An open post for PH NPE

Author
Discussion

biggbn

Original Poster:

24,632 posts

226 months

Thursday 6th June
quotequote all
Regardless of your politics, religion, beliefs, try to be a little kinder. Try to empathise. Do not seek solace in the comfort of entrenched and familiar positions, challenge yourself with the discomfort of confronting new ideas. Always question. The biggest, most powerful word in the English language has three letters. W.H.Y. Ask questions with an open mind and be prepared to adapt, to change. Your mind is the most powerful tool you own, don't keep it shut away wrapped in the powerful opiate of certainty. You are remarkable people, you are all stories waiting to be told. Make yours a good one, a meaningful one, one that will inspire. The only thing we leave behind us when we go is the impression we have made on others. How do you want to be remembered? Peace and love all, gbn x

simon_harris

1,663 posts

40 months

Thursday 6th June
quotequote all
Nice sentiment and one I agree with. Will fall predominantly on deaf ears sadly as it is always the "other guy" that is the problem...

TTwiggy

11,619 posts

210 months

Thursday 6th June
quotequote all
Yeah, but Labour!

Tango13

8,822 posts

182 months

Thursday 6th June
quotequote all
TTwiggy said:
Yeah, but Labour!
punch

Tories/immigrants/Farage/boomers/millennials etc etc

biggrin

Gecko1978

10,321 posts

163 months

Thursday 6th June
quotequote all
I think we all ask why it's just the response you get is often yeah but no but. I vote Tory every GE since 97 now likely won't vote. Labour still offer the same fear of high tax and punishing you for making more an the torys have smashed the middle class vote. Why....I have no idea but we are a nation in decline and have no one to steer us back.

Open an honest speech telling people straight no magic money tree no room for some services benefits and cons of immigration. Public health is poor so NHS is stretched etc, you have to teach your kids as well as the school system.

Bur we won't because it's easier to say grrr labour grrr tory than just be honest

Hants PHer

5,983 posts

117 months

Thursday 6th June
quotequote all
Good morning biggbn and I agree that your sentients are well meant. The problem is those posters who have decided that they're correct, and that anyone who disagrees is an opponent who should be mocked/proved wrong/insulted.

For instance, the position one poster in particular adopts on Covid-19 vaccines. He is convinced they are catastrophic and that the state is lying to us, aided and abetted by the likes of the ONS and UKHSA. No amount of reasoning, data or evidence has any impact on him. "I'm right, you're wrong. Anyone who can't see what I see is a sheep with an IQ below 2" being his attitude.

Even if you say something like "Nothing's proven, better data is needed so we can be sure" you're told to "join the dots" or something equally patronising.

As someone once said: "Some men you just can't reach".

mwstewart

7,926 posts

194 months

Thursday 6th June
quotequote all
The other facet of this is that a poster should be able to state an opinion without triggering a quest from other forum users to turn said opinion around to their point of view. Learn when there's a discussion to be had and when there isn't.

In my opinion the real problem is that of using pseudonyms without any traceability back to a real person; primarily there isn’t personal accountability, and secondly lack of visibility of who that person is i.e could be a genuine nut case. Pseudonyms were fun when the Internet was new and we were kids, but now, I think that they are counterproductive - especially when discussing emotive topics.

biggbn

Original Poster:

24,632 posts

226 months

Thursday 6th June
quotequote all
mwstewart said:
The other facet of this is that a poster should be able to state an opinion without triggering a quest from other forum users to turn said opinion around to their point of view. Learn when there's a discussion to be had and when there isn't.

In my opinion the real problem is that of using pseudonyms without any traceability back to a real person; primarily there isn’t personal accountability, and secondly lack of visibility of who that person is i.e could be a genuine nut case. Pseudonyms were fun when the Internet was new and we were kids, but now, I think that they are counterproductive - especially when discussing emotive topics.
Reminds me of one of my favourite quotes from one of my favourite philosophers...

'If all mankind minus one were of one opinion, and only one person were of the contrary opinion, mankind would be no more justified in silencing that one person, than he, if he had the power, would be justified in silencing mankind.'

