CFZ Opinions vs Trolling- Some Serious Advice

[Jumbo075]

I’m writing this to try and reduce some of the unnecessary vitriol and occasional trolling that pops up on our great forum from time to time that can be easily avoided and make this forum even better for everyone. Probably 90-95% of our members show respect at all times so just trying to increase the respect meter around here.

Let me say upfront, we encourage everyone’s opinions about the Cowboys. Having a variety of opinions is what makes this place interesting. What we don’t encourage is name calling, race-baiting, insults, and general immature, trolling behavior. We are Cowboys fans, not e-girls fans.

Here are some serious suggestions to avoid getting the bench:

• Once you’ve made the same argument time and time again, and many people have disagreed with that same basic argument, there’s no need to just keep making it over and over and over. At some point, we can all agree to disagree and move on.
• Very few people dug in an opinion are going to suddenly say, “Wow, that 13th time you made that same point, I saw the light.”
• The constant criticism and nit-picking of your fellow fans is tiresome.
• We’re not here to win arguments. We’re here to offer opinions.
• Once you start calling people names or insulting them, you’ve already lost whatever points you wanted to make.
• If you don’t like someone’s thread, instead of insulting them and the topic, just don’t post on it. The fastest way to kill a thread is to avoid it. They usually die a quick death that way.

Finally- Sometimes there’s a fine line between sharing an opinion repeatedly and trolling. If we all stopped trying to “own” or “school” someone rather than respect them, this place would be so much better than it already is.

I appreciate our forum and every single Cowboys fan who posts here. In the end, there’s so much more we have in common than the things we disagree on around here.

Let’s Go Cowboys!!!

Bob,

I couldn’t agree more. Although I’ve been around awhile, I don’t comment a many threads, and when I do share my opinion, I don’t spend a lot of time defending it. I do read responses, but most often just respond with a like to someone whose corresponding opinion I agree with.

I don’t mind if someone thinks I’m an idiot. Why should I invest my self worth in some stranger’s opinion of me? I think before I post, and simply let my mostly well thought out opinions stand on their own merit, without further comment.

I’m not suggesting dialogue isn’t desirable. But I don’t get my validation or social response from this forum. I have friends for that.

Also, quite frankly, I don’t put nearly as much emotional energy into being a fan since the various leagues decided to become political. I watch sports for entertainment, not social commentary. In a personal level, I prefer to be analytical, not emotional, and you will very rarely find me on any game day threads or reacting to emotionally driven threads.

Bottom line: this forum is just one of many entertainment outlets I use for mental distraction from more important endeavors. It’s simply unwise to marry your emotional health to a forum of strangers or to the outcomes of organizations over which you have no control, and even no real input. Entertainment? Yes. Vital Emotional Health and Mood? No. It affects me not a whit if the Cowboys lose. I enjoy their wins. There losses I respond to with an, Oh well. What else is new?”

 

[Jumbo075]

A little bit of advice on this.

Yes it can help and can stop arguments, if it gets to the point where one poster just keeps, basically harassing another. Use the ignore to stop seeing any further responses before it gets too far.
Or you are tired of seeing the same thing repeated, as the OP said, you can just not go in the thread, or if you are already posted, then it starts.

However, at some point remove them from ignore. As many things are said in the "heat of the moment" as it does not mean that poster is always like that.

Also if you have someone on ignore. You do not see any threads they start. Even if you do not agree with them much of the time, you can miss out on some valuable news. Such as player signings or injuries. Also can lead to duplicate threads.
Say it has been posted by a person you have on ignore, so you see the news and create a thread. Only to find out there is already 3 pages about it.

So yes it can be a good feature, but remove them after things have cooled off.

“Ignore” is a WONDERFUL feature. Use it.

 

[Typhus]

You wouldn’t believe how many posts get deleted daily by mods because of inappropriate content. There have been over 40 deletions in this thread alone. Most of the time members never see them. We know we don’t catch all of them. And truth is we try to let people speak their mind as long as it doesn’t contain name calling, insults, call outs of specific people, etc.

I appreciate the great posts most people place here. Your posts are some of the better, more in-depth and detailed submissions we have. Lots of research usually put into them. I don’t always agree but I like the work you put into it and the obvious desire to see the Cowboys be successful. That’s what this place is is all about.

You are the first to ever put it in perspective, so I appreciate that... 40 in this thread alone...yikes

 

[75boyz]

How often and consistent rules are enforced are Mod's calls.
Just as with the rest of the board the Mods are human as well.
Some mods have mostly moderate, mature and balanced opinions shown in their posts.
Other mod not so much.

