Update on forum characters.

Way back in 2010  I wrote a few postings about people you might chance upon on the cut. I also wrote about people you might find on a particular boating forum. I wrote about the Naysayers, Bullshitters and Nitpickers, there were a few other characters included.  17th of May 2010,  22nd of May 2010, and 17th of October 2010 as well.

Today, I bring a belated update to the blog. I have identified a few other characters to add to the list of players.

Lick Spittle Award

Lick-spittle is a good description for the next character you will come across on a boating forum. This type of person did not get a good start in life. It was a toss up which would arrive first, potty training or puberty. As a serial bed wetter it was often puberty that won. At school they would enter into the “my dad can fight your dad argument” with their peers. However, it was with a wry twist. For the lick-spittle, the playground claim was always “my mother can fight your dad.” Because in a single parent family, the various siblings dads were only around for a short time.

Lacking in confidence and social skills the lick-spittle is like a lamprey that likes to form attachments to the nearest fish in the river. The lick-spittle is a fawning sycophant who likes to practise giving empty flattery, for personal gain. A brown noser by trade. The problem for the lick-spittle is that there are few forum types who are prepared to accept them. But, there is the one exception. The exception is the forum bully.

Forum bully who like all bully’s is full of venom and angst in equal measure. An annoying and yet persistent blow fly, arriving refreshed, straight off the dung pile each day. Characterised by feelings of acute anxiety, often accompanied by depression and full of emotional turmoil. Always spoiling for an argument irrespective of reason. A bully who would only dare to belittle the opinions and observations of others, because they are at a distance. Predictably, the bully who has nothing to offer other than the “puffed up toady” based opinion of their own worth. The forum bully is to be found accompanied by and encouraged by the odd, fawning lick-spittle supporter.

Unsurprisingly and predictably the bully feels under constant threat of admonition. They do not like people to stand up to their tactics. Whenever that happens, the bully then tries to defend their position with claims such as. You are picking on me, you're trying to start and argument. I shall report you and other such futile threats but everyone knows that they are all empty gestures anyway.

Forum Lurker this is a type of forum observer. Someone who says little but also at the same time misses very little. In the main a once or twice a month fly by visitor. Who plays catch-up on the latest bun-fight, personal disagreement, engineered argument and other fall out detritus. A persistent sort who works his way through the predictable Naysayers, Bullshitters and Nitpickers innuendo, their untruths and other such drivel. In an attempt to get to the interesting stuff. Stuff which sometimes is mixed in with the outpourings of the predictable Naysayers, Bullshitters and Nitpickers. The forum lurker has on a few notable, albeit rare, occasions actually discovered items of general interest to boaters.

I am sure there will be more characters along later, its such a rich seam.



Later....