Pet Hate
rocala
Explorer
I am a member of several forums and have gained much knowledge and pleasure from them. My problem is that whatever the subject being discussed is, a fair percent of the members feel an overwhelming need to try and be funny. Usually failing miserably in the process.
In one recent post on a popular site the same 'funny' comment was made by three seperate people, while a fourth wrote in to express his sadness that others had beat him to it. As for the joke being repeated, I first heard it in infant school. How sad can you get?
Today on the same site there is a post concerning children and pornography and still people need to crack jokes.
Am I alone in finding this habit rude and annoying. By the way I am known for an excellent sense of humour, I just don't feel the need to wave it around 24x7
Comments
It varies a lot by forum, what kind of people you encounter and the kind of replies you get. I’m part of several forums too, and forums that are overwhelmingly British are different from the American ones, and ones that are focused on compassion are different from religious ones.
I think on a Buddhist forum you’ll find a lot of people try to stick to Right Speech, and try to make their posts factual, true and beneficial. Humour is a nice bonus, but not required or overly respected.
Certainly cracking jokes over everything is perhaps a bit immature? Behaviour for teenagers and some twenty somethings.
@rocala
Some people are more serious than others...that is, they tend to take more things seriously ...even humour...
Hmm humour's a funny thing (pun intended
)...And one's mood is an important factor...For example if one is in a good mood things (wholesome or unwholesome) tend to flow and one can laugh things off more easily...but if the mood is not good then the same situation does not put a smile on one's face, instead one is more likely to find fault...Same situation different perception/perspective Life can be is funny that way 
...
After all... " It's easy to wear a smile and be pleasant, when one's life flows along like some sweet song...But the person worthwhile is the one who can still wear a smile when things in their life go all wrong!"
~S.N. Goenka~
Dharma practice should (according to many Dharma teachers) be a joyous occasion...The more one practices the more joyous one should become....
I'm also reminded of this ..(The Dhammapada)
""He abused me, he beat me, he defeated me, he robbed me,"— in those who harbour such thoughts hatred will never cease. "He abused me, he beat me, he defeated me, he robbed me," — in those who do not harbour such thoughts hatred will cease"
It would seem that some people tend to see the funny side of life more often than others ...
A disturbed mind is never happy.... and that's a no-brainer,,,
I guess it pays to read between the lines...
(Hence why we practice the Dharma...to find a healthy balance)
...And last but not least..
“You can please some of the people all of the time, you can please all of the people some of the time, but you can’t please all of the people all of the time”.
~John Lydgate~
What is the subject in particular?
If you're becoming more annoyed than getting any benefit out of the forum you speak of, I'd suggest you think about leaving it.
One thing I appreciate about this forum is that people here tend to have very different outlooks yet maintain a sense of humour, which avoids the kind of virtual brawling.that breaks out elsewhere.
I will be the first to admit having used humour and amusing comments in some threads, more to lighten the mood and occasionally to divert tetchy incidents... but I do understand the general irritation of members on any given forum, who in an effort to have a 'serious' conversation, are constantly thwarted by the irritating habit of other members to turn everything into a joke. There's appropriate humour, and there's over-doing the laughs.
I try to steer more towards the former than the latter.
@rocala
At times it can be difficult to tell just by the written word what a person is getting at (when one can't see facial expressions or body language) ...whether it is meant to be taken has humour , sarcasm or serious...(or a mixture of all three)
On a personal level I don't take my life too seriously, (because I know how the mind tends to exaggerate things-blow things out of proportion ) but this is not to say that I don't take other sentient beings lives seriously...
Many a war of words/babble battles have been fought because words get lost in imagination's translation...
Pet Hate
From a Buddhist perspective...
One must ask one 'self' who or what is becoming irritated ?
Is the irritation that's felt, the fault of others ... that is does it come from outside or does it rise from within the self ?
Are others to blame ?
In the long run being mindful of one's mind full, is the way to help nip irritation in the bud...
Thank you federica, that is exactly how I feel.
[insert whitty comment here]
Sorry couldn't resist.
Really though, do the positives you get from those forums outweigh the negativity you feel? If they do than accept that that is the nature of online forums. If they don't then don't use them any more or find an alternative.
Lee, it is a 'pet hate'. Running away from bullies, and in many cases it is a form of bullying, does not usually make one feel better.
Maybe not, but peace of mind and your sanity is more important than being 'right'
For me humour is not too bothersome unless it is sarcastic or it is trying to downplay what is being said. Humor can bring a lightness to topics that are being discussed so long as you don't use humor to avoid the topic. It just depends on how skillfully it is used ;P If something is not funny I tend to just ignore it
I do admit though I do find that some people try turn everything into a joke as in something that they don't take seriously. They are like oh haha even though there was no joke to begin with. But to me that just suggest they aren't interested in discussing something.
People spontaneously respond to different situations in different ways. Some involuntarily laugh or joke at tragedy as they don't have the capacity to respond appropriately.