NationStates Jolt Archive

Perhaps it's not so much that younger players themselves are insulted, but youth is used as an insult far too often. I've been on the forums for two years and change, and I've never been accused of posting illogical or reactionary arguments, but I constantly see people referring to posters that do as "12-year-olds", "13-year-olds", "kids", and in a thread I read recently this has been upped to "teenagers" and "acting 15 years old".

I'm tired of it. I'm 15 years old, and I was 13 when that was the popular insult. About a year ago, Colodia posted a thread complaining about the same thing and remember clearly the last sentence: "before you insult someone by calling them 13-year-old, think of your friendly forum 13-year-old: Colodia." I may have messed up the descriptor, but that was the general idea. We teenagers are not idiots and we don't appreciate being used as an insult, even if we're not insulted ourselves. It's kind of like calling something "gay" to mean stupid.

Just call those people what they are - illogical, flaming, or trolls.

Well, I’m a teenager, and I recognize the fact that most teenagers are idiots. I am certainly not offended when one uses it as an insult. Me thinks you have thin skin.

Agreed

No stereotype is 100% accurate all the time and of course there are exceptions. Its like saying all Americans are idiots, only difference is that the young person stereotype has more basis in my opinion.

I can't disagree with that.

Using youth as an insult is pathetic. I've had it used against me many times, although not on these forums, and noone seems to stop and think that it's one of the many stupid steriotypes used to make people look stupid - ones that often don't work.

Just call those people what they are - illogical, flaming, or trolls.

Good call. Let's see what happens...

I agree, it's disagreeable that people agree to agree but only with the provision that agreeing is a condition of age and agreeability...



:confused:

If that makes sense, please rephrase for agreeability or else just do a big sweeping never-mind all-around and have a beer instead, unless you're too young to have a beer in which case you can't legally agree anyway and I can just dismiss your contribution to this conversation :D

I beg to differ, being a younger debater myself (less than 17...I won't say exactly). I'm treated with equal respect by my favorite debaters (namely Melkor Unchained, Jocabia, Alien Born, Kervoskia...), all of whom are a good deal older than me. No-one has ever invalidated my arguments by saying that I can't know anything, I'm just a newbie/12-year-old/adolescent/immature person. (None of those is true. :))

I usually use youth as an insult as in "you're acting like a child/12 year old " etc.
Youth tends to see the world in black and white. Tends to have an instant reaction to events. tends not to see the whole picture.
I say "tends" cos there are many, many young people who don't meet the stereotype.
There, also, is not necessarily a problem with behaving in those ways in a great many cases but at times I despair at the ill thought out opinions voiced here and elsewhere. Of course I may be addressing another old man like myself. age is no barrier to stupidity but as an insult it's gentle and mildly mocking and doesn't usually start a flame war.
Don't take it too hard (unless you really do behave like a 12 year old :p ) It's just a forum of opinionated fools.

I beg to differ, being a younger debater myself (less than 17...I won't say exactly). I'm treated with equal respect by my favorite debaters (namely Melkor Unchained, Jocabia, Alien Born, Kervoskia...), all of whom are a good deal older than me. No-one has ever invalidated my arguments by saying that I can't know anything, I'm just a newbie/12-year-old/adolescent/immature person. (None of those is true. :))

Thats probably because you haven't made an adolescent / imature / idiotic comment to warrant that sort of name.

Perhaps it's not so much that younger players themselves are insulted, but youth is used as an insult far too often. I've been on the forums for two years and change, and I've never been accused of posting illogical or reactionary arguments, but I constantly see people referring to posters that do as "12-year-olds", "13-year-olds", "kids", and in a thread I read recently this has been upped to "teenagers" and "acting 15 years old".

I'm tired of it. I'm 15 years old, and I was 13 when that was the popular insult. About a year ago, Colodia posted a thread complaining about the same thing and remember clearly the last sentence: "before you insult someone by calling them 13-year-old, think of your friendly forum 13-year-old: Colodia." I may have messed up the descriptor, but that was the general idea. We teenagers are not idiots and we don't appreciate being used as an insult, even if we're not insulted ourselves. It's kind of like calling something "gay" to mean stupid.

Just call those people what they are - illogical, flaming, or trolls.

