What happened to Wolfgang59?

Originally posted by josephw
I just thumbed down your post. Could just as easily thumbed it up. Like I said elsewhere, it's a meaningless gesture.

Indeed, I rarely thumb anything, and I could care less whether it's anonymous or not. I do find the 'argument' for it being kept anonymous intriguing though... "Tyranny"? "Removing free speech"? "Silencing detractors"? "Disagreements silenced"? It's like some kind of industrial grade, demented, rhetorical histrionics!

Originally posted by FMF
Indeed, I rarely thumb anything, and I could care less whether it's anonymous or not. I do find the 'argument' for it being kept anonymous intriguing though... "Tyranny"? "Removing free speech"? "Silencing detractors"? "Disagreements silenced"? It's like some kind of industrial grade, demented, rhetorical histrionics!

No, nothing so insidious as that. Just another button to push.

Originally posted by josephw
No, nothing so insidious as that. Just another button to push.

Yes, well, I do find the stance that thumbs no longer being kept anonymous is "insidious" to be an extraordinary one. I find it most peculiar that Suzianne would be quoting Edmund Burke and Thomas Jefferson about "tyrants" and "tyranny" with regard to someone knowing that she had thumbed down a post.

Originally posted by josephw
I just thumbed down your post. Could just as easily thumbed it up. Like I said elsewhere, it's a meaningless gesture.

For some people, being able to anonymously thumb down posts could give them a sense of power and victory in the face of overwhelming defeat. This phenomena is occurring in another forum even as I type. 🙂

Originally posted by FMF
I am not asking you about the subway in an American city in a situation that could potentially cause you physical danger. I am asking you if there are ever times when you thumb a post down here on this forum and it's important to you that nobody knows it was you?

Just answer the question. Whatever nasty thing you were accusing me of has no bearing on my question. I daresay that if you DID find yourself face to face with the aforementioned gorilla who could squish you like a bug, that you probably would not be making the types of nasty comments you make to users here, either.

(And speaking of nasty, whatever makes you think I meant an AMERICAN city?)

Are there ever times when you get a down thumb on a post here on this forum and it's important to you that you find out IMMEDIATELY who DARED to disagree with you?

Originally posted by Suzianne
Are there ever times when you get a down thumb on a post here on this forum and it's important to you that you find out IMMEDIATELY who DARED to disagree with you?

No. Not at all. I couldn't give a fig. I think thumbs up and down are basically meaningless. I think people who obsess about them are kind of daft to be frank. Are there ever times when you thumb a post down and it's important to you that nobody knows it was you?

Originally posted by Suzianne
Whatever nasty thing you were accusing me of has no bearing on my question. I daresay that if you DID find yourself face to face with the aforementioned gorilla who could squish you like a bug, that you probably would not be making the types of nasty comments you make to users here, either.

Don't be silly. What have I ever said to anyone here that you imagine I wouldn't say to them face to face? Give me some examples.

Originally posted by divegeester
For some people, being able to anonymously thumb down posts could give them a sense of power and victory in the face of overwhelming defeat. This phenomena is occurring in another forum even as I type. 🙂

I think thumbing is an expression of powerlessness. A last resort of the dumbfounded.

Originally posted by josephw
I think thumbing is an expression of powerlessness. A last resort of the dumbfounded.

I'm curious to hear how you feel you can surmise this stuff about powerlessness and dumbfoundedness when [1] you do not know who is thumbing, [2] you do not know why they are thumbing, and [3] you don't use thumbs yourself and therefore cannot empathize with thumbers.

Originally posted by FMF
I'm curious to hear how you feel you can surmise this stuff about powerlessness and dumbfoundedness when [1] you do not know who is thumbing, [2] you do not know why they are thumbing, and [3] you don't use thumbs yourself and therefore cannot empathize with thumbers.

Perhaps you should consider what was said in the post I had replied to, then maybe you wouldn't be so dumbfounded about why I said what I said.

I swear, for someone who fancies himself such an intellect you sure do have issues with the simplest of statements. I'm about as dumb as a box of left handed hammer handles, but even you can't understand me! 😉

Originally posted by josephw
Perhaps you should consider what was said in the post I had replied to, then maybe you wouldn't be so dumbfounded about why I said what I said.

I swear, for someone who fancies himself such an intellect you sure do have issues with the simplest of statements. I'm about as dumb as a box of left handed hammer handles, but even you can't understand me!

I am not "dumbfounded" at all, josephw. I am curious. I understood you perfectly. And you have dodged the simple question. How do you feel able to project these supposed feelings of powerlessness and dumbfoundedness onto posters whose identities you don't know, and who are engaging in something you yourself don't do? What is it based on?

Originally posted by FMF
I always feel free here at RHP to decide whether I want to speak my mind or not. I think thumbs up and thumbs down are meaningless. I think they still would be, even if they weren't anonymous. I don't see them as people speaking their minds. No one has proposed to curtail anyone's freedom to speak their minds nor to curtail their freedom to give thumbs up or dow ...[text shortened]... freedom of speech". I would still have the freedom to speak my mind about your post, wouldn't I?

And you, sir, are a liar.

Go ahead, ask me "how so?"

Originally posted by Suzianne
And you, sir, are a liar.

This is what I said (in the post you were responding to). It is a series of statements/and rhetorical question that lay out what my opinion is. Here it is:

"I always feel free here at RHP to decide whether I want to speak my mind or not. I think thumbs up and thumbs down are meaningless. I think they still would be, even if they weren't anonymous. I don't see them as people speaking their minds. No one has proposed to curtail anyone's freedom to speak their minds nor to curtail their freedom to give thumbs up or down.

If I, say, gave your last post a thumbs down and you knew it, how do you think that would have curtailed my freedom? If I didn't want you to know that I wanted to give you a thumbs down and so therefore didn't use the thumbs down feature, how would that be a "restriction of freedom of speech". I would still have the freedom to speak my mind about your post, wouldn't I?"

What is it you think I am lying about? The above text is me expressing my point of view. Are you saying that I am lying about what my point of view is, and that my point of view is in some way different?

Originally posted by josephw
I think thumbing is an expression of powerlessness. A last resort of the dumbfounded.

Suzianne would probably vociferously disagree with you by writing 12 inches of text as she did this week in the site ideas Thread 170300.

I have just received word that I am scheduled to get an operation on my hand in January or February next year. The operation will undoubtedly make moving pieces swifter and more decisive otb and I expect the increased fluency to be reflected in my play here too.

So watch out!