Someone asked me privately if I would write something on this post. They didn’t say why and they didn’t say what it was they wanted me to write.
Personally, I wish they had asked a Moderator, rather than myself, but they didn’t. So, I kindly ask, please don’t shoot the messenger here, and I
pray that I don’t waste people’s time by shooting blanks myself here. I also apologize ahead of time if I have inadvertently offended anyone here.
My intent is not to offend but to simply share a solicited observation.
I have read this entire post three times already. I didn’t like reading it once. Not because of the OP and his ideas, but because of the experience
of, well, ..the entire experience.
The OP posted a portion of some findings of his that he has obviously been working hard at for a long time, and he seemed excited, in a good way, to
share his personal conclusions and how he came by them. I’ve read his previous posts and they were equally well thought out and received, except for
some similar insults. There was one post associated with this one, from August of last year, that just stopped abruptly after the final insult. I’m
adding that, because there are some false references to this present post as being a continuation of anther that he wrote “yesterday” but this was
not a correct association from his challenger.
But regarding this post, he chose an already pointed out poor way of doing so, by announcing that he was about to announce something, and there is no
need to rehash that. But I do think it would be a good idea to revisit not what happened, but the timing of what happened. I’m a firm believer in
“timing is everything” and there’s an element to this unfortunate drama that seems to have been overlooked by everyone.
The gentleman made his original post at 9:20PM.
Within 3 minutes, and before he had a chance to finish his announcement, which was in fact a
multi-post endeavor due to its length, and perhaps why he had chosen to begin in the fashion that he chose, there was a challenge to his post. He
stopped to respond to this challenger with a specific reply to the challenge.
Meanwhile, the second reply had come in, still within the first 5 minutes, and this one was nothing but pure insult. It
is sad that that insult
has received 21 stars thus far, and will probably receive more. But this unfortunate reply was immediately followed by two other posts. The third was
a sarcastic comment, and I am no stranger to these, both making them and receiving them, but I can see where there was perhaps no insult intended, but
just a short laugh at his expense, but then the fourth comment was leaning more towards insult than sarcasm again. And mind you, all this within the
first 10 minutes.
After the first reply to a challenger, the author reacted to the second post, it being the first of many insults, with a bit of understandable
frustration, for which he later apologized for, and said apology was later accepted. But right now, let’s keep to the timing of events as they
unfolded.
His first challenger, who he had taken the time to respond to, is now insulting him, and getting 8 stars for it.
Another member makes a comment, I’m guessing just as an observer, but gets 9 stars for it.
The next poster calls him a young guppy, arrogant, and demeaning, etc. (As a newbie myself, I heed the warning and consider my own days here to be
limited, but I am already beginning to feel that I have been here long enough.) She gets 11 stars for that.
Then someone shows interest, but calls him insulting and tells him there is no need to be mean. He gets 16 stars for that.
Next he’s told he’s being snippy and they get 7 stars.
To my surprise, the author is not deterred, but is replying, with his own hint of sarcasm to one of the first two insulters. He is not insulting. He
is simply challenging his challenger and he gets 2 stars, one of them from me.
The author tells the next challenger, without sarcasm, just a smile, to stay tuned. He gets two stars for that, one of them from me.
Now, more sarcasm, but this one only 1 star.
And now it gets interesting. After all this mud slinging, with the author doing his best to keep up, and with
all of 12 minutes having elapsed from
the original post, the person who had added to the original insults and called him mean, is now saying that it would help if he actually posted
his research. He gets 23 stars for that.
The author replies, and I will quote him, as it was an accurate reply (at 9:43PM):
Ok, but of course the trolls are going to come out with a topic like this. LOL I mean, I think people are tired of the Mayan 12/21/12 talk right? But
then again, there will be some that want to see why the calendar is off and it wasn't 12/21/12 that the Long Count calendar ended but want to see what
the correct date is.
I don’t see why this reply took so much flack. But here again he got 2 stars, one of them mine.
What I liked about his reply was that he was
admitting that many were tired of this topic but others weren’t, and those who were tired of it were, and I add my own words here, “reacting
to the topic in a most unfortunate, immature and disruptive way.” (Yes, I know, my days here just got shorter.)
Simultaneously, another poster asks if he knows what happens on that date. He gets 23 stars for that.
For the record, I don’t think this was the
purpose of the OP, but to simply state his beliefs as to why the date was wrong.
Before the author has a chance to reply, he is now being called defensive, aggressive, he’s warned that he’s being studied, that he’s full of
it, contributing nothing of substance, but he’s worth a laugh. She adds that she likes to read interesting topics, but not those on value of truth.
8 stars for that. And then she adds that he’s a troll, and asks ATS to correct her if she’s wrong. She gets 4 more stars. I give ATS zero.
We
are only 25 minutes into this post.
I wouldn’t think it possible, but it goes down hill from there. Even someone I admire is adding to the feeding frenzy. But he bravely manages to
post his theories. What follows are four entire pages of insults, with way too many stars to count, but no indication until we get to Jinni73 at
12:29AM that anyone bothered to read his ideas. This is followed by a short time, a very short time, of serious discussion, but then around 3AM
someone new jumps in with the insults and it just escalates down hill again.
In the morning, in the traditional sense of coffee and breakfast time, there is a continuation of serious discussion, until lunch time, when the
original challengers, insulters and abusers awaken and a small feeding frenzy ensues. The first gets 1 star. She persists and gets another star or two
with her defenses. Finally she gets no star.
The best post of all though, was one offered at 5:10PM
I'll admit I didn't read the thread. That said you're wrong.
Another reply from the one who seemed to cause them most disruption:
Frankly I am very busy right now…
And another reply:
Even if your math was dead-on, it means nothing.
That got another understandable reaction from the author at 12:50AM, having no doubt been up for a very long time.
And we are just on Page 9 of 12. Need I go on? How sad for this brilliant author. How sad for ATS. How sad for me. On Page 13 someone says something
along my lines, but in a different fashion, and he’s shot down and accused of being off topic and outdated and referring
againto the
author’s post as dribble
. Is there a referee in the house?