I don't use age as an insult... one of the posters I respect most on the forum revealed herself to be a thirteen-year-old girl. (I guess she may be older than that now, it was a while back...)

Well, I'm still a teenager, and I have to say that the aforementioned insults are actually based on reality.
By the way far too many teenagers behave on a daily basis, I just want to crush their annoying little heads (of course I wouldn't do that, though that probably wouldn't be too great a loss for humanity).

I agree I'm 14

Gataway, neither have I, yet I'm still constantly sniped at by <unnamed poster> with comments like "You're just a little kid" "you're just a child" "go away child" and the likes.

Gataway, neither have I, yet I'm still constantly sniped at by <unnamed poster> with comments like "You're just a little kid" "you're just a child" "go away child" and the likes.

well thas just plain immature of that poster ;). I do understand where your coming from through.

I haven't been flamed yet, but, i'm 11, and and no one has insulted my posting skills yet.

Perhaps it's not so much that younger players themselves are insulted, but youth is used as an insult far too often. I've been on the forums for two years and change, and I've never been accused of posting illogical or reactionary arguments, but I constantly see people referring to posters that do as "12-year-olds", "13-year-olds", "kids", and in a thread I read recently this has been upped to "teenagers" and "acting 15 years old".

I'm tired of it. I'm 15 years old, and I was 13 when that was the popular insult. About a year ago, Colodia posted a thread complaining about the same thing and remember clearly the last sentence: "before you insult someone by calling them 13-year-old, think of your friendly forum 13-year-old: Colodia." I may have messed up the descriptor, but that was the general idea. We teenagers are not idiots and we don't appreciate being used as an insult, even if we're not insulted ourselves. It's kind of like calling something "gay" to mean stupid.

Just call those people what they are - illogical, flaming, or trolls.
Some of the most thought-provoking posts on here are made by teenagers. On the downside, some of the most idiotic posts are made by some of the "over 40" crowd, who you would think would know better by now.

Age is no indicator of intellect, and neither is sex, race, sexual preference, or virtually any of the other categories of convenience into which people place others.

Thats probably because you haven't made an adolescent / imature / idiotic comment to warrant that sort of name.Actually, now that I look back on it, that whole "Supreme Ruler of the Multiverse" thing really was kind of immature. But most people don't hate me for it anymore. :p


Gataway, neither have I, yet I'm still constantly sniped at by <unnamed poster> with comments like "You're just a little kid" "you're just a child" "go away child" and the likes.I was kind of shocked to learn you're younger than I am, you act so much more mature some of the time! :eek: Whoever that was was a flamer, and acted much more immature than you did (if you did at all, which I doubt).

Age is no indicator of intellect, and neither is sex, race, sexual preference, or virtually any of the other categories of convenience into which people place others.Yes...although some younger posters do act that way. For example, I can hardly imagine a n00b who posts "I PWNZ T3|-| W0R1|> @N|> 411 0|= j00!111!11!!!!1 ! R001Z +3|-| P1@N3+!!!!11!" as very much older than 8 years old. :eek:

Oh, grow up.

:D:D:D:D:D

Oh, grow up.

:D:D:D:D:D
LOL! Another Boston Bulletin from the Bouncing Baby Boy. :D

Yes...although some younger posters do act that way. For example, I can hardly imagine a n00b who posts "I PWNZ T3|-| W0R1|> @N|> 411 0|= j00!111!11!!!!1 ! R001Z +3|-| P1@N3+!!!!11!" as very much older than 8 years old. :eek:
Heh! Hell, even if I was so inclined to post like that, I would have to get a degree in whatever that strange "language" is! :)

It's kind of like calling something "gay" to mean stupid.

My friends do that then wonder why I explode at them. It's just not right. People preach for equality but when faced with it even they discriminate.

Why YOU LITTLE WHIPPERSNAPPER! When *I* was your age we ...
{ Note from moderators: The next fifteen pages have been deleted. For clairity. }
... and that's how I burnt my toast this morning.

Say, what were we talking about?

The only bone of contention, as far as I'm concerned, is that a seemingly inordinate number of youths post opinions that reflect the orthodoxy of a point of view perhaps strongly held, but emanating not from their own experience or point-of-view, but from other sources - be that toeing/nay-saying the same party line as their parents/guardians, or parroting back prefabricated sentiments gleaned from populist sources.

