Is it just me?

So, now we're arguing about arguing?! I tend to steer clear of political threads purely because I don't feel well-informed enough to comment on most issues. However, I do get upset on some posters' behalf when they ask for help for a personal issue and are greeted with what seems like sneering - the phrase "snowflake" and "grow-up" has appeared more than once. It takes quite a lot of screwing up of one's courage to post asking for help.

I have certainly noticed what I call a ' drop off' in the number of individual posters who engage on the news and politics threads, there is a difference between the number of posts and the number of individual posters who contribute to a thread.

I miss some posters who still post on GN but appear not to venture onto the politics forum as much as they once did but might dip a toe in every now and again.

I have found since the EU Referendum and ironically since there was a supposed call for a 'Kinder sort of Poiltics' there has been a heightening of , shall I say, tension on GN.

TBH I find this sort of complaint a bit whiny.

In the main the argy bargy is confined to the political threads, apart from the AB Caff where the ruffians hang out.

There are a number of interesting threads right now from genealogy, difficult mothers and relationship problems, plus the infernal games. Plenty for everyone.

Yes and as always, I can't disagree with Eloethan.

So there you are - two diametrically opposed views.
You pays your money and you takes your pick

I can't see the point in continually starting threads about how rude people are on certain threads. If I think someone has made a rude comment, I just say I think they're rude. It certainly wouldn't stop me contributing to Gransnet.

Gransnet would be totally boring if every thread steered clear of issues that might be controversial.

It's interesting that someone who posts "blah blah blah" in response to another's comments, is considered by some to be some sort of "victim".

sunseeker, I'm glad you started this discussion. I enjoy some of the contentious political/in the news type discussions. I sometimes feel strongly about things but I do try not to personalise my responses. Ive seriously considered either stopping posting, or simply leaving because of the level of unpleasantness and plain anger on some threads.

I love GN but fully understand your point Sunseeker and others with similar view. I get the best fun by keeping it light and yet honest without ruffling feathers, that's never been my style. I am often amazed how hateful others can be and I think it is anonymity at its worst. We are all at the same stage in life but some still want to make it uncomfortable. Please don't make it a reason to leave anyone, your input is vital

MawBroon--- thank goodness you are a regular poster with your commonsense. Long may you referee on Gransnet.

No, there has been no mention of a specific thread. This is a post about attitudes - very general.

Is this a thread about threads?

MawBroon ?
I agree Loopy about anger, some posts are so bad that they make your hair stand on end ( or laugh, whichever comes first!?)
Bambam glad you are still posting, from what I have read, I wouldn't blame you if you had left.?

I steer clear of certain threads because I don't like the tone. There is one person who likes to argue with me or put me down at every opportunity so I no longer respond to anything that person posts. I don't need to.

There are other long time members of Gn with whom I have disagreed and we continue to disagree but we are never nasty to each other, we just accept that on certain issues we have different opinions.

What I really dislike strongly is when I post something and another person 'interprets' what I say and is unpleasant about it. When I respond and correct their interpretation there is NEVER an apology. I don't need such people so don't bother with them. There are plenty of reasonable people on here so who needs the unreasonable?

Oh dear what have I started! maryeliza54, I am not moaning and criticising posts I disagree with and I have no wish to stop people putting forward their views in a robust manner, neither do I want GN to be all sweetness and light. I just feel that as adults we are surely capable of putting forward our views without insults. By insults I mean calling someone stupid, mentally ill, etc. etc. Name calling does nothing to advance anyone's argument.

Tell me about it! There's one forum on Gn that I will never look at or post on ever again.

I agree with Sun seeker that the posts often become acrimonious. I get the feeling some people have a lot anger and they vent it on GN.
But hey ho, let them rant on. We can ignore them or listen to their point of view as we wish.
Sometimes it's like watching gladiators.

It is not whether everyone agrees, but what their attitude is as they disagree. A few posts have demonstrated very clearly just what it is that prompts some to feel as the OP does, and also which posters make threads acrimonious!

If they can't see that, or take it on board from other posters (who are not melting snowflakes), then they will continue to post as dismissively as steamrollers going over a frog, and there is really no point in anyone taking any notice. Just hop off to another thread and leave them to crush other steamrollers - if there were no-one else left there to squash they'd just have to cannibalise each other.

May I add something
I can remember as a secondary teacher the (many) occasions when I had to square my shoulders, take a deep breath and fix a smile on my face before facing a class of stroppy teenagers. It usually worked but it was far from relaxing.
Compare and contrast meeting a couple of friends for a coffee, being able to exhale, to slump in a comfy chair ready to ENJOY their company and RELAX .
Now which of these scenarios would we prefer GN to resemble?
This is not PMQs where every interchange must be adversarial, every comment defended and justified , so maryeliza I suppose your “questions”are best treated as rhetorical.
Anybody dipping a toe into GN and reading your post of 12.41 could be excused hastily retracting that toe, putting their socks and shoes on again and retreating to a safe distance.

sunseeker rests her case m’lud!

It isn't a case of moaning about things not agreed with. Its a matter of posting something that should be lighthearted, and being "shot down in flames". I can only assume that some people take life (and themselves) way too seriously.

I thought oh no not again when I saw this thread - what is it that you need to moan and criticise about other posts that you don’t agree with? Why should everything be sweetness and light on here? What threads are you thinking about particularly? Define insulting? Don’t you just mean robust or not agreeing with you? Why should you decide how you want this forum to be like? Why not ignore contentious threads or if you think they break the guidelines report them. Those of you complaining come across asa but precious quite frankly. You’ll now say that this is an example of what you mean but you started it, criticising other posters,

The most innocent remark is often picked up and ridiculed by some. There seem to be some very bitter people on gransnet, one person comes up time and time again, I think she must do it as a hobby, let’s see how nasty we can be today!

It isn't just you. I just try to assume that those who are rude or patronising haven't been bought up well enough to realise how to speak to others. Shame though, and it does make me post less.

I am assuming that you posted that as an example, DJ, (at 09:57:53) to illustrate what the OP meant?

I have lost count of the times I have typed a response and some of them quite lengthy ones and then not posted them because of some nasty posts from some people. I just cant be bothered with it to be truthful.
I can't believe that a load of grannies can be so vile to each other at times.
I tell myself too stay away but then find myself saying "just give it a bit more time" though I think I will eventually disappear.