME. The OG Canadian Politics thread was closed and I ended up in the Forum penalty box for a while. Got five and a game. 

I had everyone so worked up on that thread due to my (at the time) heavily leaning right wing pro-oil and gas leanings and because I was the target of much vitriol, I lashed out on people and was a big ol prick. (Why I get a helluva laugh being called “woke”). 

It got quite personal and quite frankly, until that point I never took online discussions seriously, so I thought why would anyone else. 

I’ve worked since then to be a better human. Im more moderate politically, more understanding of people’s feelings and such and avoid AMT discussions for the most part.  Go back to when people just didn’t talk politics. No one is going to change my mind, not going to change theirs. 

Another fine post!  You must know I'm an anti-oil dude but I hope any discussion I might have had on that topic with you was civil.  I may disagree with folks on some things,  but I want to be at least decent enough to not sling vitriol and be a prick myself.  If I did so, I humbly apologize. 

Actually b, we had some pretty decent and civil discussions early on in your Keystone XL pipeline thread if I remember correctly. The history is there. I’m sure it was a heated, yet civil debate.  I feel we were always respectful to each other and you are one of the coolest people on this forum. I was very happy you stuck around after the membership increase! 

The world is a complicated place and the answers aren’t simple. An open forum where dialogue can be shared and discussed is positive. AMT turned into a lot of name calling (neocon, libtard, woke, nazi, etc). That’s exactly what the despot leaders of the world want, is for us to turn on each other. Divide and conquer.  I no longer want to be a part of the division, more the solution. Look for common ground. 

Oh good!  I'm glad our exchanges were civil.

And good point about divide and conquer.  Working together is a great goal.  I've always loved how Canned Heat put it!

There are several video versions of this song out there, but the girls are prettier than the band soooo...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hom0fYd5uX4

Gern Blansten

1ThoughtKnown said:

DarthMaeglin said:

I’ve been hesitant to post my own point of view simply because it could be seen as blowing my own horn (something I really try to avoid).

As was mentioned above it comes and goes in waves depending on what’s happening and what gets posted (for the most part I stick to the Canadian politics thread as I don’t generally feel informed enough to comment on other countries’ politics).

Several months ago I backed right off because I went back and looked at my (at the time) recent posts and didn’t like some of my own tone and words. I’ve dipped my toes in once or twice since, but my goal is to post better (whatever that means, lol), which is admittedly a work in progress.

As someone who leans a bit right I accepted very early on that I will fall in the minority here, and there’s zero wrong with that, I apologize for sometimes letting that get my goat just the same.

All that said, I continue to lurk in AMT and really appreciate how knowledgeable so many around here are. I do believe that the various threads there have helped me learn.

This is a great post. Do you know the reason it’s called “Canadian Politics Part Deux”? ME. The OG Canadian Politics thread was closed and I ended up in the Forum penalty box for a while. Got five and a game. 

I had everyone so worked up on that thread due to my (at the time) heavily leaning right wing pro-oil and gas leanings and because I was the target of much vitriol, I lashed out on people and was a big ol prick. (Why I get a helluva laugh being called “woke”). 

It got quite personal and quite frankly, until that point I never took online discussions seriously, so I thought why would anyone else. 

I’ve worked since then to be a better human. Im more moderate politically, more understanding of people’s feelings and such and avoid AMT discussions for the most part.  Go back to when people just didn’t talk politics. No one is going to change my mind, not going to change theirs. 

it sounds like your mind did change a bit...

1ThoughtKnown

Gern Blansten said:

1ThoughtKnown said:

DarthMaeglin said:

I’ve been hesitant to post my own point of view simply because it could be seen as blowing my own horn (something I really try to avoid).

As was mentioned above it comes and goes in waves depending on what’s happening and what gets posted (for the most part I stick to the Canadian politics thread as I don’t generally feel informed enough to comment on other countries’ politics).

Several months ago I backed right off because I went back and looked at my (at the time) recent posts and didn’t like some of my own tone and words. I’ve dipped my toes in once or twice since, but my goal is to post better (whatever that means, lol), which is admittedly a work in progress.

As someone who leans a bit right I accepted very early on that I will fall in the minority here, and there’s zero wrong with that, I apologize for sometimes letting that get my goat just the same.

All that said, I continue to lurk in AMT and really appreciate how knowledgeable so many around here are. I do believe that the various threads there have helped me learn.

