F3 distinctly frosty

Hello.  This is my first time on the ‘boards’.  I’ve used Justchat from the beginning, with breaks of several months to several years. I’m not exactly sure why I keep coming back.  If I ever find out I’ll let you know.   I’ve been reading this thread with interest and it is with huge amounts of bravery (stupidity) I will share my thoughts.  

Years ago this site was often the place to come if you wanted an argument.   The main room seemed to be full of drama and people bad mouthing each other.  Not a critisism,  just an observation.  I used a good few chat rooms back in the early noughties and Justchat was always a last resort because of that reason.  The other sites I used were friendly and happy places and I can’t remember people being abusive or rude very often.

I’m sure there were many hours and days when Justchat was a fun, happy place too but I obviously didn’t see a great deal of it!

I have tried to join in with main room chat on many occassions.  Within minutes I’m being accused, quite harshly in some cases, of being a ‘name changer’.  This is when anyone actually acknowledges me when I say hello!  So I spend my time in PMs, with the main screen rolling behind.  (often its more entertaining than the PM) 

I have no idea why the room isnt more friendly and easy going.  It is a shame because a good session of funny banter with other chatters is an amazing form of therapy.  In the past I’ve woken  during the night and started giggling about something that was said earlier that evening!  Someone mentioned earlier the laughter.  There is nothing better for the soul in my opinion.

Maybe people are more outspoken than years ago.  Whereas in the early days of the internet people were polite and more accepting.  Like we are in real life.
(mostly!)  But insulting someone and being rude and offensive is becoming more the norm, even celebs have a pop at each other via Twitter etc.   There is little backlash to being a keyboard warrior.  You can say exactly what you think, whereas in real life you would probably just bite your tongue and say nothing.

Anyway, that’s my four penn’orth, as the saying goes.  The fact that Justchat is still open when many other sites have fallen by the wayside is an indication that something is working!

I may or may not be back on here!

2 members liked this post.

Arc en, Tapioca

“to play Devil’s Advocate, why should the non friction chatters get to decide the atmosphere of the room ?”

“Devil’s Advocate’ seems to be a phrase used on here when one wants to be deliberately argumentative and/or confrontational (IMHO, obviously).”

It is difficult to disagree with that.

However, for me playing Devils Advocate is to argue or debate the opposite viewpoint of your own. So in this context I was making it clear that non frictional, fluffy chatters (like me) should get to set the tone of the room rather than the trolls. Yet the abrasive frictional chatters do have their place in the room and equality must prevail. So for the sake of equality I raised the opposite point. That is playing Devils Advocate for me in the context I used it

In a different context, yet relevant, to make my point without using the term Devils advocate, if Just Chat was a pub and had a diverse range of clientele, thus some division, should the non frictional drinkers decide the atmosphere of the pub over the rowdy frictional drinkers, or the Irish decide ahead of the Scottish? or the ManUtd fans decide over the Liverpool fans, or the blacks drinkers decide over the white? or the christians over the jews ? No of course not.

So my valid question is, why do the non frictional nice and fluffy chatters get to decide how the room should be? and why do they feel they have the undeniable exclusive rights to decide how the atmosphere of the room shall be?

So whatever type of chatter you are, you are welcome and equal as everyone else. Call that Liberalism if you like

Just playing “devils advocate” here…

“Liberalism” and “equality” in the context of JC “trolls” or deliberately “frictional” characters, is utterly irrelevant. This is a private business and privately owned and which has a clear policy and rules in place, as to what constitutes acceptable behavior on this site, or not. When you become a member of this site you enter into that contract and agree to abide by its rules and regulations. If you want “anarchy” go and join an “anarchist” site, of which there are plenty.

1 member liked this post.

laine1

I agree with you Rain, its the Devil’s Advocate aint it