All the same, it's got to be frustrating for younger posters to be castigated for their youth and lack of experience/perspective. My solution would be to ignore the dismissal, and prove my detractor wrong, regarding the issue-at-hand.

And yes, as someone mentioned before, calling something/someone 'gay' to imply stupidity or valuelessness is simply unacceptable - it reeks of the schoolyard, and I for one cannot abide that degraded level of discourse.

If youths want to be taken seriously, they should consider disposing of certain types of adolescent banter when posting.

Perhaps it's not so much that younger players themselves are insulted, but youth is used as an insult far too often. I've been on the forums for two years and change, and I've never been accused of posting illogical or reactionary arguments, but I constantly see people referring to posters that do as "12-year-olds", "13-year-olds", "kids", and in a thread I read recently this has been upped to "teenagers" and "acting 15 years old".

I'm tired of it. I'm 15 years old, and I was 13 when that was the popular insult. About a year ago, Colodia posted a thread complaining about the same thing and remember clearly the last sentence: "before you insult someone by calling them 13-year-old, think of your friendly forum 13-year-old: Colodia." I may have messed up the descriptor, but that was the general idea. We teenagers are not idiots and we don't appreciate being used as an insult, even if we're not insulted ourselves. It's kind of like calling something "gay" to mean stupid.

Just call those people what they are - illogical, flaming, or trolls.

That's a perfectly reasonable point of view. It's been a few years since I could call myself a teenager, but not so many yet that I've forgotten how annoying it is to have "young" equated with "stupid." Equating youth with immaturity at least has some basis in reality, but can still be frustrating on occasion, depending on how the connection is made. I think the key is that there's a difference between assuming that someone who acts like a moron is likely to be teenaged or younger and assuming that someone teenaged or younger is likely to be a moron. The former is reasonable, if often sadly inaccurate; the latter is unfair and unacceptable. It shouldn't matter whether someone is 12 or 102, provided they debate in a reasonable and respectful manner.

Heh! Hell, even if I was so inclined to post like that, I would have to get a degree in whatever that strange "language" is! :)It's called leet, short for "elite" (1337 in that language) and it was a "cool" thing back in the 1990s. At first it was used to avoid filters (i.e. "phuc|<", "$h!+", "^^0R0N") but it quickly grew into a "cool" language used by gamers to communicate.

i.e.
"! PWNZ +3|-| W0RLD j00 N008Z!!11!!! 1 vv!11 n00|< J00 @11!!1111!!! ! @M +3|-| 1337 H4x0r0r!!! Ph43r ^^y @wphu1 WR@+|-|!!!!!!!!!!11!1!11one"

Translation:

"I own the world, you n00bs! I will nuke you all! I am the leet horror*! Fear my awful wrath!"

* "H4x0r0r" is a combination of "h4x0r" -- hacker -- and "h0r0r" -- horror.

And yes, as someone mentioned before, calling something/someone 'gay' to imply stupidity or valuelessness is simply unacceptable - it reeks of the schoolyard, and I for one cannot abide that degraded level of discourse.Yeah, it's just really stupid. A lot of gay people are really smart. I know one homosexual man who is a mathematical genius, and a homosexual woman who is on the verge of discovering a cure for cancer. And besides, "gay" should be a compliment. It means you're a happy, secure person. And there's nothing wrong with that; in fact, it's a good thing! :eek: :D

It's called leet, short for "elite" (1337 in that language) and it was a "cool" thing back in the 1990s. At first it was used to avoid filters (i.e. "phuc|<", "$h!+", "^^0R0N") but it quickly grew into a "cool" language used by gamers to communicate.

i.e.
"! PWNZ +3|-| W0RLD j00 N008Z!!11!!! 1 vv!11 n00|< J00 @11!!1111!!! ! @M +3|-| 1337 H4x0r0r!!! Ph43r ^^y @wphu1 WR@+|-|!!!!!!!!!!11!1!11one"

Translation:

"I own the world, you n00bs! I will nuke you all! I am the leet horror*! Fear my awful wrath!"

* "H4x0r0r" is a combination of "h4x0r" -- hacker -- and "h0r0r" -- horror.

That's just silliness. It takes more characters to make statement 1 than to simply type it out, as in statement 2. Hey, short-forms can be great, especially in a gaming environment, but that's... well...

