why do people post with 'I know this is going to get me flamed' or some such at the start...

[pagwatch]

...because all they are saying surely is
'I know this is a really inflamatory post but I am keen to look tough/be aggressive/piss people off so I shall post anyway.'
It is like trying to be aggressive and provocative but also trying to be all passive aggresive about it.
Surely you can't have it both ways?

Why not just post your random offensive thought and be done with it.

Or maybe because it just goes against the domiant view on m/net.

For example, dominant views support the following;

Breast feeding
NOT leaving baby to cry

And ironically,
Smoking around babies
Letting people give your BABY chocolate
Leaving babies unattended in cars ...

I say this tongue in cheek, but just to say that your post doesnt have to be agressive (passive or otherwise) so piss people off on here . It just has to be different to what they think.

I am not a Gina Ford mum (and don't think my DD would allow me to be!) but bet there wouldnt be a lot of support on here for that parenting style? It goes against almost everything that the "dominant" m/netters like.

I know a few times someone has started a post and ive said "oohhh you are so going to be flamed, id leave now if I were you" it hasnt happened so I dont know if maybe it difuses the flaming slightly?

We all have different views dont we - I may believe something totally but that doesnt always make me right and im happy to listen to other peoples view and think about them. Occasionally I have even changed my opinion.

The flamers on the whole just want to give their opinion and be agreed with - if you want to change someones opinion you need to do it by being articulate and intelligent not by throwing your opinion at people in an offensive manner and being abusive when they dont bow to your point of view.

i find it odd too

i think you just say it anyway

Pamelat

this made me lol

"

I am not a Gina Ford mum (and don't think my DD would allow me to be!) but bet there wouldnt be a lot of support on here for that parenting style?"

I think it is an advance acknowledgement that your view is not going to be that of the majority, and that you aren't deluded that it is.

If you don't say it, you get an outraged incredulity from MNers who think they have to tell you that you are in a minority.

I have also noticed that they tend to say it on really uncontroversial posts (or at least, if there's room for debate on the subject matter, something that tends not to get particularly heated.

So "I'll probably get flamed for this, but I think letting children dance naked in the snow for hours is a bad idea", or "I'll probably get flamed for this, but I think summer pudding should be eaten with creme fraiche rather than mascarpone".

Well, maybe not quite like that, but pretty much.

(I can think of a few real humzinger don-your-asbestos-suits-now threads that started off with "I know this is going to get me flamed", obviously. But the majority of the time they seem to be just "meh" posts)

it is me then
because if i ever see a disclaimer in the title I always assume that they actually want to be contravertial but want to be all wimpy and don't hurt me about it. I say just spit it out...

But I think I mostly post 'meh' posts. I am adopting that P&L if thats ok. Much better riposte than 'yawn'.