Do you like verbal abuse or civility on HP answers and forums?

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   promisemposted 8 years ago

   Do you enjoy being called names? Does it feel good for someone to mock you for misspelling a word? How about an attack on your intelligence, patriotism, sexuality, religious beliefs, nationality or integrity?
   
   All of the events and many more incidents have occurred in the forums and answer section.
   
   The Internet is littered with failed companies. I don't want to see HubPages join it. I have the greatest respect for the product that the company's founders and employees have created. A vibrant community is essential to its future.
   
   But that community is at risk when certain people insult, attack or belittle people who think differently than them and HP doesn't have enough staff to keep up with it. Abuse discourages people from interacting, coming to the site and making it better.
   
   If you haven't spent time on Reddit.com, please do so to see how a well-behaved community acts. Do you want to see the same here? Then let's take a stand against anyone who heaps abuse on other people. Let's try to define what it means to be civil here.
   
   But if you like verbal abuse, then so be it.

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      Christy Kirwanposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      We strongly encourage you to report any comments or posts with personal attacks or abuse so that a Moderator can look them over.

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         promisemposted 8 years agoin reply to this

         Thanks for responding, Christy. Does violating the following forum guideline lead to a warning or a ban?
         
         Keep it civil. Debate and disagreements on points of substance are okay, but personal attacks, hate speech, petty bickering, trolling, and thread hijacking are not tolerated. By choosing to be civil, you make the discussion better for everyone involved.

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            Christy Kirwanposted 8 years agoin reply to this

            If the comment is reported and the Moderators agree that it is a clear case of a personal attack, hate speech, petty bickering, or trolling, a temporary ban will result. If that person repeats the behavior and is reported again, a longer ban will be issued. Multiple repeated offenses result in a permanent Forum ban.

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               promisemposted 8 years agoin reply to this

               I assume that the following comment targeting another Hubber -- one of many similar messages by the same individual -- qualifies as a personal attack or petty bickering and would result in at least a warning. If you don't agree, please help me understand more.
               
               "Oh,u poor victim.Can't you get anything right?This is not my thread &your comment is a total lie&a false attack on Christianity.But that's what we've come to expect from someone so blind as to think Hiliary is qualified to be president."

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      Greensleeves Hubsposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      I think HubPages is pretty good in this regard, certainly when compared with social media sites, and most comments here are civil and community-minded. But some subjects (religion, politics, gun control, abortion etc) do encourage extreme viewpoints, and if such viewpoints are expressed in an abusive, bullying or crude manner, then there should be no hesitation in deleting them.
      
      The author of the hub or initiator of the question has the right to do this, and we should all exercise that right - although abusive people have the right to their opinion, they do not have the right to make others publish or read it. There is no compulsion on any hub writer or question initiator to publish or keep published, abusive comments.
      
      BUT - any censorship should be based on the tone of the comment, not the actual point of view expressed. (I'd rather see a point of view I totally disagree with, argued in a thoughtful, reasoned manner, than a point of view I totally agree with, argued with abusive language).

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      RJ Schwartzposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      Very touchy subjects such as politics, same sex marriage, transgenderism, religion, etc. are going to bring out the best and the worst in people.  If you write about or participate in discussions on those topics, I expect you'll see some real unhealthy dialogue.  There are angry people out there who get polarized on viewpoints and refuse to see facts as evidence.

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      Brynn Thorssenposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      I have to admit that I am puzzled why Hubpages allows the people who ask a question to moderate that question and remove comments.  That doesn't encourage dialogue, either.  It is the tyranny of "tell me what I want to hear."

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      TessSchlesingerposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      I left hubpages just as I was starting to get between $300 and $600 a month payouts because of the trolling and insults on hubpages. The moderators were as guilty as anyone else. At this point, I now approach management directly. I have it happening right now on one of my questions. I have deleted the three guilty party's comments repeatedly. They don't stop. They are off topic, and they simply want to insult, belittle, make me guilty, etc.
      
      It is unprofessional, and it's one area where I have an issue with Hubpages management. Some people should simply have their privileges to comment on the forum or anywhere else removed from them.

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         promisemposted 8 years agoin reply to this

         Just out of curiosity, have you reported their behavior?

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   Kathleen Cochranposted 8 years ago

   No, I don't enjoy those things.  But I've come to realize those things say more about the person writing them than they do about me. Usually, I don't reply.  Why bother?

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      promisemposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      I believe we should bother because I have seen many people exit a discussion and not come back after being abused.

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   Phyllis Doyleposted 8 years ago

   Abuse is never tolerated in my world. Civility in our answers and forums are not only desired, but much needed. I agree with Christy - report any abuse, do not tolerate it.

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   paradigmsearchposted 8 years ago

   People are people. The Net is a mirror of life. When a jerk comes along, just tell them to f!ck off.
   
   On a more serious note, just ignore them. And don't get in a flame war with them, unless you feel like having some fun.

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   chef-de-jourposted 8 years ago

   Personal abuse and name calling is never a good thing and is never justified. Healthy debate in the Q&A section is what we want and mostly that's been my experience over three years or more. There are those, a tiny minority, who seem hell bent on being abusive come what may, which is a sad and a poor reflection on their intellect and ability to articulate feeling and fact through reasonable sentences. Those who resort to unwarranted and vindictive abuse should be banned, simple.

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      paradigmsearchposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      They are.

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      Brynn Thorssenposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      Allowing the OP to remove comments is not "healthy dialog."

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         promisemposted 8 years agoin reply to this

         On the flip side, should the OP be allowed the remove comments that represent "unhealthy dialog" when it fits the following rule?
         
         "Keep it civil. Debate and disagreements on points of substance are okay, but personal attacks, hate speech, petty bickering, trolling, and thread hijacking are not tolerated. By choosing to be civil, you make the discussion better for everyone involved."

         replyreport
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   Kimberleyclarkeposted 8 years ago

   I hate to think that anyone is being abused on here. I must say, I steer clear of some of the obviously inflammatory and baiting questions. If you don't give such negativity oxygen, it can't continue. I suggest, report abuse, and avoid obvious troll type questioning/behaviour. All the best to everyone!

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   Oztinatoposted 8 years ago

   Hub rules dictate the mandatory reporting of such behaviours otherwise one is seen as the same as the perpetrators.
   I didn't make up the Hub rules but I will do my absolute best to follow the rules.

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   Will Apseposted 8 years ago

   Depends how funny/clever/insightful the incivility is, I reckon. Boring people to death is pretty cruel, too.

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