Gransnet forums

Chat

Diversity

(297 Posts)
Alea Sun 13-Dec-15 07:44:17

Soontobe has made a point that there should be more diversity on GN.
What do others think?
It is a tricky one because first of all GN is open to all who choose to contribute, but obviously self-selecting to a degree just by the site name and target group.
It is also hard to establish the degree of diversity among members as we retain anonymity and are under no obligation to reveal or even refer to ethnic background, religious affiliation, physical or any other disability, political inclination ( well some people are very clear on that, but not necessarily all) education, age, colour or shoe size.
So who's to say?
Does it really matter?
tchconfused

Alea Sun 13-Dec-15 12:04:17

Now I wonder which poster that might have been? shock Not that I am taking notes of course tchgrin

granjura Sun 13-Dec-15 12:01:20

Excellent post lefthanded, thank you... and welcome.

Without keeping 'dossiers' - most of us have got a good memory for some things perhaps more than others. Some of us, for all sorts of reasons, have a hugely more diverse family spread right across the globe, representing very many different ehtnic and racial groups, colours and religions. Ours certainly do, and i really don't mind if people remember this- I wouldn't have share the information otherwise.

mcem Sun 13-Dec-15 12:01:15

Agree nellie. I'd forgotten about that and can't now remember its title.
Serious snooping going on so perhaps we should have it deleted before it's used as further evidence.
As a ( relatively light-hearted) aside I just double-checked something that had stuck in my memory. 2 threads exist titled Ask a question parts 1 and 2. Both started by the inquisitive poster. A great way to elicit further information!

Nelliemoser Sun 13-Dec-15 11:51:07

Does anyone else on here now feel as I do that because of what Soontobe has said, they would quite like the photograph posts we made some time ago deleted?

It has taken one poster to make a number of us feel uncomfortable about what we have written previously.

If anyone feels the same perhaps we should contact GN to delete our pictures.

lefthanded Sun 13-Dec-15 11:21:57

At risk of re-activating an old argument discussion, I cannot help thinking that diversity will happen if the existing climate encourages it (or more realistically, does not actively discourage it). As one of the few reasonably vocal male grandparents on here, I notice how often posts make an assumption that the entire population of GN is female, and I wonder how many other other posts make assumptions that the entire population of GN is White Anglo-Saxon Protestant?

The key point is that I notice the male/female thing because it affects me, I feel excluded by it, and I am not afraid to lift my head above the parapet periodically and make a noise about it. How many other male users lurk here, read one or two (or twenty) discouraging posts, then leave with their opinions unheard? And that prompts me to ask how many posts also unintentionally similarly exclude those who are not cast in the White Anglo-Saxon Protestant mold?

We need to practice diversity and not simply pay lip-service to it, and we need to reflect that in the language that we use both in serious and light-hearted posts. On the very light-hearted "Ask A Question" thread, a recent poster asked "How many bras do you own?" while another asked "Were you ever a bridesmaid/pageboy?" showing that diverse thinking doesn't require a huge amount of effort.

Although I was never in a front-line position, like all civil servants of my era I underwent compulsory diversity training (diversity being one of the buzzwords of the decade), and the most valuable advice I took from that is that diverse-thinking is easy when you are facing your target audience - but much more difficult when you are writing. So before you post that letter or send that email (or post to a board like this), picture yourself stood on a stage addressing a crowd and read through what you are about to commit to while asking yourself if it would make sense to everyone irrespective of race, colour, creed, gender or sexual orientation.

Which is what I have just done with this.

ninathenana Sun 13-Dec-15 11:17:17

Regarding photos ethnic diversity isn't always obvious from the colour of your skin so trawling photos is pointless.
The title is diversity not ethnic diversity anyway.
I'm not happy either Alea
Oh and by the way if you want to search you will find a photo of my white hand.

Galen Sun 13-Dec-15 11:12:33

By the way, I have visited many mosques, including the one in Paris when I was about 14.

Alea Sun 13-Dec-15 11:00:07

The point about a thread to discuss Diversity did arise out of your comment.
It was your suggestion soontobe!!
What do you mean "applies to Alea too" anyway??
Posting "correctly" according to whom??

