Empty quoting

[tik 🪀✨]

Sometimes, sometimes the empty quote is used well or for creative or comedic purposes. Mostly, though, it's a complete waste of everyone's time. No thought evident, no contribution, just a facsimile of something we've all already read.

What's more, I think it hurts discussion. It drowns out dissenters, and I honestly think it pushes people who disagree with the empty quote pyramid's contributors away from sharing. Why bother engaging when all anyone seems keen to do is tickle the nuts of the people who agree with them? The only people who dare speak against the mob are more zealous and extreme, reinforcing the stereotypes the majority holds about said zealous minority.

Or I'm completely overreacting to a cultural phenomenon on an interweb speakeasy. Whatever.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

You've thought way too much about this.

[tik 🪀✨]

Probably. It didn't feel right to post this topic and just say "IT'S STUPID STOP IT "

[dead0man]

Completely agree with your first paragraph.  Totally disagree with your second paragraph.  If a person doesn't post their differing opinion because there are a lot of people empty quoting (or even just a bunch of people on one side) then there opinion is likely not very strongly held or possibly well thought out.  If a person knows they're right, have thought the subject through before, has heard all the arguments and has answers to them then they are not going to be "scared" (or whatever) to post their differing opinion no matter how much empty quoting there is.

[minionofmidas]

Sometimes, sometimes the empty quote is used well or for creative or comedic purposes. Mostly, though, it's a complete waste of everyone's time. No thought evident, no contribution, just a facsimile of something we've all already read.

What's more, I think it hurts discussion. It drowns out dissenters, and I honestly think it pushes people who disagree with the empty quote pyramid's contributors away from sharing. Why bother engaging when all anyone seems keen to do is tickle the nuts of the people who agree with them? The only people who dare speak against the mob are more zealous and extreme, reinforcing the stereotypes the majority holds about said zealous minority.

Or I'm completely overreacting to a cultural phenomenon on an interweb speakeasy. Whatever.

[tik 🪀✨]

Sometimes, sometimes the empty quote is used well or for creative or comedic purposes. Mostly, though, it's a complete waste of everyone's time. No thought evident, no contribution, just a facsimile of something we've all already read.

What's more, I think it hurts discussion. It drowns out dissenters, and I honestly think it pushes people who disagree with the empty quote pyramid's contributors away from sharing. Why bother engaging when all anyone seems keen to do is tickle the nuts of the people who agree with them? The only people who dare speak against the mob are more zealous and extreme, reinforcing the stereotypes the majority holds about said zealous minority.

Or I'm completely overreacting to a cultural phenomenon on an interweb speakeasy. Whatever.

I knew someone would empty quote something in here, but I certainly never thought it would be you. It seemed like the painfully obvious "funny" thing to do.

Unless you agree with me completely, then, you know, by all means - thanks for the stroke.

If a person doesn't post their differing opinion because there are a lot of people empty quoting (or even just a bunch of people on one side) then there opinion is likely not very strongly held or possibly well thought out.  If a person knows they're right, have thought the subject through before, has heard all the arguments and has answers to them then they are not going to be "scared" (or whatever) to post their differing opinion no matter how much empty quoting there is.

I feel like there's a certain swathe of people very informed and opinionated who nevertheless are afraid of confrontation and speaking up - especially new posters. I love my fellow red avatars to death, but I do think that if we weren't so apt to copying each others' melodies we'd get a more diverse symphony of opinion. That was an awful metaphor and I apologize. The point is that it depends on personality. The more outspoken aren't afraid of the mob - no matter how informed they are. The less outspoken may roll their eyes at the circle jerk and move on. That's how it seems to me, anyway. I don't have any evidence for that.

[dead0man]

That sounds like a problem of self confidence (real or imagined) not one of empty quoting. 

Like I said though, I generally agree with you that we shouldn't empty quote as much we like to do around here.  Another message board I spend time on will ban you if you do it all the time.  I actually found it really off putting and strange when I first got here because of that.