I said it once already.

That's just silliness. It takes more characters to make statement 1 than to simply type it out, as in statement 2. Hey, short-forms can be great, especially in a gaming environment, but that's... well...

I said it once already.I don't remember the whole history. I'm not infallible, no matter how much you'd like me to be. Check the Wikipedia article (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leet) for more details.

I don't remember the whole history. I'm not infallible, no matter how much you'd like me to be. Check the Wikipedia article (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leet) for more details.

Who said anything about infallibilty? Not I.

Who said anything about infallibilty? Not I.I did. :p:p:p

It's called leet, short for "elite" (1337 in that language) and it was a "cool" thing back in the 1990s. At first it was used to avoid filters (i.e. "phuc|<", "$h!+", "^^0R0N") but it quickly grew into a "cool" language used by gamers to communicate.

i.e.
"! PWNZ +3|-| W0RLD j00 N008Z!!11!!! 1 vv!11 n00|< J00 @11!!1111!!! ! @M +3|-| 1337 H4x0r0r!!! Ph43r ^^y @wphu1 WR@+|-|!!!!!!!!!!11!1!11one"

Translation:

"I own the world, you n00bs! I will nuke you all! I am the leet horror*! Fear my awful wrath!"

* "H4x0r0r" is a combination of "h4x0r" -- hacker -- and "h0r0r" -- horror.
Heh! All of which strikes me as little more than a way for those in the "in crowd" to identify each other. :)

What I find most annoying is when young posters make experience based assertions that cannot and will not stand more that 15 minutes once said teen is living in the "real world" - i.e. living on their own, making a living, paying room, board and taxes. This includes those students safely ensconced in Uni who are still protecte from the harsher realities of life.

As soon as a debator in a philosophical argument says, "my mum" or "my dad" says/does X then I am forced to dismiss their argument because they are not arguing from personal understanding/experience.

I think that's why the old saw (falsely) attributed to Churchill is essentially valid i.e. - "Any man under 30 who is not a liberal has no heart, and any man over 30 who is not a conservative has no brains." Though I would modify the latter half to say Libertarian... :D

Well, I guess it was a little presumptuous to say we're not idiots - but generally we're not the idiots who post illogical and reactionary arguments. No one group of people is, because there are far more of any group you could name than those. What I think is annoying is that when one sees a troll they assume that they must be young, because it implies that just because we aren't as mature yet, we will act dumb and older people won't. Fact is, anyone can troll/flame, whether they're an 8 year old kid who can't comprehend the issue, an 18 year old who's always been sheltered from the other side, or a 38 year old who just wants to mess with people before never returning to the forum.

Heh! All of which strikes me as little more than a way for those in the "in crowd" to identify each other. :)
God, if computer fanatics were the in-crowd...

Well, I guess it was a little presumptuous to say we're not idiots - but generally we're not the idiots who post illogical and reactionary arguments. No one group of people is, because there are far more of any group you could name than those. What I think is annoying is that when one sees a troll they assume that they must be young, because it implies that just because we aren't as mature yet, we will act dumb and older people won't. Fact is, anyone can troll/flame, whether they're an 8 year old kid who can't comprehend the issue, an 18 year old who's always been sheltered from the other side, or a 38 year old who just wants to mess with people before never returning to the forum.

Perhaps people are just being optimistic. Wouldn't you rather believe that idiocy is something one will grow out of, rather than being a permanent trait? :p

There are two major points I would like to make here (In addition to thanking Czardas for the compliment).

1. When an older poster such as myself describes something as childish or immature, please remember that we were children and immature ourselves. We, well I, if I do this, am saying that whatever has been said seems like something that I would have said when I was an immature teenager or child. It is not intended as an insult to others who hapen to be teenagers now, if anything it is my criticising myself for how I behaved as a teenager.

2. Syniks has a valid point. There are many discussions here of how the finances of the world should run, or how buisness can be improved etc. While all ideas and input are welcome and needed, ther are some that simply show such a degree of unfamiliarity with the pragmatics of life, that they have to be dismissed as being "childish". The idea that education should be free, for example, is typically put forward by people who are not yet paying tax. As such they do not live the reality that state education is NOT free, because to them it truly is. That abortion is wrong, is very rarely argued by someone who has had an anwanted pregnancy, etc.
What I am saying here is that experience does matter, it does change your views. It does not invalidate the opinions of those with less experience but it does give them less weight than the opinions of say Zooke who has been there, done that, bough the T shirt etc.

