Free Speech

[ElvisIsBeer]

I think it's true to say that the climate is politically charged at the moment, and there is a sense that the polarisation that was engendered by the Brexit referendum has helped to keep it fermenting (see what I did there?).

That's what happens when you call a referendum, split the country down the middle and start seeing people referred to as winners as losers.

It'll continue for some time, I think.

The polarisation associated with Brexit has emboldened some rather reactionary viewpoints. Farage made it appear ok (to some) to share questionable viewpoints to do with immigration.....facts not necessarily necessary. That opens a door to racism, insularity and social tension.

It's a round planet, innit. We're all kinda related one way or another.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

It was a disgrace, and there was a lot of deliberate trolling going on. There are members on here who shouldn't be made welcome if they think posting like that is OK.

It does annoy me a little that I asked members to report any posts that broke the rules (trolling is against the rules) yet we only had one report!

 

[ElvisIsBeer]

oh I think 'grassing' is considered an issue in the playground

:thumb:

 

[ElvisIsBeer]

People should just stop being nasty.

 

[Thumper]

I poked my head into the LGBT thread, and immediately left again. I have several friends who are gay, homophobia is an attitude I find utterly disgusting, and frankly I didn't trust myself to post without breaking several forum rules.

 

[Gunge]

People should just stop being nasty.

I work in a hot and sweaty engineering shop full of testosterone-heavy white men. Anyone who hasn't got a skin ( doesn't matter what colour ) 10X the thickness of an elephant's wouldn't last 5 minutes. It's actually great fun , nobody cries or gets physically hurt and everyone gives as good as they get. The family which brought me up was like that - even me mam lol - so I know no different. I still insist that I mean no harm to anyone. I'm just taken aback by the speed of change these days and how sensitive everyone seems to be.

 

[ElvisIsBeer]

I work in a hot and sweaty engineering shop full of testosterone-heavy white men.

It's actually great fun , nobody cries or gets physically hurt and everyone gives as good as they get.

I still insist that I mean no harm to anyone.

I'm just taken aback by how sensitive everyone seems to be.

Yeah - I guess it's a riot in the showers or after lights out.... :smile:

 

[Norfolk79]

What gets me these days is people being offended on behalf of someone else. You see in on twitter etc all the time.

 

[Gunge]

What gets me these days is people being offended on behalf of someone else. You see in on twitter etc all the time.

There's a term been coined for that but I can't remember it. Anyone?

 

[Chippy_Tea]

oh I think 'grassing' is considered an issue in the playground

:thumb:

Anyone reporting another members post can be sure that their name would never be used in any discussion with the member who was reported, I would rather members reported than took the matter into their own hands in the thread as that only leads to more quoting of the offending post which is the last thing we need.

 

[Sadfield]

Yeah - I guess it's a riot in the showers or after lights out.... [emoji2]

Ha ha, so I'm not the only one who picked up on the Freudian subtext.

Sent from my C5303 using Tapatalk

 

[Dutto]

I poked my head into the LGBT thread, and immediately left again. I have several friends who are gay, homophobia is an attitude I find utterly disgusting, and frankly I didn't trust myself to post without breaking several forum rules.

I presume that was exactly why the Thread has been discontinued!

I don't come from a background where you would expect to find homosexuals but I am proud to announce that I had an Uncle who did time for being a homosexual back in the 1950's and I still have a gay cousin and a gay niece.

So what if they are homosexual? They are still nice people ... :thumb: :thumb:

... and I have met more than a few "straight" people that I wouldn't let into my home!

 

[strange-steve]

I removed it. The misogyistic, racist, and homophobic views being expressed by some members on that thread were both deeply offensive and an embarrassment to the forum

There have been quite a few embarrassing posts of late, I try to stay away from those threads, but certain members don't seem to understand that just because you have an opinion it doesn't mean you should voice it. Some people just have to be heard though, to quote Metallica: "The empty can rattles the most".

 

[Gunge]

Ha ha, so I'm not the only one who picked up on the Freudian subtext.

Sent from my C5303 using Tapatalk

It's fine... and I'm not in the least offended!

 

[Gunge]

There have been quite a few embarrassing posts of late, I try to stay away from those threads, but certain members don't seem to understand that just because you have an opinion it doesn't mean you should voice it. Some people just have to be heard though, to quote Metallica: "The empty can rattles the most".

Isn't the whole point of these threads to invite opinion? What's the point of having them if one dare not air them? Those who are reluctant to post in case they look ridiculous effectively have no opinion and have been beaten into submission, or to quote Samuel Goldwyn " If I want your opinion, I'll give it to you". That's about what it boils down to.

 

[strange-steve]

Isn't the whole point of these threads to invite opinion? What's the point of having them if one dare not air them? Those who are reluctant to post in case they look ridiculous effectively have no opinion and have been beaten into submission, or to quote Samuel Goldwyn " If I want your opinion, I'll give it to you". That's about what it boils down to.

Not voicing an opinion is not the same as not having one, and if you belive otherwise (of which I have no doubt) then I feel sorry for your friends. I think the attitude of "I'm going to tell the world exactly how I feel about this and to hell with them if they don't like it!" is exactly what's wrong with the world right now. Although that is of course only my opinion

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Isn't the whole point of these threads to invite opinion? What's the point of having them if one dare not air them? Those who are reluctant to post in case they look ridiculous effectively have no opinion and have been beaten into submission, or to quote Samuel Goldwyn " If I want your opinion, I'll give it to you". That's about what it boils down to.

There is a big difference between having an opinion and having an opinion that breaks the rules.

.

 

[Sadfield]

There is a big difference between having an opinion and having an opinion that breaks the rules.

.

Is it it the opinion that breaks the rules or the way it is expressed? All too often the opinion is circumspect but not expressed in a way that leads to moderation. Yet, the rules down allow for the necessary response of 'stop being a dick'.:lol:

I suspect many of us are being hamstrung by the rules, when faced with indirectly racist, xenophobic, sexist or homophobic opinions. I'd rather they existed with full freedom to call them out.

 

[MyQul]

Is it it the opinion that breaks the rules or the way it is expressed? All too often the opinion is circumspect but not expressed in a way that leads to moderation. Yet, the rules down allow for the necessary response of 'stop being a dick'.:lol:

I think we (the mod team)have to hold our hands up and admit this is due to the mod teams interpretation of the rules. Up till now as Chippy says else where, we've been fairly 'light touch' when it comes to the snug in the hopes people will respect the rules and each other. This hasn't happened so we have now come to the decision to be a litte more 'interventionist'

 

[Gunge]

Is it it the opinion that breaks the rules or the way it is expressed? All too often the opinion is circumspect but not expressed in a way that leads to moderation. Yet, the rules down allow for the necessary response of 'stop being a dick'.:lol:

Must be the way in which it is expressed! I can't apologise for my opinion but being a knuckle-dragging, Neanderthal northerner with the reasoning power of a paralytic gnat it's only to be expected by some quarters. Some folk have actually said words to that effect, albeit disguised so as not to offend. As if!