Is intolerance getting worse on GN?

Well, takes all sorts to make a world, as the saying goes.

I have been on Gransnet from the beginning and I think there has been an increase in short posts, making very negative judgements on people and events, without including any reason or evidence whatsoever.
There has also been an increase in opening posts that can only be described as "goady" and set the tone for inflammatory debate from the start.
There have always been posters with strong views on left and right, but there used to be far more evidenced discussion.

Hello everyone. What happened to FGT...how would we know that someone was banned? Have I missed an announcement or something? Ps would never report someone I disagreed with- only hateful trolls/ spam.
I enjoy GN in that it's a place of textured discussion and opinion. I used to think it would be all about grans boasting about their GC- but not at all !

Agree with the OP.

We're on the same Eastenders thread and honestly, posting about a TV soap is a light hearted chatty thing to do, inoffensive and the type of thing you might chat about with a friend over a cup of coffee.

Same with the Glasto thread.

I was quite surprised to see such rudeness on both the threads.

I’m with you Kitty. 👍

I often avoid threads where I want to make a comment but know I will be bombarded with nasty comments. What happened to free speech ?

It does appear to be the rightwing posters who get banned more often, their posts obviously get reported a lot.
GN is predominantly leftwing, and I suppose users want to be surrounded by people who think the same as them.
There was a post on the Glastonbury thread from someone saying they wouldn’t listen to Rod Stewart anymore because she found out he supports Reform. That’s very extreme.
So that’s what you’re dealing with on here. It’s usually political views that get people banned ( unless You’re an out & out troll ) so most people avoid the N&P threads. I certainly avoid them as much as possible these days.

I am acutely aware of what I post now.

Having been the victim of the report button and a subsequent suspension.

Kandinsky

It does appear to be the rightwing posters who get banned more often, their posts obviously get reported a lot.
GN is predominantly leftwing, and I suppose users want to be surrounded by people who think the same as them.
There was a post on the Glastonbury thread from someone saying they wouldn’t listen to Rod Stewart anymore because she found out he supports Reform. That’s very extreme.
So that’s what you’re dealing with on here. It’s usually political views that get people banned ( unless You’re an out & out troll ) so most people avoid the N&P threads. I certainly avoid them as much as possible these days.

Thank you for your post, I agree with you. It does feel predominantly left wing and as a Reform supporter it does feel that expressing my support is inviting brickbats. Yet Reform are gaining support countrywide.

There were certainly a lot of posters banned/removed/excluded - call it what you like - from GN about a year ago, and we all had to change our names and beg to return. I would have hoped that period was long gone, but it still appears there is still someone sneakily out there trying to exclude people they don't like.
I'm very careful. Even a bit of humour or a daft quip can get purposely misinterpreted or twisted, so sadly I'm not surprised that on the political thread reporting probably happens frequently.

Mamie

I have been on Gransnet from the beginning and I think there has been an increase in short posts, making very negative judgements on people and events, without including any reason or evidence whatsoever.
There has also been an increase in opening posts that can only be described as "goady" and set the tone for inflammatory debate from the start.
There have always been posters with strong views on left and right, but there used to be far more evidenced discussion.

Good post that sums up my feelings as well. I avoid the posts that are ‘goady’ from the start.
We all have different opinions, ways of living and experiences of life in general. This is the make up of society and ever will be.
I enjoy an evidence based discussion, but some posts are opinions presented as facts and then the discussion can become fractious.

I would like there to be a requirement to say you will report a post openly on the thread, which is what I always do when I report, but Gransnet mods don’t favour that approach, they have explained on a previous discussion.
I know of a number of posters on the left who have been suspended or banned too, and I think it’s quite misguided to imply that it’s peoples political beliefs that result in that happening. You’re banned if you cross the line as far as the mods are concerned, and I don’t believe them to be politically biased at all - it’s clear in the rules what is unacceptable.

If you disagree with their leftie dogma they press that report button

No they don't.

Some "leftie types" are heart sick of the way things are going. The lack of any shred of humanity from people, the hatred, the racism. " Othering " of anybody who doesn't look or sound like themselves. Some of the posts about Southport were terrible.Any kindness is met with an accusation of " virtue signaling"
There is a huge and growing gap between those who have and those who will never have.

lafergar 👏👏👏

Never be rude, everyone entitled to their say without being offensive.

The lack of any shred of humanity from people, the hatred, the racism. " Othering " of anybody who doesn't look or sound like themselves

But this could apply to left wingers view of Reform voters.
But left wingers never see that.

Part of my op was about the fact that these were very light hearted threads - not politics! As someone said upthread - the sort of thing you talk about with friends over coffee.

And, on the same point- we never used to have to label threads as 'Light hearted'.

The Glastonbury thread was always likely to stray into politics though, given the events this year. The first political reference on the thread wasn't about Rod Stewart, it was about Bob Vylan, and as so often, one thing leads to another. I think it’s unavoidable.

As FGT was always polite I fail to see how she broke guidelines unless we are not allowed to express legitimate views.

May be she slipped up once?
And that was enough?

"Never be rude, everyone is entitled to their say"

FGT was never rude from what I read as to the responses to her posts, she took a considerable amount of flack, I occasionally saw her type "ouch" to one particularly vitriolic personal remark. Most people don't have hides like a rhino. She took such nasty comments with a certain amount of good grace imo and didn't respond in kind. I know it's been said umpteen times before, but I think its regretable we're missing, hopefully temporarily, one of GNs popular characters.

^
If one feels passionately about politics as many of us do, I honestly don't think that there are times we can "Agree to Disagree".^

People ought to be able to do that. As a minimum.

FGT2 is able to read GN threads but no post at the moment

I respect her views, if everyone just agreed with the current train of thought, we would just become a nation of sheeple.

The one thing which I think has diminished since I have been here is respect for other posters.

I agree kittylester

Even a thread about trousers had to have 'light hearted' after it!

I have never reported anyone except spam

It’s up to Rod who he votes for, is he shouting ‘vote reform’, from the rooftop's, No! It doesn’t affect his music in any way, shape, or form.
Unlike that bloody idiot, shouting death to IDF, I turned my tv off.
How can you he shout something like that & get away it?

I absolutely hate heavy metal/rock/punk but I wouldn't tell someone not to like it just because I don't!

There are so many people out there determined to control everyone else's lives because they don't have it in them to control their own!

Ignore the haters! If you want a jacket spud with cheese and beans, go for it!

If you want to support a particular political or religious group, do it!

By responding to the haters you're giving them fire to fire back at you, by totally ignoring them they have no power!

I recall a few people being put, was it in the doghouse? all at a similar time, can’t recall what it was for, they returned.