This is a great post. Do you know the reason it’s called “Canadian Politics Part Deux”? ME. The OG Canadian Politics thread was closed and I ended up in the Forum penalty box for a while. Got five and a game. 

I had everyone so worked up on that thread due to my (at the time) heavily leaning right wing pro-oil and gas leanings and because I was the target of much vitriol, I lashed out on people and was a big ol prick. (Why I get a helluva laugh being called “woke”). 

It got quite personal and quite frankly, until that point I never took online discussions seriously, so I thought why would anyone else. 

I’ve worked since then to be a better human. Im more moderate politically, more understanding of people’s feelings and such and avoid AMT discussions for the most part.  Go back to when people just didn’t talk politics. No one is going to change my mind, not going to change theirs. 

it sounds like your mind did change a bit...

Of course it did. A clear sign of intellectual prowess is looking at all sides of an issue and making an informed decision on your position.  Taking a stand simply because you are somewhat aligned politically or socially  is foolhardy. 

Schoolyard name calling that place people into some nice little labelled box on how they approach complicated social and political issues certainly helps me determine who and where I interact with people on this Forum. Learning from prior mistakes and taking this more seriously. Even if a post online doesn’t mean much to me, it may mean plenty more to others and that is what matters. 

Also, I like myself more than I did back then. It’s a lot easier to get along with people when you finally recognize the self-loathing going on. I was getting self-satisfaction of being a troll and pissing people off. I mean, I took great pride in it at the time. 

So, you can call me woke or the leader of the woke mob or whatever you posted earlier. Didn’t bother me. Has it bothered me other times
it was used to label me (insultingly) on other threads? Yes it has and those folks are now ignored. The woke culture has affected my family in negative ways you probably couldn’t imagine. So go ahead and throw some of us in a nice little labelled box (framed in an insulting manner of course) if it makes you feel better about yourself. 

There are plenty of folks I know pretty well on here who keep things civil and intellectual. They know who they are. We can challenge each other and keep it respectful. Best part is I always learn something, or it prompts me to do a little extra research to educate myself further. 

Gern Blansten

1ThoughtKnown said:

Gern Blansten said:

1ThoughtKnown said:

DarthMaeglin said:

I’ve been hesitant to post my own point of view simply because it could be seen as blowing my own horn (something I really try to avoid).

As was mentioned above it comes and goes in waves depending on what’s happening and what gets posted (for the most part I stick to the Canadian politics thread as I don’t generally feel informed enough to comment on other countries’ politics).

Several months ago I backed right off because I went back and looked at my (at the time) recent posts and didn’t like some of my own tone and words. I’ve dipped my toes in once or twice since, but my goal is to post better (whatever that means, lol), which is admittedly a work in progress.

As someone who leans a bit right I accepted very early on that I will fall in the minority here, and there’s zero wrong with that, I apologize for sometimes letting that get my goat just the same.

All that said, I continue to lurk in AMT and really appreciate how knowledgeable so many around here are. I do believe that the various threads there have helped me learn.

This is a great post. Do you know the reason it’s called “Canadian Politics Part Deux”? ME. The OG Canadian Politics thread was closed and I ended up in the Forum penalty box for a while. Got five and a game. 

I had everyone so worked up on that thread due to my (at the time) heavily leaning right wing pro-oil and gas leanings and because I was the target of much vitriol, I lashed out on people and was a big ol prick. (Why I get a helluva laugh being called “woke”). 

It got quite personal and quite frankly, until that point I never took online discussions seriously, so I thought why would anyone else. 

I’ve worked since then to be a better human. Im more moderate politically, more understanding of people’s feelings and such and avoid AMT discussions for the most part.  Go back to when people just didn’t talk politics. No one is going to change my mind, not going to change theirs. 

it sounds like your mind did change a bit...

Of course it did. A clear sign of intellectual prowess is looking at all sides of an issue and making an informed decision on your position.  Taking a stand simply because you are somewhat aligned politically or socially  is foolhardy. 

Schoolyard name calling that place people into some nice little labelled box on how they approach complicated social and political issues certainly helps me determine who and where I interact with people on this Forum. Learning from prior mistakes and taking this more seriously. Even if a post online doesn’t mean much to me, it may mean plenty more to others and that is what matters. 

Also, I like myself more than I did back then. It’s a lot easier to get along with people when you finally recognize the self-loathing going on. I was getting self-satisfaction of being a troll and pissing people off. I mean, I took great pride in it at the time. 

