What place does cyberbullying have on GCA.com?

[Anthony Butler]

Shelly,

I agree, the primary purpose of this board is amusement and some intellectual gymnastics.

Anybody who suggests someone ought to be "eradicated" from the Treehouse is missing the point of the Treehouse.

As stated above, I would never suggest that Anthony Butler be booted from the realm.

Besides, we need him - in case Ran is grading on the curve.    

If you're going to type my name so much, just 'Butler' will do... Even my wife calls me that..

[Patrick_Mucci]

As I said above, I frequently disagreed, sometimes vehemently with Adrian.  However, we never resorted to abusing each other.  We managed to avoid overt rudeness.  We debated the point, presented our arguments and even, occasionally, acknowledged that the other had a point.  Neither of us resorted to green ink.  We didn't call each other morons, or use any other abusive term and we always remained civil. 

Mark, If you had an ounce of reading comprehension skills, then, you would have recognized that it was Adrian who unilaterally launched a personal attack on me, not the other way around.  Yet, you didn't take him to task for his actions did you ?  That says all I need to know about you.

I'm tired of people telling me what a nice person Pat Mucci is offline.  I'm sure he is.  People I know on this board who know him tell me I'd actually like him in person.  They are probably right. 

Nah, I don't think so.

However, his online persona is destructive and damages this board.  There are those who argue strongly on here and are occasionally abusive who get away with it because there is an evident streak of genuine humour in what they do.  They also, it has to be said, appear to actually read, understand and respond thoughtfully to others' posts.

That's obviously something you didn't do when you read Adrian's post.

Pat Mucci's response to Adrian Stiff shows, for me, all the reasons why Pat Mucci's online persona harms GCA more than he benefits it.  Which is a great shame because he clearly has an enormous amount to offer.

Now here's why I think you're a "moron", and don't take it personally.

Adrian, from out of the blue, and with no previous exchanges on this thread, comes on and launches a personal attack, which you don't object to.
In fact, you showed your tacit support for his attack by not objecting to it.
Yet, you object to my response to his personal attack.
Surely, even you see the absurdity of your position.

You can't voice your high ground indignation on one hand and support the same conduct you object to on the other.

They call people like that HYPOCRITS, PHONIES and WHINERS and based on your own words, you've defined yourself better than I ever could.

[Patrick_Mucci]

In my limited time here I've always found this assertion that Pat is actually a good guy in person to be a sign that he's not man enough to insult anyone to their face.

Now that's funny, and a clear indication that you're not a good judge of people

I've always believed that if you can't say it to someone's face, don't say it at all.

I think I'm one of those in the minority who tends to be overly candid.
I'm pretty direct, in person, with everyone I meet.
Not that I can't be diplomatic, but, I'd rather be candid, it simplifies life

That said, I'm not sure Pat can be accused of bullying. To bully someone you have to first be able to demonstrate some position of dominance and Pat's ramblings have always struck me as the excessive protesting of a small boy trying too hard to prove he is in fact a self assured man.


I'm sure that your educational and professional experiences qualify you to make diagnoses over the internet.
Where you the guy who claimed that you can tell a book by its cover ?

Maybe if Donald Trump could send him some sort of I-did-well-for-Mr-Trump-today stickers, complete with shinny stars and suchlike, he'd feel a little less inclined to painfully and embarrassingly try to show all the other grown-ups just how big and clever he is. 

It's not how big and clever I am, it's how small and idiotic you and others are when it comes to Trump.
Trump has his good and bad points, like all of us, but, for the "morons" on this site to deride his efforts to rescue and reinvigorate a golf course becuase of his hair or persona, is ignorant.  I didn't want to use such a harsh term as ignoramuses, so I thought I'd use the softer, kinder term, "morons?

If the previous statements can be deemed offensive enough to be categorised as cyberbullying, I plead guilty as charged.

Paul, what you may or may not get is that this is just an internet site that discusses golf course architecture and related matters.
It's not about life altering events, and if I've insulted anyone, well, I'm not sorry 

But seriously, the first time Pat insulted me I felt, well, insulted. The second time I smiled and the third time myself and my good lady laughed.
Well, I laughed, she was insulted, but since then she's come to understand the game and 'Playing Patrick' has become an amusing source of entertainment on a cold winter's night. After all, you can't really take the man seriously, can you?

Paul, in case you haven't figured it out, I'm a few light years ahead of you.

Have you seen my, "It's not fair" thread ?

[Patrick_Mucci]

When I was a GCA virgin I got into a spat with Pat very early on and was a bit taken aback.  Then I watched a GCA stalwart intentionally press his buttons and play him like a green ink wind-up toy and laughed my ass off.  Anyone who takes him at face value the second, third, hundredth time around needs to take both Pat and themselves a bit less seriously IMO.  When you put a rat in a cage with an electric shock buzzer and he keeps going back to the buzzer after repeated shocks you have to question the rat's thought process...

