Snarky Comments... Is it the low calorie diets talking? (lengthy!)

Does anyone else notice the snippy, snarky comments frequently posted in various forums, most specifically, from what I've seen, the weight-loss forum? I've definitely seen my share of angry, mean dieters in my daily life, and sometimes I too get irritable eating carrots when I really want chips, but a lot of posts seem childish and made only to hurt feelings or condemn the opinions of others.

~I believe everyone should be allowed their opinion without being targeted and made to feel bad (within reason, of course, according to CC guidelines).

~I believe posts should be taken for what they actually say and nothing more. I'm tired of people making assumptions based on their own expectations of others.... for example, many times when new topics are posted questioning if calorie intake is high enough, the responses are rude and condescending... as though the person is just looking for attention. People are here to learn, regardless of if the same topic has already been posted.

All this being said, I think a lot of the snarkiness stems from over-sensitivity. Without face-to-face communication, you can lose a lot of the meaning behind what people are really trying to say. Trying to pick out the tone of a post is a waste of time and will lead to unnecessary comtemplating of "what did he/she mean by that?"

We're all in this together... If you genuinely feel that someone was out of line, perhaps it might be more appropriate to send them a private message rather than targeting them in a public way? If your opinion differs, by all means, state it, gracefully, of course. But if your point is only to prove someone wrong or pick apart what you think is a personality flaw, perhaps there is a more mature way of doing it?

Well stated Tess. :)

mean is not required to make your point... it just closes the other person's ears.

do you know anywhere in the world that is not snarky?

The farthest I've traveled from the US is France, and yes, some people were snarky there, too. My post wasn't meant to say it only happens in one place or another... although I have a feeling Tibetan Monks aren't much for snark.
The point of my post (besides just putting my thoughts into words), which perhaps I missed, is that I think it is worth it to reread your reply to a post before actually posting it simply because I think people will often type things that they wouldn't ever say to someone's face because it is too harsh / too rude / too insensitive, etc. Written communication can often lead to more hurtful statements than you would never say in face-to-face communication because you aren't watching someone's reactions as you say what you want to say.

Definitely agree. There is no way to insure that everyone who reads your post will interpret it the way you meant it, so if you care at all, you should reread and edit as need be. :)