'Unspoken' forum rules?

Day6, I agree they are deeply committed to their cause but so are others who disagree with them, yet I do at times ponder if it is deep commitment or the enjoyment of schoolground ganging up.

Shorty after I joined this forum I received a PM from someone , hadn't exchanged posts or even read their name on any thread, she said I was to blame that she had to leave the country when Blair won the election , this really did amuse me , never seen the name since ?

Jamison calling the bullying issue was not being 'unkind' it was holding the mirror up to unkind behaviour that was being indulged / supported by others. Sometimes someone needs to say 'This isn't acceptable.' The very fact that others supported it made it worse.

I don't mind a bit of argy bargy, have grown my GN 'skin' and can navigate my way to avoiding (for the most part) discussions and people I don't want to engage with. I feel I have had to 'harden up.'

I'm not suggesting that GN becomes some kind of anodyne, homogenous, greying mouthpiece where everyone is so very nice we have nothing of substance or value to discuss. But there is a balance and a very easily identifiable difference between 'clever wit' and side-swiping / plain nastiness.

Interesting - but not surprising to me and I really don't know why others are surprised - that several posters on this thread have illustrated that there is some anxiety about posting for many 'newbies' because of perceived cliques / 'blunt' responses.

That's my point imp, I think it was being unkind, and in my
Opinion unacceptable and unnecessary, the original post was sending good wishes to an old friend, on her birthday.

I'm a bit bemused by all this. On GN, as in every area of life, and every corner of the internet, there are good and bad, fascinating and boring, bossy and sensitive. I've been around for 5 years now, but I've never come across a clique, and certainly I've never been invited to join one. I've had a couple of spats, and there are a couple of posters I don't much care for, but how is this different to real life? I've even taken my bat home for a week or so when someone's ruffled my feathers, but seeing as noone's noticed and I've missed all the fun, I've come back! I don't expect an answer to every post I make - in fact I've killed a lot of threads stone dead. This forum is a purring pussycat compared to some out there. Mumsnet, anyone? The TES forum for those of you working in Education? And as for the oldies being mean to the newbies, well! I think I was advised to leave the country by a newish poster the other day, let alone the thread. Water off a duck's back. At the end of the day, I'll be helpful when I can, I enjoy a bit of banter, I've learnt a few things, I'm not intentionally mean to anyone. Like the vast majority of people on here, probably.

Oh, the PM thing. I might be the person who brought this up on another thread. My sole point was that discussing other posters via PM is talking behind their backs. Because it is.

Jamison- If you read all of my posts on that thread, I did apologise for hijacking it as I can see that my own and other's posts didn't belong in that particular place. For that I was - and am sorry. I also said some positive things about Jings. I am not into character demolition. And I do see that Jings is a 'bundle of contradictions.' - kind and deeply compassionate on the one hand, apparently unable to reign herself in in other ways.

I have been troubled because it is not in my nature to seek to cause pain and knowing that I have weighs on me. But I also stand by every word.

Ironic that I should be someone that bears such things conscientiously when there are many who can say something cutting / deliberately unkind without, it seems, missing a heartbeat.

For obvious reasons, I hoped we wouldn't have a repeat of the Jings debate on this thread. I wanted to facilitate some open reflection - I am endeavouring to be open too.

Please no more JBF let her sycophants stick to their own thread.

Good post Maggiemaybe

Says it all really.

I wanted to facilitate some open reflection

I think you have done Imperfect and you have expressed your reasons for doing so very well.

It's been an interesting thread. I get the feeling from this other posts of yours that your intentions are good. It's been a robust discussion and that's a good thing imo .

My feeling is that as 'opposition' (because it's about politics grin) I won't be hounded off and I go back but know I am completely outnumbered and merely a voice in the wilderness over there. The politics board should really be renamed "Left Wing Views" because the regular posters of that persuasion hold court and gather like vultures to peck at posters with thoughts not in keeping with theirs. I jbow what to expect if I post.

My feeling too, day6.

The allegations about "clique"s still puzzle me . I do not understand how they can be made.

I am of a certain political and religious persuasion which many posters should have been able to work out from the posts I have made over the last five years, (if they "could BA" to have read them.)

I am quite sure a number of other posters will share the same views I express in my posts about certain issues.

It is highly likely that x% of Gnrs will disagree with my views and probably highly probable that y% of my views will agree. That is how life works.

Just because two or three or more people happen to share very similar views it really does not mean they are a clique. I have never quite understood this "accusation" as it appears to be.
I have met a few other GNrs in person on meet up and that is about all. Actually discussing serious matters is just about the last thing that gets aired at a meet up.
Gnrs are scattered right across the country.

