So a major Political debate erupted today on the Ebon Hawk Server, leading to serious bashing and really stupid remarks. I'm all for the open exchange of ideas but the bashing of people is just absolutely rediculous, stupid and unneccesary.

You can't fix Stupid....

This has happened from time to time on my servers as well, and I've learned that in order to make it stop I have to hijack the discussion and change the subject. This works because you are NEVER the only one annoyed by the debate, and when other angry people see you trying to stop it they tend to join in and help you.

This happens on the Fleet on Harbinger ALL THE TIME. And I'm pretty sure it's always started by the same troll who riles everyone up and then just sits back to watch the flames.

 

I have found that talking about bacon very quickly gets everyone onto the new bacon topic. Don't know why bacon is so popular, but it is.

Random nonsensical garbage can generally hijack any attempt at political or religious "debate" in an MMO. You are dealing with bored people, for the most part, who crave attention... something they can jump on and appear super leet cool.

 

Pop in a gem of a one liner, occasionally type up a storm of REALLY bad jokes, mention bacon as it relates to Star Wars, drop a pun or two, or perhaps some dialogue from any one of a number of cult favorite movies (Holy Grail, Boondock Saints, Princess Bride, just to name a few).

 

The purpose is to direct attention to what you type and not to you. You don't want to be so annoying that you just end up on ignore lists. You also don't want to be too memorable NOR do you want to take part in whatever direction you just guided the convo. Be a ninja conversationalist. Strike fast with creativity, then go back to perusing the GTN or waiting on your queue to pop. Strike again as needed, but it usually only takes about three comments to get the focus on subjects of your choice instead of what politician is the most crooked or which religion did what to whom back whenever.

 

If General is going by REALLY fast, peeps may miss your comment. When that happens, I just click another Tab on my chat box and it all disappears.

 

Gamers, when not actually "gaming", have the attention spans of a rabid titmouse. Just have to give them something else to nibble on and take the edge off their entitled opinions.

I think this happens on every server. I can vouch for POT5, Bastion and Harbinger. Politics are just a popular issue, I guess.

 

Edit: They don't usually bother me. I usually just tend not to get involved with the discussion. 90% of the time, people are just proclaiming against one statement that they read 15 minutes prior, anyway.

Edited November 29, 2012 by DarthEccen

Pop in a gem of a one liner, occasionally type up a storm of REALLY bad jokes, mention bacon as it relates to Star Wars, drop a pun or two, or perhaps some dialogue from any one of a number of cult favorite movies (Holy Grail, Boondock Saints, Princess Bride, just to name a few).

"Bacon." You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.

 

...see what I did there?

So a major Political debate erupted today on the Ebon Hawk Server, leading to serious bashing and really stupid remarks. I'm all for the open exchange of ideas but the bashing of people is just absolutely rediculous, stupid and unneccesary.

 

I think it's absurd to take ANY political debate on a SWTOR server seriously. I'm pretty sure they mostly get started by people looking to get a reaction (ie trolls). I say, "Please stop feeding the trolls. Thank You".

I stepped into one on Jedi Covenant last week as well. After throwing out a couple of comments factually poking holes in someone's specious balloon, I /ignored the guy who I most disagreed with fomenting the conversation.

 

About 15 seconds later, the 'Pie. Cake. Cookies.' conversation thread breaker came out. It seems remarkably effective at killing any majority unwanted discussion.

Edited November 30, 2012 by AlixMV

2 conversations to avoid entirely on the internet, Politics and Religion.

 

Anything else is fair game but those 2 bring out the worst in folk.

2 conversations to avoid entirely on the internet, Politics and Religion.

 

Anything else is fair game but those 2 bring out the worst in folk.

 

Advice is viable IRL 99% of the time as well.

This happens on the Fleet on Harbinger ALL THE TIME. And I'm pretty sure it's always started by the same troll who riles everyone up and then just sits back to watch the flames.

 

I have found that talking about bacon very quickly gets everyone onto the new bacon topic. Don't know why bacon is so popular, but it is.

 

This is genius. I too, love bacon.