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'Unspoken' forum rules?

(275 Posts)
Imperfect27 Sun 08-Oct-17 16:06:16

To my mind, this, like any other public forum is a 'free space' for us all. I have posted over many years, on many different forums, but never before encountered what seems to be an applied undercurrent of 'pecking order' based on longevity of membership. Maybe this is peculiar to GN. I truly do not know, but I am not imagining it. These seem to be the unspoken rules that SOME want GN to run by:

Long established posters may exercise the right to post sharp comments without apology or explanation.

Newbies must forgive this, but not respond (most likely because they 'don't know the back story to that poster's life.' )

Newbies should not have the audacity to suggest that someone may be out of order.

If Newbies want to disagree with established users, they are making 'accusations' and must provide evidence for any points raised.

PM - ing anyone is 'talking behind someone's back.'

If a newbie writes frankly and openly - in a polite way, they are still 'overstepping the (hidden) mark and it is ok for someone more established to take them to task about it.

Gransnet should be understood as a 'club' and new members should not comment on how it operates. If they do they can expect to be put in their place.

I am not being fascetious here. I genuinely want us to chew this over. These are the messages that I think do SOMETIMES get sent out. Is this what other people believe to be the case?

loopyloo Mon 09-Oct-17 13:07:46

Do not think there are unwritten rules but just a sense of self preservation. I love watching some of the exchanges but they are braver than I would be. Agree that the far left dominate.

devongirl Mon 09-Oct-17 13:01:06

Sorry but I don't get that?

Anniebach Mon 09-Oct-17 12:46:30

So true lemon ?

lemongrove Mon 09-Oct-17 12:42:13

Anniebach what’s the saying, ‘it’s a wise child that knows it’s own Father’?

lemongrove Mon 09-Oct-17 12:40:15

I think that what Tom Gransnet says is obvious, we don’t have threads about actual threads and arguments about them.We can generalise and say we don’t much care for the politics pages for whatever reasons, or think that there shouldn’t be too many games, or cliques etc.
This isn’t a thread for the interrogation of posters as to why they think or say what they do, but the OP started it wondering about any ‘unwritten rules’ which really there aren’t any, just GN guidelines.

Maggiemaybe Mon 09-Oct-17 12:39:24

Ssh, you lot, Tom's listening! wink

I liked Mo Mowlam.

Anniebach Mon 09-Oct-17 12:33:19

Pity Corbyn hadn't attended the Friends of Israel fringe at the conference, why did he refuse .

Some may find this amusing, at one labour conference we had our usual Welsh night, Mo Mowlam came in to cries of English out, she said - prove I haven't Welsh blood , caused much laughter.

Anniebach Mon 09-Oct-17 12:25:50

I am uncomfortable with some on the far left going on and on about people who have wealth, I am not including tax dodgers, when that awful tower fire happened the first demand was to take over empty houses from the owners, no matter the costs of converting a luxury house into flats or the time it would take, it was just let's get those houses. There is a thread of envy running through much and I don't like it. Envy is nasty. Many people have comfortable lives because they have worked damn hard. I live in a council bungalow, my four siblings own their homes, I have worked hard too but being a widow it meant one wage for a part time job, they had two wages in full time jobs, it's the way the world wags . I never expected or thought of having their life styles , we don't have the same life experiences

The attacks on Branson for living abroad, who wouldn't choose to live in a warm climate , but how many people does he employ .

trisher Mon 09-Oct-17 12:25:47

Oh don't bring up anti-semitism again
For anyone who doubts Corbyn's commitment listen and understand, this isn't one generation it is many and we are committed to equality and anti-racism.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Qj-wtH5CBc

TerriBull Mon 09-Oct-17 12:19:32

Much of what you say Day6 resonates with me, I'm not happy with certain Tory policies, they appear to be making a pig's ear in rolling out Universal Credit. However when I casted my vote it was more a question of damage limitation, I have these discussions with one of my sons who is an avid JC supporter, but like most of his peers late twenties, they have no knowledge of how bad things became in the 1970s, it didn't come much worse than people unable to bury their loved ones.

I know this has been brought up adinfinitum, but extreme socialism never ends up helping the poorest, whilst the upper echelons of socialist hierarchies do very well out of it. The thing that repulses me the most about JC and his cohorts, behind his benovlence he doesn't appear to be taking on the bullyboys is there a Tory equivalent of John McDonnell who said to deposed MP, Esther McVey "you are a stain on humanity and should be lynched???" just one example, then of course there is the ongoing denial of the anti semitism, all this from so called progressive politics, which on the contrary seems completely regressive.

Marydoll Mon 09-Oct-17 12:19:19

Tom You would be a brave man to venture into the Argy. grin

trisher Mon 09-Oct-17 12:12:42

Day6 Deeds speak louder than words. Try more people on zero hours contracts i.e unlovable wages than ever before. More people using foodbanks. More debt. More homeless. Just because they say it doesn't make it true you know. Would post a few links but out to lunch!

trisher Mon 09-Oct-17 12:09:54

nina that's more thread about thread stuff shock and anyway he wouldn't stand a chance. I've looked in the cafe. The remains of the blokes who visited are still on display!

ninathenana Mon 09-Oct-17 11:51:18

Proof read nina angry

ninathenana Mon 09-Oct-17 11:50:39

Tom welcome from meArgey

Maybe pop over to the Argey for a pint and a little light relief. Sounds lije you need it smile

Day6 Mon 09-Oct-17 11:48:56

If there is one shred of evidence that this Conservative government have in any way provided a fair deal for ALL, workers and weaker or disadvantaged members of society, not just certain sections of society and I feel that party is the one best trying within sensible perimeters to do this and not bankrupt the country or tax to death workers or penalise those ordinary people striving to get on in life.*
please post it.*

Gawd trisher - that sounds like a homework assignment.

