Uncalled for comments

I call making up posts and comments and attributing them to others, out and out aggressive, not to say sly and deceitful but hey ho.

What are you referring to, tickingbird? . You said something similar yesterday. I didn’t get it then either.

Sparky debate is enjoyable - also several GN posters have a dry sense of humour and have amused me with their witty responses. What I do find difficult is the poster who, shielding behind anonymity, is rude and aggressive, insulting, and reduces the debate to a 'ner ner' . We have had a few of those - one in particular springs to mind but she seems to have dropped away over the past few months; this has happened previously and then she pops up with a new name.

*What's wrong with Just my opinion? Why is that passive- aggressive?

Does it not mean just that?*

It's passive aggressive as it is suggesting that the poster is expecting to be attacked, or that others are at some sort of advantage, whereas expressing an opinion is what everyone is doing.

Passive aggression seeks to set the speaker/poster apart from the person/people they are addressing, so that disagreement will feel like kicking a puppy.

As for opinions in discussions - some things are genuinely a matter of opinion (sprouts are vile-tasting vegetables), but others really aren't (Berlin is the capital of France). It is unreasonable to expect someone to justify the former, but surely it's ok to ask for some sort of reason why someone would think the latter?

Excellent post willa and thank Lara.

I was put off posting by all the unnecessary sniping.

It's passive aggressive as it is suggesting that the poster is expecting to be attacked

Ok, yes I understand, but perhaps a timid poster may be apprehensive about posting an opinion, particularly on politics, as others do sometimes demand they provide justification for their opinion.

Just widening the discussion a bit to the real world....I don’t know if you agree but I‘Ve found the “I speak as I find” type of remark to be a thinly veiled excuse to be outright rude !!

willa45 thank you for your post. I do think people should read posts carefully before jumping in angrily sometimes.
Posts sometimes are misinterpreted and can cause problems.
Best to give people the benefit of the doubt if you are not certain.

Perhaps a timid poster may be apprehensive about posting an opinion, particularly on politics, as others do sometimes demand they provide justification for their opinion.
Oh my goodness, yes Callistemon, it's a bit like wanting to offer an opinion in class, but being reluctant to do so because the teacher demands you explain yourself and give evidence or examples.

I enjoy reading threads and post when I feel I have something of value/relevance to the topic to contribute to. I enjoy a good political debate as much as the next woman but tend not to read some of the political posts as it’s either Boris bashing or loony lefties (as another poster has already pointed out). When that happens I just don’t carry on reading any further.

I have received a lot of good advice on here and a lot of support when I recently posted on a relationships thread about my elderly mother and it was comforting to know that I was not alone. I also enjoy a lot of the lighthearted threads - some of which are hilarious and brighten up my day.

If I thought a post was particularly nasty I would report it. If I found I didn’t like where a thread was heading to I would just simply stop reading. I sometimes look at some of the posts on Mumsnet - if you want “nastiness” there is a lot about! Not so much on here though - thank goodness.

Freeanseasy. “ as it’s either Boris bashing or loony lefties “

And there you have it. So that’s not name calling ?

I was thinking that, Lucca.

I used to join in quite a bit and enjoyed the posts but recently have found some very hurtful and just move on. It’s a shame because when I was having a hard time with my mum who had dementia I had some lovely support from here. Definitely a different time. So sad after what we’ve just gone through.

Oh dear! I could be described as a leftie. Am I loony? ?.
Possibly ? But, I’m not violent and don’t do bashing.

Interesting. Apparently only the lefties are loony.

Most of the threads, where politics becomes involved, seem to sink to insults and name calling irrespective of which side posters are on. "Loony lefties", "Corbynistas", "Maybots" are just a few that I can remember seeing. But one of the worst was seeing someone called "a fat slob" yesterday. It doesn't matter who said it, or who it was referring to, I just find it utterly depressing that supposedly mature, intelligent people, who think they're quite erudite and politically aware, think that's an acceptable thing to say about anyone. These kinds of comments reveal quite a lot about people, I think.

I am sometimes a slob but am not fat.

A Gran on here called someone a “fat slob” Chewbacca? Seriously?!

I am fat ?and a slob (sometimes) but I would hate to be called that just because someone didn’t agree with my politics!

Am I loony?
If you become hairy and howl
Only at full moon ?

A Gran on here called someone a “fat slob” Chewbacca? Seriously?!

No Lisagran, they did not. As I said, it doesn't matter who said it, or who it was about, it was calling anyone that, that I find unacceptable.

Oh, sorry to misunderstand, Chewbacca. I totally agree that it’s unacceptable.

What are you referring to, tickingbird? confused. You said something similar yesterday. I didn’t get it then either.

Maggiemaybe - it’s a strange phenomenon I’ve come across several times on GN. Someone will be discussing/debating on a thread and then someone else responds to something that HASN’T been said. It seems to be a deliberate tactic to get the upper hand or gain the moral high ground. The more charitable view is that a comment has been misinterpreted but on occasion that’s a stretch to be fair. Another common one is asking for details, links and examples. I find it tiresome. It’s akin to schoolchildren arguing in a playground - “prove it”!

A well respected and very measured member posted about this and also the practice of getting posts deleted tactically a few days ago. It’s often the same members too. Disagreeing with someone and then being accused of rudeness. It’s happened to me but I’ve seen it being directed at other GN’s several times.

I think that sometimes there is a slightly inaccurate response to an OP, and subsequent replies are in response to the inaccurate post. Even if the OP clarifies what she meant, once the inaccurate idea has taken hold there is no shifting it, as a lot of people only read the last post on a thread.

I think that is more likely than someone deliberately and maliciously manufacturing a post.

Let me put this to rest and set the record straight. I did not call someone on here a f*t s**b. I would never do that. I was referring to a public figure. Chinese whispers.