To object to inane 'banter' on serious threads?

"Apart from that, Mrs. Lincoln, what did you think of the play?"

Some people's immediate response to certain events/statements/arguments is to say something lighthearted. The evening I heard of Kennedy's assassination someone came up to me and asked me what I thought. I said "Apart from that Mrs. Kennedy, how did you like Dallas?" He was shocked; I was unrepentant. It was my way of dealing with it, and I dare say I was as appalled by the actual event as he was.

As far as I can recall, I have never interjected in the way Greatnan objects to on a Gransnet thread, but I would defend anyone else's right to do so.

As they sang as they worked on the body bags in the Hopital Salpetriere (I'm not going to risk inserting accents on the Gransnet system) in Paris: "Zip up de Dodi, zip up de Di!"

I am surprised to learn that so many people consider "inane banter" humorous.

Well, jingle, it seems you are allowed to dictate who can post, and what and when a post should be, but you object to my suggestion that some sensitivity should be displayed when dealing with serious or tragic subjects. I see you still have your sense of irony!
I don't think Frank minds if we have a bit of fun at his expense, or he wouldn't keep posting.

I have mixed feelings about such interruptions, greatnan. Some of the "inane banter" comments are simply baffling. Those ones I try to just skip over, but sometimes I trip over them instead, and that is a bit annoying, yes. So I don't think you are being unreasonable. I'm not sure anything can be done about it though other than trying to develop a coping mechanism (ignoring) since so many posters don't seem to like the suggestion that inanity can be irritating to posters who want a deep discussion.

Sometimes the inanity is genuinely funny!

Sometimes it seems very stupid from my point of view.

And sometimes I think it is thrown in as a wooden spoon device.

What I try to do is just think "Eh?" and move on, but sometimes I have to bite my tongue.

Oh-oh! The Triumvirate of Evil strikes again!

Bags, that is a very sensible attitude and I will adopt it in future.
So everyone can prattle away and I will ignore it but it does tend to make it difficult to follow a thread.

And then you may get complaints from posters who feel (possibly justifiably!) that they are being ignored! In short, you can't win; just let it flow round you

I am off to take Gatsby for her short walk, but no doubt we will return to our moutons!

'The Triumvirate of Evil' strikes again!

They go by many names!

Bags That's very naughty

Evil IS naughty!

Sometimes posters DON'T READ THE THREAD or the OP and just pick up on something in the latest posts so I don't think they are being deliberately flippant about the original discussion. Or maybe they are.

I think you are right Lilygran

Naughty!? Moi!? As if!!

Oh Dear!

flower, don't forget to read the s.

Teasetastic!

My opinion is that inane banter on a serious thread is, well, inane (and generally not very funny either).

Surely it depends on one's definition of 'inane'?

Is there a rule about it?

By 'definition of inane' I mean, of course, in relation to the banter. I don't need a referral to the OED!

Ana

Ana

But, who decides?

I am quite sure that most members are perfectly capable of knowing when a post is adding something positive to a debate.

It would be nice if those who love humour would do as I do - find some joke sites and put them onto Just Jokes. With a few honourable exceptions, I seem to be doing all the work! And there's me, with no sense of humour!

I think, as well, it's really important for people to say sorry if they feel they've misjudged the tone of the thread rather than go on the defensive [especially important with us not having an edit facility; something that still concerns me about gransnet as I sometimes question why we can't have one?]