So, you can call me woke or the leader of the woke mob or whatever you posted earlier. Didn’t bother me. Has it bothered me other times
it was used to label me (insultingly) on other threads? Yes it has and those folks are now ignored. The woke culture has affected my family in negative ways you probably couldn’t imagine. So go ahead and throw some of us in a nice little labelled box (framed in an insulting manner of course) if it makes you feel better about yourself. 

There are plenty of folks I know pretty well on here who keep things civil and intellectual. They know who they are. We can challenge each other and keep it respectful. Best part is I always learn something, or it prompts me to do a little extra research to educate myself further. 

yeah the woke comment was a joke...sorry it didn't come across that way

I mean holy shit...I said you represented the woke mob. Clearly a joke. It just struck me funny that you compared this thread to one on AMT. Labeling a right leaning person as "woke" is like the ultimate obvious absurdity.

1ThoughtKnown

Gern Blansten said:

1ThoughtKnown said:

Gern Blansten said:

1ThoughtKnown said:

DarthMaeglin said:

I’ve been hesitant to post my own point of view simply because it could be seen as blowing my own horn (something I really try to avoid).

As was mentioned above it comes and goes in waves depending on what’s happening and what gets posted (for the most part I stick to the Canadian politics thread as I don’t generally feel informed enough to comment on other countries’ politics).

Several months ago I backed right off because I went back and looked at my (at the time) recent posts and didn’t like some of my own tone and words. I’ve dipped my toes in once or twice since, but my goal is to post better (whatever that means, lol), which is admittedly a work in progress.

As someone who leans a bit right I accepted very early on that I will fall in the minority here, and there’s zero wrong with that, I apologize for sometimes letting that get my goat just the same.

All that said, I continue to lurk in AMT and really appreciate how knowledgeable so many around here are. I do believe that the various threads there have helped me learn.

This is a great post. Do you know the reason it’s called “Canadian Politics Part Deux”? ME. The OG Canadian Politics thread was closed and I ended up in the Forum penalty box for a while. Got five and a game. 

I had everyone so worked up on that thread due to my (at the time) heavily leaning right wing pro-oil and gas leanings and because I was the target of much vitriol, I lashed out on people and was a big ol prick. (Why I get a helluva laugh being called “woke”). 

It got quite personal and quite frankly, until that point I never took online discussions seriously, so I thought why would anyone else. 

I’ve worked since then to be a better human. Im more moderate politically, more understanding of people’s feelings and such and avoid AMT discussions for the most part.  Go back to when people just didn’t talk politics. No one is going to change my mind, not going to change theirs. 

it sounds like your mind did change a bit...

Of course it did. A clear sign of intellectual prowess is looking at all sides of an issue and making an informed decision on your position.  Taking a stand simply because you are somewhat aligned politically or socially  is foolhardy. 

Schoolyard name calling that place people into some nice little labelled box on how they approach complicated social and political issues certainly helps me determine who and where I interact with people on this Forum. Learning from prior mistakes and taking this more seriously. Even if a post online doesn’t mean much to me, it may mean plenty more to others and that is what matters. 

Also, I like myself more than I did back then. It’s a lot easier to get along with people when you finally recognize the self-loathing going on. I was getting self-satisfaction of being a troll and pissing people off. I mean, I took great pride in it at the time. 

So, you can call me woke or the leader of the woke mob or whatever you posted earlier. Didn’t bother me. Has it bothered me other times
it was used to label me (insultingly) on other threads? Yes it has and those folks are now ignored. The woke culture has affected my family in negative ways you probably couldn’t imagine. So go ahead and throw some of us in a nice little labelled box (framed in an insulting manner of course) if it makes you feel better about yourself. 

There are plenty of folks I know pretty well on here who keep things civil and intellectual. They know who they are. We can challenge each other and keep it respectful. Best part is I always learn something, or it prompts me to do a little extra research to educate myself further. 

yeah the woke comment was a joke...sorry it didn't come across that way

I mean holy shit...I said you represented the woke mob. Clearly a joke. It just struck me funny that you compared this thread to one on AMT. Labeling a right leaning person as "woke" is like the ultimate obvious absurdity.

It’s all good. We are still talking after all. I didn’t catch the joke and thought maybe you had read some previous interactions. 

My comment was to indicate that a harmless poll had turned into what felt like an AMT thread which was amusing and inevitable all at once. Kind of a quick off the cuff observation that was coincidentally shared by a few people. 

