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33 (53.2%)

No

29 (46.8%)

Total Members Voted: 44

[henryd]

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

Good post Mr Lovealength

[paul.lovejoy]

Thanks H i had a litle cry half way through got a bit emotional but i am ok now

[Terbs]

Don't butter him up, H. Next thing we know it will be ...'Lovejoy (speechmaker) for Kent County Council'

Everyone has to start somewhere.

But good post Paul

[tunnie]

Never really bother to read those kind of threads, so fine by me.

But it does appear to create a lot of work for the admins, as they have to step in when things get heated/messy 

[omega3000]

I like the politics stuff ..it gets away from the gay stuff 

[Nickbat]

Never really bother to read those kind of threads, so fine by me.

But it does appear to create a lot of work for the admins, as they have to step in when things get heated/messy 

The recent "Benefits" thread was totally political and yet there were no less than 31 posts by admins/moderators themselves in the thread...and yet no-one got out of order at all, despite the highly-charged nature of the topic. And you contributed several times too, Tunnie!! 

Interestingly, I have builders here at the moment and whist there's plenty of banter, there's also plenty of criticism about the country/government (others would call it moaning, but there's a fine line between the two, IMHO).

I think OOF merely reflects the mood of the public at large - a mood which has become increasingly political over the last couple of years (again, IMHO - not reported as fact). 
 

[jimac]

Would be more than interested in the views of newbies/low postcount members/silent majority on this subject, rather than simply viewpoints of the more established membership. 

I'm not exactly a newbie, but considering the 2 years+ I've been on here I do have a low post count.

I no longer have an Omega, after replacing it with a Vectra, but one of the reasons I come back to here is because of all the forums that I visit this has a good balance of serious discussion and inane banter.  Now, I'm really not that interested in the inane banter (although some of it can be quite humorous) but I do like the serious discussion and those threads are the ones I specifically tend to open and return to.  As far as I can tell, most of the political discussions seem to be well balanced and tolerant of other people's views.  I think this was particularly true of the Maggie thread where there didn't seem to be many (or any - I don't remember it all) personal attacks.

Politics is part of our life, like it or not.  If we can't have such discussions in GenDis it would make this forum a less attractive place for me to come.  I intensely dislike censorship, particularly in what should be adult conversations, as it always seems to be another step towards totalitarian control such as we see in places like N. Korea (oops, getting politacl there!).

So leave it alone.  If you don't like it, don't read it.  If you don't have an opinion, let those that do have their say.

Long live OOF!

[paul.lovejoy]

I am a builder type probably would not have guessed, before i came on OOF knew nowt about politics

and now i do and quite often take what i have learned to work although sometimes putting information in the hands of an idot can be dangerous

i wouldnt watch politics on the TV but would certainley read posts by the right hounerable Nickbat , Lizzie, citizen albs and a few back benchers

[Nickbat]

I am a builder type probably would not have guessed, before i came on OOF knew nowt about politics

and now i do and quite often take what i have learned to work although sometimes putting information in the hands of an idot can be dangerous

i wouldnt watch politics on the TV but would certainley read posts by the right dishounerable Nickbat , Lizzie, citizen albs and a few back benchers

Fixed that for you, Paul. 

[cleggy]

Would be more than interested in the views of newbies/low postcount members/silent majority on this subject, rather than simply viewpoints of the more established membership. 

I'm not exactly a newbie, but considering the 2 years+ I've been on here I do have a low post count.

I no longer have an Omega, after replacing it with a Vectra, but one of the reasons I come back to here is because of all the forums that I visit this has a good balance of serious discussion and inane banter.  Now, I'm really not that interested in the inane banter (although some of it can be quite humorous) but I do like the serious discussion and those threads are the ones I specifically tend to open and return to.  As far as I can tell, most of the political discussions seem to be well balanced and tolerant of other people's views.  I think this was particularly true of the Maggie thread where there didn't seem to be many (or any - I don't remember it all) personal attacks.

Politics is part of our life, like it or not.  If we can't have such discussions in GenDis it would make this forum a less attractive place for me to come.  I intensely dislike censorship, particularly in what should be adult conversations, as it always seems to be another step towards totalitarian control such as we see in places like N. Korea (oops, getting politacl there!).

So leave it alone.  If you don't like it, don't read it.  If you don't have an opinion, let those that do have their say.

Long live OOF!

Politics is part of our daily live and I tend to watch The Daily Politics, the lefty bias Question Time ( only after I have overdosed on blood pressure tablets ) etc.

I like to listen to others views, all of whose opinions are valid to them, they just don't know the history, facts or are just simply wrong . To be honest the thing I find most frustating is Party Politics, we have to vote for those who we agree with the most.   The barstewards do the opposite once elected.

Without peoples opinion and discussion then OOF is nothing, apart from the great help and expertise with regards to the cars, which I have found invaluable, along with those members who have helped at the tools level.

[Auto Addict]

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.

Would you like a bowl of custard

[albitz]

You can check out any time you like,but..................

[Lizzie_Zoom]

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

Thanks Paul, and for the earlier post where you quoted me

Surprise, surprise I agree with your comments entirely and would never want a ban placed on "Political" or any other type of thread.

We live in a democracy with a God given right to free speech that our Great Country has fought hard for at a huge cost in blood and power.  This forum is part of the UK, being based here, and should be an extension of our democracy.  There are no Chinese, North Korean or Russian 'Masters' to restrict our intellectual property, that of free thought and expression of ideas, observations, along with criticism. No one person therefore should have the power to restrict the flow of expression on the OOF, providing the comments do not directly offend, insult, or impinge on the freedom of others.

If the OOF was to impose a ban on all delicate or controversial threads, it will devalue itself and become a sterile, puerile, dumb-downed area of non-activity for thought and mind.  It will be just a car forum, nothing else, nothing more, and how many people on here really want to discuss cars continually?  I suggest the active membership on here would fall away dramatically.

Why some never comment on anything is purely reflecting what life out there is like.  As I have stated before, humans are a mixture of those who never lift their voices and be counted; those who do but only stick to "safe" subjects; then those who don't care to comment on anything because they cannot be bothered; others voice their opinions without fear or favour, whilst others are more reserved and simply "go with the flow".  There are hundreds of different versions of human being and their thought, so a forum like ours will attract a cross section of people, although with a strong emphasis of enthusiasm in engineering, cars, and Omega's in particular.

So I say let their be freedom for all on here to discuss what they have a heart to, whilst having respect for fellow humans!

[paul.lovejoy]

your welcome dame Lizzie...i just love when you get all political and talk tough just a shame wifey wont spank me as i read i have been so naughty

[Lizzie_Zoom]

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.

That is because the OOF is an outlet for many individuals to express their innermost frustrations.  I have been one who has complained about "doom and gloom" threads, but who am I to restrict anyone in their right to free speech and expression, as per my previous post.  Those who do not want those threads need to do just one thing; do not read them!  Just move on to a subject you want to discuss, or not.  There is no obligation to read anything on the forum if you do not wish to.

I get depressed; very depressed, but it is usually about far more than what can be read on the OOF!