I registered in Nairaland last weekend (when our good old Yar adua passed away) to chat and relate with fellow Nigerians but was shocked at what happens here. I saw great people, nice gentlemen and ladies, intellectuals but this good people are outnumbered by a great number of able-bodied adults that insult and abuse people for voicing their opinion. I was shedding tears on seeing Yar adua's grave and was called all sorts of nasty names in a forum here just for that, I tried my best to pacify my abusers and really tried to reach out to them thinking that they may be hurting over the hardship in our country, the olive branches I extended to them was rewarded with more tongue lashing. I was further shocked to later learn that one of my accusers is not even a man but a fulfilled and exposed lady who resides in the US and who should be teaching decency to others.
     My visit to other sites revealed to me that a great percentage of abuse, insult and name calling is going on here. Is there a way we can lovingly refine such people, you can hardly see a forum in any part of the world with people exhibiting such gutter behaviour. Can we stop this please? Can we be decent to one another, most Nigerians living abroad come here out of homesickness to relate with their own only to have the brothers/sisters they are reaching out to tongue lash them. Can we show more love here, I saw a forum where a US guy was abusing us all Nigerians as ugly. How can we as a people stand up against such when we can't even appreciate and respect ourselves? One love!!

Maybe we have to Reinstall their operating (brain) system.


Or maybe we have to call on the Information Minister Prof Dora A. to do some rebranding here.

Insults and abuse is way too rampant on NL compared to other public forums.

Maybe Nigerians are simply too angry [from hunger? lol].

The insults and fighting is just too much for a popular forum like thi, not forgetting the immaturity as well.

Nigerians, generally, are very feisty. . .now, majority of Nigerians are frustrated/pissed-off with the constant failure called government, your Yaradua and hordes of low-life bangers . . .add that to the mix.

What do you think you will get?

CyberG:

Nigerians, generally, are very feisty. . .now, majority of Nigerians are frustrated/pissed-off with the constant failure called government, your Yaradua and hordes of low-life bangers . . .add that to the mix.

What do you think you will get?

You have a point there. Not forgeting years of mistrust, deception as well as the events of the 60s.

THE AMAKA, you did a good job of defending us against that US guy that was talking down on Nigerians, we should talk to the moderator of that forum to have his insensitive remarks about ugly Africans removed from that forum. How can a foreigner come in here and begin to abuse us all. He should not be allowed to pour mud on our dignity as a continent just because theirs is more developed and they have better quality of life. Life isn't easy for us all here and we don't need all that.

Ivynwa, dont worry its because you a new. You will soon get used to it and start to enjoy it.

The insults and abuses are part of the things that make Nairaland.

Just dont take everything you read here to heart.

Read, learn, educate/inform others and have fun (sometimes through insults). . . that is Nairaland

If you want to socialise , theres always FB, if you want reality = Nairaland.

Shots and OAM, I appreciate your opinions but one can still admonish , chide and joke in a reprimanding yet respectful way. It does not have to be as insultive and abusive as some people do here.
   We have to practice these things in the way we relate with others lest it becomes a habit for such people(if it isn't already) and they will get into the society breathing fire and brimstone on people. When we talk to the younger ones around us like that, they grow up(with low self esteem) accepting that and the children people with such attitude are rearing might even be more violent and unrefined and can even fight online(if technology permits that). Let's not be showing the world this gutter behaviour here please.

Ivynwa is right. i love the opportunity to have a go but i am always shocked to read all be abuses.

Ivynwa:

Shots and OAM, I appreciate your opinions but one can still admonish , chide and joke in a reprimanding yet respectful way. It does not have to be as insultive and abusive as some people do here.
   We have to practice these things in the way we relate with others lest it becomes a habit for such people(if it isn't already) and they will get into the society breathing fire and brimstone on people. When we talk to the younger ones around us like that, they grow up(with low self esteem) accepting that and the children people with such attitude are rearing might even be more violent and unrefined and can even fight online(if technology permits that). Let's not be showing the world this gutter behaviour here please.

I agree with you but there is no selection process for determining who can get on the Internet, let alone Nairaland. The fact is that certain people are bound to drag their frustrations and hate to Nairaland. When I joined, I started a similar thread exhorting individiduals to act with decorum. Its been a few months now and I have realised that, just as in the real world, you can not expect everyone to be reasonable and civilised in the virtual world. It is a fact of life that there will be a.r.s.eholes. Just like OAMJ said, you will soon identify the virtual thugs and learn to either ignore them or challenge them.

The trading of colorful insults and put-downs is as revered a tradition among Nigerians, as is the black American version of rhyming insults known as "The Dozens", in which televised competitions are now held on the BET cable channel.   First time visitors to Nigeria often confess to being startled at the sheer volume with which Nigerians converse, and the way they joyfully exchange insults and threats at the drop of a hat, yet rarely ever come to blows.

My personal favourite verbal affronts noted in the Nairaland Forum are as follows :

" You are the product of a leaking condom."

" To say you are as ugly as a monkey would be to insult monkeys."

" I don't blame you, knowing you are the love-child of your father's gardener and one of his goats."

" Where on earth did a village lunatic like you manage to stumble across a computer keyboard ?"

" I am sure that you never cease to amaze yourself with the insane ranting that emanates from your mouth. "

Not all people on Niaraland are Nigerians - bear that in mind!

Ivynwa:

I registered in Nairaland last weekend (when our good old Yar adua passed away) to chat and relate with fellow Nigerians but was shocked at what happens here. I saw great people, nice gentlemen and ladies, intellectuals but this good people are outnumbered by a great number of able-bodied adults that insult and abuse people for voicing their opinion.

What do you expect when you have barbarians who were raised to throw tantrums when faced with views that try to force them to think outside the box they have comfortably created for their minds?

You learn, in time to ignore them and enjoy the decent, intelligent conversations that  seem few and far between.

Jakumo:

The trading of colorful insults and put-downs is as revered a tradition among Nigerians, as is the black American version of rhyming insults known as "The Dozens", in which televised competitions are now held on the BET cable channel.   First time visitors to Nigeria often confess to being startled at the sheer volume with which Nigerians converse, and the way they joyfully exchange insults and threats at the drop of a hat, yet rarely ever come to blows.

My personal favourite verbal affronts noted in the Nairaland Forum are as follows :

" You are the product of a leaking condom."

" To say you are as ugly as a monkey would be to insult monkeys."

" I don't blame you, knowing you are the love-child of your father's gardener and one of his goats."

" Where on earth did a village lunatic like you manage to stumble across a computer keyboard ?"

" I am sure that you never cease to amaze yourself with the insane ranting that emanates from your mouth. "

lol

@OP

Anyway, overtime you will be able to identify those with good reasoning ability and capability for intelligent debate.

Also you will come to identify those ignorant peeps, who after they lost an argument resolve to insults

learn to avoid them; make your point to them, correct their error/ignorance and go, as they will be incapable of good reasoning no matter what you say and how you say it.

Also the saying 'empty barrel makes the loudest noise' is true here. Dont be deceived by their overwhelming number of posts, more than 90% of their posts lack substance.