This is sad, really

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Posted: Sun Jun 15, 2008 5:41 pm

Yup, probably so.

I'll still deceive them and twist them up straight off, but I'm going to save the insults (UR SUM SMALL GUY...GO UR GOATS..,,HAHA!! U IDIOT) until later in the game, after they've yelled/cursed at me.

But that's my own personal deal...it's not a concrete belief or anything, just what I'm going to do.

I see what you mean though. Very Happy

Posted: Sun Jun 15, 2008 6:42 pm

ParaNoid wrote:

Not ALL Nigerians scam....
Generalizations are dangerous and a form of prejudice.

Not always. You're gonna have to call me prejudiced then, mate.

Although I'd agree with you (obviously) that not all Nigerians are scamming, from my experiences, the majority of Nigerians who don't directly take part either turn a blind eye, condone it or actively encourage it. It's hard not to generalise in those circumstances.
If you don't believe me, you only have to pop over to the nairaland forums and read the threads there regarding the "Yahoo boys". When a lad gets rumbled, you'll see the majority come to his defence and although you'll find a few people complaining about scammers, it's normally for purely selfish reasons - ie: "It gives our country a bad name". You'll very, very rarely find a Nigerian who posts just saying that stealing is morally wrong.

Of course, I can't discount the possibility that nairaland is populated by a minority of Nigerians who are morally deficient, but I'm of the view that the view held there is probably the view held by the man on the street out there.

For that reason, I do generalise. I'm afraid my view is that they're all shitbags until proven otherwise.

Posted: Sun Jun 15, 2008 6:47 pm

Slightly, do you have a link to the nairaland forums?

Posted: Sun Jun 15, 2008 7:05 pm

As you're my favourite mod:

http://www.nairaland.com/

Master of Master Baiters Joined: 27 Jan 2008 Posts: 589

That is a massive forum 209794 members Shocked

Posted: Sun Jun 15, 2008 7:23 pm

everybody's got at least a small greedy streak, it's called self-interest and is a natural and good part of general survival instinct.

Who wouldn't be at least tempted by an offer of a huge fortune? who hasn't at some point, had to pass up good opportunities because they had to work that weekend, or just didn't have any money left at the end of the month? I'm in that boat, I don't earn bad money but I have a family and many bills to pay. I'm down to the last 5% of my paycheck with three weeks left until i get paid again. So I'd love to have a big heap of surplus oil money land in my lap, pay off my mortgage and tell my bank to take their snotty letters and £40 failed direct debit charges and go fuck a stump. Interest rates up, food prices up, petrol and diesel up ... Someone like me, who isn't stupid or greedy, just struggling, who doesn't know about 419 and its variants, could easily be persuaded to suspend disbelief. What happens afterwards is well documented.

There's no complicity debate to be had. 419 operators deserve our fullest attention.

Posted: Sun Jun 15, 2008 7:35 pm

Strongside wrote:

That is a massive forum 209794 members Shocked

And an example of why it's hard not to generalise.

http://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-124766.0.html

Posted: Sun Jun 15, 2008 8:29 pm

Slightlyoutofit wrote:

As you're my favourite mod:

http://www.nairaland.com/

Thank you my dear. Very Happy

Posted: Sun Jun 15, 2008 9:30 pm

My interpretation of Steam's statement is that he points out that when the laws are not upheld for several decennials people glide off to criminal behavior. This is natural behavior, people need boundaries. If these are not given they start looking for them. Passing from one generation to another eventually it becomes natural. This could potentially happen in any country, that's (what I believe) he tries to point out, and I second that.

To use a simple comparison: would you honestly keep your speed limit of 90 MPH or 120 KM/H when you were sure there will never be be a cop hiding in the bushes with a lasergun?

Personally I wouldn't trust any Nigerian or Russian email or business proposition from any African or former Sowjet Union country just for that reason, and yes: that's why I would generalize also.

Posted: Mon Jun 16, 2008 12:29 am

Well to keep the "pot" stirred, someone visiting this site could say that ALL Brits, Yanks and Aussies (not to slight other nationalities represented here) are Baiters.

That isn't true either. It has to do with sample size and diversity. To say that it appears that the Nigerians (for example) who use the interned are more likely to scam than those who do not use the internet, I would have to agree with that statement based on my experience.

Do ALL Nigerians who use the internet scam? It is doubtful, just as it is doubtful that all Russians who use the internet look like <insert model whose picture is used to scam name here>. Do enough of them scam that they have given a bad name to their respective countries? Absolutely!

We DO get a jaded view of strange emails as a result of our (over)exposure to scammers. Yes, this is true. For example, I got an email from someone in a baiting account that invited me to a "Pool Party". My first thought was "What kind of scam is this? Shocked

I replied nicely asking if the pool party was formal or not (to ferret out the intent). I got a nice reply that identified a private school and named the kids involved. My character replied back that the author must have mis-entered the email addy and I didn't want some deserving child to miss a friend's party (just because I use that email just for baiting)... Confused

Not all strange email is scam or spam. Some is misdiredted from one person to another.

As for the scammers/criminals, twist them until they lose feeling and consciousness, then twist some more! Twisted Evil

Generalizations are how we make order in our world (categories). Questioning them is how we remain human/humane and compassionate toward others.

No, I have not become a lad hugger by any means.

Posted: Mon Jun 16, 2008 8:19 am

ParaNoid wrote:

Generalizations are how we make order in our world (categories). Questioning them is how we remain human/humane and compassionate toward others.

Questioning generalisations is a fair point. And to me, it's one that I do automatically. But my point is that even after that questioning, you can still be left with a generalisation.

I'd have to say that I disagree with the comparison between Nairaland and Eater. The Nairaland forum contains people discussing all aspects of Nigerian life, whereas here we mainly concentrate on baiting. A comparison could only be made if Eater was a social board concentrating on aspects of life in the US, UK, Europe, etc. So sorry, I can't give you that one. Wink

Posted: Mon Jun 16, 2008 8:02 pm

Ummm, have you looked in Genreal Chat? Wink

I hear what you are saying though. I am pretty sure that not everyone in any given country is on any given web site, so using the behaviour of that website as a generalized "rule" for the whole populace is a flaw.

SooI wrote:

But my point is that even after that questioning, you can still be left with a generalisation.

This is true and why we have categories (i.e., scammer or baiter). My point to the OP is that it didn't look like the generalizations had been questioned as it related to "Americans".

I think we are a lot closer in opinion than it appeared! Cool

Plus I like and respect you.