This isn't about this particular thread, but I sometimes get the impression that you think you don't need to defend your opinion. When discussions with you descend into disagreement, it seems that half the time you either declare your opinion self-evidently true or complain that we're engaging in tedious logic-chopping. I don't think that's particularly helpful, or particularly respectful.
If you only had this attitude towards your gallery of trolls, it might be ok. But that's not how it looks to me.
Recognising that I have a "gallery of trolls" suggests to me that you have an inkling of what I face, so I will reply.
First, why do I post? I normally attend no clubs or tournaments, and rarely play, but I love go. I therefore seek some sort of contact with other go players. L19 has been a useful outlet. I could just lurk, but getting involved in a discussion is more fun. I often come across items that I think will interest people, and think that posting something about it will promote a discussion I am especually interested in. I don't post for "glory" - I've had my name published often enough over the past 45 years to have got well and truly over that. I post because I want to hear other views. I'm always especially interested in hearing how other people think, and especially crave differences of opinion.
But when, like me, you tend to post something substantial and lace it with opinion, you often tend to get a one-to-many relationship. Lots of people can feel the need to contribute. If it was just a matter of counterarguments or new facts, that would be just what I've hoped for. But reality is that replies often focus more on point-scoring than discussion. If they also contain criticims of me or questions to me, as is often the case, there is pressure to devote a lot of time to following up - time I don't really want to spend. The reverse many-to-one relationship becomes too onerous.
To take the current example, when I throw out an opinion that "looks like the pirates have won" I don't expect or think it is fair to be accused of a "persecution mania". When I say I don't like short time limits, I don't expect or think it is fair to be accused of being anti-Korean. It is perfectly possible for the same writers simply to disagree with my opinions and put forward their own opinions. That would tend to lead to a discussion.
There are in fact extremely few discussions on L19. Apart from personal criticisms there are other elements here which already militate against them. I'm guilty of some or all them, too, but there is the constant habit of not reading carefully what other people say, which is often exacerbated by people inventing what you say and putting it in quotes. There is the constant habit of taking what other people say out of context. There is the constant habit of referring back to something someone said aeons ago without allowing people to change their minds (which is what discussions are for, surely) or have fuzzy opinions. There are problems, of course, with the disjointed format. There are also the trolls. I try to deal with them by ignoring them, but some trolls stay hidden longer than others.
Although I sometimes do defend an opinion and may wish to argue vigorously for it - that seems to be part of a proper discussion - I don't think my opinions are self-evidently true. If I ignore some point, it's probably that, as I say, when you are the "one" in a "one-to-many" relationship, it becomes wearing trying to deal with all that noise. It may also be that I don't necessarily feel the need to defend an opinion. It's only an opinion. Go is only a game.
It seems to me that at present I am being baited by trolls whilst also being attacked for not defending my opinions and being attacked for defending my opinions, and also for not providing a free consultancy service. That is so tiresome to deal with. The simplest way is to ignore it. I have therefore decided that, apart perhaps from the occasional announcement or question, I will become a lurker but will drop out permanently of L19 contributions. This is not pique or anger (at least not beyond a small percentage). It is just a hard-nosed realisation that I am not getting out of L19 what I hoped for in the way of discussion. Instead I feel the need to write boring posts like this, which really add nothing to L19, to discussion, to my pleasure, to go.
I think I can spend my time better. If I find something new I really want to share, we have New In Go (which got brushed aside when L19 looked more promising). Or I can just put it on the GoGoD CD. I might even study go a little, though I have been itching to return to two projects that relate to go but also to my first love, languages (Japanese for Go Players and Korean for Baduk Players).
No pique, no anger, but disappointment yes. Not only have the pirates won, but the trolls have won.
