How to deal with those that add nothing to the forum

[citfta]

On probably any forum on the internet there are those that add absolutely nothing to the discussion.  It appears their only reason for posting is to disrupt a thread or try to get a reaction from those that are actually trying to have a discussion.   Then as most people will they get a reaction and respond and get more reaction until several pages of the thread have been wasted with nothing of value being added to the thread.  I am sure most of you have someone on this forum you would put into this category.

I read an interesting article last night that I think applies to this situation.  I have actually tried this idea before with pretty good results.  It seems there was a young man that lived in a neighborhood that had a vicious dog.  The dog was in a fenced yard but every time any of the the neighbors walked by the dog would run out barking and growling and scaring the children especially.  The children would run away and the adults would walk to the other side of the sidewalk and move a little quicker to get away from the barking dog.

This young man in the article decided to study about dogs.  He found out they respond according to how someone responds to them.  In other words their actions are based upon others reactions.  So the young man tried an experiment.  He forced himself to walk past the dog every day for a month and not react to the dog's barking.  At first the dog kept up his bad behavior.  But after a week or so he seemed to lose his enthusiasm for barking and growling.  By the end of the month the young man could walk by the dog and the dog just looked at him without even getting up from his resting spot.  You see it was no fun barking and growling if all that effort was just for nothing.

So my suggestion is when certain people post things that are only to incite trouble or discord just ignore them.  DO NOT respond.  If they get no reaction they will go somewhere else looking to start trouble.

Respectfully,
Carroll

[poynt99]

Two thumbs up! 

[minnie]

   About 90% of what's on here is rubbish, how can you disrupt drivel???
   Whatever anyone posts keeps a thread alive, people that leave complaining
   of disruption go "private". only to come crawling back when nobody is
   interested.
       I really enjoy the whole thing as my main interest is in what make the
   contributors "tick".
      I've started studying a bit of relativity and quantum as a result of TA's
   thread and am finding it not only interesting but somehow beautiful.
   After about 60 years of trying I can finally see the importance of the speed
   of light and there is a bit of logic to it.
       Message to everyone, please keep on posting and those who don't like
   what they see just turn on your auto censor device.
      Another thing, some amongst us don't seem to "like" the truth.
                  John.

[sm0ky2]

Embrace them

my experience here, has led me to believe that even the most negative, disruptful, and belligerent of our members,
sometimes can have something important to add to a design or idea.
it appears easy for many of us to get caught up in the discussion and forget we are all on the same team.

these aren't just random crazy people that converged here to try to break the laws of physics....
these are 80,000 beautiful minds from around the world, collectively working together, sharing ideas...
helping each other to try and make the world a better place.
That's what makes this place so amazing, and how we are able to achieve things that have a real world impact for millions of people.
Things like the Joule Thief, and the Eric Jacqueman Story, that are still shaping the way the world lives.


each of us has our own reason for being here, theres no grand theory for why everyone chases after OU or "free energy".
"what makes each of us tick" is responsible for the diversity of perspectives, broad spectrum of fields of knowledge.
Each on our own quest, our own journey through life.

[EMJunkie]

Hi Carroll

Hahaha - Yes!

Humans could be categorised in several groups. Very few are "Do'ers". Most are Complainers and Time Wasters. Some are like Pigs, happy to sit in squaller all day. Some are happy to make no advances! Some just like to Shoot Others down, no matter how much hard data they are presented.

But, do you know what, we are all each others Keeper, we are all brothers. It should be the case we all look after eacher and treat each other with respect. Poking ones Brothers Eyes out to help him See, just seems a little one sided to me!

   Chris Sykes
       hyiq.org