Posters ready to disrupt

Some posters deliberately start posts with the intention to disrupt, by using phrases that they know others will respond badly to. Lots of posters have strong opinions about anything you could think of, but cross words are always exchanged when the gauntlet is thrown down from the outset. I’ve never understood why it’s necessary.

Caleo

I did.
The morning after the Referendum I was out for a dog walk and a friendly other dog walking woman came along and said"How are you?" I replied "I feel depressed about the Referendum result".

She accompanied me round the park explaining how the result was good for us all.

How did you feel about that? Even more depressed?

I do think there are posters who can be bullying and pile on to an individual poster who can get upset or sadly leave the discussion. I have personally been in this position but am still standing.
Others can try to make light of this or insist it doesn’t happen but from my own experience and that of those who have PM’d me I know it is happening.
I remember starting a thread about the economy and the first few posters who replied had a chat between themselves about how the thread was a waste of time and so wouldn’t garner much interest.
The thread actually ran on and on for some time.
This habit with some cliquey posters having little ‘chats’ on a thread to the exclusion of others and often dismissing the subject matter is not uncommon.

windmill1

Voltaire: "I disaprove of what you say but I will defend to the death your right to say it."

No censorship, if you please.

Seriously?

I don't know where you are, Windmill, but in UK speech censorship has the full backing of the law. We do NOT have the "right" to incite hatred, racism, violence etc on Gransnet
(or anywhere public) .

Usually it’s us on the right that get called names I find. Racist for example, or far right, which is not the case.

Casdon

Some posters deliberately start posts with the intention to disrupt, by using phrases that they know others will respond badly to. Lots of posters have strong opinions about anything you could think of, but cross words are always exchanged when the gauntlet is thrown down from the outset. I’ve never understood why it’s necessary.

It's different perceptions, though, Casdon.

A poster may start a thread about something they saw on the news or read in the Daily Telegraph in good faith, thinking it is of interest, and that sometimes enrages other posters with a different viewpoint.
(Heaven forbid anyone should quote from the Daily Mail! 😲)

It's not throwing down a gauntlet because those who are enraged could well start a thread about something which others might not agree with.

Sensible discussion goes out of the window.

Some retreat, thinking, oh well, it's only an online forum with people I don't know and I really cbb to give my viewpoint again because some are intransigent or think they occupy the moral high ground.

But that is just their own perception too.

butterandjam

windmill1

Voltaire: "I disaprove of what you say but I will defend to the death your right to say it."

No censorship, if you please.

Seriously?

I don't know where you are, Windmill, but in UK speech censorship has the full backing of the law. We do NOT have the "right" to incite hatred, racism, violence etc on Gransnet
(or anywhere public) .

Abd that is why we have guidelines.

25Avalon

I have met many people these days who openly state and believe that if enough people believe something it becomes a fact.

Blame Terry Pratchett, he had that theory in Small Gods 🤣

Allira

Casdon

Some posters deliberately start posts with the intention to disrupt, by using phrases that they know others will respond badly to. Lots of posters have strong opinions about anything you could think of, but cross words are always exchanged when the gauntlet is thrown down from the outset. I’ve never understood why it’s necessary.

It's different perceptions, though, Casdon.

A poster may start a thread about something they saw on the news or read in the Daily Telegraph in good faith, thinking it is of interest, and that sometimes enrages other posters with a different viewpoint.
(Heaven forbid anyone should quote from the Daily Mail! 😲)

It's not throwing down a gauntlet because those who are enraged could well start a thread about something which others might not agree with.

Sensible discussion goes out of the window.

Some retreat, thinking, oh well, it's only an online forum with people I don't know and I really cbb to give my viewpoint again because some are intransigent or think they occupy the moral high ground.

But that is just their own perception too.

I don’t believe that those regular posters who start threads with extremely similar titles to others that have sparked controversy, or who post trigger phrases that have been used before don’t know exactly what they are doing Allira. New posters, maybe, but not those who know how News and Politics threads go. Call me cynical.

Forums regularly have these kind of threads where posters get their pet peeves off their chests 😁

When I read through those guidelines - there was nothing on there that could be interpreted as "I can ask Gransnet to censor something because it's the opposite point of view to mine".

They would cover the things they should cover - ie spam, someone urging cruel treatment to children and animals and the like, etc. They cover what they need to cover imo - but they don't cover "I'll whack Mrs X's post of the board - because I don't agree with her and/or don't like her". As that's just personal opinion and so fair enough for Mrs X to put it up. But I certainly have noticed people misusing the reporting facility just because they personally don't like what someone else said or the language they used to say it. As in "What the heck is wrong with putting inverted commas round a word?" Mrs Y doesnt like it PERSONALLY and has no right to complain about someone just using language she doesn't like - because that's just her personal opinion. Leaving the rest of us with a different opinion to the troublemaker trying to think of all sorts of convoluted ways of saying the same thing without Mrs Y going off on one personally.

How many times have you been told CariadAgain by various posters that GN moderation is nothing to do with posters having different opinions or not liking each other.
A poster can report any post at all but nothing will be deleted unless it breaks guidelines and only moderators will decide on it.If you doubt this then contact them to ask.

It’s very sad that a lot of us are self censoring for fear of retribution.

Lyndie

It’s very sad that a lot of us are self censoring for fear of retribution.

Agreed.

Casdon

Allira

Casdon

Some posters deliberately start posts with the intention to disrupt, by using phrases that they know others will respond badly to. Lots of posters have strong opinions about anything you could think of, but cross words are always exchanged when the gauntlet is thrown down from the outset. I’ve never understood why it’s necessary.

