Have you ever Witnessed a Fight in a WhatsApp Group?

Rosalinda Eyes

I think it's interesting the way there's an unsaid understanding that you should say things a bit more carefully when posting on a group chat, as things could be misinterpreted. For example if the word 'fcuk' is used it could potentially leave someone confused as to whether it's being directed at them or not. But you will get that person who will get too cocky, as well as that person who'll get too offended. For example, I recently saw someone bragging about the admin status, and has been threatening (jokingly) to remove people who disagree with him.

I normally try to be careful because if things turn sour, hundreds of people get to witness how you handle it. Often when one person suddenly turns vile on another, other posters will understandable stay silent... they're thinking 'well if he said that to that person God only knows what he could say to me in front of everyone else', and they don't want to be going to bed with that extra noise on their mind. So in that situation the guys who feel they always have to be funny, start posting, they will usually end up unintentionally siding with the bully.

It also constantly amazes me, how you can meet someone who makes a very good impression in person, and yet that person can behave like a completely different person on social media, being incredibly stupid and immature. What have you witnessed? Have you ever felt the need to tread carefully?

clampedusa

There was that online town council group chat from England a few years back, it went viral as a sort of comedy meme. Just local busybodies going mental over a new fence or some such trivial sht.

That kind of thing?

Christine Neville

Recently there was this guy who was constantly posting in one of these groups I'm in, and who didn't know his place. I'd seen another person make a gentle dig at him once, but he seemed to refuse to take the hint. The guy posted stuff impulsively... a lot of it not meant for the group's purpose. Although I wasn't admin I felt that I was left with no choice but to make a reasonably gentle (and swift) put-down that summed the way I felt. He then made a mountain out of a mole, and posted to say he was leaving the group due to my comment.

I have bumped into a few people since, and they're all glad at what I did. I just smile and try not to encourage any bad talk about him. There were several ways he good have handled my comment and saved face, but the way he reacted really only confirmed how right I was about him.

UI_Paddy

I haven't, and thank goodness. WhatsApp conversations or text messages in general are not the right place for arguments or any kind of sensitive conversations, because, as you say, things get misconstrued. You lose a lot when there's no emotion or body language in the exchange.

ahnowbrowncow

I was in a group chat for my estate and during covid a guy was sharing Facebook posts on it that weren't particularly relevant to the group chat. I got the feeling that people were fed up with it but the admins hadn't acted on it.

I felt I was incumbent to act so I jokingly called him an out on it and disparaged his mother but it was misconstrued and he overreacted and left the group. The group chat was the better for it after with no more panda memes being posted and I could tell that I was viewed as a somewhat unlikely hero of the estate, through respectful nods from neighbours when out and about.

FortuneChip

Oh yeah, some good stuff too!

There was one where someone was lacking complete awareness, non-stop messages tenuously linked to the purpose of the group.

Another fella weighed in saying give it a break. A few minutes later, the first person shared a screengrab from a personal chat that had developed between the two of them separately. "You've properly mugged me off, I wouldn't usually share these with the group, but you've driven me to it"

These are adults in their forties, trying to slam each other in a group of 50+ people. Enjoyable, and made me dislike both.

Ubbquittious

Yes recently there was this lad I know and he posted a fairly **** joke in a whatsapp group that came at the expense of another person in the group. She got really offended and the owner of the group booted him out. I was willing to give yerman the benefit of the doubt because it's easy to make a faux pas when you're new to a group but apparently he is riddled with problems. Drug addiction and was recently picked up by the guards

Christine Neville

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121357617#Comment_121357617

I'd like to be sure I have that right. Which person said "you've properly mugged me off"? I take it that the person constantly posting? And if I'm right, the guy who said to give it a break was the guy who shared the private msg? Didn't he leave himself down so?

FortuneChip

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121359597#Comment_121359597

Let's go A - Person always posting. B - Person that had enough of it

B told him to give it a rest.

A messaged him privately to enquire about his complaint

B, within the private message went on to say "I'm in this group, as are many others for valuable updates related to the group, and not to hear your life story" etc etc

A shared that back with the group "I'm sorry to have to share this publically, but you've properly mugged me off and it can't be tolerated"

Ironically, proving B's point. A did not "need" to share ith with the group to try curry favour etc. I'd be firmly in B's camp, but I'd be just as happy muting the group to be honest.

Christine Neville

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121359627#Comment_121359627

Oh right, just wanted to be sure I had it right.

But I thought you said it made you dislike them both, but now you're saying you'd be in B's camp! It's good you'd be in his camp because I can't see any reason why you'd dislike him.

hoodie6029

Neighbourhood estate group during Covid. Someone posted a link to a petition to ‘Stop 5G now’. They posted it in all seriousness. I made the mistake of responding in seriousness with a link to an article on ‘5G conspiracies are just that’ from a reputable source.

Que the poster attacking me, accusing me of finding the link through Google (heaven forbid). I should be using DuckDuckGo. Educate myself. Do my own research.

Told her to cop on and not be frightening people with this nonsense, we all have enough to contend with with a real virus killing people.

She sent a massive long reply and did an Eric Cartman and left the group immediately after.

Getting filthy looks off someone in the shop a while later. OH told that’s the conspiracy lady’s husband. Poor effer…

With hindsight I should’ve started with ‘This is a joke,right? Using the internet and mobile technology to campaign against the further development of it? Is the contradiction of that lost on them?’

JupiterKid

Yes indeed, in my OH's family WhatsApp group a few years ago...things were texted by some of his siblings and two nieces that were misconstrued and taken out of context and since then, some of his siblings are still not talking to each other.

Texting is atrocious for these things as there is no context, no nuances that even a short phone call would quickly resolve.