English Purpose of this subforum

Hi Rosemarie, and hello to all of you,

Thank you, and Maxi, for your warm welcome. I guess you're just flattering me when you are praising me prematurely. I should perhaps say that I usually write on my tablet, the virtual key board of which I hate because it takes some getting used to, so that typos are almost unavoidable if you are not "querty-competent", which I aren't. So I do apologise for the apostrophe missing.

Honestly, I doubt that you can "learn" something from me. Remember Plato who once said: "Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools because they have to say something." Clearly, I belong to the latter but I don't even have a message. And I'm happy about that.

What we seem to have in common is that I also resent the tone prevailing in certain forums. If, however, you compare the tone of this forum with that of popular social media, you will agree, I hope, that we actually shouldn't complain, should we? But you're right in indicating that also the tone hit in this forum, especially in the politics section, should even be less confrontational.
You are suggesting looking at the subsections of the forum for a suitable topic. That's a really hard choice given the wide range there. What is a "suitable" topic?

Here is my suggestion. It just sprang to my mind: Talking about the tone of voice and expressions used in forums, why is it actually that an aggressive or inflammatory tone is used in discussions quite often?

Hello “Stroke of the pen” what a good idea, yes I do have something and more to say about aggressive writers in forum.
I will come back later with my words
Greetings for now

Hello Federstrich (unfortunately I only know your nick name),

as to the aggressive tone in different forums: I think it is much easier to write than to talk to somebody in this way. Face to face it might by more difficult. You will find out that there are only special persons who prefer this style of discussions. That`s why I usually only write in a private forum where just a small number of persons is registered.
Maybe these aggressive persons are frustrated in their normal way of life and enjoy to attack people in visual life.

Kind regards,

Dörte

It is a sign of missing respect of the fellow human beings.
Otherwise they would never show their true face in words so to speak.
It affects me in such a manner that I dare not to express myself in case I get verbally under attack.
If the subject is about faith or about politics people tend to be extreme.
No sign of letting each of us have their very own thoughts and believes.
Then you have the so called “clever mugs” who seem to know everything better. No way to discuss anything with such a person.
What happens? There remains a small group of self-indulgent, each writes nobody reads and that is the whole thread like that.
Remember.. it is my view of things
Take care
Yoli

Dear Bukamary

Thank you for your continuing interest in the project Campus Galli. Soon I'll be able to work with two hands and start to work on photos with text. I can recommend Campus Galli. Here again the www.

http://www.campus-galli.de/

Sorry to read about your health problems. I hope it is nothing serious?
All the very best and above all "good test results"

Take care
Love Yoli

Hi, everyone,
is this actually an All Ladies club here? Where is the male sex?

Well, I also had a think about the reasons for online rudeness that we encounter so often. Yoli is right in saying that it seems to go to the extreme when certain people are talking about religion and politics, presumably because these topics affect them personally so that they tend to hold firm views which they want to defend. I said "certain" because, with me, it's different. I don't have strong views on these issues. I'm rather bored by them. And even if I had some, it would never occur to me to be a missionary of my own beliefs. It satisfies me that I have them.

So it may have to do with one's upbringing and with secondary socialization. I'm saying this because I share Dörte's view that many people don't know how to communicate properly. They have never learned it (didn't want to, of course) and picked up only one way of communicating, mainly from the media and from their personal environment where aggressive behaviour is considered "cool" and, above all, normal and "effective". Rude people are also self-righteous and never give in.

Dörte also mentioned frustration and that it is often channelled into more available targets. I'd agree. Yet there must be something specific to communicating on the internet which Dörte also pointed at: the anonymity on the web and that you will, most likely, not be held accountable for what you scream right into somebody's virtual face. There might be misunderstandings because body language and facial expressions are missing but I'd venture to say that those people who abuse other people online will also be very likely to be offensive in real life even if the threshold is lower online. In other words, I don't think that people change completely. It's just that they work off what is in them anyway. In sum, it's chiefly to do with a person's character although the internet provides a setting where some people can let off steam more easily.

