How I Learned to Stop Fuming And Use the Ignore Button

[Demeter]

I'm aware that persons unsympathetic to democratic ideals and Constitutional law, let alone facts and Reality, do on occasion trip through this site, dropping their little dung bombs in otherwise interesting or liberating threads. Our valiant Moderators work day and night to weed out these interlopers and disruptive elements, but some individuals, who go way past prickly and right into Denial or Dementia, slip through, despite repeated oddities in their postings. Reporting them doesn't always work, I've found. The determined Freeper never says die.

And so we have the Ignore Option. I have recently taken to using this option when I find an argument that is dishonest, distorted, or just plain ugly. I have 16 names on my list, and I find that I am not the only one repulsed by some of these individuals.

I don't miss them at all--in fact, I can see their erased footprints in new strings at times, and that others take up the battle in vain to bring them to consensus. I consider it a great time and labor-saving device.

I am sure that these are people who have returned the favor; that's fine. I'd like to say to them: You'll never know what you are missing, but life is too short to deal with you and the Bush regime. Hope you find someone to reproduce with (if that's your goal in life).

[truebrit71]

1. Excellent post, and a suggestion that many should heed...

...they know who they are....

[AspenRose]

2. Hide Thread is good too

Learn it, live it, love it

[TriSec]

3. quote of the day

It is impossible to defeat an ignorant man in argument.
William G. McAdoo
US industrialist, lawyer, & politician (1863 - 1941)



Ah, the ignore function! Make the trolls go away! :peace:

[Lerkfish]

4. I use the ignore button as probation

I get really annoyed at someone over a series of posts (i rarely use it after just one bad post, we all have bad days!)
but if there seems a pattern, I put them on ignore for a short time. Then, I periodically free everyone from my ignore list, wipe the slate clean and try again. After I accumulate more, I wait and then free them again.
I do see there are some individuals who I only put on the list once, and then later either they or I have mellowed and I have no problem with them.
There are also others who continually get on my list, again and again.

I"m also sure I"m other other people's list, and that's ok, too.

I'm not always the most patient person in a debate if I think the other person is being abusive or intentionally disruptive or just plain dense. I know sometimes that leads me to being abusive in return. So, by putting them on the ignore list once I realize what's happening, its better for me and for them and for everyone else in the thread. There's no law that says you have to read every post in a thread, or even that you have to reply to everyone one, either.

[William769]

5. Can you see me now?

ON EDIT: Spelling. You would think as long as I have been here I would use spell check!

[Demeter]

12. Hi William!

Is this hide and seek? Tag, You're it!

[William769]

15. Just making a joke from the cell phone commercial.

"can you hear me now?"

[Catherine Vincent]

6. I finally broke down and used the ignore button on a few.

I always frowned on that but the anti-TO/Leopold crowd forced me to.

[GoneOffShore]

7. A reasoned plea for sanity

I've not used the hide thread option at all and will now begin to employ it.

There are several people on my ignore list, all who I've had annoying run ins with. I leave them there and occasionally find that they are now eating pizza with the fishes. Most satisfying.

[gkhouston]

8. I used to not bother with "hide thread" but I'm using it more often

and really appreciate it. Same with the ignore button although I don't see any "Ignored" messages these days so either some folks have drifted away from DU or they've eaten the granite cookie. Most of the people on my ignore list weren't ones I'd had run-ins with myself but after witnessing their behavior toward other DUers I decided to forego the pleasure of their company.

[Sherman A1]

9. Well Said

I have thought of using the ignore option a few times, when the discussion became intolerant. Disagreements are certainly more than fair, but mean-spirited intolerance seems to be over the top in my view. I believe I will rethink my passing on this option and begin to use it. Those that don't like my thoughts can do so as well.

[The Straight Story]

10. That is why you never reply to me! ;) (nt)

[Demeter]

11. Up to This Posting, None of You Are Ignored

So consider us friends, colleagues, and comrades!

[donco6]

13. Ignored

[Jazzgirl]

14. I never used it before the Lebanon attacks happened.

I could easily just ignore abusive threads but sometimes it was unbearable and I began using it. Almost all of them have very low posts and it doesn't look like they've posted in a while. I'm leavin' them on! I haven' used the hide thread feature yet but I might just start trying it!

JG

[oblivious]

16. I was tempted to use it but then I discovered how useful humor was.

When I opened a thread, I started purposefully looking for the names of the people whom I had been tempted to put on Ignore. I found I was able to predict what they would say almost every time, and it started becoming hilarious.

Now I use their posts as comic relief. I'm sure my blood pressure is down considerably.

[sendero]

17. I think..

... folks should use the features of the site however they like. Hide thread and Ignore are there for a reason.

That said, I have never had more than 2 people on my Ignore list. One of them finally got tombstoned, as he richly deserved. There are lots of people I tangle with here, but I respect most of them, I just disagree with them. I won't put someone on ignore because I disagree with them, only if I don't think they are really progressives or it they are too stupid for words.

Now, I do run across idiots pretty often - but most of them have low post counts and they'll be gone in a day. I don't bother cluttering my Ignore list with them :)

[tsuki]

18. 18 and recommended. nt