Reluctant to join the discussion.

Why's it a cheap jibe, Firecracker? UKIP have often said things, which many people find offensive. There's nothing wrong with standing up for one's own values. Relying on people to keep quiet is how autocrats succeed.

Oh, well that's people told then daphnedill!

Don't bother venturing on to the political threads unless you have 'a certain amount of knowledge'!

^ Frankly, I don't want to read dumbed down politics or opinions based on little more than myth or prejudice.^

But there seems to be a market for it.
Off to start a thread, under the gransnet cafe.

I understand totally where you're coming from Morethan and totally agree with the points you made.

As is mine dd if they are troublesome.
This truce as you call it, may not last long, but if posters are willing to give it a go ( from the start) it stands a chance.
There will be new posters coming to the forum who see the whole tone of discussions and will mainly fit in, and others who may be rude and unpleasant from the outset, but if the posters already here do their best to keep things civil, it may work.
There will always be a few posters determined to go back to the sneery way of doing things, but hopefully they will stand out like sore thumbs.

Why wouldn't people want to discuss with people who have a certain 'amount of knowledge'? If I were interested in dog breeding or flower arranging (I'm not), I would hope that posters would have also have a certain amount of knowledge and know what they're talking about.

The truce won't last long if certain posters keep trying to tell people how to post.

Excellent Ankers. Hope they serve good coffee!

I guess its the way its discussed or knowledge shared sometimes Daphnedill we all communicate differently and the style ( in general) of the political boards isn't my style.

I'm afraid daphnedil that your posts on here are showing exactly why the OP started this thread .....Some posters will have more political knowledge than others it's true, and you may enjoy reading their posts, any you don't enjoy can be ignored surely?
Opinions are what makes forums tick, but don't have to be presented dressed up with
Sources, links etc unless we want to.There is room for all.

rosearered I agree with you entirely but can't see anything changing.

Very true Roses, and the elitism of those suggesting that only those who spend more time keeping up with politics should post is quite disgusting, not to mention the fact that some have distinctly inflated views of their own expertise IMHO.

Everyone has a right to a view, and if anyone considers it is based on misinformation, then those who believe themselves better informed should provide alternative information, while acknowledging that their source too may be challenged for its reliability.

I did post on political threads quite a bit, but I completely understand the view of the OP and particularly those comments on here expressed by thatbags and MargaretX, I don't always have the time and sometimes not always the knowledge and I retreat from the vitrolic type of poster who will respond with well "if you just read my link" I don't have time, also I want to know what I'm reading is unbiased so a certain amount of googling needs to be done to find out about the source. I scan the political threads and if certain posters are on there I keep away imo they are just a battleground and I can't be bothered having spats with people I've never met and not likely to.

Oh dear! The truce seems to be crumbling.

Why should people have a certain a mount of knowledge before joining a discussion? People have opinions so they should post thrm if they wish

Anyway, knowledge from googling everything isn't really knowledge , if one had the knowledge there would be no need to google surely?

Oh dear! Oh dear! Another one having a go at me! Annie I really don't spend my whole life Googling (you've had a dig at me about that before!) My knowledge comes from all sorts of sources, but the internet is a wonderful resource for checking facts and statistics. I am quite ashamed at my lack of knowledge in thousands of different areas, but I don't pretend to have informed opinions on them.

The heading of this area is 'News and Politics' for goodness' sake! It's hardly surprising that people with an interest in news and politics should gravitate here. It's hardly surprising, either, that people interested in news and politics should spend some time reading up about their interests.

Now then! About this truce?

Why should people have a certain a mount of knowledge before joining a discussion? People have opinions so they should post thrm if they wish

Spot on!
It's since the referendum that these elitist suggestions that some are too 'uneducated' to have a right to a view has become mainstream. Prior to that people who held such extreme views were presumably keeping schtum about it.

You know all about extreme mair

Who said anybody doesn't have a right to a view?

Just don't expect it to go unchallenged, if it's based on myths, falsehoods or prejudice. We live in a democracy.

You have mentioned 'the truce' in three or four posts at least now daphnedil actually it was simply a suggestion from me that the political threads would be better without constant sniping.A lot of posters seem to agree.

It's all about the way that things are challenged ( obviously.)

I think taking offence at or making negative comments (being excessively picky) about someone's phraseology is one of the things that makes things "go wrong" on these threads. A lot of people have been trying recently to get to Europe in boats on the Mediterranean Sea so referring to them as boat people is perfectly in order, just as it was with Vietnamese refugees back in the eighties. It's a descriptive and easily comprehensible phrase.

To no-one in particular.... just saying.

That I am quite happy for my distinct lack of knowledge on all things political political views to be challenged. But I stand by my right to have my say. Go ahead and ignore me (i'm used to it) or even shoot me down (fairly used to that too) But don't tell me I have no right to post on a particular thread.

I didn't challenge it thatbags but I did find it offensive (my personal view). It has 'dog whistle' undertones.

As others have stated, I'm entitled to my personal view.

I agree with the poster who says the political threads would be better without constant sniping.