ASF Members: Going Troppo

[Garpal Gumnut]

As a member of ASF who has had a number of infractions from Joe, I feel I am well qualified to comment on the heat that is present in many threads at the moment.

Usually gentle people and non stirrers are engaged with the restless rabble in often acrimonious discourse.

Is it due to summer, I wonder?

Is this a natural phenomenon about this time of year.

Is it due to the Weather.
Perhaps Global Warming, ( I jest. )

In any case I have noticed people do go troppo around October through to February/March. Perhaps this explains the tiffs and tussles present on many threads.

There is no scientific evidence that I can find for this phenomenon although it is a strong belief in the North. Basket weavers in Balmain and Carlton , I presume would experience the same.

I found this article below on "Going Troppo"

The link unables me to attribute the source.

http://www-das.uwyo.edu/~geerts/cwx/notes/chap03/troppo.html

Going troppo

E. Linacre


7/'97

There is a common belief in northern Australia that (white) people become more aggressive or more suicidal around November. This period is called the Build-up. November is the warmest month in Darwin, although the annual temperature swing is small. More important is the increase of relative humidity in advance of the wet season (the 'Wet'), which is in full swing from mid December till mid March. Therefore the atmosphere becomes very uncomfortable. With this discomfort comes increased irritability and aggression, an attitude known in Darwin as 'troppo'. (The same phrase is sometimes used to describe someone adopting a primitive lifestyle.) Another term is 'mango madness', because that fruit is harvested at the time.

One theory goes that the increasing humidity affects human comfort and hence behaviour. Alternatively, one could blame Seasonal Affective Disorder, a mood change at least in the northern hemisphere related to the annual change of daylength and solar radiation: the depression is relieved by artificial light. Also, a disturbance of sleep patterns may be implicated. Alternatively, aggression or suicide might be related to the anticipated loneliness of those to be left behind when others travel to cooler regions in the approaching holiday season.

However, police records in Darwin and what medical records can be traced show that in fact there is no evidence of any increase of public aggression or suicide during the Build-up. So the idea that people 'go troppo' in Darwin towards the year's end appears to be more a myth than a fact.



References

o Condon, J. 1995. in Med. Jour. Australia 163, 4/18 December.
o Fanger, P.O. 1972. Thermal Comfort; Analysis & Applications in Environmental Engineering (McGraw-Hill, New York) 244pp.
o Morrissey, S.A. 1996 Seasonal Affective Disorder: characteristics and prevalence in tropical Australia. Ph. D. thesis, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland.

Perhaps if this is the cause of all the arguments escalating to personal invective, it may become more understandable to the participants. With understanding the heat may dissipate and an attempt to understand the other's point of view may win out, over "winning" the argument.

And then the threads may become more full of fact and information that we can all use to further our trading and investing.

gg

 

[nunthewiser]

Being heavily infracted on a regular basis , i also feel i am qualified to comment here ...............

I actually have noticed a distinct lack of agro here of late, mind you i have also noticed that there seems to be less stock and trading help of late also ...

Is this a direct correlation ? The more trading help also leads to more agro where different egotistical opinions clash ?

Or is it that offering trading help and ideas leads to confrontation and maybe a breach of the rules so therefore leading to a lack of input by those sitting on that fine line of infracterisation and maybe banning ?

buggered if i know

Perhaps we can ask the govverment for a grant to study this matter further.

 

[drsmith]

It's too easy to see our own frustration as only being directed at the keyboard and monitor in front of us.

 

[Julia]

Perhaps we can ask the govverment for a grant to study this matter further.

Now, there's an idea. Given some of the peculiar stuff they hand out money for, wouldn't we be in with a chance for such a worthy study?

It must be just coincidence that Joe has posted his new "Five Commandments" on the Site Announcements thread.

Thanks, gg, for raising the subject of, um, squabbling. It has been somewhat less in the last couple of weeks.

But what I've noticed is that it's contagious: i.e. if someone has a go at me quite aggressively, then I find myself responding in kind.
But it's quite possible, I think, to question someone's view without being personally insulting.

I guess the other difficulty is that the printed word lacks the nuances of tone of voice and body language.

One of my worst faults is taking comments very literally, when they're meant in jest. In person, I'd pick this up from body language and a 'smile in the voice'.
So do we maybe need to make more allowances for one another?

