ATTN: Ewe People

[Doktor Howl]

Ever think its a knee jerk reaction for a reason? That maybe stuff thats offensive is offensive because its offensive?

I think it is offensive for an invented reason, yes.  See, people keep talking about the past, about the past.

But people are selectively forgetting the part of the past where I have routinely posted stupid puns, pun threads, visual pun threads.  I mean, hello, let's remember who we are talking to here. 

That part of the context is ALSO important to keep in mind.

Before, you ran pun threads for their own sake.  House of Puns, etc.

Now you do it to heckle.  It's gone from funny in a dorky kinda way, to a mean-spirited dig.

[AFK]

Yes, when they are misinterpreted in that way.

[Doktor Howl]

Yes, when they are misinterpreted in that way.

Not buying it, dude.

[Phox]

Ever think its a knee jerk reaction for a reason? That maybe stuff thats offensive is offensive because its offensive?

I think it is offensive for an invented reason, yes.  See, people keep talking about the past, about the past.

But people are selectively forgetting the part of the past where I have routinely posted stupid puns, pun threads, visual pun threads.  I mean, hello, let's remember who we are talking to here. 

That part of the context is ALSO important to keep in mind.

No, RWHN, no one is forgetting that. You are not acknowledging that regardless of your intent, you really, REALLY should have foreseen this outcome given the events that transpired beforehand. Everyone else did, even those who weren't at all involved in it. Either you seriously lack the ability to foresee the most likely outcome to your actions, or you simply don't care. Given how you're digging in your heels, I'm more inclined to think the latter.

And yes you ARE responsible for knee-jerk reactions, when you have done similar things in the past, with similar results, and have the empirical evidence at your disposal to make a judgement call with regard to how a post is going to be received.

But, by all means, continue screeching how your not responsible. 

[AFK]

Yes, when they are misinterpreted in that way.

Not buying it, dude.

That's your problem, not mine.

[Doktor Howl]

Yes, when they are misinterpreted in that way.

Not buying it, dude.

That's your problem, not mine.

Well, not really.

It's both of our problem.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

I see it as being awfully similar to the classic (for a reason) scenario where someone steps on your toes. You say "Ow, that hurt! You stepped on my toes!" and they say "Sorry, I didn't mean to".

But it keeps happening. How many times does it have to happen for it to stop being accidental? How many times for carelessness to become cruelty?

[AFK]

Ever think its a knee jerk reaction for a reason? That maybe stuff thats offensive is offensive because its offensive?

I think it is offensive for an invented reason, yes.  See, people keep talking about the past, about the past.

But people are selectively forgetting the part of the past where I have routinely posted stupid puns, pun threads, visual pun threads.  I mean, hello, let's remember who we are talking to here. 

That part of the context is ALSO important to keep in mind.

No, RWHN, no one is forgetting that. You are not acknowledging that regardless of your intent, you really, REALLY should have foreseen this outcome given the events that transpired beforehand. Everyone else did, even those who weren't at all involved in it. Either you seriously lack the ability to foresee the most likely outcome to your actions, or you simply don't care. Given how you're digging in your heels, I'm more inclined to think the latter.

And yes you ARE responsible for knee-jerk reactions, when you have done similar things in the past, with similar results, and have the empirical evidence at your disposal to make a judgement call with regard to how a post is going to be received.

But, by all means, continue screeching how your not responsible. 

I am not Responsible for the behavior of other autonomous individuals.

[Doktor Howl]

I am not Responsible for the behavior of other autonomous individuals.

But you are responsible for your own actions. 

Action/reaction.  What else would you expect?

[Phox]

Ever think its a knee jerk reaction for a reason? That maybe stuff thats offensive is offensive because its offensive?

I think it is offensive for an invented reason, yes.  See, people keep talking about the past, about the past.

But people are selectively forgetting the part of the past where I have routinely posted stupid puns, pun threads, visual pun threads.  I mean, hello, let's remember who we are talking to here. 

That part of the context is ALSO important to keep in mind.

No, RWHN, no one is forgetting that. You are not acknowledging that regardless of your intent, you really, REALLY should have foreseen this outcome given the events that transpired beforehand. Everyone else did, even those who weren't at all involved in it. Either you seriously lack the ability to foresee the most likely outcome to your actions, or you simply don't care. Given how you're digging in your heels, I'm more inclined to think the latter.

And yes you ARE responsible for knee-jerk reactions, when you have done similar things in the past, with similar results, and have the empirical evidence at your disposal to make a judgement call with regard to how a post is going to be received.

But, by all means, continue screeching how your not responsible. 

I am not Responsible for the behavior of other autonomous individuals.

No, but you are responsible for setting up the situation in the first place. Are you really so stupid that you are unable to comprehend that "THINK BEFORE YOU SPEAK" is applicable here? Or are you seriously just trying to stir the shit?

[Cain]

The basic problem here, RWHN, is that your actions are open to subjective interpretation, and that you are suffering something of a credibility gap with those you are arguing with.

There seem two basic ways to resolve this.  You can either in the future push the subjective interpretation in such a way it seems less an attempt to attack someone, for example, by waiting a day or two after the original post, so it can be interpreted more as a riff and less of a response.  I'm sure you save up puns for when you have a dry spell.

The second way would be to try and repair the credibility gap which is currently impeding your efforts.  There are a number of ways in which this could happen, and while it would probably not please everyone, it would help your position, when it comes to interpretating future statements of an ambiguous nature.  I know you have some background knowledge of rational choice theory and similar, so I'm sure you can think of a few ways to go about this.  If you are struggling for inspiration, I suggest chapter one of Gambetta's Codes of the Underworld, a very useful book because it deals in particular with systems where enforcement is difficult (notably, criminal syndicates, but it can equally apply to international politics, or internet forums).

[AFK]

I will go as far as to say I should not in retrospect, have used the monkey-sheep pic, even though again it was not aimed at anyone.  Shouldve just used a regular ewe.  I can see how that may have heightened the reaction.  But I don't apologize for the pun. 

[Epimetheus]

RWHN, I get that you think the reactions are irrational, but did you expect that kind of reaction? i haven't seen you address that yet.
(And then it seems to come down to
If yes, then you're knowingly stirring the shit. If no, then you're ignoring history.)

[AFK]

C) I expect people to recognize an obvious pun coming from an obvious punster.

[Nephew Twiddleton]

Rwhn- if it were one of my threads you were spoofing i would have taken offense too even though you and i have no problems with each other.

Also like everyone is saying- everyone seems to have expected this but you. I figured this is what the thread would have been like before i even clicked on it.