Have you ever been accidently controversial??

[Melora]

This is just kind of a general curious kind of question.

A long time ago, I started a thread when I was really mad and wasn't really thinking about what I was posting until I came back the next day and found about 100 replies and many of them flaming me for my unintentional comments. I spent a lot of time trying to back pedal and apologise.. even thought about never coming back because I was embarassed but I had several very nice people PM me and tell me not to worry about the flamers and I felt much better. (yes I know.. how many people are going to tell me that I shouldnt worry about how people feel about me on a message baord.. but sometimes I just can't help it!)

I also posted something not too long ago that someone took mild offense too..well at least I think they were offended I'm not really sure.

I tend to be the most middle of the road, not wanting to rock the boat kind of person. A very live and let live type....

So Im was just checking in to see how many other people have rocked the boat around here by accident. I know some of you love to debate.... I cannot go to the debate board, it gives me tummy ache to read some of the threads..how mad people get!

 

[Pam]

Yes, to both - but it's a given when there are over 60,000 or so people posting here - that you are going to rock or capsize someone's boat....

 

[FreshTressa]

Oh, ya!!!

I'm the mom who objected to the wild kids in my DS's kindergarten class and described them as dirty.

OMG, I was FLAMED big time!!

I had no idea that other people wouldnt find it odd to see kids at school with food all over their clothes.

 

[Dan Murphy]

I always rock the boat here, LOL.

 

[Melora]

Yeah Dan..you're the biggest boat rocker of the bunch

And what are you doing up at or past midnight anyway???

You should be sleeping.. goodness knows I should!!

 

[VintageKnight]

Havent done it here yet but I've sunk a few navy's in the past on other boards......


DisneyVK

 

[C.Ann]

I tend to rock the boat so badly I actually get seasick!

Sometimes I am far too opionated - espescially if it's something I feel very strongly about..

Sometimes I'm under the influence of prescription medications that bring out an ugly side..

Sometimes I will post a question about something (normally on the debate board) and just because I am curious about an issue people automatically assume that I "feel" a certain way..

Sometimes I say something that I think is innocent enough but it pushes someone elses button and suddenly I'm in hot water..

--------------------

It all goes with the nature of these kinds of message boards and the large number of posters.. I try not to get too worked up about any of it and if I hurt or offend someone with a totally innocent remark, I apologize.. Sometimes it's accepted and sometimes it's not..

I like this place far too much to stay away though so all I can say is "Beware of my posts.." LOL

 

[goodstarr]

I did it too. I posted about how proud I was that DD-7 said her dolls couldn't have kids because they weren't married yet.

 

[Robinrs]

It's very easy to ruffle feathers on a message board, mostly because words sometime cannot convey what you REALLY mean. Words don't have facial expressions or inflections, sarcasm or humor can be confusing without those things, the most we can offer is an occasional smile...

Sometimes, and this is my own opinion based on my experience with human beings, certain words can cut straight to the quick in some people who have an uncomfortable feeling about something deep down inside. You never know what can hurt someone.

Non intentially I've ruffled MANY feathers. One particular one comes to mind.

My good friend is a foster mom. She has recently adopted 4 children of different and mixed races. She is white and is always asked why does she adopt children that are out of her race. We live in Georgia and she and her husband get looks you won't imagine. She confided in me that nothing is better than giving a permanent home to children who no one else wants. She led me to an organization that is literally BEGGING for parents for African American children, to the point that they will PAY you for taking one in.

That afternoon I read a thread about people adopting from other countries. After seeing so many children HERE in the US that have no chance I had to ask why aren't they checking out the children here?

Well I got LAMBASTED! I had to step back and realize that there is something deeper to all of this and that I asked a question that maybe they had asked themselves.

Like I said, you never know....

 

[katerkat]

Nope. I'm always deliberately controversial. I did get blasted on a thread on another (non-DIS) board once.

 

[helenabear]

I've done it before... I felt awful any time it did happen, but given how different people can be, I know it is bound to happen from time to time.

 

[Pop Daddy]

here and in real life this happens to me, I am often shoked that people fine offene to somthing I say.

