Bill,
When you say
1. rational but just an idiot
2. just an idiot
I really think that you're understating thinkgs a little bit. In so many cases "just an idiot" should be replaced with "A TOTAL FREAKING ANTISOCIAL MORON".
Seriously though, I think that SI should have less tolerance of people who are truly obnoxious, especially repeat offenders. The problem seems to be increasing, so SI really is going to have to deal with it. Some people seem to have no social skills at all - maybe they don't recognize the "virtual people" at SI are real people or maybe they just don't care.
If someone gets out of control once in a while that is one thing. If they violate the SI rules, maybe in the "heat of passion" so to speak, then I would assume that a stern warning or brief suspension would smarten them up. Turboe mentioned that he was warned (presumably by SI) to stick to discussing the companies, so maybe SI is trying to cool things down a little bit.
But for some people I think that S.I. is a form of therapy. Some miserable S.O.B. just got chewed out by his boss, or was dumped on by his wife, or treated disrispectfully by his children, or was bitten by his dog, or lost his trailer and half ton in a poker game, or whatever ... and feels like crap. So he decides that what would make him feel better is to make someone feel like crap. So he picks someone out on the internet, and posts a (Check as many boxes that apply [] Threatenting, [] Racist, [] Obnoxious, [] Misogynist, [] Misandryst, [] sexist, [] Degenerate, [] Vile, [] Obscene, [] Physically Impossible, [] Heretical, [] Offensive, Other _____ post to someone. Maybe he feels like crap for a couple of days, or weeks or ...
The other thing that they gotta do is get rid of the amateur stock manipulators. They're Crooks though, not Cooks (curious, only one letter difference between the two).
Regards,
John Sladek |
