B3ta
Having been a long-term lurker (especially on QOTW) I have finally registered for B3ta, only to be disappointed.

What made me sign-up was the fantastic array of people you found on the site- genuine, funny, thought-provoking people and a refreshing lack of keyboard warriors. Pick any QOTW and you will find a dazzling array of touching and/or funny personal stories, entertaining tall tales, some seriously groan-inducing puns, sheer filth (I'm looking at you, Frank Spencer) and some interesting opinions and debate. And it's all great.

However, now that I've arrived there seems to be a small but persistent band of people that are determined to snipe, put other people down and be downright nasty. I'm thinking particularly of some the responses to the Asperger's related posts this week. Some the responses are malicious- there's no other way to describe it.

I'm sure most of the people here are fluffy and lovely, but I'm disappointed to find that B3ta isn't free of the kind of twats that populate most other message boards.
(I Was a Teenage Spaceship, Mon 30 Jun 2008, 15:54, 16 replies)

It's nicer than most other boards
And there's always the 'ignore' button for this small and persistent group.

A lot of the sniping is good-natured, especially if you find yourself on /talk. A lot of it isn't, but this is the nature of the Internet.

The best thing to do is read it as you once did, but just add your own stories when relevant, click "I like this!" when you used to simply think it, and perhaps even reply.

I still enjoy it here, marginally more than I did 1 year, 3 months and 11 days ago.
( Thinker, Mon 30 Jun 2008, 16:01, closed)

Agreed
Well said

This week has produced some entertaining and informative posts, however it's also unearthed a couple of bell ends who labour under the misconception that no-one is thinking "prick" when reading their oh so witty replies to people's posts.
(Bicycle Repairman "you're also a bit of a wanker", Mon 30 Jun 2008, 16:01, closed)

Thinker- I agree
I am an infrequent visitor to be honest- I'm busy enough in the real world without a busy virtual life too! I just fail to see why people can't ignore the stuff they don't like and engage in a positive manner with the stuff they do. It's only the internet after all, it's not as if it's serious. Maybe I'm just incredibly naive. *sigh*
(I Was a Teenage Spaceship, Mon 30 Jun 2008, 16:04, closed)

You'll be hard pushed to find a twat free zone anywhere nowadays.
And especially on the internet.


Best advice is just do what everyone else does and put them on ignore.
( girlinthehole, Mon 30 Jun 2008, 16:08, closed)

the thing about twats is they have been put there deliberately...
to make finding the fluffy people all the more exciting

otherwise it would a bit, well...

a bit of a disappointment
( spimf ™ is whoever you want him to be, Mon 30 Jun 2008, 16:13, closed)

I have absolutely no problem
With somebody putting forward a well reasoned response to a post they may disagree with. But when it consists of nought but vitriol and personal abuse - well, more fool them really. Most of the time QOTW is fluffy and lovely, but occasionally the odd wanker does creep in. Fortunately they rarely have anything eloquent and worth reading to say.
( Davros' Granddad a voice of calm reason in a world of spastics., Mon 30 Jun 2008, 16:19, closed)

I think B3ta is pretty high-quality
When compared to most messageboards - take a look at the Youtube comments section for a more representative slice of the internet...

Speaking of Youtube, who's the bigger idiot - the various trolls/half-wits/racists/spammers who infest it, or those that take the bait and argue fruitlessly with them all day?
(Axeman Jim, Mon 30 Jun 2008, 16:20, closed)

^^^
tis true, but we need videos of people falling off chairs and setting their teeth on fire to keep the zombie dullards away from our cosy little virtual 'Winchester Arms'

*wonders now if that was the boozer in 'Shaun of the Dead' or 'Minder' or both*
( spimf ™ is whoever you want him to be, Mon 30 Jun 2008, 16:25, closed)

who's the bigger idiot?
You know something, Jim? I don't think it's the existence of the twunts that annoys me- it's human nature after all and we *all* take a turn at being a twunt now and again. It's the fact I've taken the bait. I know these people are just childish attention seekers and by taking notice I've let them win.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGH!

*breathes into paper bag*
(I Was a Teenage Spaceship, Mon 30 Jun 2008, 16:26, closed)

I'm sorry
it pisses you off, that is the nature of people.
Some of the twats can come up with funny (if cruel) responses as well as vile crap.

From my perspective, B3ta is a pretty free place, to restrict the twats, risks reducing that freedom.

Many of them are ignorant or angry, they don't really know (or empathise with) the people they are crapping on.

Therefore they can be ignored, it's not personal by definition.
( FeralCatMan Unusual disease collector., Mon 30 Jun 2008, 16:30, closed)

Hello

There will always be those that lob virtual bottles of piss at anyone with the guts to get up on the virtual stage and put forward an opinion or share their experience. As the bottle flies out of the anonymous crowd, dripping piss on crowd, stewards and acts alike, the lob-ees can duck back down into the mass of the crowd safe in the knowledge that they are so fucking clever and funny, as they tuck their sad, dripping willies back into their ill-fitting trousers.

I've ducked the odd-virtual-piss bottle in my time and always got right back onto the stage.

Welcome to the board.
(Che Grimsdale Best before:, Mon 30 Jun 2008, 16:48, closed)

you've signed up at a bad time
as we do seem to be having a bit of a twat-fest here lately. don't worry, these noxious little pukes soon end up on everyone's ignore list and their audience goes away. as soon as the attention's gone, they tend to go away, too. stick it out, most of us are all of teh fluffeh ;)
( Smash Monkey lowering the tone of the whole internet, Mon 30 Jun 2008, 17:53, closed)

If you want to be insulting/a twat, there's always /b/.
The 'oldfags' aren't too keen on it, but you will find many more of your fellow twats there.
( idonthaveafunnynickname Drink-Aware? Sure. I'm aware I want another drink., Mon 30 Jun 2008, 19:32, closed)

Was qotw always this fluffeh?
I've only been here just over a year and I wonder if it changes as posters come and go.

Edit - I've been here 18 months - Woo!
( girlinthehole, Mon 30 Jun 2008, 20:14, closed)

Mostly it's been fluffy.
It took us a long while to get the capability to reply- before that it was just straight posting. So other than the occasional moan about Legless from people who were envious of his Best Of count, there was very little slagging off of anyone. It's only been about the past month or so that I've noticed any real twatbadgery in here.
( The Resident Loon Not a demographic. Do not measure., Mon 30 Jun 2008, 22:25, closed)

I've been here almost a year now
And have generally found QOTW to be teh fluff. With the occassional cock knocker posting vitriolic, abusive, or just plain 'I'm not very funny and therefore have to have a go to get a reaction' rubbish.

My advice - find a crowd of people who's musings you enjoy, stick them on your 'friends' list, and whenever you log on, go to your 'friends' page to see what they've been up to, or what they have liked. I find it tends to weed out the more obnoxious or offensive posters, and cuts down the time trawling through endless pages - especially if you don't have a lot of time.
( Davros' Granddad a voice of calm reason in a world of spastics., Tue 1 Jul 2008, 16:13, closed)