"My good opinion, once lost, is lost forever."

[Randomnity]

I'm not sure about Ignore yet, for my use. I used it for the first time about a week ago, for two people that collectively pushed me over the edge. One of them started having meaningful comments again right away, for some strange reason, and I took that individual off ignore after a few minutes. The other's still there for now, and it's kinda nice.

I'm not sure if I'll use the function more or stop using it in the future. Probably use it on occasion for a very few people. Even trolls can be interesting, so I don't feel an urge to ignore most people. It's just if they're profoundly boring as well as angering, it's just not worth it.

In general though, I'm open to having my opinion changed about someone, but it takes a lot of positive factors after I form a strong negative opinion. That's often because people usually continue to act in similar ways, though. A douchebag today is more likely than not to be a douchebag tomorrow.

 

[miss fortune]

I have never used the ignore function... even for posters that I really dislike/think are assholes because that would spoil the flow of threads for me. I just roll my eyes at the posts of posters who I dislike... much easier and good exercise for the occipital muscles!

 

[Orangey]

I've never used the ignore function nor do I plan on doing so in the future. If anything, I'm more interested in reading posts by members that bother me than I am in posts by ordinary members. It's like a type of titillation.

 

[Southern Kross]

I don't like the ignore feature simply because I like to know what's going on and it bothers me when I don't. If I felt very riled up by what it was they were saying, to the point where it affected other spots in my life, or if I felt compelled to have useless exchanges with them that took up pages of a bunch of threads, I could see using it. I don't think in that case it would have a detrimental effect. Just as in real life you decide some people are too much to deal with directly, sometimes that is true online as well.

This.

I have been tempted to use ignore on several occasions but I always stop myself. One has to learn to deal with trolls (or simply unpleasant people) online just as one must IRL. How can I learn restraint and to deal with criticism if I refuse to face such people? I don't see the appeal of remaining blissfully ignorant.

Besides I've discovered that people that have irritated me greatly in the past, will be amusing or interesting later on. I wouldn't want to miss out on all that simply because was pissed off for 5 minutes. And I don't tend to hold grudges - I'm too lazy to stay angry at someone indefinitely.

 

[Thalassa]

Someone ignoring you is not always a consequence of your behavior. Someone ignoring you could be the result of their own internal feelings, values, and judgments.

I choose to ignore Glenn Beck, but some people willingly make certain to watch his show. That doesn't mean Glenn Beck should re-examine his behavior or change himself, that just means I'm going to ignore him.

The same could be said about many people.

Of course, in a one-on-one relationship or friendship of any kind, you could potentially take on responsibility for changing your behavior to please the other person, as that would facilitate the relationship continuing.

But you don't have to, as long as you aren't actively harming them, and if you don't consider that friendship or relationship important.

 

[Athenian200]

That doesn't mean Glenn Beck should re-examine his behavior or change himself,

I beg to differ. A lot of people are adopting extremely destructive, irrational views from watching his show. He has a lot of influence, and he's not using it very responsibly. He should really do a little bit of introspection, and try to understand what's wrong with the stuff he spouts.

 

[Thalassa]

I beg to differ. A lot of people are adopting extremely destructive, irrational views from watching his show. He has a lot of influence, and he's not using it very responsibly. He should really do a little bit of introspection, and try to understand what's wrong with the stuff he spouts.

Well, in my opinion he definitely should, but that's just my opinion. He isn't so actively dangerous that I need to organize an uprising to stop him.

I mean, I hate a lot of things that are out there, but I can't control it, and when it comes to the media, I believe that parents have a responsibility to shield their children from damaging media, but I can't make them if they don't. And telling Glenn Beck he doesn't have the right to be on television in the first place is a slippery slope in censoring free speech that I never want to be a part of. I'd rather have people spout offensive, ignorant opinions than have the media exclusively run by the government or a church...and these things are possible and have happened in the world before.

 

[Lien]

being offended, we show our indifferent as a kind of ah-ha in your face weapon, but when i remember that moment, i always feel a tinge of regret. so, i feel that it's pointless to be mad, because i always end up recalling the moment sadly, instead of with happiness. and i wonder how that person would feel, thinking back. embarrassed, sad?

 

[Xenon]

I don't use the ignore feature. I used it once, but I just got too curious about the hidden posts, and I turned it off. Something about having the messages hidden made them more important in my mind.

