area for teenagers

It's a biggy...

My personal 2 pence is that puerile threads should just be ignored, I don't believe it fair to restrict speach based on personal preference.

Inflammatory, racist, sexist, offensive behaviour is going too far however.

I am sure that the comment "all pakis are thugs" would not be tolerated by this community (quite rightly) - no matter how tongue in cheek it was said. So why do we turn a blind eye to "all women are mental, emotionally unbalanced, materialistic gold diggers?"

A comment in one thread was made that we all need to let off steam sometimes. The example given was that your girlfriend may annoy you, so you want to let off steam. Fine, complain about your girlfriend. I can ignore that, and it doesn't offend me. But when it leads you to comment on all women, it extends to my girlfriend, my mother, my grandmother, etc.... and that does offend me.

Another thread (that I took part in) talked of benefits fraud. Many seemed content with the view that everyone on benefits are freeloaders and the system should be removed. Fine, rant about the freeloaders, but accept that there are decent people out there who have used the system they paid for in the way intended. As a stop gap measure to get back on their feet.

Just use common sense. Factual statements about the actual individuals that have done you wrong. Focus on the behaviour that you find abhorrant, not the wide group that you believe to be exhibiting this behaviour. I'm sure no one would have a problem with the statement "I hate drug dealers", but would have a problem with "I hate blacks, they are all drug dealers".

I will ignore threads that I don't like. I'll debate opinions that I disagree with. But I get very angry with bigotted posts that are little better than 18th century thinking regurgitated.

To round it off, a little more research and knowledge than just what you've read in a single, biased, newspaper wouldn't go amiss. Chances are that if you have only a single source, you don't have the whole picture.

Intelligent, well informed comments spark interesting and lively debates. Snippets of a news article about a something that the government is debating thinking of possibly implementing a trial of sometime in the future, and then saying "what's the world coming to?" is just inflammatory.

If we can't intelligently overcome this as adults using common sense, then perhaps there could be a report thread/post, option? Whereby someone can express offense at a remark? Of course, it would take more than a single report to trigger any action, and it would be at the sole dicretion of the mod. Some form of "misuse" penalty may be required also. i.e. for reporting a post because you don't like it, rather than because it is offensive/inappropriate.

Anyway, as I said, the thoughts expressed herein are purely my own.

 

Can I suggest you mouseover the exclamation mark below the poster's name on the left hand side?

 

Ooops. <books appointment with optician>

 

This much I can agree with, so why the ranting?? AFAIK, all these threads start by asking for other peoples opinions. I don't care if you agree with my opinion, but it belongs to me. It's no good you frothing about it, or telling me that I am not allowed to state the answer to a question. If you don't agree with an opinion, use your superior intellect to persuade the person you disagree with. The trouble with banning points of view is that, of course, you wouldn't ban the ones you agree with.

 

The point being that I object to offensive content. I feel that you somewhat missed the point of my post, or I perhaps wasn't clear enough. Informed opinions are one thing, gross generalisations are rather different.

 

Serioulsy, chill out dude, your taking this for too personal and serious. The vast majority of whats posted in off-topic is largely nonsense, pub banter, steam letting. I agree there are certain posts which put my back up but its a free world. At the end of the day its an internet forum, and I would suggest that a serious and meaningful conversation is best not carried out in such an environmen. I know alot of my posts in that section have firmly been tounge in cheek but without been able to express emotion I guess its lost on some.

 

By heck, there are some miserable people on this forum. What a dull place it would be if some of you had your way.

 

I don't think there is a problem, yes there is banter but that makes our day brighter, clear insults and swearing targeted to other users should not be tolerated though.

 

it's all very well excusing some of the offensive content of these threads as banter. if it's true that it is banter then it's banter between people who's view of the world is very different to mine.

purge this bullshit 'banter'

 

get over it :SLEEP:

 

Well if that's what you think, don't click it. Just like you don't turn your TV or radio on to watch a load of crap, it takes less effort to not read it than read it and get wound up.
:lol:

Edited by Dev.

 

I'm sorry but I have to agree with johnhunt. If a lot of the "banter" that goes on here happened in my local watering hole I wouldn't feel very comfortable there and would find somewhere else to have a drink with my mates.

Michael.

 

I dont think that people complaining about offensive threads need to alter their perception.

I believe people who write offensive comments should alter their behaviour, or keep their opinions for other forums where its more inline with the thinking of the group.

like this one.

http://www.independenceuk.org.uk/

 

On the contrary, insults to individuals do little harm except to the self-image of the object, and amuse many others (I cite the tolerance of Mick Parry) whereas the "banter" is more seriously offensive to many.

 

bn

i wonder what links there are between ukip and the BNP?

J

 

John, I've deleted your post. I think you know the reason.

 

well, this is just my opinion, and only that.

I think racism, bigotry, xenophobia, homophobia, sexism and other general 'isms' if you like are a sliding scale, and organisations exist that try (but fail) to put an acceptable front on them.

I think they fail because ugliness is ugly, no matter how much make up you put on them. Just ask my ex

Im not a conspiracy theorist.

 

I also think its important to speak up against things you dont like, whatever they are.

There some old quote about all bad things need to succeed is for good people to look the other way.

I have a very bad memory and cant remember the details.

 

Perhaps this argument belongs in the kindergarten, it seems to be where it's heading.

You have to decide whether you are acting for altruistic reasons like Bottleneck suggests, or for prejudicial reasons, ie you have a problem. If you have a prejudiced viewpoint spare us from the benefit of your wisdom.

I really don't think this is going anywhere guys