Let's be more mindful in our dealings with new people

[Buckwheat]

Wonderful thread with many great points. Administrators: Maybe add a link to this thread on the Term of Service?

There are so many considerations. When I first started, I was not only new to talking about dhamma (I previously just listened, read, sat, contemplated) but I was also totally new to online forums. I didn't even know what a troll was a couple months back. There were some moments at the beginning where I expected to be able to say outlandish things and have them interpreted with my best intentions in mind. I quickly realized one has to be careful. Would I have learned that fact without a little suffering of harsh rebuke? Probably not.

Posting is a skill. If somebody is making outlandish claims, being harsh, or otherwise difficult, it should not go unmentioned or else the person has no chance to learn. There are right and wrong ways to point out inconsiderate posts. Of course, silence can be powerful. I was being too hardheaded on a thread and the other person just stopped posting and I realized I was being a jerk. It happens.

It's a balance, there are times I want to never log in again, but I try to focus on refining my rhetoric and understanding of the dhamma. Those are important skills because I would like to be able to explain Buddhism to those I love, but right now I still just avoid the topic for fear of misrepresenting the dhamma or just plain old looking like a fool.