Where have all our old friends gone?

Good post JenniferEccles I agree totally.

I enjoyed readingGabriella's posts too. Definatly did not agree with her at times and I said so. I would like to see her come back and post.

Thank you sodapop

I am always shocked whenever I read about, in particular, university students refusing to listen to a speaker whose views they disagree with.

That happened to Germaine Greer a while back.

It’s all to do with the ‘safe place’ thing I believe JenniferEccles - it upsets their equilibrium if they have to hear something they don’t like/agree!

It's so sad when special people disappear. Any news on the recently departed?

And then...

^I started a thread in having not been aware that somebody had left.
It was a genuine mistake^

Surely these two statements contradict each other? Unless the OP knows that a regular poster has recently died?

I had some ding dongs with paddyann but she never took offence and we could chat quite happily on a different thread.
I was wondering where she was?

I think Grape fruit Pip has a point about the clique. Gransnet has thousands of members and every poster should feel welcomed here. I notice some posters are ignored, and others if they don't post for are few days, posters are asking about. I could not care less, I have a partner, work and family but a couple of posters have said they feel ignored and some say how lonely they are, so feeling ignored on a forum like Gransnet has an affect on them.

I don't like the Good morning thread I think it is cliquey, I dared to start a thread one day and recieved a private messaged to say Mick has to do it. Why is that, as I say there are thousands of Gransnetters, who dictates who should start a thread. I don't bother to post on it now.

Gransnet is for everyone, not just for the one's I see described as prolific posters.

I wonder why so many of us who liked Gabriella’s posts didn’t stick up for her when seeing some of the nasty comments? I’m as guilty as charged. Then I felt bad when she’d had enough and left.

Anyway it seems she is back! Good. This time I will try not to be so timid.

As she was outed as a fantasist wind up merchant on the News and Politics forum I'd say that she's no big miss.

Gransnet's just one of many forums that I dip into at tea and biscuit time. I can easily ignore any silly remarks so I'm quite surprised that others take it so seriously. If people are upset or annoyed by comments they should take a break or just leave don't you think?

rafichagran, I'm dismayed and surprised to read your comment about the Good Morning thread, as I have always felt it was one of the few threads, along with Soops Kitchen and the Welcome to GN thread where posters are welcomed. Is Soops Kitchen also cliquey?

When anyone new posts, they are always welcomed to the morning thread, they don't need to say much, just a introduce themselves, say where they are from and what the weather is like in their area.
Foe those of us with chronic ill health, who are often confined to barracks, it's a bright spot in the day.

As for the comment about Mick, always starting the thread, I'm sure PM wasn't intended to offend you, it would be done with the best intentions.
Posters are very protective of Mick and waiting for him to start the morning has become a tradition.

Like I said Marydoll people should be able to start threads if they want too, being protective of one poster. is not on when there are thousands of Gransnetters, I should not have been sent a PM advising me not too.

I repeat I do not like that thread and will not post on it. Do not be dismayed, it is my choice. We all like and dislike different things.

Maizie heaven forbid that GN, especially the politics threads , became too vanilla, magnolia, boring with everyone endlessly agreeing with each other.

Exactly Callistemon! We'd die of boredom if we're all so polite, sympathetic and encouraging at all times. We need a wide range of views. Personal attacks are uncalled for, though.

Robust discussion should be encouraged on GN, but vitriolic personal attacks are definite not acceptable and do not add any value to the debate.

Has paddyann left? Can anyone enlighten me?

Do we need a wide range of views if these views are offensive? And if this these views are challenged should they be dismissed with the accusation of ‘snowflakes’?

kitty no-one knows but she’s very involved with the SNP and I would imagine she’s v busy with election work atm

She mentioned that she was moving house, so perhaps she is busy!

Sorry Marydoll I did not answer you question. I do not post on Soops Kitchen or welcome to new posters, due to time restraints I only read /post on certain forums, there are also forums I avoid or have no interest in.
I have had a personnel attack on me before in a post I wrote some time ago, it was my 1st actually. I am lucky it did not bother me and I can stand my corner, however this can cause upset to other posters.

I think we have to be mindful that Gransnet is for everyone and so what if another poster starts the Good Morning thread. Just because it is tradition does not make it right or mean it cannot be changed sometime.

Amagram forgive me but I find your plea for mutual respect in this specific context is somewhat ironic.
While I absolutely support your view I can't help thinking that you're defending the indefensible here.

I think we are all protective of Mick for the sincerest of wishes. No offence will have been intended putting you off starting it rafichagran ....maybe the wording or explanation could have been better put? I recall sending Pantglas a p.m. about the same thing when she was a newbie to that thread and she didn’t take offence and continues to post every day.
?

Ok, maybe there is something I don't know. I will not post there but if there is a reason I will respect that. I am glad Gabriella posted there as a poster upthread mentioned and hope she will come back. She was contentious and some posters did not like her, however we are all different and cannot like everyone, I found her forceful style interesting to read.

Thank you rafichagran
Honestly we are not at all cliquey. Any chumminess is only because of regular postings! You kind of ‘get to know’ one another is all.

Newbies are very welcome!

Who is this Mick?