Count me as one who's usually annoyed by sockpuppets because, as Teppy says, they generally feel more like performance than conversation, and because of the in-jokey aspect. Except that sometimes they crack me up if I'm pretty sure who's behind them and it fits the general tone of the conversation.
Given the choice, I'd rather be on a no-sockpuppet board than an all-sockpuppet-all-the-time one, but if this comes to a vote, I'll still vote against a ban, because it feels too much like legislating a personal preference.
I'll still vote against a ban, because it feels too much like legislating a personal preference.
I'm not telling you how to vote, but isn't most of the stuff we vote on down to personal preference? How is voting against sockpuppets based on personal preference different from voting to combine the Buffy and Angel threads based on it?
How is voting against sockpuppets based on personal preference different from voting to combine the Buffy and Angel threads based on it?
Well, one is a direct suppression of freedom of expression and one isn't?
I come here for conversation.
"I came here for an argument."
"Oh, I'm sorry; this is abuse."
Because, honestly, I see sockpuppets as a performance, even when they're putatively interacting with a person or two. And I don't come here for performance; I come here for conversation.
I see the stream of board conversations like a big party.
That's a good comparison, definitely. But I don't see the sockpuppets as participating in real conversation.
To use the party analogy, sockpuppets -- to me -- are the people who put the lampshade on their head and dance on the table.
I, personally, really dislike that. I know other people enjoy it.
But I still don't think that sockpuppets are participating in conversation, as such.
I have not once said here today that majority rule should go away.
Thanks for clarifying, because I thought that's exactly what you were suggesting. Or something about majority rule not always being what's best for the community from which I inferred that you wanted a different system in place. But maybe you were just making an observation, which I would agree with - the majority doesn't always do what's best. But it's the fairest system I know.
Thanks for clarifying, because I thought that's exactly what you were suggesting.
If anything, my only point here is that this particular subject is possibly not the best item to be legislated.
And I have repeatedly said I may be wrong, and that I'm not necessarily stating my case effectively. Others are doing a much better job.
To use the party analogy, sockpuppets -- to me -- are the people who put the lampshade on their head and dance on the table.
I don't think we can successfully legislate against some of us being introverts and some extroverts. Speaking as an introvert who sometimes dances on the table (okay, never, but I do tell long rambling dirty jokes).
That's a good question, and I'm curious to hear the answer.
Because, honestly, I see sockpuppets as a performance, even when they're putatively interacting with a person or two. And I don't come here for performance; I come here for conversation.
Me too.
Because I'm baffled by the comparison, and completely confused as to why the one is being brought up in the context of the other. Beyond the fact that EVERYTHING on the internet can either be scrolled past or clicked away from, I just don't see the similarities.
On the larger issue of To Vote Or Not To Vote, I've disliked the whole voting procedure from day one, and I've said so, to the point where I'm sure people are sick of it.
the majority doesn't always do what's best. But it's the fairest system I know.
It's the fairest system I know as well, but even under most democracies (which as many people have pointed out before in this very thread, this board is not actually a democracy), not everything comes up for a vote, nor should it.
