Sigh. I feel an internet fight coming on.

[Adena]

So there's a lady I know who works doing sales stuff for Sparboe Farms, an egg-laying facility here in Iowa. Last year the HSUS did an undercover investigation and found evidence of cruelty at one of their facilities. She and her husband have been posting rather silly comments on facebook about how the HSUS is "in league" with Michael Vick in an effort to discredit the HSUS. Nobody has even brought up the fact that they have a vested interest in discrediting the HSUS. The problem is, I'm kind of hyperventilating right now just thinking of confronting them. I'm a chronically non-confrontational sort of person so it's stressing me out. The level of stupidity is just making me so mad I'm about to forget that I'm non-confrontational! I'm just worried that I'm going to say something stupid and make it worse. Should I just let it go, and leaflet for Vegan Outreach at college campuses and try to reach a more receptive audience, or would it help animals in any way to point out their....I don't know how to put it, trickery, I guess? Or fakeness? I just feel like everyone else who is friends with them is also lacking in that whole confrontational thing so nobody is saying anything.

Uh-oh, I might have my first internet fight!

[beforewisdom]

I've been chatting with people on the internet since before Windows and AOL existed.

If you have facts, the best thing to do is to politely post those facts, then leave it alone.

In every internet disagreement there are 3 parties: the two parties arguing - neither of whom are likely to admit they are wrong -- and, the lurkers who may just be convinced -- BUT -- you will never know that 99% of the time.........they are lurkers. Over the years I've had lurkers say they changed their minds from reading other people's arguments. So, it pays to debate well, IF you are going to make the choice to make the sacrafices from your life to get into the argument.

Even if someone is correct, if they come off as negative, mean or crazy, people will tend not to listen to them. Post facts, post logic, be polite/neutral in tone and walk away.


Before you make the choice to get into a running argument remember this:

There is ALWAYS someone wrong on the Internet.

At the end of your life, on your deathbed, will you feel good knowing you spent a cumulative two weeks arguing with people you will never meet instead of having used that time to read a number of books, watch good shows, get workouts or talk to a real life person you enjoy being with?

Time yourself sometime for how long it takes to make a well written fact based post.

Was it a good use of your time as compared to other things you could have been doing?

An hour in a busy pedestrian zone can empty out a heavy box of vegan leaflets.

Sometimes a well written post with facts, not opinions can take me 15 minutes to make. If I make several of those a week it is the same as me deciding to argue with just one crank instead of passing out leaflets and making more vegans.

I think the internet, like watching a movie or reading a book has a slightly hypnotic effect. Little things make us upset when they otherwise wouldn't. If someone is making you upset, even after you have left your computer or that site, it is time to move on.

The nice about the web is that with a push of button you can make someone go away.

Seriously, how nice is that?

Think of all of the nasty people in your life that you HAD to deal with.

Here, you can just make them disappear, go back to enjoying your job, your friends, your life like that person never existed.

[xrodolfox]

If you post back, know that it's really for you. That way you can "try" for some goal rather than winning or loosing the argument.

No one changes their minds with information. People change on experiences.

My goal in Internet discussions is rarely to "win". That's made me much happier.

Just make sure to be satisfied with yourself when you go online.

[JohnBarleycorn]

Two very good replies, that probably half the population of the world would do well to read, and remember.

I have a good, and lovely friend who is tearing herself apart and is right on 'the edge', arguing with people on the net, over veganism and animal rights. If she doesn't change what she is doing, and seeing everything as a fight that has to be won, she is going to go bang ! She knows it, she knows she is heading for a breakdown, but she can't help herself.

Usually, its better to just walk away, and use your time and energy more wisely.

[Adena]

Thanks for the responses. I was leaning more toward leaving it alone anyway. I've never been good at debate and I also have to deal with ALL of these people in real life, at least a little bit. They're not just internet friends I'll never meet in real life.

I already asked a buddy to leaflet with me at a local college when the fall semester starts, which I already knew deep down was a much better use of my time anyway. I just wish these people didn't get under my skin so much in the first place!