For the record, not really a left or right leaning person. I find those definitions too broad to be effective. One of the things that really changed my opinion on all of this about 5 years ago was a questionnaire created for Canadians to see which party your answers best aligned with for an upcoming federal election. My results were almost one-third for each party (Conservative, Liberal, NDP).  

I basically had been lying to myself that I was some staunch conservative, since only one-third aligned with their platform. Lol

Gern Blansten

1ThoughtKnown said:

Gern Blansten said:

1ThoughtKnown said:

Gern Blansten said:

1ThoughtKnown said:

DarthMaeglin said:

I’ve been hesitant to post my own point of view simply because it could be seen as blowing my own horn (something I really try to avoid).

As was mentioned above it comes and goes in waves depending on what’s happening and what gets posted (for the most part I stick to the Canadian politics thread as I don’t generally feel informed enough to comment on other countries’ politics).

Several months ago I backed right off because I went back and looked at my (at the time) recent posts and didn’t like some of my own tone and words. I’ve dipped my toes in once or twice since, but my goal is to post better (whatever that means, lol), which is admittedly a work in progress.

As someone who leans a bit right I accepted very early on that I will fall in the minority here, and there’s zero wrong with that, I apologize for sometimes letting that get my goat just the same.

All that said, I continue to lurk in AMT and really appreciate how knowledgeable so many around here are. I do believe that the various threads there have helped me learn.

This is a great post. Do you know the reason it’s called “Canadian Politics Part Deux”? ME. The OG Canadian Politics thread was closed and I ended up in the Forum penalty box for a while. Got five and a game. 

I had everyone so worked up on that thread due to my (at the time) heavily leaning right wing pro-oil and gas leanings and because I was the target of much vitriol, I lashed out on people and was a big ol prick. (Why I get a helluva laugh being called “woke”). 

It got quite personal and quite frankly, until that point I never took online discussions seriously, so I thought why would anyone else. 

I’ve worked since then to be a better human. Im more moderate politically, more understanding of people’s feelings and such and avoid AMT discussions for the most part.  Go back to when people just didn’t talk politics. No one is going to change my mind, not going to change theirs. 

it sounds like your mind did change a bit...

Of course it did. A clear sign of intellectual prowess is looking at all sides of an issue and making an informed decision on your position.  Taking a stand simply because you are somewhat aligned politically or socially  is foolhardy. 

Schoolyard name calling that place people into some nice little labelled box on how they approach complicated social and political issues certainly helps me determine who and where I interact with people on this Forum. Learning from prior mistakes and taking this more seriously. Even if a post online doesn’t mean much to me, it may mean plenty more to others and that is what matters. 

Also, I like myself more than I did back then. It’s a lot easier to get along with people when you finally recognize the self-loathing going on. I was getting self-satisfaction of being a troll and pissing people off. I mean, I took great pride in it at the time. 

So, you can call me woke or the leader of the woke mob or whatever you posted earlier. Didn’t bother me. Has it bothered me other times
it was used to label me (insultingly) on other threads? Yes it has and those folks are now ignored. The woke culture has affected my family in negative ways you probably couldn’t imagine. So go ahead and throw some of us in a nice little labelled box (framed in an insulting manner of course) if it makes you feel better about yourself. 

There are plenty of folks I know pretty well on here who keep things civil and intellectual. They know who they are. We can challenge each other and keep it respectful. Best part is I always learn something, or it prompts me to do a little extra research to educate myself further. 

yeah the woke comment was a joke...sorry it didn't come across that way

I mean holy shit...I said you represented the woke mob. Clearly a joke. It just struck me funny that you compared this thread to one on AMT. Labeling a right leaning person as "woke" is like the ultimate obvious absurdity.

It’s all good. We are still talking after all. I didn’t catch the joke and thought maybe you had read some previous interactions. 

My comment was to indicate that a harmless poll had turned into what felt like an AMT thread which was amusing and inevitable all at once. Kind of a quick off the cuff observation that was coincidentally shared by a few people. 

For the record, not really a left or right leaning person. I find those definitions too broad to be effective. One of the things that really changed my opinion on all of this about 5 years ago was a questionnaire created for Canadians to see which party your answers best aligned with for an upcoming federal election. My results were almost one-third for each party (Conservative, Liberal, NDP).  

I basically had been lying to myself that I was some staunch conservative, since only one-third aligned with their platform. Lol

Same problem over here (USA). People join a team and don't dig deeper into the issues. They just stick with their team. I used to be a Rush Limbaugh dittohead. Of course that was back in the early nineties before he even went maga. He wasn't nearly as hateful back then.