The ideas and energy and inspiration of youth are necessary, but so is the temperance and experience of the older generation.

Well, I’m a teenager, and I recognize the fact that most teenagers are idiots. I am certainly not offended when one uses it as an insult. Me thinks you have thin skin.Most people are idiots. Age is irrelevant.

Most people are idiots. Age is irrelevant.

I could be annoyingly picky but i'm going to resist

God, if computer fanatics were the in-crowd...
Almost every social group has an "us and them" mentality. Computer "fanatics" are no exception. That makes them an "in group." :p

Dont listen to people who insult your age. If they have to sink to that level, then who is the immature one? If someone says "you're acting like a kid" and you are a kid, then how is that an insult? Be glad you are young, the person who said that statement probably wishes they could be your age again. There is nothing wrong with acting your age. If you are young, be young, you only get to be young once. Yeah, kids lack life experience and knowledge, and it often shows in their posts, but thats part of what being a kid is all about and its a good thing. Trust me, its better to be a naive kid with unrealistic view of the world than to be an adult who knows the truth.

Most people are idiots. Age is irrelevant.Well said! ;)

Perhaps it's not so much that younger players themselves are insulted, but youth is used as an insult far too often. I've been on the forums for two years and change, and I've never been accused of posting illogical or reactionary arguments, but I constantly see people referring to posters that do as "12-year-olds", "13-year-olds", "kids", and in a thread I read recently this has been upped to "teenagers" and "acting 15 years old".

I'm tired of it. I'm 15 years old, and I was 13 when that was the popular insult. About a year ago, Colodia posted a thread complaining about the same thing and remember clearly the last sentence: "before you insult someone by calling them 13-year-old, think of your friendly forum 13-year-old: Colodia." I may have messed up the descriptor, but that was the general idea. We teenagers are not idiots and we don't appreciate being used as an insult, even if we're not insulted ourselves. It's kind of like calling something "gay" to mean stupid. Just call those people what they are - illogical, flaming, or trolls.

Okay, I'm old enough to be your mother. So lets get that out of the way first. So we know where I'm coming from.

I do agree with you in principle. I have known 15, 16, etc year olds who can out debate a 40 year old in a New York minute. However, this tends to be the exception, not the rule. For no other reason than life experience. It's not because an older person is smarter than a younger person, in some cases that couldn't be further from the truth. I believe what it is, is a lack of life experience, no frame of reference if you will.

When you get older, you tend to (at least those of us who don't think we know it all based on age) know less and less that you thought you did when you were younger. Mostly because when we are younger we tend to be more idealistic. I'd actually like to think I am still idealistic in many ways. The problem with people who debate and use "You're a kid, you'll see" is that they have lost their idealism, while granted have more life experience. They become cynical and don't see the possibility of change that they once did as a youth.

In many cases they may very well be right. Certainly there are times where young idealism is not feasible. Again though, if we discount the idealism of our youth we lose such a valuable resource! Younger people can see change, it be for better or worse. And believe it or not there are some of us older posters who can see it too.

Age seems to be in western society a right of passage and I know myself when frustrated with a younger poster have used the "You're just a kid" theme. I was wrong to do so and I'm sorry.

Although in the same breath, younger posters have to also acknowledge that us older folks have been around a while, we've seen trends come and go. We know nothing is slated in stone forever and there is something to be learned by both younger people and older people. We both have a lot of idealism and wisdom to share.

Just my two cents, though most of this has already been said.

1. I agree that insulting people by referring to them as "12-year-olds" (or whatever) is counterproductive. Of course, sometimes people do this 'cos they don't want to deal with the argument being made and therefore attack the debater.

2. Calling someone's behavior "childish" should not be taken as an insult by the younger crowd. Childishness is more a question of maturity rather than physical age.

3. There is no 3. I did say I'd only be contributing two cents, right?

As a 17 year old male who has grown up in dire conditions of poverty, I've had to grow up quite fast. As I approached the age of 12 my life did increasingly become better, but the experiences I've had are more "real" than what most people go through before they move out of their parents house. There's something that I've noticed on many, many occasions about the average adult mental state. They appear to have this arrogant fabricated sense of self-importance (created through a feeling of insignificance or insecurity) that they attempt to enforce on those younger than themselves spawned by the generalizations shared by society.

