The Entrecarder

I've been impressed many times in my nearly 6 months as an Entrecarder, but I can't recall a time when an intervention was made by the EntrePowers that had me tipping my hat to Phirate more than the creation of the new Firestorm forum. I'll admit to occasionally losing my cool in the forums and posting something I probably shouldn't have and usually regret soon thereafter. I'll further admit that I just don't understand how people can be so routinely rude to others and the best explanation I can come up with is that they are bullies or impotent human beings seeking to feel better about their miserable lives by dumping on other people. I have a clear picture of the first time I bumped up against what I would call a bitter, negative soul and I was shocked by the experience. I suppose I should have felt sorry for them, but honestly, I just couldn't believe that a person could take such obvious pleasure in randomly blasting anyone who crossed their path.

I've been equally puzzled by the group of 10-20 Entrecarders who have recently taken over the Entrecard forums and seem to have succeeded in lowering the standard level of civility to match their modus operandi and descend like a pack of wolves on anyone who might innocently misspeak or ask a question that a 5th grader could have answered. Yes, that is the norm for many forums out there and yet it hasn't been the norm in the Entrecard forums. True, Sam was controversial and Turnip seems to enjoy slapping folks on the side of the head on a regular basis, but those were rare exceptions to a generally cordial forum.

I've run into similar situations in the real world where a small group of people change the rules of behavior on a team or in an office to a more coarse, ruder, or less civilized level because the "gang" is all accepting of said degradation. What I found most interesting about the recent Entrecard forum activity is that the gang members were vocal in their support of each other's behavior as normal and acceptable and that Entrecard or the occasional random victim must be the abnormal ones. Maybe it's akin to people who are losing their hearing being unable to fully comprehend that they are now normally speaking louder than the average person. The gang thinks they are in the right and are battling Entrecard with the idea that their little group is reflective of the community at large and Entrecard got it wrong.

Sheesh. I've encountered this mindset before. 80% (or more) of college professors rate themselves as better than average and I'll bet the percentages are about the same for how we view ourselves as drivers, husbands, etc. It's why I refer to myself now as an average driver and am trying to make it up to being an average husband. I'll admit that I am likely more confrontational than the average Entrecarder and accept that I have to try harder in the forums to be more civil. It's a hard thing to admit...but I'll man up and do a better job.

What? I'm not being entirely civil here on my own blog? No, I didn't say I was committing to be perfect, just to try harder when I post in the Entrecard forums. I'll have to decide whether or not I will venture into the Firestorm forum. I'm not fooled by the gang's arguments of free speech or the need for intelligent debate. Those are weak attempts to justify their bullying and rude behavior. I learned earlier this year (when I had one of my blogs make the front page of Digg) that dark humor succeeds as it appeals to the baser instincts of many people. The Firestorm forum will likely end up as the most popular Entrecard forum for similar reasons, which is the reason that I won't be visiting there very often, if at all.

So it's two thumbs up to Phirate for insisting the majority of the Entrecard forums take the higher road and remain a place where folks can learn from each other and ask dumb questions on occasion without running the risk of being gang-tackled.