From time to time, you may run across a thread in which the conversation goes oddly sideways, over what may to you look like nothing at all. There are many possible reasons, including one or more of:
That is all.
- Someone who joins an established message board and invests zero time in reading posts to see if what they're looking for has already been a topic of discussion, as well as learning the ethos of the group. Their posts come across as rude, dismissive of the time and effort the regulars have invested in creating a community of relationships and resources, and there is no shortage of people willing to step up and let them know they have overstepped their invitation to join the community.
- They come into a community with a history of sharing information in a certain way (you know, like vetted scientific information, curated anecdotal expertise, etc.) and try to play the expert based on their experience elsewhere, making sweeping statements which are incorrect in the process. Naturally, there is no shortage of people willing to step up and let them know they have overstepped their invitation to join the community.
- They come to a community which has evolved from other groups which imploded, were rent by divisive dissent, etc., and they were part of the problem at the Old Place. And they fail to acknowledge who they are and what they did, deflect and/or deny when confronted, and generally assume that they can slough off their past behaviors. Sometimes they come in in sheep's clothing, sometimes they don't. But they are always surprised that there are vets here with long memories, searchable hard drives and strong Google-Fu, who are not shy about letting them know they have overstepped their invitation to join the community.
That is all.