I trust the mods to continue doing their jobs as best as they know how.

Like they say, everything in moderation.
LOL

 

[john van brocklin]

My memory may be failing me, but I think I read somewhere here that was tried during the Romo era and didn't have the desired effect.

What's the risk in giving it a try?
Would immensely improve the quality of the board, at least potentially.

 

[CowboyFrog]

What's the risk in giving it a try?
Would immensely improve the quality of the board, at least potentially.

It leaks into other threads, also you have the covert thread that is clearly sending up the flare also.

 

[john van brocklin]

It leaks into other threads, also you have the covert thread that is clearly sending up the flare also.

Not a perfect solution.
But would like to see something done.
The subject has been beaten to death.

 

[CowboyFrog]

Not a perfect solution.
But would like to see something done.
The subject has been beaten to death.

I agree it should be at least tried.

 

[Clove]

I’m writing this to try and reduce some of the unnecessary vitriol and occasional trolling that pops up on our great forum from time to time that can be easily avoided and make this forum even better for everyone. Probably 90-95% of our members show respect at all times so just trying to increase the respect meter around here.

Let me say upfront, we encourage everyone’s opinions about the Cowboys. Having a variety of opinions is what makes this place interesting. What we don’t encourage is name calling, race-baiting, insults, and general immature, trolling behavior. We are Cowboys fans, not e-girls fans.

Here are some serious suggestions to avoid getting the bench:

• Once you’ve made the same argument time and time again, and many people have disagreed with that same basic argument, there’s no need to just keep making it over and over and over. At some point, we can all agree to disagree and move on.
• Very few people dug in an opinion are going to suddenly say, “Wow, that 13th time you made that same point, I saw the light.”
• The constant criticism and nit-picking of your fellow fans is tiresome.
• We’re not here to win arguments. We’re here to offer opinions.
• Once you start calling people names or insulting them, you’ve already lost whatever points you wanted to make.
• If you don’t like someone’s thread, instead of insulting them and the topic, just don’t post on it. The fastest way to kill a thread is to avoid it. They usually die a quick death that way.

Finally- Sometimes there’s a fine line between sharing an opinion repeatedly and trolling. If we all stopped trying to “own” or “school” someone rather than respect them, this place would be so much better than it already is.

I appreciate our forum and every single Cowboys fan who posts here. In the end, there’s so much more we have in common than the things we disagree on around here.

Let’s Go Cowboys!!!

This post was sent from Heaven. I TOTALLY AGREE!

 

[Clove]

What's shameful is that you have to tell ADULTS these things...I guess mom's aren't raising us right.

 

[CowboyFrog]

Maybe pin this thread as a "Let it out" thread....Bob is face palming on how this thread is going ..lol

 

[75boyz]

You cannot provide even one single example of someone visibly cheering against any player(s).

It is also fascinating to me that anyone can be extremely critical of the Zekes, Jaylon Smiths, Jeff Heaths, LVEs, Kellen Moores, Cooper Rushes, etc etc etc of the Cowboys world with NO pushback from those like you.

Your post is filled with false accusations yet you're suggesting the need for accountability for the very false accusations you continually make.

There are no monsters under your bed.

Yep Vtwin,
Hypocrisy at its finest.
Happens along though.

 

[GINeric]

Won't work! Stats don't tell the whole story. Especially if your using surface stats and not in depth stats like RedZone percentage passing for a passing TD that travels to the end zone and is caught. Not a screen pass that is run in from the 5. Too many variables to live on stats. That's why the eyes don't lie

You're right, the eyes don't lie.

The perfect example is.... you'll have a poster constantly saying that BLANK player is the worst at his position.... BLANK player is a bum, a bust, etc....

But then in the NFLs recorded production column.... that player is in the top 10 of his position.

Then you'll here interviews of players that played with or against that player, coaches that coached or coached against that player, credible GMs that have built good or great teams, scouts that have scouted that player ALL SAY.... BLANK player is a top 10 talent at (position) in the NFL.

Then you have video breakdowns of a player DOING what those particular fans are saying said player CAN'T do....

Add all of that from credible people who do this for a living and actual video proof.... against what a poster is falsely saying according real life facts. Make that make sense.....

If someone keeps beating the table saying a player or coach is the worst at what they do, but every credible football mind is saying the total opposite and breaking down film to show you why..... how can anyone in their right mind argue with that WITHOUT their own proof or breakdowns to back up their statements.

If you just trashing players or coaches CONSTANTLY, shouldn't you atleast explain why you feel that way so we as fellow fans can see your perspective???? It doesn't seem odd and weak when someone is constantly trashing players with no proof to back up their words???

