Is it just me?

MawBroon--- thank goodness you are a regular poster with your commonsense. Long may you referee on Gransnet.

I love GN but fully understand your point Sunseeker and others with similar view. I get the best fun by keeping it light and yet honest without ruffling feathers, that's never been my style. I am often amazed how hateful others can be and I think it is anonymity at its worst. We are all at the same stage in life but some still want to make it uncomfortable. Please don't make it a reason to leave anyone, your input is vital

sunseeker, I'm glad you started this discussion. I enjoy some of the contentious political/in the news type discussions. I sometimes feel strongly about things but I do try not to personalise my responses. Ive seriously considered either stopping posting, or simply leaving because of the level of unpleasantness and plain anger on some threads.

I can't see the point in continually starting threads about how rude people are on certain threads. If I think someone has made a rude comment, I just say I think they're rude. It certainly wouldn't stop me contributing to Gransnet.

Gransnet would be totally boring if every thread steered clear of issues that might be controversial.

It's interesting that someone who posts "blah blah blah" in response to another's comments, is considered by some to be some sort of "victim".

So there you are - two diametrically opposed views.
You pays your money and you takes your pick

Yes and as always, I can't disagree with Eloethan.

TBH I find this sort of complaint a bit whiny.

In the main the argy bargy is confined to the political threads, apart from the AB Caff where the ruffians hang out.

There are a number of interesting threads right now from genealogy, difficult mothers and relationship problems, plus the infernal games. Plenty for everyone.

I have certainly noticed what I call a ' drop off' in the number of individual posters who engage on the news and politics threads, there is a difference between the number of posts and the number of individual posters who contribute to a thread.

I miss some posters who still post on GN but appear not to venture onto the politics forum as much as they once did but might dip a toe in every now and again.

I have found since the EU Referendum and ironically since there was a supposed call for a 'Kinder sort of Poiltics' there has been a heightening of , shall I say, tension on GN.

So, now we're arguing about arguing?! I tend to steer clear of political threads purely because I don't feel well-informed enough to comment on most issues. However, I do get upset on some posters' behalf when they ask for help for a personal issue and are greeted with what seems like sneering - the phrase "snowflake" and "grow-up" has appeared more than once. It takes quite a lot of screwing up of one's courage to post asking for help.