"Oh (s)he's got a little list
And there'll none of them be missed"

If this is the spirit of Gransnet, I'm out
tchangry

Galen Sun 13-Dec-15 10:59:03

Well! Soon for your elucidation.:-
I am 71, Caucasian, educated to degree level, take a 40C bra(broad back)
Take size 6 EEE shoe.
I live on my own having been widowed for 13 years.
Is there any other information you require to satisfy your unwarranted curiosity?

Anniebach Sun 13-Dec-15 10:53:21

Thought you would soon, pity that you find it impossible to at times you can be so wrong m try it, it really is easy

soontobe Sun 13-Dec-15 10:43:52

Again, some silly posts on here now[not meaning yours Luckygirl] so I am going to leave this discussion as well.

Luckygirl Sun 13-Dec-15 10:37:55

Sounds a bit daft to me - people will join as they wish.

We are under pressure from the gov to create more diversity in our village primary - what do we do? - wheel in a black man and parade him around? It is just plain daft - do they imagine that these children never watch Eastenders, or a football match, or athletics? We have a diverse society, and whilst that diversity in our area is mainly East European (there are more babes born to E European Mums in our hosp than any others) the children are exposed to that diversity via the media every day.

Elegran Sun 13-Dec-15 10:30:06

This is getting sinister. If you are claiming to be compiling dossiers on us all, soontobe you will have everyone asking GNHQ to delete their photographs and all their past posts (I am sure they could if they wanted to) and disable the search facilty completely.

Anniebach Sun 13-Dec-15 10:29:02

soon,it isn't your business or mine or anyone's to know if posters are posting correctly ,it is snooping , your obsession with a need to search makes me uncomfortable , I don't like anyone being checked , people can make mistakes , I certainly did recently , people do soon , trying accepting people as they are . Do you enjoy winding people up?

mcem Sun 13-Dec-15 10:24:26

'Evidence if people are posting correctly '!
I now have a vision of a ring-binder full of individual records with tick-boxes for status/
economic activity/ education/profession/ sexual inclination/ ethnic background oh and perhaps offspring! (Add whatever criteria you deem necessary).
You really do need to stop snooping and get out more.
It may turn out that lack of diversity or unwillingness to disclose personal details is due to this highly intrusive attitude. Perhaps you're responsible for it!

soontobe Sun 13-Dec-15 10:12:43

Post applies to Alea as well.

soontobe Sun 13-Dec-15 10:12:13

Things go in peoples' memory Ab.
So for instance, for posters to say who knows whether we are diverse or not, well when many photos have been published, in=t cant be wiped out of brains that there were not many afro carribeans among regulars.
And a whole load of other details cannot be wiped from brains either.
It is detail added upon detail on this site. Nothing to do with snooping. Just evidence if people are posting correctly.

Alea Sun 13-Dec-15 10:06:41

There is a difference between being open and sharing on a relevant thread and scouring the site to build up your dossier soontobe
It's a bit like the old police caution (from TV crime in case your records are going to show my criminal record in decades to come )tchgrin

"Something which may be used against you"

soontobe Sun 13-Dec-15 10:03:47

Nothing on the internet is here today, gone tomorrow. Unless someone removes it.

Anniebach Sun 13-Dec-15 10:03:24

soon, stop snooping please, it realy is unpleasant

soontobe Sun 13-Dec-15 10:02:33

If someone chooses to post a picture, it is there for the world to see. For possibly decades.

Alea Sun 13-Dec-15 10:01:24

Sounds like snooping to me, soontobe.
Still, whatever floats your boat, I have other plans for today including coffee, papers, present wrapping, and hunkering down on a miserable morning.
Maybe even The Archers omnibus.

annsixty Sun 13-Dec-15 09:59:06

I am very cross which is not like me at all.

annsixty Sun 13-Dec-15 09:57:38

I did hope this wasn't going to get snarky. Some hope. So I put my photograph on a thread about white hair. Well you know that about me now but I didn't realise it would go in a file to be trotted out as a point scorer. I will be more careful in. future.

soontobe Sun 13-Dec-15 09:54:14

The search facility very much needs to improve on this site. But I dont suppose it is going to happen.