This is a very broad topic. A few things need to be addressed. 1) It's can be difficult to interpret a post and can easily be taken out of context without thoroughly reading what was originally posted and then responded to. Whether or not people want to admit it, face to face communication is superior. Think about it, even in face to face conversations with a single person there can still be misunderstandings. (I realize this is a unique community and needs to be online, but the previous statement needed to be said). 2) People forget to remember people's intentions. We call all misunderstand what someone says, even those we love, if we loose sight of their intentions and switch from a mind set that they have good intentions to bad intentions we will start assuming bad things about that person... Especially those we care about and they hurt us, remember their intentions first. 3) We need to always go to the original person and ask for clarification. This is particularly important in an online setting. 4) Think before you respond. Is what you are going to say actually going to change the persons mind? Do you really think the other person who posted something irrationally will suddenly have divine inspiration and realize they made a boneheaded comment? Probably not. 5) Ask yourself WHY you feel compelled to respond. 6) Some people have such terrible self esteem, they need to tear others down. We should pity those individuals. ...Imagine being married to someone like that? It would be terrible. ... People like that need to be left alone to their own recklessness. There is an old phrase, "do not cast your pearls before swine" which means you should not waste valuable, sacred, or meaningful things; such as truth, wisdom, or kindness, on people who cannot understand or appreciate them. 8) After all that... yes I believe those here want to act with respect the majority of the time. This is a great community.
