"That's YOUR opinion"

[Rageaholic]

Of course it's my opinion, did I state it as a fact?

I hate how some people on message boards have to have it spelled out for them that something is just your opinion. For example, if I say "George Bush was a horrible presdient", of course it's an opinion! What "horrible" means to one person could be different to someone else. That's why there's more than one political party! Now if I say "George Bush's approval rating was 30% at one point", it's a fact (or at least stated as a fact). That I can be corrected on whether I'm right or wrong, because nothing in that statement could be taken as subjective.

Some people (none of whom I seen on this forum yet), get all pissy when you make a statement without saying "In my opinion" before every paragraph. I remember one time on another forum someone countered every arguement someone made with "In YOUR opinion". Get it through your head people! Just because I don't say "In my opinion" before everything I say, doesn't mean I'm stating it as a fact!

[jackfaire]

Well that's just your opinion


Sorry I had to couldn't resist. That being said I completely agree with you. I think though that people do it when they have no counterpoint or way of arguing against you they just pick at how you argue until the entire argument becomes about whether or not your speaking correctly.

They feel if they win the altered argument it is like winning the original point. They seem to think people will smack their foreheads and go, "Oh my god your right he didn't say in his opinion therefore Bush must be a great President!!"

[HYHYBT]

I've recently seen the opposite: because others on a site were continually declaring their opinions to be incontrovertible fact, I was more careful than usual in wording mine as opinion, in addition to pointing out that theirs were as well. The result was complaints that I kept talking about myself instead of the topic at hand, because my posts were full of phrases like "I think that..." and "my understanding is..."

[Rageaholic]

You just can't win can you?

[Red Panda]

I could see how saying George Bush is a horrible president could be thought of a fact because historians tend to agree on which presidents were good or horrible, but since its so recent they should know there isn't a consensus yet.

[Jack T. Chance]

When it comes to the subject of people arguing on the internet, I'm reminded of a very funny, and also very politically incorrect, picture I saw posted on another message board...

[Mongo Skruddgemire]

I could see how saying George Bush is a horrible president could be thought of a fact because historians tend to agree on which presidents were good or horrible, but since its so recent they should know there isn't a consensus yet.

Actually that's not quite accurate. There are some who say that Lincoln was a great president, and other historians that say differently. So...it all boils down to opinion.

But yeah, I get that a lot on on some of the forums I hang out on. People on one such site got so pissy about it that I started prefacing every comment with what the statement was.

Like so...

[opinion] So and so was a horrible person and a rotten human being, because [fact] he was videotaped whipping babies with live rattlesnakes. [statement] I had a dislike and distrust of him from day one since [opinion] he just had this oily quality about him. [declaration of intent] I plan on voting against him in the next election because of the [opinion] creepy oompa-loompa vibes he's giving me. [suggestion] You ought to look up his political record and see for yourself what type of person he is.

[parting statement] Well it's been swell, but the swelling's gone down...
[Name] Mongo
[Tagline] Tá m'árthach foluaineach lán d'eascanna

When people started kvetching about it, I just reminded them that they were complaining about the fact that I never made it clear what was an opinion and what I considered a fact.

Those people were really [figurative statement] driving me nuts and I [statement of action taken] started this to really [desired outcome of action] piss them off. [result] Which it did.

[Red Panda]

Some presidents are more contentious but you won't find many arguing about the greatness of Zahary Taylor or Jimmy Carter.

[the_std]

And... What does that have to do with fact versus opinion? Just because no one disagrees doesn't mean that "liking" or "not liking" someone is anything but opinion.

[telecom_goddess]

When it comes to the subject of people arguing on the internet, I'm reminded of a very funny, and also very politically incorrect, picture I saw posted on another message board...

OH MY GOD that is an awesome poster I LOVE IT!!!!!!!

[Boozy]

I hate that picture every time I see it.

[Fryk]

But yeah, I get that a lot on on some of the forums I hang out on. People on one such site got so pissy about it that I started prefacing every comment with what the statement was.

Like so...

That makes you sound like Omega Supreme from the old Transformers cartoon! Or, even better, HK-47 from KOTOR!!

I see no downside to this.

[blas87]

I don't get why that picture is allowed by another poster, but if I were to type that out in a thread, it'd be deleted or edited.

[AdminAssistant]

I hate that picture every time I see it.

As do I. Nothing like getting a cheap laugh at the expense of the mentally handicapped. And who uses the word "retard" anymore? Really.

[Boozy]

I don't get why that picture is allowed by another poster, but if I were to type that out in a thread, it'd be deleted or edited.

You wouldn't have that kind of comment deleted here. Fratching has different rules than CS.

With that said, I'd rather this thread not get derailed. We can start another thread if we want to discuss that subject. Or we can revive an older thread on the topic; there have already been a few.