Jud,

Sometimes it's important to make the other guy think they've won.

It's called, "priming the well"

[Patrick_Mucci]

Jack, I don't think he's ever been to a King's Putter, Dixie Cup, Thaw-Out, Midwest Mashie or Buda Cup.   
Too bad.  I did meet him at Yale and the next day at The creek Club during a charity event.  I think he's missing out skipping all the other events.   He could bully guys face to face!   

Bill,

There are stand up guys and there are whiners.

Stand up guys give as they take.

I like stand up guys.
I'd like to think that I'm one of them.

I have no desire to play golf or hang out with whiners.
And, I have no patience for them on this site.

[Patrick_Mucci]

Good Lord!

I haven't read this entire thread nor do I care to, but you folks who are harping on Pat are totally barking up the wrong tree.  I don't know many more engaging, thoughtful, courteous, gentlemanly people than he is.  Our whole NU/ND thing was nothing more than the barbs and banter of two rabid fans (even though he's wrong, of course).   To hold anything a man like Pat says against him in a debate on here is a serious mistake in judgment.   We have plenty of consummate gentlemen on this site.  There is no doubt that Pat deserves a center spot in that team photo (albeit in the back row due to (1) height and (2) undergrad affiliation...

Dave,

I feel sorry for people who don't share our passion.
Tiger for LSU, you for Northwestern, me for Notre Dame, Mike Sweeney for Boston College..
That passion is one of the things that makes college football so great.
Go to any home game, there's nothing like the pageantry, excitement, energy and passion amongst students, grads and fans.
It's really, really, really special

Passion is what rivalries are all about.

You have to remember, morons don't handle barbs and banter too well, they're a sensitive lot and can't discern between passion, jest and vindictiveness.

The slings and arrows that you and I hurl at each other are vastly different from the vituperative, malicious rant of the "Adrian's" of the world.

In the midst of our spats, I've stated that you have an open, unexpiring invitation to play golf with me.

I think that's what seperates stand up guys from wimps.
Time after time, at Board meetings, I witnessed heated, passionate, contentious debates/arguments, but, once the vote was taken, we all went back to being fellow members.  Wimps on the other hand, like Adrian, hold their grudges, and those that they lost the vote to, against them, forever.

Hold the date, 11-15-14, I'm expecting a big meal after the game.

[Bill_McBride]

Jack, I don't think he's ever been to a King's Putter, Dixie Cup, Thaw-Out, Midwest Mashie or Buda Cup.   
Too bad.  I did meet him at Yale and the next day at The creek Club during a charity event.  I think he's missing out skipping all the other events.   He could bully guys face to face!   

Bill,

There are stand up guys and there are whiners.

Stand up guys give as they take.

I like stand up guys.
I'd like to think that I'm one of them.

I have no desire to play golf or hang out with whiners.
And, I have no patience for them on this site.

What's that got to do with you getting out with the boys at one of the fun events now and then?

Do they teach this distraction technique in Debate 101 at Notre Dame?   It's one of your specialties.   

[Mike Hendren]

You guys are pathetic.  I can't fathom a post that would upset me in the least.  With a couple of exceptions, I've liked everybody I've met through this forum.  If we're collectively guilty of anything it's not cyberbullying but intellectual dishonesty.  Admittedly, frank commentary's a dangerous thing - we might alienate a potential private club host or heaven forbid an honest to goodness practicing golf course architect.  Even worse, we could show our hubris on the one hand or ignorance on the other.

Everybody knows Huntley's a scoundrel who routinely fleeces his guests through some game called "wolf" and Goodale's a sandbagger (7-up, really?).  Mucci?  Just another yankee who woke up on third base and assumed he just hit a stand-up triple to deep right.  Arble's profiles are priceless but good lord why does he like Lederach?  And Gib?  I'm not about to criticize his abundant use of the "P" Word lest he retract a gracious invitation to come visit.  Barney's not a good guy, just a good friend.  Finally, while I'm not yet a full-fledged Doak B-Boy, even I have to admit checking him out in his jeans at Dismal River as I hounded him like a lap dog during the course tour.  

Bottom line:  THIS SITE IS FUN AND IT MAKES ME HAPPY.

Trust me, none of you can screw that up.

Bogey

P.S. This post is highly sarcastic for anyone unfortunate enough to not be blessed with a sense of humor.  We appear to have a few.

[Peter Pallotta]

Bogie - well said. It's amazing the perspective you get when you believe that "God is great. Beer is good. People are crazy" -- the last item being most relevant and applicable to our little group here!!

Peter

[ChipRoyce]

Hasn't this thread exhausted itself yet?

[Ulrich Mayring]

Everything's been said. But not by everyone. So stop the world, there are still a few folks in the process of preparing their personal coming-out

Ulrich