True Baggs, some days I feel battered and bruised . But I suppose in fairness to the far left group one did say if a poster criticised a certain politician that poster can expected to be attacked personally , so it was a warning

Just seen Baggs post. Regarding political debate that is the main thread that leads to a lot of anger on here.

If you don't like the heat stay out of the kitchen.

Not Soops kitchen I hasten to add.

As someone who is seen by certain posters as being "far left" I do think this idea that we somehow 'rule' on GN and are dismissive of others really amusing. Personally I post about things I care about and things I see as unacceptable sometimes, other times I post advice I hope will be helpful and occasionally I join in a joke. If people don't like or disagree with my ideas they are free to argue the point. One of the things I find completely amazing is the way people remember who said what and when. GN is just a way of passing a bit of time, it isn't important enough for me to memorise all the details. What I do find difficult is the way some posters keep posting the same things over and over again regardless of what is being discussed, as if they think if you say something enough times it will become true.

I lurked for several months about 4 or 5 years ago, reading gransnet and reading mums net. I decided I was too old and staid for mums net and too left wing for gransnet. That seems to have shifted to me. I sometimes feel too right wing for gransnet (joking ).
I wonder if the austerity approach has led to left leaning posters feeling increasingly angry. I also wonder if its becoming more difficult for right leaning posters to insist that the austerity agenda is the only way our country can become stronger.

I've never been much persuaded by the suggestion gransnet is dominated by cliques. I do find the sniping between a few regulars a little tedious because it can dominate and de rail otherwise interesting political discussions but really that's up to all of us isn't it.

I don't get angry about politics but I think that's seen as a failing by some . I do get the impression that some (just a small few) who post mainly on politics threads are permanently angry about politics and proud to be so. I'm not sure I could keep that up even if I wanted to. Too stressful and too much stress isn't good for one's health.

I like GN as a bit of light relief from my difficult life just now. I have gained the impression since I have joined that there are some frequent posters who know each other quite well and it can appear cliquey and intimidating at times. I am interested in the political threads but rarely post as others seem to have more in depth knowledge than me, but unlike others on here I have not felt that left wingers dominate, but that right wingers can be equally acerbic. I suppose it depends which side of the argument you are coming from. On other threads I have received a lot of information and support for which I am very grateful. My memory isn't good enough to keep track of who's who or what they believe/stand for, don't know how some of you do it!

So pleased you said that last bit Lazigirl that goes for me too I can’t remember who’s who especially if there’s name changes Not too clever at remembering who said what especially from past threads

"Jane10
Like Imperfect perhaps? Whether or not she realises it!
That was in response to Cherryhatrick's post"

No Jane, I was not referring to Imperfect.

It does seem that those of a right wing persuasion can only post about how awful the left wing posters are and how they dominate the threads. Yet it is they who constantly repost each others words and post words of approval for others comments.
As for Baggs assertion that she doesn't get angry about politics maybe she doesn't, but reposting something like The politics board should really be renamed "Left Wing Views" because the regular posters of that persuasion hold court and gather like vultures to peck at posters with thoughts not in keeping with theirs. sounds pretty angry and personal to me.
As for the business of cliques I really don't understand this. How can there be cliques? And any way I agree with Groucho Marx- I wouldn't want to belong to any club that would accept me as a member!

Ah, Marx! He has a lot to answer for.?

It may sound angry but it isn't, not from me anyway. It was someone else's post that I felt an affinity with. I have often felt pecked at in a nasty way on political threads. I thought that comment expressed how I've often felt when I felt I was being attacked personally.

My feelings might have been quite off course but that's what they have sometimes been and that comment about vultures struck a note that I recognised. Nothing angry about admitting that. Just an understanding. something expressed by someone else, a recognition of a feeling.

I agree Baggs perhaps henpecked is more apt.

Does anyone else whose results on those political quadrant quiz things always put them in a left quadrant sometimes get the feeling that others regard them as right-wing? Just asking out of curiosity.

It'd be interesting to hear if people who do regard themselves as a little or a lot right-wing ever feel they have been assessed on GN as left-wing too.

I think there are very few really right-wing people posting on GN, if any, depending on one's definition of "really right-wing".

Generally those of us who enjoy his work and words refer to him as Groucho Don't want to get confused do we?

I think it is very sad the way the political discussions have been taken over by a group of left leaning posters who brook no opposition.

I enjoy political discussion and when I first joined such threads attracted posts from GN members from every side of the political spectrum and while discussion got heated at time we all respected other people's views.

The change occurred after the 2015 election.