[minionofmidas]

Sometimes, sometimes the empty quote is used well or for creative or comedic purposes. Mostly, though, it's a complete waste of everyone's time. No thought evident, no contribution, just a facsimile of something we've all already read.

What's more, I think it hurts discussion. It drowns out dissenters, and I honestly think it pushes people who disagree with the empty quote pyramid's contributors away from sharing. Why bother engaging when all anyone seems keen to do is tickle the nuts of the people who agree with them? The only people who dare speak against the mob are more zealous and extreme, reinforcing the stereotypes the majority holds about said zealous minority.

Or I'm completely overreacting to a cultural phenomenon on an interweb speakeasy. Whatever.

I knew someone would empty quote something in here, but I certainly never thought it would be you.

It wouldn't be funny if it was the usual suspect, no? -_-

(And I see nothing to disagree. The amount of empty quoting in some threads gets on my tits as well.)

[tik 🪀✨]

That sounds like a problem of self confidence (real or imagined) not one of empty quoting.

Yeah, I suppose that's the root of the problem in that situation. It's still an unnecessary hurdle for those with that personality trait to jump before sharing their thoughts. Plus, stereotypical as it is, I think it's more likely that such meekness would be more prevalent in the average new Atlas poster. It's sort of a red flag to dissenters that there's no point in arguing as it is obvious that it won't go anywhere substantial because the "correct" answer has been voted on.

But.. er, yeah, Grumps is right.. I'm probably over-analyzing it all

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

You've thought way too much about this.

[Grumpier Than Thou]

I do it all the time.

[Antonio the Sixth]

I do it all the time.

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

I think it's only annoying when people empty quote large, well thought out paragraphs.  If it's a sentence or two, I don't have a problem with it.

[Goldwater]

I do it all the time.

[Paul Kemp]

Should be treated as spam.

[Хahar 🤔]

I stopped doing it years ago because nobody cares enough about my opinion to be interested in my blindly parroting someone else without adding any content. Empty quote pyramids make me cringe.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

I stopped doing it years ago because nobody cares enough about my opinion to be interested in my blindly parroting someone else without adding any content. Empty quote pyramids make me cringe.

I've noticed it mostly occurs on poll questions and I'm plenty guilty of doing it.

[Miles]

Chill out.

[PJ]

I stopped doing it years ago because nobody cares enough about my opinion to be interested in my blindly parroting someone else without adding any content. Empty quote pyramids make me cringe.

I've noticed it mostly occurs on poll questions and I'm plenty guilty of doing it.

I do it all the time.

I think it's only annoying when people empty quote large, well thought out paragraphs.  If it's a sentence or two, I don't have a problem with it.

You've thought way too much about this.

Chill out.

However, I think polls are bound to create a lot of empty quoting, and they shouldn't necessarily be used unless it's an election series. I guess that's the entire point of the Individual Politics board, but it doesn't belong in Political Debate.

[Oak Hills]

I do it all the time.

Chill out.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

I do it all the time.

Chill out.

[Lief 🗽]

Should come with an automatic 10 death point penalty. Unfortunately, the moderators are too busy bullying Bushie to implement common sense solutions like these that would actually increase the quality of the forum.

[Joe Republic]

Sometimes, sometimes the empty quote is used well or for creative or comedic purposes. Mostly, though, it's a complete waste of everyone's time. No thought evident, no contribution, just a facsimile of something we've all already read.

What's more, I think it hurts discussion. It drowns out dissenters, and I honestly think it pushes people who disagree with the empty quote pyramid's contributors away from sharing. Why bother engaging when all anyone seems keen to do is tickle the nuts of the people who agree with them? The only people who dare speak against the mob are more zealous and extreme, reinforcing the stereotypes the majority holds about said zealous minority.

Or I'm completely overreacting to a cultural phenomenon on an interweb speakeasy. Whatever.

I knew someone would empty quote something in here, but I certainly never thought it would be you.

He was actually one of only two or three people I predicted would inevitably do it.

[Enderman]

I do it all the time.

Chill out.

[ElectionsGuy]

I do it all the time.

Chill out.