Tolerant or Intolerant?

Who is attacking you personally, GG3 ? Not me! I assure you that you are not important enough in my list of Gransnet characters for me to pick you out specifically to denigrate.

....surely this is an attack? Meow

Elegran, when one points out a potential problem in a post it's often interpreted as a personal attack by the person who wrote it- They in turn defend "themselves" instead of addressing the subject being presented- They make it about "them" and in doing so others jump in and come to their defense- As the subject of the discussion deteriorates a witch hunt developes-

Some do appear to believe that name calling is easier than inquiry-

Elegran, I absolutely agree with everything you have said.

Rosecarmel You've summed it up very neatly. Especially your point about a witch hunt developing, that's when the cliques appear and it gets nasty quite quickly.

Yes, I too have noticed that there are people who are quick to see themselves being attacked in a general comment and to take the attack-is-the-best-method-of-defence route. Perhaps some more combative posters are always ready for war (wha daur meddle wi' me?), and some less combative ones always ready to complain they are under assault?

Sounds like we need a hug huddle or whatever it's called, a virtual one of course, or perhaps that's too American?

I liken it to road rage,
One driver does something that another driver doesn't like, the driver decides to retaliate by fist shaking and cursing etc.

However if, as once witnessed by myself the drivers know each other, it's a wave of apology from the one driver and just a shrug of the shoulder from the other.

When a poster on GN is familiar with another poster, she/ he is less likely to to show anger or cause hurt.

Some posters feel very strongly or take issue
over a post and seem to have an attack of road rage or keyboard rage.

Whereas if it had been in RL they would probably have just shrugged their shoulders and agreed to differ.

That's a very interesting point Cherrytree and makes me think of how I've so often noticed certain people endlessly arguing with each other on many threads and ignoring others. Also, I sporadically post but have mostly spent 10 years now lurking and reading and I've just been labelled as a more recent member of GN by someone on another thread. She/he must think I'm a newcomer /unknown so don't have the same right to argue so instead of shrugging s/he waves a fist. How interesting!! Thank you for that!

I agree with you Bradford lass.

I think anonymity and being on line makes some folk they can get away with saying things they`d never say in reality.

Then again, particularly in text, the written word doesnt always offer softness and empathy that a face and voice do.

If we are unhappy or uncomfortable with the way some threads are going, then we can always scroll past.