A Lesson in Tactfulness

[Alistaire]

The thing is, tact at its very definition is the need/desire to not antagonize people you deal with because of the consequences. We're on the internet, what are you gonna do, caps lock me to death?

[HakuroDK]

The thing is, tact at its very definition is the need/desire to not antagonize people you deal with because of the consequences. We're on the internet, what are you gonna do, caps lock me to death?

Well, there is a difference between a consequence and a punishment. A consequence is any kind of result of an action, whereas a punishment is one person of environment directly inflicting a negative action upon someone or something for doing something wrong. I push a domino, the domino falls. That's a consequence. A parent grounds a child for getting into the cookie jar. That's a punishment. Consequence is more of a broader "cause and effect" thing.

So no one will really punish you for not using tact. No one really can fairly do anything explicitly because you don't use tact. But if you don't, you may try to help someone with a word or two of advice, those words might seem very sharp to the person receiving the advice, they may see it as a personal attack on themselves, and they might retaliate with sharp words of their own, very possibly causing a flame war fueled by pride on both sides.

Even the slightest bit of tact can prevent that from ever happening. I mean, unless you like that sort of thing, in which case feel free to ignore the thread and go about your merry way. This thread is more for people who are all like "this community is full of angry stupid people and I don't know why these idiots are mad at me."

[Alistaire]

Well, there is a difference between a consequence and a punishment...

So no one will really punish you for not using tact. No one really can fairly do anything explicitly because you don't use tact. But if you don't, you may try to help someone with a word or two of advice, those words might seem very sharp to the person receiving the advice, they may see it as a personal attack on themselves, and they might retaliate with sharp words of their own, very possibly causing a flame war fueled by pride on both sides.

But then my point still stands if "no one will punish (me) for not using tact"...something about the fact they can't, long as someone isn't so tactless that they defy forum rules of course.

And as far as flame wars, I determine who's worthy of help in a large part by seeing who reacts like that and who doesn't. And I won't lie, I get a good laugh out of those that prove themselves not worthy of the help. They're often quite comical.