When a poster bothers me that much, I often see myself and my own personal buttons as a large part of the problem. I'm not sitting there thinking, this person is worthless and has nothing to contribute, so I'll just make their words disappear from my screen forever. It's largely about me and my own reactions. Even if I think the poster is a real ignorant asshole, I'm not equally bothered by all ignorant assholes, and there are personal reasons some get to me more than others. I also feel like I'm just shutting out a part of reality I don't like. I think, these people are thinking these thoughts whether you like it or not, so what's the point of pretending they don't exist? Deal with it.

I consider myself pretty open to changing my mind about people. There's a part of me that seems to want to find things to like about people, even if I think they're generally irritating, stupid or off-the-wall. Yesterday the poster I once had on ignore wrote something that cracked me up. Why miss out.

 

[Orangey]

I also feel like I'm just shutting out a part of reality I don't like. I think, these people are thinking these thoughts whether you like it or not, so what's the point of pretending they don't exist? Deal with it.

I strongly agree.

 

[A window to the soul]

I don't have anyone on ignore.

 

[Octarine]

It is an internet forum. Unless someone is actively stalking/harassing/trolling you (in which case there would be moderator action anyway), I don't really see the use.

Everyone must face up to the fact that others may state views that you may consider inflammatory. (beyond controversial or disagreeable)
But, in my case, I've never found anyone offensive enough to be placed on ignore. Maybe I'm too nice/forgiving?

 

[disregard]

I ignore people that have been consistently hostile to me to a degree that I wish not to put up with.

I've had people on my ignore list that I regard highly now.. the ignore period is a period of peace and recovery from the way they've made you feel, whether you feel that way due to your own inability to cope or because they really are as bad as you feel they are.

 

[sleuthiness]

I've never used the ignore function nor do I plan on doing so in the future. If anything, I'm more interested in reading posts by members that bother me than I am in posts by ordinary members. It's like a type of titillation.

Yep.

Especially at the point when they don't realize they're essentially arguing with themselves, which allows you to step outside for a few before finishing them off with a retort that shatters their night. You did me in, Internet.

I also agree with others who've mentioned how it helps to know the worst so you can isolate and identify whatever's in your own head.

 

[MacGuffin]

I don't use ignore, never have.

Not to say I don't ignore people, I do. I choose not to respond to them.

 

[SilkRoad]

I don't use ignore, never have.

Not to say I don't ignore people, I do. I choose not to respond to them.

Same for me. I probably don't get deeply involved in threads if they seem to be over-populated with people who annoy me. But that said, there aren't a lot of people who annoy me much on here, and only a very few who annoy me consistently.

I do like the quotation as the title of this thread, a lot. Sometimes I have wondered if I am that way with people who really succeed in hurting my feelings. I think my good opinion can be lost forever if you don't try to make things right with me, but if you really do, I'll probably soften up eventually...

 

[rav3n]

It's pretty funny when 1/2 the posts in a thread aren't viewable!

 

[Glycerine]

I have ignored people because of the environment they were creating for me. I struggle to deal with conflict in an effective manner. Highly combative and highly argumentative individuals stress me out but I don't bother putting people on ignore because the people that usually grate me end up getting banned if I just let things go their course (I have only reported 2-3 posts in my history here so I swear it isn't because I am report Nazi).

 

[Starry]

I have ignored people because of the environment they were creating for me. I struggle to deal with conflict in an effective manner. Highly combative and highly argumentative individuals stress me out

I don’t have anyone on ignore right now because I felt it was kinda useless. I couldn’t see their original post…but so often, following on the heals of the ‘hidden post’, was an individual that had quoted them…and so what the individual had written completely visible LOL.

It is so strange because I can actually handle the assholes and trolls (did I just steal that from Charlie Sheen?) far better than I can handle emotional manipulation, hypocrisy, self-importance, image management (not to mention ‘believing they are brilliant while proving over and over again they are a complete dumbass’).

I haven’t learned how to handle conflict either. My normal inclination is to verbally take the person out or, like I described to another individual on this forum, open up a can of Fi>Te. Doing so would make me feel much better but would disrupt the forum and/or make other people uncomfortable. So I have to ignore…(without using the ignore feature LOL).