If you make a negative statement in a crowded room, and someone assumes that you are talking about them, is it a personal attack?

Oh, man. I don’t know. If I say to the general atmosphere, “Stop beating a dead horse,” I suppose that even the horse might feel persecuted.

Attack is when somebody tries to physically harm you, often when you don’t suspect it is going to happen.
What you are describing is pissy bullshit. I could be wrong, but it seems often enough to come from people who have a modern neurosis that makes them imagine they are not getting the respect they deserve, and so they are chronically offended.

The same people have called me a knuckle-dragging Neanderthal simply because I don’t faithfully follow Fluther doctrine.

I suggest you let it go. It’s only Fluther.

Is there a difference between a Neanderthal who drags his knuckles and one who doesn’t?

If you didn’t call them out as in ”@Imadethisupwithnoforethought you are a troll,” I don’t see that as a personal attack, but that’s just me. I’m not a mod.

@gailcalled
Like I said

Stop feeding the Troll
You talkin’ to me?!

For what it’s worth, I don’t think we modded it as an attack, but as flame-bait. Slightly different.

In a crowded room, apropos of nothing and with no context, I don’t see how it could be construed as a personal attack. However, in a Fluther thread, it’s pretty obvious who you’re talking about – even if you don’t mention any names.

@augustlan Again, thank you for all of the times you have protected me from drunken rambling.

@augustlan So let me ask you this. If we are in a room full of people having many conversations, and you said “stop being a dick”, if I stop what I am doing and say “Why are you calling me a dick?” Don’t I suspect I am acting like a dick? What other motivation might I have to think you meant me and not someone else?

You might be paranoid, or might have thought I was looking your way when I said it, or…you might be a dick. ;)

A misinterpretation does not a personal attack make.

To the person who considered it a personal attack, yes it was. Unfortunately perception is reality. But I personally think that’s BS, but if someone feels as though they were wronged there is no changing their mind without proof.

While in an American courtroom you are innocent until proven guilty, here in flutherland, life is completely opposite.

As Metallica says, “Sad but true.”

If I said to the ether, “Still here, still whining,” is that personal? Ether it is or it isn’t.

So, @Imadethisupwithnoforethought your comment was modded for being flame-bait.

However, if a troll was present and felt the comment related to them, they may have taken your comment as a personal attack. However, if you did not name them we can’t moderate a comment as a ‘personal attack’ based on an assumption a person present may feel the comment was directed at them.

Funny but this just happened to me in real life….watch out for narcissists with guilty consciences

I suspect using the drunk excuse is becoming more convenient in an attempt to cover up admitted transgressions..just a thought.

@ucme Interesting but probably true. That’s deep man.

Nope. I am really drinking at night.

Haha, he really is!

Can’t remember mentioning any names.

No, unless it’s really obvious that only one person fits the argument made. For a troll remark that’s usually not the case.