 

[WilmaBud]

I once posted a response to a "when to start kindergarten thread." I'm always very careful about the tone of my replies because I hate conflict. Well, I got a really snotty PM from someone who took my post personally (she actually thought I had been singling her out ). I didn't even know who she was or what she had posted!! I had to go back and search for her post, and I STILL didn't see why she thought I had attacked her. I thought it was amusing but very weird. Still, I PM'ed her to apologize for any offense, and I assured her I wasn't directing anything at her. She never responded. Oh well, I guess she had real issues with the whole subject. It was freaky though, how someone could get so worked up over something so innocuous.

 

[pjlla]

I once thought I got flamed by someone for a remark I made..... I was very hurt and insulted by her comment...... that is until I went back, re-read the entire thread, and realized her comment had nothing to do with me!! But I was really hurt for a few minutes!! .........................P

 

[Serena]

With so many people the chances of offending someone is pretty great. Most of the time I try not to rock any boats, but don't always succeed. I apologize if I'm wrong, and go on.
Sometimes I admit to intentionally trying to rock someone's boat.

 

[chager]

I don't think I have started any threads that have upset anyone yet. Hmm ...give me time though. I know I have replied to a couple threads and put a disclaimer at the end of my post ... "This opinion is my opinion only and in no way expresses the opinion of anyone else. You are welcome to disagree and I will agree to disagree. Not a big deal for me." Or something along those lines anyway I have been blessed so far and have not received any bad PM's from anyone. I always feel bad for anyone who gets flamed becuase they ask a question or make a statement that someone doesn't like. I have seen this happen too many times. If a post makes me upset I purposely wait to answer it becuase I don't want to post anything I will regret later. I also want to make sure I word a reply so no one gets hurt unintentially. Since it is impossible to tell the tone of a post sometimes I will reread it a couple times. I know a couple people have gotten blasted for tongue in cheek remarks. So I try to read things different ways also. So with that I apologize now for anyone that I ever make mad, sad, upset, angry, disagreeble, hurt, or any way negatively impact

 

[Blondie]

LOL! Can you say Antonio Banderas?

 

[Disney Doll]

I have offended people with some of my comments, I am sure. As others have said, on an internet message board with thousands of people visiting, it's nearly impossible to say something that won't offend someone somewhere. I read a very good book recently called The Four Agreements, by Don Miguel Ruiz. Basically, he suggests 4 tenets by which to live your life, one of them being "Take Nothing Personally". People are going to respond to oyu based on their perception of their reality, and it really has nothing to do with you personally. Good advice.

 

[Stimpy]

Unfortunately, it's happened to me. Totally unintentional! I am the type of person who won't swat at a fly because I don't want to hurt it's feelings!

I always try to censor my own posts before hitting the submit button. There has been many times I have WANTED to disagree with someone but I didn't post at all because everyone is entitled to their opinions. Plus, I figure around here, someone will usually post "my" side of the opinion anyway and they can get flamed instead LOL

But once in awhile, I slip up and don't realize it until it's too late. Most recently with the buying baby formula off of Ebay thread. I had no intention of insulting anyone who does it or starting a debate. I was just surprised that people do that. It lightly ruffled a few feathers, nothing major, but I felt really bad afterwards. I'm sure there are many other incidents that were worse, that's just the one that stands out in my mind right now.

 

[GEM]

Oh yeah. One time I mentioned casually in a post that I thought George Bush was funny looking - specifically that he had big ears. Unfortunately for me, this post happened to be just a few weeks after 9-11.

OH MY GOSH! You would have thought I had committed treason! Forget the fact that political figures have always been satired and made fun of in this country. I got crucified! I got tons of really, really hateful PMs, email, and replies.

I was totally blown away. I've never had anything like that happen to me before and I couldn't believe some of the things people were saying about me and accusing me of. Somebody even said I was "just as bad as the terrorists"!

Anyway, it took me a long time to even come back here after that incident. It was totally crazy and blown way out of proportion! I certainly didn't mean anything awful by it.