by hexicon » Wed Apr 19, 2006 2:22 am
Mechi, you seem like a bright and articulate person, especially since English is your second language, but I think there is a difference between common courtesy and respect.
IMHO, everyone (with exception of trolls like Andy) deserves common courtesy. Respect has to be earned.
If someone makes a rude response, one that violates common courtesy, it's appropriate to say, "hey, I was responding to your post, don't bring my age, or dick size, or masturbation habits, or urine aroma, etc., into it."
For example, in one of your posts you made a comment about when this site began to be overrun with stupid posts. I disagree with what you said. Under common courtesy, that doesn't give me the right to call you stupid or insult you or tell you to shut up (unless, like Hutter, you asked for it [:D] ). You have a right to an opinion, but I'm not going to respect your opinion, because IMHO you haven't been around here long enough, and the quality of your posts is not good enough (e.g., the "Nobody Likes Me" thread), to give you an ample perspective on the issue.
On a related note, how is it showing respect for others' opinions when you say (to paraphrase) "Until you've studied X, you don't have a right to an opinion on it." (Or, as other posters have said, "you don't know anything about this because you're not a parent.")
For example, I am a lawyer. If folks are going off on a point of law, I may correct a poster and offer a citation if he or she is flat-out wrong, but I would never say that because the poster didn't study law, he or she doesn't have an opinion on a matter of public importance. I might not respect that opinion if it's not reasoned and well-informed (more likely, I wouldn't even read the thread), but the posters have the right to make a post and to receive a courteous correction or refutation.
Again, it doesn't mean you don't have the right to have that opinion. It doesn't mean that I have the right to be rude in disagreeing with you. You're entitled to courtesy. You're not entitled to respect.