XPost: sci.skeptic, alt.alien.visitors, alt.alien.research   
   XPost: alt.support.depression   
   From: sylvia@not.at.this.address   
      
   On 10/08/2013 8:07 AM, BruceS wrote:   
      
   > Just note something that I've found over the years.  No matter how   
   > ludicrous the position you take, or how obvious you think you're being   
   > that you aren't serious, there's someone out there who seriously   
   > believes something more ludicrous.  I've posted things that I fully   
   > intended to be taken as tongue-in-cheek, only to have some people argue   
   > furiously against me and others completely back me up.   
      
   By the same token, no matter how absurd something might seem, there's   
   always someone who believes it, so there's no way to be sure that the   
   poster isn't sincere. Quite often I respond to posts knowing full well   
   that the poster might be a troll, but also knowing that I cannot form a   
   concluded view on that.   
      
   However, the tenor of my replies probably reflect my level of certainty.   
   If I'm sure it's a troll, I'll usually give a considered non-judgemental   
   reply, on the grounds that that's likely to be exactly what the troll   
   didn't want.   
      
   Sylvia.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)