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Total Members Voted: 44

[paul.lovejoy]

General Discussion should be what it says on the tin and if you don't like it don't read it! 

I think that the Maggie Thatcher thread has been an exception as she inflamed passions (Steady Lovelength!!!  ) much more than most politicians do and it has been a historic moment in our nations history. 

So in my opinion things are fine as they are and if the discussion gets a bit overheated then lock the thread! 

Blimey trigger i am impressed great post.......by the way the foreskin bit was me apologies if i offended anyone i do not mean to just trying to keep some banter going which i love on this place when its cooking and i get a bit carried away but a shot in my direction is fine .

It does seem to me however people are a little touchy now and seem to want to complain more than just join in. But after the 2 years i have been on here you get to know people as much as you can and if you are a genuine member you respect thier views and opinions. The maggie thread has dragged on but i think the politic parties of Nickbat Al and Lizzie handled it all very well and in my mind made it interesting and i actually came away with a bit more respect for what they had to say .....and to take away a subject they like is totally unfair

[78bex]

The suggestion to remove political discussion is a valid argument.
But it`s flawed, because someone replying about  a question regarding benefits might be  seen by some on the far right as pandering to the breakless. Thats just an extreme example but could be considered a political comment. Certain members will always use forums to get on their soap box & preach their brand of politics.
 But Mods could liven up the debate by flinging anyone they see fit into the OOF sin bin.
Create an area we can & see who`s been sidelined & why. Bung em in the stocks.
Perhaps repeat offenders could have  rotten cyber tomatoes flung at em. or worse.

[Rods2]

[devils advocate]

This biggest problems of late have been in tyre, suspension and steering threads in General Car Chat, so if you want to stop the entrenched positions and members deleting their accounts should these subjects be banned? 

[/devils advocate]

I think the answer to the above is no and members that are misbehaving should be told to bide quiet for the good of the forum. Many forums have yellow and red cards, with admins awarding these when behaviour from behind keyboards becomes unacceptable. Two yellows or a red card means a short ban.

I think members should beep two things in mind, would they be so rude face to face and what is achieved by continuous repetition of a previously stated point of view?

IMHO the whole point of forums is for the members to add their experience to threads which leads to enlightenment from useful knowledge or seeing things in ways that you hadn't thought about or understood. Even if you disagree with a constructive posting it can help to understand another point of view and why.

[Munch]

Any subject can bring out a problem for admins.Although politics is a more contentious one granted.But the attitudes behind the particular topics in question being treated as a favourite,always by the same members seems to stand out.

Any subject can be discussed in ANY way.As stated by a member previously.The fashion here has become as he says,one of blowing off steam and having a moan.The subject itself is completely immaterial,as anyone can moan about any thing.

Over the years it seems this has become the basic mood here.Where as when the forum first started,it was almost the exact opposite.Helpful,upbeat,open minded.It seemed collectively,that anything could be done.No problem too great,no task too difficult,people would chip in,the almost impossible would be achieved.Or so it seemed.


Sadly that has gone,at least partly.Good will has left,obstructive disruptive has moved in.Seems to me the relevance of politics here is purely one of a starting point.Where the rot set in,rather than the subject itself being a problem.

[Mv8.com]

Maybe polotics gives the greatest scope for moaning. It's always the same members dragging the place down. Due to the political outlook on life those members have, not only do I skip their threads, I skip their posts on other topics as well. Eventually, may as well skip the forum completely.

[mantahatch]

I think people should be able to say what they like within the accepted norms. I am a great believer in people being allowed to be what they are, If a person is a rascist or communist or fascist they should be allowed to be , yes if they call for violence that is a legal matter, but just to say "i hate green tree dwellers from mars" should be allowed. It is much betterfor people to be allowed to be what they are and gently try to change their opinion rather than blanket laws that drive people underground or only to discuss things within a select group.

Can't remember whos said it, but. Although you will change our ways of old, you will never changer our heart and soul.

