How do you experience peer pressure or group think (if you do) on fluther?

I can’t say that this is really peer pressure or group think, but I enjoy the fact that witty sayings are accepted and appreciated on Fluther, while on other sites they are ignored, taken wrong, or considered to be snarky.

Sorry, but that is the only pressure I have felt here, and it isn’t a bad one.

The only other pressure, if you can call it that, is that the moderators are active and get rid of the really hurtful or obscene comments quickly. And that too is a good thing.

My opinion doesn’t change. However, I do tone down my answers if everyone else is answering nicely. If other people are being spunky or rude, I feel more at ease to say exactly what I’m thinking.

I feel pressure in questions about feminism, conflicting ideologies, sex fetishes, and other subjects that have “fixed” answers by modern western society. I sometimes have conflicting views, and I sometimes get bashed for them. I always think that Fluther should be a place to speak your mind, but I can’t because everyone has these ingrained ideas of what is “right” and “wrong”.

Freedom of speech includes the things you don’t want to hear.

@Mtl zack: But freedom of speech also allows people to speak out to those things that we disagree on. Personally I don’t have issues with people arguing with me as long as it is just that, an argument, and not accusations or character bashes. I can’t really say that I feel any group think. Sometimes I’d like to make sarcastic comments but then realize that sarcasm never works when it’s written down so I tend to be less sarcastic than I am in real life.

I’ve noticed that republicans really get bashed here. Maybe not the person who is speaking for the republicans, but republicans in general.

IMHO conservatives, religious folk, and swingers (or their POV) are almost always marginalized here.

I’n basically an irreverent person, so nothing is going to make me feel pressured to answer a certain way.

Total honesty time.

I try not to but to some extent I will admit I do. There are some people who’s status precludes me from being honest about what they say do to the wrath of those on fluther.

I was pm’d what amounted to a threat for getting into an argument with a particular person because they had “a lot of friends on fluther”.

@Bri_L , you should have posted that threat. Let everyone see it.

The problem I mostly see is when a younger person asks a question, and people jump on them for not thinking like an adult. Sometimes you have to remember who you are talking to. High school is a big deal when you are 15. To disregard a problem as childish isn’t right, nor is expecting them to think like an adult. Too many people jump on the PC wagon. I just think its very easy to post a PC answer to look like the good guy, when you know that every single one of us has personal opinions that might not be the “right” thing. I try to look at it as a sliding scale, my personal beliefs say this is ok and this isn’t. Your level might be higher, or lower. You have a right to do it but I have a right to think it’s wrong. It doesn’t make someone a bad person.

@Kevbo: I never know when to take you seriously?? :)

@Bri L, seriously? That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard of. Or what? Honestly, what consequence could one possibly inflict here that wouldn’t result in mod intervention. Whoever did that is a deluded bully wannabe. You should out him or her for our amusement.

@critter1982, no that was serious. It’s happened time and again since I’ve been here which is a few months shy of the beginning (I think).

I also noticed that sometimes a newer person will post an answer and get no lurve, but a few posts down an “old school” member will say the exact same thing and get 12 points.
I honestly feel like maybe I lurve too much. I lurve everyone. I’ve probably maxed out quite a few members.

@critter: Kev is crafting a response; I’m not going to read it before I finish this, on purpose. I want to say that Kev is a funny guy but is very seldom frivolous, and I’m amazed that anyone would not notice that what he said is true: “IMHO conservatives, religious folk, and swingers (or their POV) are almost always marginalized here”. Can you
argue with it?

@daloon’s question: I notice that when I point out that I’m an older person (or you might even say just plain “old”), people seem to back off as if that were kind of embarrassing. No one has any curiosity about it. This seems funny to me because, with reasonably good luck we’re all going to get here some day.

@elijahsuicide, GA’s baby. I roll my eyes at a lot of the teenage drama, but I’ll try to be more compassionate in the future.

@Bri_L there is legend of a giant jelly. If you hear eight knocks on your door at midnight, run!

@elijahsuicide and if he hears THREE knocks, it’s TONY ORLANDO!!!

(Did I say that out loud?)

I believe the suggestion was that I would be estranged. The good news is that I became good friends with the person I debated with. That happens a lot.

… also so-called “truthers” and conspiracy theorists, but those fuckers are really annoying and were probably dropped on their heads as babies, so they get what they deserve.

I agree with ellihsuicide about the way lurve is often held back for a newbie
but when an old timer gives the same response, they get lurved like crazy. (happened to me a couple times as a newbie)

But, all groups establish norms… That is human nature and fluther is no exception. When I first got here, I could identify the heirarchy very easily. Not hard to figure out. Having said that, I am not trying to imply that it is good or bad… It just is. That is the nature of social groups.
(oh darn, now I have to worry about being ostrasized for my answer!!!! :) )

We are kidding ourselves if we say, “No.
Check out the crap that Flutherers gave this newbie.

@what basp said

Nope. I have no problem pissing people off, as you all well know.

@tinyfaery: yeah, we’ve had a run-in or two, but ah lurve you anyway. I used to be scared of you, if you want to know the truth. Now I can read your opinions with more equanimity.

P.S., there’s a cool article in this week’s New Yorker about the Van Dykes, an interesting group during the lesbian separatist days. It reminded me of some old times.

@susanc: I would absolutely not argue with that comment, but I’ve also seen Kev be very sarcastic, I think, so even though I agreed with his statement I wasn’t sure whether there was underlying sarcasm involved.