User blog comment:Tama63/The Level of Disrespect in this Community is too high.../@comment-3242795-20120823194403/@comment-3503368-20120824052507

Having just read a book about the tragedy in the Congo (Leopold pulling a Hitler), I agree wholeheartedly that it is not the government doing the bulk of the work for the country. However, there is a good reason a system of government has been instituted in almost all communities, and that is to make decisions that benefit the community in the long run (many times the populace may dislike it at first). There are exceptions to this, and they are mainly in the form of secret, tyrannical rulers that drive the country into the ground. Looking at much of the admins' recent decisions, though (as well as the fact that we elected them), they really have been posting many (if not all) of their wiki decisions publicly so the rest of us may formulate our own opinions, and trying to take said opinions into account.

Now, I get a distinct feeling that someone will reply with something about the new less-perviness rule (I don't blame you, I probably would too). The fact is, we are mature enough to handle such things, but I don't believe that maturity versus immaturity is the right way to go about the argument. Please hear me out as I try to explain...

It's pretty much guaranteed that the attitude and vocabulary you have online is identical to the one you have in reality (albeit refined, since we lack the means to communicate nonverbally and thus are more likely to watch what we say on here). If we goof around and act a little immature, it has no lasting consequences on here, and it's hilarious. This, however, is a double-edged sword. As we get older (and I'm not talking 5 or 10 years here, I'm talking maybe a couple), the necessity to learn how to adjust our vocabulary in certain situations will make itself known. Visitors, potential bosses, and professors will be among the groups of people we must talk to, and we will have to count on some keen social receptors to know how to act and what to say- and particularly when to say it.

Going on here is a stress-reliever for me, and probably most of you guys as well. However, being a bit bad-mannered can and will pass over into real-life situations (even with my father's constant harassment, I've slipped up grandly a few times and regretted it later). We call it being ourselves; others, who are more judgmental and do not know us as we know ourselves, call it downright rude. These mistakes, no matter how little they may seem, happen all the time, to all of us; and they will haunt you for the rest of your life.

So really, aside from a little grumbling because we can't shout out some really dirty jokes (use le PM, peeps), is it such a bad thing to begin restraining ourselves a little early on? It's the same concept as getting your life organized: sooner or later, it's going to happen, and it's less painful to do it sooner rather than procrastinate.