What I am trying to say is I doubt you could stop politcal chat on a forum, for instance what do you do when someone slightly chages a name ? yes we no who they mean but is it political then.

I can understand where you are coming from, in a bar/enclosed space it could easily kick off with bad results. On a forum it is only words, only feelings get hurt.

Oh I do love to ramble on in a completly useless way   

[Terbs]

I have just sat and read through all 5 pages of this thread, basically inquisitive

My point of view is this.....
I don't agree online discussion is like 'pub' discussion. Pub discussions can lead to violence, keyboard discussion does not, unless you want to chuck the keyboard at the monitor.!!
When I see the 'big guns' going hammer and tongs, I just ignore it and move on. If I see a topic that does not interest me, I move on. Even if a topic does interest me, I rarely read the posts that are more than a few lines long. The half page stuff just does not register. Whether I agree or disagree vehemently, I have never thought 'stuff that place, I am going to leave' no matter what topic it is that makes my blood boil !!!
We are all adult....lets act like it

Sorry....I think I have caught Mantahatch disease

[Kevin Wood]

My opinion is that it's the negativity and bickering that we have to resolve. Politics brings a fair bit of that, but doesn't have a monopoly by any means. I just don't understand why we (and I include myself, as I know I've been guilty) turn up here to moan about every Daily Fail story we come across. We all have to deal with irritations in life, especially with the current economic climate in this country. If coming here just compounds them, people will find more positive things to do with their spare time.

This place is most unlike a pub in that respect. People can moan about things in a pub, share their issues, offer each other encouragement, have another beer, put the world to rights, laugh about how it wouldn't be like this if xyz was running the country and it doesn't drag the mood of the place down. Here, it doesn't work like that, IMHO.  So, bring the positive things in life here, and use this place to escape the negative.

Then there's the bickering. If you disagree with someone, do you always go in with all guns blazing? Back to pubs, and in many establishments this would end in the car park. OK, there is no car park here when you're hiding behind a keyboard. That doesn't mean that the guns blazing approach is acceptable. A polite and well-reasoned response taking a contrary view allows both parties to learn something from the discussion, without making this a depressing place to be.

These are the issues we really have to resolve, IMHO.

[mantahatch]

I have just sat and read through all 5 pages of this thread, basically inquisitive

My point of view is this.....
I don't agree online discussion is like 'pub' discussion. Pub discussions can lead to violence, keyboard discussion does not, unless you want to chuck the keyboard at the monitor.!!
When I see the 'big guns' going hammer and tongs, I just ignore it and move on. If I see a topic that does not interest me, I move on. Even if a topic does interest me, I rarely read the posts that are more than a few lines long. The half page stuff just does not register. Whether I agree or disagree vehemently, I have never thought 'stuff that place, I am going to leave' no matter what topic it is that makes my blood boil !!!
We are all adult....lets act like it

Sorry....I think I have caught Mantahatch disease

 

[Sir Tigger KC]

Any subject can bring out a problem for admins.Although politics is a more contentious one granted.But the attitudes behind the particular topics in question being treated as a favourite,always by the same members seems to stand out.

Any subject can be discussed in ANY way.As stated by a member previously.The fashion here has become as he says,one of blowing off steam and having a moan.The subject itself is completely immaterial,as anyone can moan about any thing.

Over the years it seems this has become the basic mood here.Where as when the forum first started,it was almost the exact opposite.Helpful,upbeat,open minded.It seemed collectively,that anything could be done.No problem too great,no task too difficult,people would chip in,the almost impossible would be achieved.Or so it seemed.


Sadly that has gone,at least partly.Good will has left,obstructive disruptive has moved in.Seems to me the relevance of politics here is purely one of a starting point.Where the rot set in,rather than the subject itself being a problem.

Newbie? Really?    Reveal yourself....... 

