Why report so much ?

It does seem unfair. I assumed that people would be told, but I suppose it would be difficult to explain if the reason is that someone thought that a comment was directed at them and wouldn't want to be named. I understand why reporting is anonymous, but it ties a lot of hands.

it came to my attention recently that gransnet doesn't tell you if they remove your comments,
That does seem unfair as the message that "This post breaks talk guidelines" may never be seen by the poster concerned so they go on to make the same mistake again.

There's a difference between a banning and a suspension, I think. To be banned you have to either be a repeat offender or do something really bad, and that should probably be permanent.

A suspension is different, as it gives people a chance to cool off and is intended to be temporary. It would be draconian to ban someone for a first offence (particularly when the rules are so vague), as a lot comes down to judgement calls in the end.

How many chances has to be be an HQ decision - if someone is suspended for a relatively minor thing, maybe no limit, but if a first offence is more serious then it could be a last chance. Without knowing what it is that people do to get banned it's hard to say.

There have been a few suspensions and reinstatement recently by the looks of things

I think that it's a good thing because people do deserve a chance and it came to my attention recently that gransnet doesn't tell you if they remove your comments, so really it is the only way people can have another chance.

How many chances would that be though?

Exactly so Doodledog; well explained.

Clearly there are misunderstandings where people think they are being referred to, when they were not. We've just seen such a misunderstanding on this very thread.

If they then see this is bullying, stalking, being followed across threads or whatever, that doesn't mean that it was anything of the sort, which is the point being made upthread. Someone can disagree with a poster about more than one thing - in fact where people are politically on opposite sides, that is quite likely. If I post to say that I don't agree that Johnson was a good PM on one thread, I am not likely to agree with someone who says that he has been treated badly one another. I might not even notice that it was the same person saying both things.

Whilst I think that threads like this can clear the air, they can also point suspicion at the innocent, and oblique references to 'some people' can cause posters to wonder if they are being referred to when they aren't. They can also be very exclusionary for those who haven't been posting long and have no idea who to believe or what to think.

No problem vs; I hadn't known that you'd been suspended too.

I would not report unless there was cursing or vulgarity.

Good to know, thank you

There was really no need for you to address my post personally vs as it wasn't referring specifically to you at all, but to those posters that this thread was actually about in the OP!

Chewbacca I don't know really how best to address your point.

One thing I do know is that disagreeing with someone is not bullying them.

If you want to directly talk about my suspension, I have already explained I wasn't suspended for bullying but for participating in arguments and my own paranoia and poor mental health due to undiagnosed hyperthyroidism making me believe I was being bullied and attacked.

Of course now I am well I have the clear perception to see whether I am actually being bullied and attacked and the strength to let it slide off my shoulders if it does happen.

Yes I agree with that eazybee

I have honestly fallen into the trap where I am passionate about something and have tried to show another person why their opinion is upsetting me or damaging to some other or group (obviously in my opinion)... and in honest discussion, can't hide my own feelings and accidentally caused offence by sharing them...
But that is not personal and I don't think it makes me or anyone else a bully purely by the strength of disagreement or being honest about our feelings.

I agree. It's not that that makes a bully; but those who have been suspended or banned for bullying behaviours, know precisely what they were doing, to whom and the impact that their behaviour had on their victims and it would be disingenuous of them to deny the difference .
We all differ in our outlooks to various news items and personal situations; it's having the emotional intelligence to recognise that that lifts it above bullying.

A split personality? I don't think so.
People who claim to be have personal problems have all the more reason to understand how upsetting their deliberately unkind words can be.

Re your post @ 11.44 FarNorth I find it reassuring that GNHQ investigate claims of stalking and trolling.

It's obvious if a posters words are being twisted because what has actually been said is there in black and white, for all to see. It's obvious if there's a personal attack for the same reason.

When it comes to accusations of stalking and trolling though, it isn't as clear cut. A poster may have an issue with someone else who happens to post on the same threads, who may not agree with them but that isn't stalking or trolling, even if it's reported as such.

As you say The fact that someone feels upset, doesn't necessarily mean that anyone has caused it by dong something wrong. There are some very emotive and for some, upsetting discussions here which is only to be expected, but they can be avoided.

I agree with Gagajo.

I have honestly fallen into the trap where I am passionate about something and have tried to show another person why their opinion is upsetting me or damaging to some other or group (obviously in my opinion)... and in honest discussion, can't hide my own feelings and accidentally caused offence by sharing them...

But that is not personal and I don't think it makes me or anyone else a bully purely by the strength of disagreement or being honest about our feelings.

What makes a bully are personal attacks, assumptions, name calling, telling you what you must think or feel, bringing things you have said across threads, following you to other subjects purely to disagree with you by name or quote and not everyone else who shares your view.

I am not surprised gransnet occasionally sees patterns in what people are reported for and who they are talking too when they are reported. Or patterns in who is reporting who across subjects continuously.

I also don't think those reporting are who the reported think they very often at all.

The thing is, most of us who are regular users or even just regular readers, could give a list of 3 or 4 names of people who might be on 'that' list.

Not everyone who is opinionated is a bully. There are quite a few highly opinionated members who don't ever cross that line. I could also name them. Opinions are great! They engender discussion. I'm not offended by someone that completely disagrees with me. Each to their own.

MichaelGransnet said, about accusations of stalking and trolling,
"We didn't find any substance to these claims so we asked members to stop making them on the Talk boards."

The fact that someone feels upset, doesn't necessarily mean that anyone has caused it by doing something wrong.

I have been wondering what this thread was all about ever since it was started. All became clear to me this morning.

I agree. I think that lies at the heart of a lot of the unpleasantness on here.

Many posters don't mean to be so unkind or hurtful but forget that the person they're insulting, belittling or ganging up against mercilessly is a real person with real worries and problems. They just see them as a name on a screen and probably behave towards them in a way they wouldn't dream of doing to someone in real life.
Many of them might be shocked if they realised the distress they had caused to a complete stranger.
That's one of the reasons reporting can be a good thing. It might bring home to some posters how unacceptable it is to personally attack a stranger on the Internet.

There will of course, be those who don't care or can't see out beyond their own views and opinions but I think most people on here have more emotional intelligence than that.

I've said this before on here but everyone should consider that whoever they are replying to is a real person who has other stuff going on in their life. All this online chattery via forums and social media is pretty new and we have no idea the impact it has on people emotionally, either short term or long term.

No comment of mine was deleted. No warning given.
Was there an explanation Urms? Or just the usual 'guidelines breached' thing?

I'm not asking for the explanation, just would like to know if there was one.

Right this wont do. Who wants to start a fight

That's a lovely way of looking at things StarDreamer.

StarDreamer

Urmstongran

Galaxy that’s an astute observation. There are indeed many facets to people’s characters. Thank you for that post.
?

Like the facets of a jewel, sparkling.

Yet sometimes a jewel has a small flaw inside.

Yet sometimes that flaw can look good from some angles.

We all have flaws StarDreamer.