 

[Garpal Gumnut]

Now, there's an idea. Given some of the peculiar stuff they hand out money for, wouldn't we be in with a chance for such a worthy study?

It must be just coincidence that Joe has posted his new "Five Commandments" on the Site Announcements thread.

Thanks, gg, for raising the subject of, um, squabbling. It has been somewhat less in the last couple of weeks.

But what I've noticed is that it's contagious: i.e. if someone has a go at me quite aggressively, then I find myself responding in kind.
But it's quite possible, I think, to question someone's view without being personally insulting.

I guess the other difficulty is that the printed word lacks the nuances of tone of voice and body language.

One of my worst faults is taking comments very literally, when they're meant in jest. In person, I'd pick this up from body language and a 'smile in the voice'.
So do we maybe need to make more allowances for one another?

The Garpal Gumnut Super Fund would be happy to make an application for a grant.

Every other silly bugger seems to get a grant.

I could visit every ASF member in the Arnage and take folk for a drive to the local pub, and interview them in Novemeber December, and then repeat the interview in midwinter.

gg

 

[Mr J]

Originally Posted by Julia
So do we maybe need to make more allowances for one another?

I would prefer to cause controversy due to a misunderstanding and explain afterwards than to tiptoe around everything. Unfortunately some people here confuse discussion with argument. I've rarely argued here or posted with attitude. The only ones I recall and regret are where I provoked you and things got personal, and another time I replied to greggy too harshly after asking for his view. I also remember having a negative discussion with Calliope and/or Bunyip when I first joined, but I don't recall being worked up or personal. Misunderstandings can be explained, even though the explanation is often ignored. At least it is out there in the open.

The more trading help also leads to more agro where different egotistical opinions clash ?

Happens as much up here as in the trading sections. There seems to be less trading discussion, and therefore less clashes. Political chat is bound to ruffle feathers though.

 

[Wysiwyg]

Online forums are a new phenomenon that people are encountering and with the anonymity people think they can type whatever they want. That is clearly not the case. It is a skill to separate the poster from the post (like where did the words come from ) but this can be learned. As they say, play the ball and not the man (even though he has the ball ).

I rather people are open and to the point and am more than happy to be corrected on anything I post. I am here to learn.

At the end of the day (or night for some) the trick is to not take things too serious.


signed ... A. Cheeky Larrikin. :

 

[nunthewiser]

At the end of the day (or night for some) the trick is to not take things too serious.


:

AMEN!

 

[Chris45]

Does anyone know what's happened to tech/a? He hasn't posted anything since 13th-October.
Nun, you haven't excommunicated him have you?

 

[nunthewiser]

Hears no evil, sees no evil, speaks no evil.


Must be the weather.

 

[nulla nulla]

So do we maybe need to make more allowances for one another?

Nah, bring it on. "White fella's" go troppo, the rest of us go walkabout. Another grant would be good. The one to study tree frogs ran out when they became extinct.
Maybe we could study whether it was the influence of weather changes or a combination of hormones and alcohol contributing to any perceived increases in aggression. We could set up study groups in RSL Clubs across the country and make compasisons between air conditioned and non airconditioned study groups.

 

[dutchie]

As a member of ASF who has had a number of infractions from Joe, I feel I am well qualified to comment on the heat that is present in many threads at the moment.

Usually gentle people and non stirrers are engaged with the restless rabble in often acrimonious discourse.

Is it due to summer, I wonder?

Is this a natural phenomenon about this time of year.

Is it due to the Weather.
Perhaps Global Warming, ( I jest. )

In any case I have noticed people do go troppo around October through to February/March. Perhaps this explains the tiffs and tussles present on many threads.

There is no scientific evidence that I can find for this phenomenon although it is a strong belief in the North. Basket weavers in Balmain and Carlton , I presume would experience the same.

I found this article below on "Going Troppo"

The link unables me to attribute the source.

http://www-das.uwyo.edu/~geerts/cwx/notes/chap03/troppo.html





Perhaps if this is the cause of all the arguments escalating to personal invective, it may become more understandable to the participants. With understanding the heat may dissipate and an attempt to understand the other's point of view may win out, over "winning" the argument.

And then the threads may become more full of fact and information that we can all use to further our trading and investing.

gg

Hey GG nut

Its a pity that Joe did not ban you so you could not start stupid threads like this one!