[Sir Tigger KC]

Anyway things can get more interesting when there's a bit of mudslinging! 

I've suggested it before, but maybe we should have a 'Handbags' section, so when things kick off in whatever type of thread, then the Mods move it to 'handbags'.... 

Then if you've had a hard day and fancy a bit of a chuckle you can head to Handbags and wonder at the irate member berating another because he disagrees with the angle a mudflap should be set at.... 

[mantahatch]

Anyway things can get more interesting when there's a bit of mudslinging! 

I've suggested it before, but maybe we should have a 'Handbags' section, so when things kick off in whatever type of thread, then the Mods move it to 'handbags'.... 

Then if you've had a hard day and fancy a bit of a chuckle you can head to Handbags and wonder at the irate member berating another because he disagrees with the angle a mudflap should be set at.... 

It not tha angle it is the height at which it should beset from the tarmac, come on get it right 

[henryd]

Any subject can bring out a problem for admins.Although politics is a more contentious one granted.But the attitudes behind the particular topics in question being treated as a favourite,always by the same members seems to stand out.

Any subject can be discussed in ANY way.As stated by a member previously.The fashion here has become as he says,one of blowing off steam and having a moan.The subject itself is completely immaterial,as anyone can moan about any thing.

Over the years it seems this has become the basic mood here.Where as when the forum first started,it was almost the exact opposite.Helpful,upbeat,open minded.It seemed collectively,that anything could be done.No problem too great,no task too difficult,people would chip in,the almost impossible would be achieved.Or so it seemed.


Sadly that has gone,at least partly.Good will has left,obstructive disruptive has moved in.Seems to me the relevance of politics here is purely one of a starting point.Where the rot set in,rather than the subject itself being a problem.

Newbie? Really?    Reveal yourself....... 

I tink I know who this could be

[ozzycat]

i think gen discusion on politics is a cood idea but keep it general if sombody starts to try and force their political veiws on a person it should be stomped on just in the interest of fairness and to stop political bullying

[paul.lovejoy]

why do people use gen discussion, in my opinion to sometimes talk crap, share events, maybe have a moan about something, or just find something they can get involved with and pehaps just have a bit of fun.

I dont think it matters what the subject is you will always get the jokers, the objective, the advice and the i am not inerested in this thread so i will moan

I ve been on hear for about 2 years and ive got to know most peoples bounderies for want of a better word as well as you can on the internet. therefore if you learn anything you know what may offend them and what may not. Put them in a corner and they come out fighting youve got yourself to blame, so man up apologise or defuse the situation, I dont think there is any harm in things getting a little heated after all they are not going to punch eachother but like a pub say there is always someone who will step in  and say

ello elllo whats going on here then or calm don calm don and maybe now and again that is all that is needed

after all we all need to let off steam, politics is searious issue and i am more a lover than a speaker but some love it, personally i see more of a problem in taking it away 1) its certainly unfair to the politically minded OOFers 2) some of it is a bloody clever use of words that I for one find interesting 3) Isnt all politics about debate, different views and a good old fashioned scrap,

personaly my moneys on Lizzie. I actually really enjoyed the maggie thread had its moment when i was wtf but thats the British in me, and i know a few members did get upset but they had the balls to say something. After all if you make any comment at all on here you should expect a reply especially if it is derogatory

and besides which we know who the politicians are here just like they know who the fools are etc if you dont like it dont read it simples there is always something else to chat about or even argue about.

The forums an interesting place to be and some nights are better than others, maybe as some say the fun has gone, i dont belive that for one minute . I have my views but we have all moved on , but a few members are not as vocal since and thats a few not 1, maybe its just the forum has gone from a family to a collective of poeple only due to the numbers and sheer size of it now and perhaps the old family members, miss the old times and why shouldnt they, I know who they are and respect them dearly

If one of those members stepped into a coversation and told me off i would have no problem with an apology and respect thier cocerns in my small mind its thier forum i am a guest