Was this rude?

Post Reply New Topic

Hello,

I have an online class in which sometimes we are required to post a blog on a topic for a grade. We are also required to post a comment on our fellow classmate's blogs. I did not want to do a simple "Nice blog entry." If I were the person getting feedback I would want to know their honest opinions, what they did and did not agree with, any comments, and anything I could have gotten wrong.

On a classmate's blog, she discussed how the Muslim region and Christian region were completely different so I left a comment saying that in fact they both had some similarities and I listed a few as examples. I told my mom what I had said and my mother told me I personally attacked her in front of everyone. She told me that I completely insulted her and basically told her "She was stupid and flat out wrong."

No where in my comment did I tell my classmate that she was wrong. I did not attack her in any way shape or form! Was what I said a verbal attack? If you did not know something wouldn't you want to know the correct information?

You probably shouldn't have made an allusion to the blog entry which stated that the Muslim and Christian regions are "completely different." (if that is what you did).

It is correct, though (and perhaps even instructive) to infuse your own impressions (i.e., that there are similarities) into the overall class "narrative."

Are you saying I should not have referenced the blog post at all? I'm sorry I'm a bit off today. I had to say something about the entry and a generic comment such as "I like what you wrote. good job." Makes it sound like I don't care about what the poster is saying? I wanted my classmate to know that I am interested in what she has to say. If I said something that was not entirely true I would want someone to let me know what the fact was.

You followed the teacher's instructions.
You gave an opinion, and backed it up.
Sounds okay to me.

I guess you should have mentioned the other blog entry, like you stated. That it was well-written, and well argued.

And made sure you conveyed the fact that YOUR experience and study has given you a different impression of the Christian and Muslim worlds vis-a-vis each other.

That your impression is not the absolutely correct one, and that the other impression is not that absolutely wrong one.

Yes, I agree with kraftiekortie that you could've mentioned the blog post being well written and/or well argued (assuming this was the case).

As for trying to be diplomatic about whose views are right or wrong in relation to the contents of the blog post and the comments on it, I'd have to see what was actually written. I'm not one of those who walk around saying "we're both right" or "we're both wrong" just to keep the peace or follow the crowd.

I'm sorry I did not think to post the full content of what was said before. I blocked out my classmate's name and my name for privacy.


I did tell her I agreed with what she had said in the rest of her post and politely gave some examples of my point that she might find interesting.

I actually think that's quite a good comment. You were polite and added to the discussion.

I think you should ask your lecturer if that is the kind of comment they are looking for. That will put your mind at rest or at least give you guidance for future posts.

Your Mum maybe thinks you were being too patronising with the "I don't know if you knew" phrasing. But if your classmate took offence at that they would be very touchy indeed. I would have said something like, "it's interesting that..." instead, rather than draw attention to what the classmate may not know, so that they don't feel like I'm being patronising.

That's all. It depends on what kind of class this is though, whether the importance is on debating or commeradere.

Reading that, I don't think you were being rude at all, it was polite and informative, I would assume since it's a class thing that your teacher would want you to make a comment and use your brain and knowledge while doing so, which it seems you did.

That can be read in two totally different ways, until you mentioned it I read it the other way and would not have seen the second way.
Like "I don't know if you knew" ("let me correct you") OR how I first read it; "I don't know if you knew" ("forgive me if I'm repeating something you are already aware of here")
Maybe you are right and it got read the other way when the intent wasn't that way.

This is not a personal attack by any means.
You were polite and you even complimented her by writing “Nice entry”.
Giving someone information or inspiring them to look at something from another perspective is not rude or a personal attack.
If she was offended she would be oversensitive and overly emotional and that would be her fault/problem and not yours.

What you wrote was well, presented, well thought out, polite and straight to the point, informative and shows you already had knowledge not only of both faiths but understanding the deeper similarities ( Which they are) between the two faiths... If i was a teacher i would have been thoroughly impressed with your response on a number of areas! My only other thought was if you spoke these words to her, if maybe unintentionally it could have been tone of voice and/or body language. If however your response was just through the written form i can see nothing wrong... The only other thing i could deduce from said responses was that you found similarities in the Muslim faith as with the catholic faith, therefore showing a neutral belief in trying to see two sides of the same coin, so to speak... Since 9/11 people have been fed constantly this ideology of 'Terror'... and as soon as some new organisation is mentioned or another religion is cast with negative light then people become wary of what they hear, so your neutral response could have been interpreted as in favor of the Muslim faith and if their said ideology is not in favor of such faith could be responding in a discriminatory way... I hope not! Sorry if it seemed to go off topic there, however as sad as it is, it could be a possibility. Either way, none of the above is your fault in anyway shape or form... just keep being awesome!

Your perception of possible rudeness was wrong. Definitely.

You don't have to agree 100 percent with everybody.

If somebody says you were rude, that person is being trollishl

I feel that the education system is suffering becuase people don't want to be "offended" by different opinions, and they are intolerant of differnce of opinion. It has infected universities and it starting to infect schools too.