When people assume that I'm young and foolish, and my opinions are irrelivant, it severely tests my temper control. Whenever you assume something, based on no facts what so ever, about people you do not know, that in my opinion makes YOUR opinions hold no weight. Anyone of any age can be an idiot, no matter what experiences you've had or not had. So I suggest that some people ease down on that immature name calling crap, it doesn't make you appear to be any more intelligent than you wish you were.

I'm getting annoyed at the stigma against younger debaters
What? Youger debaters have stigmata?
Weird.

If youths want to be taken seriously, they should consider disposing of certain types of adolescent banter when posting.
This makes the most sense. Otherwise, they should expect consequences.

As a 17 year old male who has grown up in dire conditions of poverty, I've had to grow up quite fast. As I approached the age of 12 my life did increasingly become better, but the experiences I've had are more "real" than what most people go through before they move out of their parents house. There's something that I've noticed on many, many occasions about the average adult mental state. They appear to have this arrogant fabricated sense of self-importance (created through a feeling of insignificance or insecurity) that they attempt to enforce on those younger than themselves spawned by the generalizations shared by society.

When people assume that I'm young and foolish, and my opinions are irrelivant, it severely tests my temper control. Whenever you assume something, based on no facts what so ever, about people you do not know, that in my opinion makes YOUR opinions hold no weight. Anyone of any age can be an idiot, no matter what experiences you've had or not had. So I suggest that some people ease down on that immature name calling crap, it doesn't make you appear to be any more intelligent than you wish you were.
And you are the exception that makes the Rule. I never assume that someone is young and foolish. I determine the Foolosh part first, then look at other posting clues to see if that foolishness is age (experience) based (in which case it not foolishness, but naïveté) or whether it is just another adult with "head-up-arse" syndrome. :D

"! PWNZ +3|-| W0RLD j00 N008Z!!11!!! 1 vv!11 n00|< J00 @11!!1111!!! ! @M +3|-| 1337 H4x0r0r!!! Ph43r ^^y @wphu1 WR@+|-|!!!!!!!!!!11!1!11one"

I love 1337. Probably because i can read it better than a lot of people, but I don't use it. It's mainly something to laugh at.

Yeah, it's just really stupid. A lot of gay people are really smart. I know one homosexual man who is a mathematical genius, and a homosexual woman who is on the verge of discovering a cure for cancer. And besides, "gay" should be a compliment. It means you're a happy, secure person. And there's nothing wrong with that; in fact, it's a good thing! :eek: :D

I completely agree. I give my friends a lot of shit about using the word 'gay' as an insult.


As for using age as an insult:
I must admit, when I was thirteen, I used to pretend to be 15 or 16 because people in forums or in chat rooms wouldn't talk to me. It was horrible. Of course, not many talked to me when I said I was 15/16 (maybe it's just me), but there was a difference.

It's silly, my age has nothing to do with how interesting a conversation with me would be.

As for using age as an insult:
I must admit, when I was thirteen, I used to pretend to be 15 or 16 because people in forums or in chat rooms wouldn't talk to me. It was horrible. Of course, not many talked to me when I said I was 15/16 (maybe it's just me), but there was a difference.

It's silly, my age has nothing to do with how interesting a conversation with me would be.I know...but I still never reveal my age, for two reasons: a) security online and b) because of the prejudice against teenagers in debating forums. Colodia once said I was 13, but that was because he was mad about being the youngest member of the General forum or so. All I can say is, he was right...a few years ago. :D

Before I get started, keep in mind in not one of those people that automatically dismisses the opinions of young people...

But..adults often do dismiss children becuase they are, quite simply most often naive, and without wordly experience.
That doesnt make them wrong, or incapable of expressing themselves, it just means that those opinions are formed by minds that havent yet gained the experience and wisdom that come with age.

When I was 15, I knew everything, if you would have asked me, I would have told you so.
I believed I knew how the world truly worked, and how little my mother, and most other adults really knew.

Then I got older...and realized I didnt know shit.

