Absolutely.

taxonomy: a member of the genus Snowflakeosaur

No.

I like this!

Organic as opposed to constructed.

Me too.

One of the reasons is media of course, bombarding us with news and "info" we don't necessarily need or want to digest or are relevant in any way...I personally don't recall this atmosphere 10 years ago, let alone 20. I think this is not a subjective opinion, at least not for every country. I'm glad we live in a country where media and public opinion are not so divided and strident.

That is pterrible banter.

So far no reaction/elucidation or rant etc. and I’m curious…




Please don’t tell me it was just a typo HartMoss – expect better from you – still dealing with my anaspepsia [sic] and BTW why the “S”?

Please don't take this personally but why don't you get off the fence and tell us what you really think?

Forget the Russians at your peril

Is this addressed to me? I already did say what I think about it, several pages ago:
It seems to me that on fora, just like in Real Life, some folk don't move on from the gold star they won in the junior school debating team, still believing that discussion subsists, per se, in taking an opposing position (devil's advocate, agent provocateur, etc.). They hope to stand out (or firmly believe that they already do) as brilliantly different and as the brave, lofty thinker who single-handedly manages to turn things in a different direction.

Some people live in (or even build their very identity in) such an unwavering mindset, so that when anyone agrees with them, they feel affirmed by the agreement (just like everyone else does, to some extent), yet whenever anyone disagrees or criticises them, they can quickly interpret it as proof of the great value of their stimulating, thought-provoking contribution, and how, in this lonely (or amusing, as they may see it) role, they don't need anyone's approval, anyway (being accustomed to their status as "different"), or don't choose to respond (or not politely so), because they're superior. It's tidily self-perpetuating, ad nauseam.

It's also a way to claim complete freedom to do and say whatever they like, quite irrespective of the effects on anyone else.

I don't think this choice of self-oriented behaviour is specific to EF. It happens in all sorts of fora, it happens in the comments sections. It happens in groups of all kinds: the pub, in the club, at school, at university, at work and in families. It is perhaps a little harder to glow convincingly in EF, in particular, as the contrast is not so sharp, since this forum is teeming with many highly intelligent, highly qualified, very experienced people, each with a bagful of their own gold stars of many different types.

Although I'm a firm believer that people can change and grow, I observe that people with this self-belief seem particularly resistant to change, even when their behaviour may be harmful.

And even when it does not harm anyone, as NickyTuesday said:

These so-called agent provocateurs can be funny, but what we have on EF are far from it. Well, maybe with a few exceptions... Some of them are frankly incredibly predictable and not really special....actually not at all.

This rex my options for rebuttal.

Nothing near to my reality...I did get what you mean: don't stir the calm waters that we made for so long...you said I am a provocateur, that is far from real...I was provocated by Trump, Brexit, Corona threads...my posts are the answer to those who are pleasing the media owned by billioners...

No, I didn't.

No, you didn't.

I don’t make mistakes, Lt

And here I thought it was skankamonious.

Tom

You mean people having different opinions? It is hillarious. Or actually quite natural.

Agent provocat. is an interesting term in the same vein as Enemy of the nation that McCarthy, Stalin and Chinese gov unsurprisingly agree on.

Another generic jab at EF.

What do we have on EF? We have people on EF. In all sorts of flavors. Some opinions will stick out, I usually salute those who are courageous to share them to provide all shades and nuances that issues come with. The oposite of polarity. Let's not dampen one of the EF strengths.

Happy 1st of Aug in our amazing host country where true diversity matters.

__________________
"L'homme ne peut pas remplacer son coeur avec sa tete, ni sa tete avec ses mains." J.H. Pestalozzi

“The only difference between a rut and a grave is a matter of depth.” S.P. Cadman

"Imagination is more important than knowledge." A. Einstein

I mean people who deliberately provoke to create a reaction. I like people who have different opinions than mine and write them in good faith and politely. Quite a lot, some of them. There are quite a few here. Agents provocateurs, on the other hand, are hilariously predictable. And uninteresting.


If you really like diversity, please accept my diverse opinions too.


Happy anniversary to this amazing country! I couldn't agree more with that, though it doesn't have much to do with the subject of this thread. Switzerland is anything but polarised, and I hope it stays that way.

Have a wonderful weekend, MC.

There is a world of difference between posting to deliberately provoke and simply having a difference of opinion.
The world would be a very boring place if everybody agreed about everything. The important thing is to be able to discuss our opinions in a calm and rational manner without resorting to insults.

Sadly some people seem to post solely to provoke and get a reaction.

Exactly.

There will be always different opinions that people to different degree will see (or not) as 'deliberately provoking' because their level of tolerance to diversity is different.

So how 'deliberately provocative' something is really depends on how much tolerance people give to others to think differently, speak differently, diverge from what they consider that the norm is. People attribute the intent to provoke while it seems their own level of tolerance is simply just saturated.

I am glad that overall in general EFers seem to be tolerant to other points of view and control their impuls to react in an uncooth way to all that they might consider different, non standard, unexpected or surprising. Other media have a problem with this, imho.

__________________
"L'homme ne peut pas remplacer son coeur avec sa tete, ni sa tete avec ses mains." J.H. Pestalozzi

“The only difference between a rut and a grave is a matter of depth.” S.P. Cadman

"Imagination is more important than knowledge." A. Einstein

Electrical plugs are polarized here (but not in Italy, Germany, or France), so why not society?

Tom