.....you should read some of the expat forums. Most of the protagonists are men. The arguments are sometimes ridiculous. For example, one person says Britain is rubbish and life in France is perfect. Somebody else replies that their life in France has been disastrous and they can't wait to get back to Britain, which is wonderful. If I try mildly pointing out that both countries have their good and bad points, and you don't have to hate Britain to enjoy living in France, I get jumped on from both sides!
And the political arguments can get really vicious, with personal insults flying around.
I have fallen foul of one member who is an ex-policeman and gets very annoyed whenever I mention some news story about police corruption or incompetence, misogyny, homophobia or racism, even though I always point out that the majority of police officers are probably perfectly honest and fair. He always says the offences are only 'alleged' and goes very quiet when they are found to be true. As an ex-teacher, I just feel sad when stories appear about rogue teachers, but I don't take them as a personal insult. He also objects to my atheism and left-wing views. I have to enjoy that I quite enjoy jousting with him. If I couldn't take the heat, I would stay out of the kitchen! However, he has been responsible for several members leaving the forum, especially women.
I find Gransnet to be a haven of polite, kind, intelligent people, mostly women, with a scattering of some very nice men.
