Would you add anything to this list?

It might corrupt our writing style.

What's going on here? Why do you seem to be having a go at hummingbird, Elegran?

Or (and more likely) I have got the wrong end of the stick completely and it's flowerfriend who's the cause of these confusing posts....

You have go it, Ana. Flowerfriend was the only person who appeared not to have enjoyed the article. Pehaps irony does not come over very well in print!

Well, she's entitled to her opinion of course, even though it could have been expressed in less inflamatory terms.

I liked it and so did DH. So there!

Well, in support of flowerfriend, I couldn't be bothered to read to the end of the list either, though I did like number one, the less/fewer one, the ten minute care journey, and the one about still getting spam after you've died. No idea what number I got to but it wasn't near the end.

Not saying this was drivel, though it wasn't enough to my taste to finish reading the list, but I also think the Guardian publishes a fair amount of drivel, as do most daily newspapers.

He's quite right when he observes that you still get spam after you are dead.

As with anyone else's lists, some drivel, some funny. He seems older than 60.

Elegran you said that with a note of authority

I can't see the problem - if you are not interested in something, just don't read it. There is no need to say anything unpleasant about it.

I presume you'd apply that to reading the DM online Greatnan?

But I am interested in quite a lot of the articles in the DM, as well as other newspapers. I don't force myself to read it, I find it amusing.

There's a lot of ephemeral stuff in the Guardian nowadays. You read it to pass the time and then forget it completely, as most of us will enjoy and then forget the article in question. Where's the harm in that? Thanks for the recommendation, hummingbird.

G'night all.

Absolutely, but there is a lot of vitriol directed at the DM in particular so I was puzzled. I wondered if having something published in the Guardian gave a sort of immunity from criticism.

No. This just happened to be a very amusing article. I don't care what newspaper published it. Does every thread have to be turned into an argument?

Sel Yes. Is is a year since my husband's death, and his email account still gets spam. (I keep it open because a few real messages still come for him)

He also still gets junk mail. The other day there was a catalogue from a wine merchant he had not bought anything from for ten years or so, and had not heard from for that long. Business must be bad.

I saw it was by Ian Martin and since I love The Thick of It, I knew I would enjoy it and I did. Obviously not to everyone's taste, but that is fair enough, nobody is forced to read it or to comment, for that matter. (I have learnt that too.)

But it's OK to go and have a look at something because it is recommended/highlighted/referred to by someone else, and then to find one doesn't find it as amusing/interesting as expected.

And to say so. That's all flowerfriend did. That's allowed.

And clearly most of the people who did follow the link were glad they had, so it doesn't matter that one or two decided some way down the list that they had better things to do.

And said so.

No need to get all fierce and defensive about it is all I'm saying. No different from reading a book someone has recommended but found it wasn't to your taste. You don't have to say anything, but you can if you want to. The same applies if you like the book of course.

In short, it's not personal so why get all grumpy about it?

I think I need to say this now: the Guardian often prints a load of tosh (as does the Independent, as does the Telegraph, as does (even! ) the Times. The 'article' referred to in this thread is not tosh, just light entertainment (for some; drivel for others). It also prints some really good articles.

(Being grumpy is allowed anyway).

Time to untwist knickers, folks

Bags
Let's face it, they all print a load of tosh, they've got pages to fill!

I didn't agree with everything he said. It was intended to be humorous. I thought it succeeded. Newspapers have published stories intended simply to entertain almost since they started. I wish they sometimes printed more news. What's the difference between a newspaper and a magazine?.

Elegran I am sorry, my comment was directed at you without realising that you had lost your husband. Of course email will continue and that must be difficult. I know, in the past, mail continued so email adds to that upset but, no doubt, to a much bigger extent. I have yet to experience this so please forgive my clumsiness.