 

[Jake]

What's the risk in giving it a try?
Would immensely improve the quality of the board, at least potentially.

It's not my call to make, but I doubt it would work. Over 50% of all discussions are in the Fan Zone, and that's after we've moved threads (Roster Zone, NFL Zone, etc.) that don't belong in this forum.

A Dak Zone would likely lead to mods having to move a lot more threads, more posters getting warned/benched, and less overall discussion. None of that would be an improvement, in my opinion.

 

[john van brocklin]

It's not my call to make, but I doubt it would work. Over 50% of all discussions are in the Fan Zone, and that's after we've moved threads (Roster Zone, NFL Zone, etc.) that don't belong in this forum.

A Dak Zone would likely lead to mods having to move a lot more threads, more posters getting warned/benched, and less overall discussion. None of that would be an improvement, in my opinion.

I trust yall !
You mods do good job.
Keep it up!!!!!

 

[CouchCoach]

It's not my call to make, but I doubt it would work. Over 50% of all discussions are in the Fan Zone, and that's after we've moved threads (Roster Zone, NFL Zone, etc.) that don't belong in this forum.

A Dak Zone would likely lead to mods having to move a lot more threads, more posters getting warned/benched, and less overall discussion. None of that would be an improvement, in my opinion.

Agree, how are we going to have a football forum and isolate the discussion about the QB?

One thing I am going to be more aware of from here on out is posts within the topic as I think I have been a little lax on that. If it's about the QB, then have at it and posters do not have to go in there if they're tired of that. However, we get some derails on topics with interjections regarding the QB which starts the whole attack/defend posting again, just a carryover from the QB threads.

 

[Vtwin]

My post is filled with true facts and there's more than enough proof up and down the board of exactly what I posted. You're most likely one of people im talking about here that accuse players or coaches of this and that, but the stat sheet and videos tell the total opposite of what you're lying about.

So from now on.... if you don't like what myself or anyone else, simply ignore and keep it moving....

They say a hit dog WILL hollar.....

Go play son....

So you can't offer even one example of anyone actively rooting for the failure of a player, or the team. That is what I asked of you, since you made the claim.

I love your final thought. Especially since you're entire diatribe is rooted in the fact that you can't take hearing any criticisms (of certain players at least) that disagree with your opinion. I mean... if you don't like what myself or someone else says simply ignore and keep it moving. Why you hollering instead?

 

[GINeric]

So you can't offer even one example of anyone actively rooting for the failure of a player, or the team. That is what I asked of you, since you made the claim.

I love your final thought. Especially since you're entire diatribe is rooted in the fact that you can't take hearing any criticisms (of certain players at least) that disagree with your opinion. I mean... if you don't like what myself or someone else says simply ignore and keep it moving. Why you hollering instead?

Ive stated many times that I don't have problems with anyone criticizing players or coaches. I just said when people constantly lay claims about players or coaches, back it up....

Because when people keep laying the same claims, over and over and over.... but the claims aren't lining up with real life production, then they look pretty stupid lying for no reason. That's called baseless trolling.

I already gave examples of the people that im talking about in earlier posts. If you want to see more examples just go to different threads and they're all there waiting for you..... after you finish hollering.

Enjoy your day son.

 

[CowboysFever1973]

My post is filled with true facts and there's more than enough proof up and down the board of exactly what I posted. You're most likely one of people im talking about here that accuse players or coaches of this and that, but the stat sheet and videos tell the total opposite of what you're lying about.

So from now on.... if you don't like what myself or anyone else, simply ignore and keep it moving....

They say a hit dog WILL hollar.....

Go play son....

And the truth comes out. You don't want equal rights on this board. You just want YOUR rights protected on this board ya tyrant!!

 

[nobody]

Okay, this is going to violate one of the forum rules, but if it's a discussion about opinions vs trolling then it should be addressed. Without benchings when someone is obviously constantly violating the rules, they feel they can keep up the behavior indefinitely without repercussion. I'm not going to name names but there are a couple of posters who seem allowed to personally insult with impunity. They can insinuate, bait, and troll to their heart's content and never seem to get benched.

As far as the suggestion that some "ignored" people should be taken off ignore after some time has passed. Why? When those people have consistently insulted and baited with impunity and never showing signs of maturing and stopping or even being benched until they realize it's not acceptable, what's the point of taking them off ignore? It would be better if more people ignored them.

These discussions should be about football and should be civil. There are a few posters who always try to turn to personal insults and insinuations. It's always the same culprits too. Nothing ever happens. That's why threads like this are nice, but don't really help.