Sorry you feel that way, darkstar (please read).


Message posted by Chris McDowell on October 04, 2006 at 22:50:23 PST:

I've been visiting this site for more than 5 years now. And it's been my experience that rude replies to honest questions on this forum are exceedingly rare. There have been the occasional folks here whose only purpose seemed to be to stir up flame wars, but they generally didn't last (because they were generally ignored). The few times I've seen people get rude with their answers has been in cases where the questioner just wouldn't let up about something, and was being rude himself. Human nature is only going to take so much before responding in kind.

The majority of posters here are very knowledgeable, and that includes some UFO fans. These people state their opinion, and - most importantly - they state why they think a certain way. Meaning, they back up their theory/idea/opinion with evidence. The problems arise when someone proclaims that their interpretation is the only correct one, and doesn't want to hear anyone else's opinion. Anyone who doesn't think as they do has "a closed mind." Well, news flash - just because someone disagrees with you, doesn't mean he/she has a closed mind.

This site, and the people who maintain it, go out of their way to let you know up front that the predominant focus here is on the military aviation side of the Area 51 story. That doesn't mean that they don't want to hear from people who are focused on the UFO/Alien side of it, but they're going to expect you to have some hard data to back up your idea.

Take barbecue, for example (trust me, I'm going somewhere with this). There's a big debate among barbecue lovers over which is better - meat drenched in sauce, and meat seasoned only with dry rub (no sauce). And each side is convinced that their favorite style is the way to go. If you're a sauce lover, you can't just go to a dry-rub fan and expect him to start using sauce just because you tell him it's better. But you still both love barbecue. Sorry, this is a weird analogy. But it's late (and I'm hungry). :) I think you know what I'm trying to say.

I for one have never had a problem with any of your postings, darkstar, and I honestly would prefer it if you stuck around. Different ideas are necessary; in fact they are the fuel that keeps a forum like this running. And I truly feel that the overwhelming majority of the "regulars" here are very tolerant of contrary ideas, so long as (like I said) you have something to back it up with. Give people a reason to at least understand why you feel a certain way, even though they might not agree with it. And remember, tolerance of opposing ideas goes both ways.

I sincerely hope you (and anyone else, for that matter) have never found any of my responses to be rude or disrespectful. I may be a smart-a** sometimes, but that's just my personality. Nothing is meant by it.

This is a great community of people here, and everyone has something to contribute towards our common goal of understanding more about our favorite piece of "forbidden" territory. If you decide to leave, best of luck to you, but I hope you reconsider. We need more voices around here, not less.

Chris M.


In Reply to: Re: farewell rant posted by Mick on October 04, 2006 at 16:28:12 PST:

Replies:



[ Discussion Forum Index ] [ FAQ ]