Search from various English teachers...
Som (সোম)
Of online spats and meltdowns
Caveat: not a post for the sensitive, the emotional and the easily perturbed people.

Those who were on this forum last evening and particularly this morning (times indicated according to my GMT+05:30 reference) would have been witnesses to a not-so-uncommon cyberspace phenomenon: a serious spat between two members who need not be named. Both members probably reported one another and both got blocked in short order.

Now spats are not quite the same as meltdowns, but for the purposes of this post I ignore the differences. My only question is this: despite being so common, is it really worth it? Being banned from posting isn't really such a big deal in itself, though it prevents asking questions and posting notebook entries for those who are so inclined. The real question is, why is it even necessary?

One goes with the assumption that not everyone will have the same point of view as oneself, and some would disagree in black and white. There are others who will wordlessly downvote posts and comments without ever revealing themselves. Yet others may get uncivil and personal, resorting to name calling. But is even the last kind (though unfortunate) such a big deal? Someone who calls me a moron is by definition an oxymoron - supposedly a thinking person who refuses to (or loses the ability to) think.

I ask "what is the real impact on my life of a stranger who is thousands of kilometers away?" and the answer clearly is "nothing". Nothing in real terms, except of course if we let it get at us. But "letting it get at us" isn't anything about a remote stranger at all, it is about us. It can never get us if we don't let it, and yet this just keeps happening time and again. People forget that cultures, perceptions, opinions and expressions differ and take such differences as personally as they would in real life - except that such things rarely ever happen in real life as compared to cyberspace.

Or perhaps, such behavior is seen as relatively "safe" online as compared to real life. After all, we neither know nor care about these remote strangers, so we can be nastier and more dramatic than we would ever dream of being in real life. In any case, it's the dramatis personae who suffer the consequences of artificially elevated blood pressures, no one else is affected.

What do you say about this phenomenon?

Comments · 82

10
Alice, do you ever get tired of making accusations constantly?

Drasvi was in fact speaking in SUPPORT of you. He was not saying that you don't have a degree. His point was that you don't make that the focus of who you are. He was not insulting you.

In fact, I do not think anyone has criticized you for having a degree or not. What matters is whether what you write as instructional posts is correct or not.

This is not the place to look for therapy or a life coach.
10
There are serial posters here who seem to regard this platform as their own private fiefdom or a form of therapy, entitled by their apparent “status” as “community tutors” or “professional teachers” (however meaningless these terms are in the real word) to impart their pearls of wisdom to the ignorant masses. By whose authority?

It is no wonder that there are differences of opinion. This is not an academic forum people. It is SOCIAL MEDIA!
Reassuring then are the wise words of those such as @Tim and, as always, the measured and eloquently phrased commentary of @Guyomar (neither of whom belong to the aforementioned group).

Thank you for your common sense, generosity - and frequent abstinence .....! 

9
Volt Age:

Ok, I wasn't talking about one person in particular. There have been several teachers and tutors who have posted advice about language and language learning, without knowing the topic deeply enough to say anything meaningful and correct. When they were told they were wrong or were merely questioned about something they had written ("Oh, that's a rule? I always thought it was like this..." with an example), they had a meltdown and complained about not being respected as teachers/tutors. That's an appeal to authority. Surely, what is correct matters more than a title.

In any case, I don't see how anyone has been treated as non-human by anyone else in any of these cases.
8
The problem with addressing things indirectly (and this comes from someone who considers sarcasm one of their main hobbies) is that it gives the other person the excuse to focus on how things are said rather than what's being said. This way, they get away with not addressing the issue.
8
Guyomar 
Alright, fair enough. Still though, I think you're beginning to overstep the line. It's not as you invited to a friendly debate with your initial sarcasm either. Though I may agree with your overall message, I'm not too fond of your tone always.
Sometimes one have to "read" the situation too.

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