I know...but I still never reveal my age, for two reasons: a) security online and b) because of the prejudice against teenagers in debating forums. Colodia once said I was 13, but that was because he was mad about being the youngest member of the General forum or so. All I can say is, he was right...a few years ago. :D

You know, I've always wanted to know how other people knowing your age can be evil to your security.

I mean, I understand how giving out your address, phone number or your full name is a big nono.. But how many 15 year old girls are there in Hong Kong? Quite a number let me tell you. While giving my first name may narrow it down a bit... I'm still fairly confused.

Before I get started, keep in mind in not one of those people that automatically dismisses the opinions of young people...

But..adults often do dismiss children becuase they are, quite simply most often naive, and without wordly experience.
That doesnt make them wrong, or incapable of expressing themselves, it just means that those opinions are formed by minds that havent yet gained the experience and wisdom that come with age.

When I was 15, I knew everything, if you would have asked me, I would have told you so.
I believed I knew how the world truly worked, and how little my mother, and most other adults really knew.

Then I got older...and realized I didnt know shit.When I was 13 I knew I didn't know everything, and was mad about it. Why do you think I pretend to be an omnipotent Being on these forums?

...But then, maybe I'm unusually mature for a teenager. I wouldn't be surprised. :p

Perhaps it's not so much that younger players themselves are insulted, but youth is used as an insult far too often. I've been on the forums for two years and change, and I've never been accused of posting illogical or reactionary arguments, but I constantly see people referring to posters that do as "12-year-olds", "13-year-olds", "kids", and in a thread I read recently this has been upped to "teenagers" and "acting 15 years old".

I'm tired of it. I'm 15 years old, and I was 13 when that was the popular insult. About a year ago, Colodia posted a thread complaining about the same thing and remember clearly the last sentence: "before you insult someone by calling them 13-year-old, think of your friendly forum 13-year-old: Colodia." I may have messed up the descriptor, but that was the general idea. We teenagers are not idiots and we don't appreciate being used as an insult, even if we're not insulted ourselves. It's kind of like calling something "gay" to mean stupid.

Just call those people what they are - illogical, flaming, or trolls.


This is not supposed to be offensive, simply inlightening. There are five things that a great debator should have in some significant quantity, knowledge - which is aquired through time and study; experience - which can only be achieved by doing (something you are unlikely to have done much of yet); intellect & wisdom - which neither age nor book nor experience can give you, but comes and goes by the grace of God; and gravitas - which you have to earn, by the force of your arguements. I am twenty five and hit above my weight because I have experience of tyranny and dictatorship, of living in exile and of seeing the worst of what is out there, but the rest I wouldn't pretent to have any claim to. My suggestion to you young man (meant in the most complimentary way), don't tell people how old you are, only argue the points that you really understand and most importantly, don't be put off by arm chair generals and bar room presidents who have much to say, learn from the good thing they have to say and learn to rebut the rubbish.

You know, I've always wanted to know how other people knowing your age can be evil to your security.

I mean, I understand how giving out your address, phone number or your full name is a big nono.. But how many 15 year old girls are there in Hong Kong? Quite a number let me tell you. While giving my first name may narrow it down a bit... I'm still fairly confused.I live on the moon Ganymede, which has only about 40 inhabitants (administrative staff)...how many teenagers are bound to be there, may I ask? :p

I live on the moon Ganymede, which has only about 40 inhabitants (administrative staff)...how many teenagers are bound to be there, may I ask? :p

Perhaps a few lost wandering tribes?

I completely agree with the originator of this post. I've seen people who are old enough to be adults who write poorly or reason poorly and I've seen 12 and 13 year olds who can carry on a conversation quite capably with me even though I'm old enough to be their father.

Age is just a number.

I live on the moon Ganymede, which has only about 40 inhabitants (administrative staff)...how many teenagers are bound to be there, may I ask? :p

Haha.

of course with the 40 inhabitants, there's not much chance of one of them being online and realiseing that the person that they're talking to is one of THE inhabitants, and therefore, stalk-worthy.

Haha.

of course with the 40 inhabitants, there's not much chance of one of them being online and realiseing that the person that they're talking to is one of THE inhabitants, and therefore, stalk-worthy.No, most of them are online, and they all know who I am too, as I'm their supreme commander. :p

No, most of them are online, and they all know who I am too, as I'm their supreme commander. :p

Ah, it's all making sense now. However, now the whole 'not-giving-out-your-age-for-security-reasons' thingy has come crashing down. As their supreme commander, any stalkerish person from the outside will surely have to face your 40 administrative staff before ever being able to harm you, no?