There aren't enough hours in the day for me to read and send links...nor do I feel inclined to do so because...well for one thing, I am just not that intense!

I like current affairs and have an interest in politics but that is just one of many interests and pastimes which require my time and efforts.

Here - a brief overview for you from the PM herself. grin

Quite a lot in here helping the poor and disadvantaged.

"For whenever we are tested as a nation, this (Conservative) party steps up to the plate. Seven years ago, our challenge was to repair the damage of Labour’s great recession – and we did it. The deficit is down. Spending is under control. And our economy is growing again.

But we didn’t limit ourselves to that ambition. We have achieved so much more.

An income tax cut for over 30 million people.
Four million taken out of paying it at all.
Employment up to a record high.
Unemployment down to a historic low.
Income inequality at its lowest for thirty years.
More women in work than ever before.
Over 11,000 more doctors in our NHS.
Over 11,000 more nurses on our hospital wards.
Free childcare for 3 and 4 year olds doubled.
1.8 million more children in good or outstanding schools.
3 million more apprenticeships.
Crime down by more than a third.

More young people from disadvantaged backgrounds going to university than at any time in the history of our country.

Britain leading the world in tackling climate change, eradicating global poverty, and countering terrorism wherever it rears its head.

Same sex marriage on the statute book, so that two people who love each other can get married, no matter what their gender…

And a National Living Wage - giving a pay rise to the lowest earners – introduced not by the Labour Party, but by us, the Conservative Party.

So let us never allow the Left to pretend they have a monopoly on compassion."

devongirl Mon 09-Oct-17 11:44:57

I've just been reading through this thread for the first time.

Eloethan, I found your analysis thoughtful and interesting.

grannyactivist, your early experience was heartwarming - the best of GN

TomGransnet (GNHQ) Mon 09-Oct-17 11:42:28

Thanks for the welcome all! It's been a baptism by fire!

trisher Mon 09-Oct-17 11:38:48

Oh that's been said before as well Annie never did any good. Started when I was about 5 I think and my mum told me I had to stop imagining there were things under my bed. I still had nightmares. Without imagination what are we?

Day6 Mon 09-Oct-17 11:34:28

Sorry my post as largely about politics too but I agree with Maggiemaybe that the most interesting or robust discussions tend to go all over the place and most should be allowed to refer to pertinent GN happenings elsewhere.

If this thread was moderated and chopped about it would be bland, disjointed and not half as interesting. I cannot see anything here that screams 'out of order.'

The best threads tend to be slightly controversial imo.

Oh, hello too Tom.

trisher Mon 09-Oct-17 11:31:50

Some left wing posters are all the things you have described as well Day6. We have been labelled as 'hostile', 'far left' and 'intimidating' and yet all we have done is say that policies which punish the poor and vulnerable are wrong. If there is one shred of evidence that this Conservative government have in any way provided * a fair deal for ALL, workers and weaker or disadvantaged members of society, not just certain sections of society and I feel that party is the one best trying within sensible perimeters to do this and not bankrupt the country or tax to death workers or penalise those ordinary people striving to get on in life.*
please post it.
I too have wavered from Labour and visited Lib Dems and Greens, but never been tempted by the Conservatives because they have never believed in a caring society, just the survival of the strongest.

Anniebach Mon 09-Oct-17 11:30:56

Then you need to curb your imaganins Trisher

Day6 Mon 09-Oct-17 11:21:35

*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".*

Once again I totally agree Baggs.
I don't think we have any rabid far right posters on GN thankfully. The few who are not left wing seem moderate and slightly right of centre.

I can only speak for myself but I am a floating voter really who has Labour Party roots but like many others I became very disillusioned and decided I'd vote where common sense and the best leader prevailed. That now makes me a 'Tory' and so by connection, despised by most who post on the Politics forum. It's not easy when you're such a nice person .... [ wink] wink grin

So be it but like most people I want a fair deal for ALL, workers and weaker or disadvantaged members of society, not just certain sections of society and I feel that party is the one best trying within sensible perimeters to do this and not bankrupt the country or tax to death workers or penalise those ordinary people striving to get on in life. They have lots of bases to cover and don't get everything right but show me a party in recent history which has governed and pleased all people? Very few governments, Labour or Conservative leave office having 'got it right'. That perfect party does not exist.

I loathe the way because of the emergence of a loud and hostile far left that so many people feel they have to keep quiet about preferring the Conservative Party over Labour. There is a sort of horrible intimidation from some quarters (and social media is awash with it) in admitting being to the right rather than left of centre. No Conservative in my circle of friends is mean or selfish or wealthy. We are all very ordinary and from working class backgrounds. We have all known struggle.

I think the Conservative party has a massive PR job to do. Some posters on GN seem to have a preconceived idea of what a person is like because of the way they vote and yes the Politics forum is not for the faint-hearted.

That is about the only dodgy area of GN for me. You will be shot down in flames by so many for owning views which don't match the majority view sadly. I take my iron tablets and gird my loins before entering.

Maggiemaybe Mon 09-Oct-17 11:18:08

And is it really fair that a very interesting discussion should be zapped because it's meandered a bit?

Don't feel your posts have been ignored, henetha. People will have read and considered them. Only a small proportion of posts elicit direct replies.

If we had a like button you'd know people have appreciated your input, but of course it could also lead to problems.

trisher Mon 09-Oct-17 11:17:17

Do you suppose today is Tom's first day at work and his first adjudication on GN and is he now feeling a bit overwhelmed? And wishing he'd gone to Mumsnet instead? grin