It's different perceptions, though, Casdon.

A poster may start a thread about something they saw on the news or read in the Daily Telegraph in good faith, thinking it is of interest, and that sometimes enrages other posters with a different viewpoint.
(Heaven forbid anyone should quote from the Daily Mail! 😲)

It's not throwing down a gauntlet because those who are enraged could well start a thread about something which others might not agree with.

Sensible discussion goes out of the window.

Some retreat, thinking, oh well, it's only an online forum with people I don't know and I really cbb to give my viewpoint again because some are intransigent or think they occupy the moral high ground.

But that is just their own perception too.

I don’t believe that those regular posters who start threads with extremely similar titles to others that have sparked controversy, or who post trigger phrases that have been used before don’t know exactly what they are doing Allira. New posters, maybe, but not those who know how News and Politics threads go. Call me cynical.

Go and sit in Cynics' Corner, Casdon 😁

Are you referring to those with who might support Farage by any chance? I'm not one of them but I understand that he is rather popular.

If those who dislike him and his politics didn't rise to what is termed the bait every time, there wouldn't be such controversy.

However, we'd then just be a bland forum full of 'yes' people, patting each other on the back.

But I certainly have noticed people misusing the reporting facility just because they personally don't like what someone else said or the language they used to say it.

We don't notice that there must have been reports about a post if the post is not deleted. If you know something we don't, then how?
If it is deleted because it is against GN guidelines, potentially libellous, a personal attack, hate speech, racist etc.

Almost makes me wish I'd written down posts I put up that defo were not libellous or a personal attack or hate speech or racist etc - and yet still some have been removed. They were well within the guidelines - and yet removed. Most odd....

Allira

Casdon

Allira

Casdon

Some posters deliberately start posts with the intention to disrupt, by using phrases that they know others will respond badly to. Lots of posters have strong opinions about anything you could think of, but cross words are always exchanged when the gauntlet is thrown down from the outset. I’ve never understood why it’s necessary.

It's different perceptions, though, Casdon.

A poster may start a thread about something they saw on the news or read in the Daily Telegraph in good faith, thinking it is of interest, and that sometimes enrages other posters with a different viewpoint.
(Heaven forbid anyone should quote from the Daily Mail! 😲)

It's not throwing down a gauntlet because those who are enraged could well start a thread about something which others might not agree with.

Sensible discussion goes out of the window.

Some retreat, thinking, oh well, it's only an online forum with people I don't know and I really cbb to give my viewpoint again because some are intransigent or think they occupy the moral high ground.

But that is just their own perception too.

I don’t believe that those regular posters who start threads with extremely similar titles to others that have sparked controversy, or who post trigger phrases that have been used before don’t know exactly what they are doing Allira. New posters, maybe, but not those who know how News and Politics threads go. Call me cynical.

Go and sit in Cynics' Corner, Casdon 😁

Are you referring to those with who might support Farage by any chance? I'm not one of them but I understand that he is rather popular.

If those who dislike him and his politics didn't rise to what is termed the bait every time, there wouldn't be such controversy.

However, we'd then just be a bland forum full of 'yes' people, patting each other on the back.

No, I’m talking about anybody who starts threads in a similar inflammatory vein on a regular basis. I don’t think it’s a political thing, it’s just some — stirrers who like to get the pot boiling. If we are to raise the game, and talk about issues like adults, we need to stop those threads escalating.

Casdon I've seen those and tbh just ignore them now but recently there seem to be less of them.
CariadAgain I've only had one post deleted and I'm pretty confident it didn't break the guidelines as I'm really careful, but it must have rattled someone enough for them to ask for it to be deleted. WWM was deleted shortly after for a similar comment, banned and then reinstated. Make of it what you will but it makes no sense to me. I now look at deletions in a very different way, previously I'd assumed someone had made an unpleasant comment that broke the guidelines, now I wonder who reported it!

If I start a thread, (only occasionally), I'm certainly not bothered how many people are going to join in, or even whether it is viewed as too light-hearted by some.

And if a poster wants to have a little chat, that's fine too, I don't belong to a clique. And I've never excluded anyone.

Does anyone post in a deliberate manner? I don't think so. And different posters latch on to different things. So starting a thread can go either way. It might look contrived to some, but that's pure chance and not intentional.

foxie48 posters can’t decide what’s to be deleted, all they can do is ask the moderators to look at the post.
GN HQ always decide.
You or wwm2 may not think your post broke guidelines but the moderators thought otherwise.

I had a post deleted once, I was right but I understood completely why it was deleted, and didn't blame them in the slightest. I managed to survive.

escaped

If I start a thread, (only occasionally), I'm certainly not bothered how many people are going to join in, or even whether it is viewed as too light-hearted by some.

And if a poster wants to have a little chat, that's fine too, I don't belong to a clique. And I've never excluded anyone.

Does anyone post in a deliberate manner? I don't think so. And different posters latch on to different things. So starting a thread can go either way. It might look contrived to some, but that's pure chance and not intentional.

I have to agree, and wonder where all these deliberate threads are?
Surely threads are started because something’s in the news, a topical subject generally or just something the OP is interested in. Nobody has to comment on a thread if they’d rather not.

Galaxy

I had a post deleted once, I was right but I understood completely why it was deleted, and didn't blame them in the slightest. I managed to survive.

Same here.

Isn’t the issue about a lack of consistency, which cannot be blamed on GNHQ. Some people are trigger happy reporters, some don’t report even the most gross rule breakers, which results in some pretty innocuous, just outside the guidelines, posts being deleted, while other, much stronger, remain visible.