I think the reason that younger teenagers have such a negative stigma about them is because most...not all, but most...will simply parrot what their parents say instead of thinking for themselves and being equipped with LOGICAL and FACTUAL information to back themselves up. And then, instead of being mature and listening to other points of view, they merely repeat the same statement over and over again, with no real understanding of what they are saying. I like to call it "arrogant ignorance." What they say is right, even if they can't quite tell you why or how. Like I said, this does not apply to ALL young teens. Just a majority. If not, then a very loud minority.

Also, I'm 18, soon to be 19. And I still get people who turn up their nose of roll their eyes at me, assuming that because I'm a young college kid, I'm also ignorant and superficial. The only way to change their minds is not to just whine about it, but to actually prove that I'm worth listening to, or at least that I'm mature and know what I'm talking about.

Whining about being looked down upon really just makes people look down even more.

I think the reason that younger teenagers have such a negative stigma about them is because most...not all, but most...will simply parrot what their parents say instead of thinking for themselves and being equipped with LOGICAL and FACTUAL information to back themselves up. And then, instead of being mature and listening to other points of view, they merely repeat the same statement over and over again, with no real understanding of what they are saying. I like to call it "arrogant ignorance." What they say is right, even if they can't quite tell you why or how. Like I said, this does not apply to ALL young teens. Just a majority. If not, then a very loud minority.

Also, I'm 18, soon to be 19. And I still get people who turn up their nose of roll their eyes at me, assuming that because I'm a young college kid, I'm also ignorant and superficial. The only way to change their minds is not to just whine about it, but to actually prove that I'm worth listening to, or at least that I'm mature and know what I'm talking about.

Whining about being looked down upon really just makes people look down even more.

I'm superfulous, so I'll content myself with simply agreeing with you ;)

If anything, people "talking down" to teenagers is conceit of age. Perhaps its simply a way of expressing an argument, I've encountered posters that simply seem to have missed vital information or are ignorant of things that a more aged person would have a hard time missing out on. The point of youth is to be young, to learn as you age.

When I was in high school I was smart...but I was ignorant. I needed knowledge, and I needed to intellectual tools to make use of the knowledge. Only life experience can give you those tools, and only education can give knowledge. How quickly we can change! It astounds me how far I've come, but just looking around at this board I know I have farther to go.

Its like virgins posting on threads about sex. You attidudes and opinions might be valuable, but if you don't play the game, people wonder if you even know there rules. Its a natural question.

Remember all you young posters out there; though you're young, you WILL get older. Who knows how quickly you'll surpass us in the future. Some of our younger posters will be profound thinkers and delightful conversationalists one day.

children should be seen and not heard. end of story. they have no right to an opinion.

ok, im exagerating alot here. :)

but this is how i was brought up "back" in the 70's. i have always been opinionated(sp) and very stubburn but one thing i did learn as a young man and teanager is this: we have two eyes, two ears and one mouth; which ones do you think we should use the most? if teens and young posters would actually LISTEN to what others have to say and RESPECT others opinions, even if you totally disagree, then most likely you won't have the 'age' thing thrown back in your face.

as most 'adult' posters have said after skimming over the first 5 pages i agree thats its not the "AGE" as much as the maturity of the poster. There or folks on these and other forums in their 20's who post more dribble then alot of the 12-15 y/o. BUT remember this; opinions change. if i looked back on my 30+ years of life, alot of my views on life, politics, religion, etc have done complete 180 changes. As you get older you realize whats important to you and that there are certain things you just can't change so focus on what you can change to make your own life better. thats my current perspective. and i am old enough and dare i say mature enough to know that life changes and so do we as time moves on.

my advise to all posters: learn to respect, listen and apreciate each other, no matter how stupid, illogical or irrelevent (or terrible speller in my case ;) ) their ideas and thoughts appear to you.

and most of all remember this: this is all entertainment. if someone does get you all riled up, take a break, think about what their motives are and have a laugh. remember that without opposing views the world would be one boring freaking place...

:)

(and if you read all this dribble you must be REAL desperate for some entertainment ;) :) )

peace,

Culebra.