I am a gentle person and non stirrer and I resent your accusations that I am not.

And typical of people who don't know the answer they always blame the weather.

Modern day dumbfounded people go to further extremes and blame GW - what are they thinking?

Rudds got the answer - he is having problems with boat people (running away from homes that are filled
to the brim with gentle people and non stirrers) and carbon emissions (caused mainly by gentle people
and non stirrers) but his solution - increase population! Now that's the clever country at work!

Typical of your threads you never have any scientific evidence to back up your statements - when are you going to learn (something)?

If you can't attribute the source to a article then why post it??

You should also stop trying to baffle us poor gentle persons and non stirrers with the use of big words
(infractions, acrimonious, phenomenon, invective), why can't you use plain English instead?

Besides I know that its not the weather or GW because I am always right!

Cheers

dutchie

PS acrimonious - please explain

 

[nulla nulla]

Maybe it's the type of alcohol consumed, Beer v's Wine v's Bundy v's Bourbon. I can feel another study group comming on. Where do you get those grant applications? This could be big. I'll let you know when I need volunteers for the respective study groups.

 

[theasxgorilla]

I find myself smiling at many of the posts here, and shaking my head at the same time as I can see where this thread is likely to go.

Please, please, please, if someone throws a pie, don't throw one back, or yellow and red cards will be handed out and the thread will be closed.

Right on topic though, I have often wondered how weather affects people in the more extreme parts of Australia. It's fairly well accepted that in Sweden everyone gets grumpy in the winters ie. visit the summer Swedes, leave the winter ones alone, or invite them to your warm continent for a holiday. But I reckon months of relentless heat, sun and humidity of the northern and outback parts of Australia would make me one grumpy young man.

 

[wayneL]

Purely anecdotal, but I reckon there is more road rage when it is oppressively hot.

 

[johnnyg]

I actually have noticed a distinct lack of agro here of late, mind you i have also noticed that there seems to be less stock and trading help of late also ...

I have also found the above statement true, forums are quiet (# of posts down in the last month or so) and even in my own trading, I feel flat and lazier then usual.

 

[ThingyMajiggy]

Does anyone know what's happened to tech/a? He hasn't posted anything since 13th-October.
Nun, you haven't excommunicated him have you?

Ask WayneL. Quite ironic really that it should pop up in this thread.

 

[explod]

Being heavily infracted on a regular basis , i also feel i am qualified to comment here ...............

I actually have noticed a distinct lack of agro here of late, mind you i have also noticed that there seems to be less stock and trading help of late also ...

Is this a direct correlation ? The more trading help also leads to more agro where different egotistical opinions clash ?

Or is it that offering trading help and ideas leads to confrontation and maybe a breach of the rules so therefore leading to a lack of input by those sitting on that fine line of infracterisation and maybe banning ?

buggered if i know

Perhaps we can ask the govverment for a grant to study this matter further.

As one also infracted am qualified to input here.

I think you have hit the nail on the head Nun. I have come to realise that we "tend to bite the hand that feeds" Some very thoughtfull and experienced traders and investors have moved away due to input from oposing views against them with little substance in fact. I lament the loss of this experience and do know now that I have been the culprit in some of it. Not sure how it can be solved, I have thought of perhaps a two tiered system whereby newer members serve a qualifying period to reach an upper level and the experienced posters work can be viewed but not posted against.

This is a hard one but a solution could significantly up the value of ASF investment/trading information.

Maybe this approach would be seen as discrimitary. Not sure, infringers could be demoted back to lower level ranther than rubbed out and then some discussion on infringements could take place which may help management develop policy.

just two cents

 

[Chris45]

Some very thoughtfull and experienced traders and investors have moved away due to input from oposing views against them with little substance in fact.

If you're referring to the person I asked about in #9 then that is indeed a very significant loss for ASF!!!

 

[Buddy]

The Garpal Gumnut Super Fund would be happy to make an application for a grant.

Every other silly bugger seems to get a grant.

I could visit every ASF member in the Arnage and take folk for a drive to the local pub, and interview them in Novemeber December, and then repeat the interview in midwinter.

gg

I remember years ago, some womens' group applied for a gummint grant to design a surfboard specifically for women. Maybe it was special shapes for womens bumps, or something like that. Anyway the govmint gave them some dosh. GG, this gives me heart that your application will not go unheeded. Good luck.