re: #258 sattv4u2

a man of few words, perhaps

I wouldn’t worry about it until/ unless he (like was suggested) starts serial downdinging with no comments to back it up or shows as a troll with comments

Hi, good I actually saw this - I almost closed the topic.
thing is, I can have a vocal opinion on plenty of things, however, whenever I actually pick up on a topic here it usually has a few hundred comments already so there’s a lot of reading to do - once I’ve done that it’s either dead or gone off topic. I’m dutch, timezones can be a problem as well - I can be a pretty nocturnal creature, but not that much. also, sleep deprivation does little for my writing skills so I try to err on the side of caution and not enter a potentially heated debate when I know I’m in a easily agitated state ;)

as for the dinging: I give updings for comments which are either especially factually relevant and not, in my opinion, rated highly enough, which contain good argumentation, or which are just plain fun to read.
also comments I just like personally - I think that’s a regular use for updings around here, for what I’ve read?

downdings can be given for several reasons:
1) factually incorrect stuff (if it’s really bad, but I hardly ever do that)
2) extreme nonsense. persecute the former administration? sorry, maybe it’s just my european sensibilities but as a law student, I would expect any such argument to be laughed out of class, if any of my classmates were to actually argue that. I think it’s a ridiculous suggestion and generally worthy of a downding. one day I’ll actually find such a discussion before it dies down and participate, that might clear up the air here. also, I posted my email with this post (entered my email and checked show email, that should make my name clickable or something like that, right?) so you’re free to contact me for further discussion.
3)bad debating. ad hominem arguments, strawmen, generally stuff that detracts from healthy debate. I remember a particularily heated discussion between ludwig and cato back then; both people who’s opinion I highly respect, but they were tearing at each other so bad I must’ve downdinged a good many comments there. I still support that.
4) stuff I really, really don’t like. it’s a rare thing for me to downding for that though, can’t remember any occasion.

now 2 and 3 are my most frequent downdinging reasons. 3, mostly. if that’s not what the dings are supposed to be used for, enlighten me, but I feel I can generally say I’ve dinged in good faith ;)

now of course, I might do some excessive dinging here and there. I’m human, so shoot me ;) no seriously, apologies if any dings are undeserved, but I think the entire group average thing the dinging system has going on ameliorates any damage thus done considerably ;)

to conclude, I will also admit I frequently have a generally “right wing” view of things. I still support both the war in afghanistan as the war in iraq, can take a rather conservative standpoint in fiscal affairs, and so on.
I’m also a firm believer in evolution and reproductive rights (combined with good sex ed. to keep abortion as rare as possible) and have a generally progressive view on civil rights. now I do feel many of those opinions are adequately represented here, so I would be less vocal on those and defend some of the more “controversial” standpoints where I get the chance. that does not, however, make me a radical in any sort of way.

also I have nothing whatsoever to do with that stalker thingy. of course, I would say that so feel free to probe on ;) however, I think those freaks generally lack the ability to write a somewhat coherent essay of more than 20 words, so I think I’m in the clear ;)

once again, feel free to email if anything remains unclear.