I think what Dörte said about "private forums" with only a few people contributing is a very interesting idea. I haven't thought about it. I usually accepted that I just had to "deal with the crowd" . But, Dörte, you are right: why should I? Isn't better to find a niche for oneself with people who have more or less the same wavelength as one has? Shame on me that this has never crossed my mind and that I spent time with people online whom I should have given a wide berth.
But now I'm here and I'm looking forward to your comments.

Hello you nice People

By reading your words above I had many thoughts. So I start off chatting with you Fedi. Your words are in green and my answer in red.
Hope it is not too complicated?

. I don't have strong views on these issues. I'm rather bored by them. And even if I had some, it would never occur to me to be a missionary of my own beliefs. It satisfies me that I have them.

Maybe ones views change and it is good so. I mean one should be open for new ideas. That is what we like to discuss. Also I am still ready to learn, say about religion. Buddhismus seems a peaceful way of life. It is maybe not a religion as such.
I would welcome a topic about believes from you folks. Without….. as Fedi wrote… being missionary, but just to learn how different people’s views are..>>>> and why

Dörte also mentioned frustration and that it is often channelled into more available targets. I'd agree. Yet there must be something specific to communicating on the internet which Dörte also pointed at: the anonymity on the web and that you will, most likely, not be held accountable for what you scream right into somebody's virtual face.

In other words, I don't think that people change completely.

Maybe they are cowards and dare only to bark on a forum

Cheerio for now
Yoli

Hello to all of you,

it seems as if foreign languages are not interesting for the male sex,
Federstrich. So you may feel unrivalled in our group!! I am glad that you agree with my opinion about aggressive people in different forums.
And you even learned that you don`t have to "deal with the crowd"
but might find a private forum with only a few participants - maybe with some more men?? But, of course, we like to have a man in our group..

As to the religious faith: Although less and less people go to church on Sundays I still belong to those who go there every now and then. My parents were Protestants and so am I. They went to church every Sunday and took me with them. That`s how I grew up and I have retained on this custom. I stand by my faith. But I don`t try to evangelise others.

I am looking forward to your opinions to this theme.

Dörte

Hi Yoli and Dörte, and hello to everyone,

don't get me wrong. I don't need men around me. It was just an observation that there don't seem to be any male commenters here. Well, since there aren't I can enjoy your company exclusively as you say. I don't mind being the only man at a hen party at all. I like women. I wish I could say that I owe the best hours in my life to them but they preferred other men. (Sigh...)

Anyway, my comment referred to certain interactions. Yet I'm open to a learning experience. The point I was trying to make was just that I often found it off-putting when some people (yes: men!) were talking about politics and religious beliefs they not only stubbornly condemned different views but kept trying to talk other commenters round to their own ones while getting really nasty. And since this happened repeatedly and in some cases predictably, you get fed up and bored and walk away.

I have a hunch that I can enjoy the difference here. Just go ahead.

Is silence golden? No replies? Have I bored your pants off or left you speechless? I hope not.

OK, here are a few more ideas from me:
Are we talking about religious beliefs of various origins or are we essentially also discussing how we try to grasp the world around us in the sense of "So that I may perceive whatever holds // The world together in its inmost folds." as Gothe put it?

Whether one takes a creationist's point of view or a scientific evolutionist approach, sooner or later it's all about purely and solemnly believing and nothing else. Nothing can be nor has ever been proved so far.
When it comes to believing in something, no matter if it is in Tegmark's multiverse model or in a divine creator of the world, there are no experts who could prove us wrong. As far as our own world outlook and our beliefs are concerned we are our own experts. This is what some people take comfort in and what other people rejoice.

To be honest, I have problems understanding either perspective and I understand Peter Abaelard, when he said that you could only believe in something which you had understood beforehand. In other words, am I expected to believe in something which I don't understand? Whatever the answer may be, I contend that everybody is entitled to believe in whatever s/he feels is right for them while accepting the views and beliefs of other people.

That's we we can observe in this thread and I like it.
Fedi