Eric Mc

122,699 posts

271 months

Thursday 6th June
quotequote all
mwstewart said:
In my opinion the real problem is that of using pseudonyms without any traceability back to a real person; primarily there isn’t personal accountability, and secondly lack of visibility of who that person is i.e could be a genuine nut case. Pseudonyms were fun when the Internet was new and we were kids, but now, I think that they are counterproductive - especially when discussing emotive topics.
That's why I have never used one. It's a refuge for those who want to spout bile and hate and makes it easier for such people to behave like that.

Rufus Stone

7,631 posts

62 months

Thursday 6th June
quotequote all
biggbn said:
Reminds me of one of my favourite quotes from one of my favourite philosophers...

'If all mankind minus one were of one opinion, and only one person were of the contrary opinion, mankind would be no more justified in silencing that one person, than he, if he had the power, would be justified in silencing mankind.'
Said before internet forum moderation existed. biggrin

tangerine_sedge

5,052 posts

224 months

Thursday 6th June
quotequote all
Eric Mc said:
mwstewart said:
In my opinion the real problem is that of using pseudonyms without any traceability back to a real person; primarily there isn’t personal accountability, and secondly lack of visibility of who that person is i.e could be a genuine nut case. Pseudonyms were fun when the Internet was new and we were kids, but now, I think that they are counterproductive - especially when discussing emotive topics.
That's why I have never used one. It's a refuge for those who want to spout bile and hate and makes it easier for such people to behave like that.
I'm all for Pseudonyms on the internet - it insulates you from the nutters. I don't want a crank to turn up at my office claiming all sorts of nonsense just because I've had an online disagreement on some topic.

Personally, I'd prefer PH to implement 2FA based on a registered phone, so that banned returnees and multiple account holders would have to put some effort into signing up.

lizardbrain

2,387 posts

43 months

Thursday 6th June
quotequote all
Problem with this, for most users in these kinds of threads, the primary purpose is to punch someone, in an argumentative sense. They will seek out users who wish to trade blows, and avoid engaging with users who have more malleable opinions as it's less fun to punch a soft and squishy punch bag


chemistry

2,343 posts

115 months

Thursday 6th June
quotequote all
biggbn said:
Regardless of your politics, religion, beliefs, try to be a little kinder. Try to empathise. Do not seek solace in the comfort of entrenched and familiar positions, challenge yourself with the discomfort of confronting new ideas. Always question. The biggest, most powerful word in the English language has three letters. W.H.Y. Ask questions with an open mind and be prepared to adapt, to change. Your mind is the most powerful tool you own, don't keep it shut away wrapped in the powerful opiate of certainty. You are remarkable people, you are all stories waiting to be told. Make yours a good one, a meaningful one, one that will inspire. The only thing we leave behind us when we go is the impression we have made on others. How do you want to be remembered? Peace and love all, gbn x
Good post. I always try to be respectful and avoid a 'gotcha' etc., but this is a good reminder to try doubly hard.


Eric Mc

122,699 posts

271 months

Thursday 6th June
quotequote all
tangerine_sedge said:
I'm all for Pseudonyms on the internet - it insulates you from the nutters. I don't want a crank to turn up at my office claiming all sorts of nonsense just because I've had an online disagreement on some topic.

Personally, I'd prefer PH to implement 2FA based on a registered phone, so that banned returnees and multiple account holders would have to put some effort into signing up.
Never had a problem like that to be honest.

andy_s

19,519 posts

265 months

Thursday 6th June
quotequote all
If your views align with a political party you don't have views.

MesoForm

9,062 posts

281 months

Thursday 6th June
quotequote all
Half the problem seems to be after the first 50 or so posts only 10 posters remain in the thread bickering amongst themselves.
It’s especially so in the more specialist threads like the US politics or Covid threads.

SpudLink

6,375 posts

198 months

Thursday 6th June
quotequote all
biggbn said:
Regardless of your politics, religion, beliefs, try to be a little kinder. Try to empathise. Do not seek solace in the comfort of entrenched and familiar positions, challenge yourself with the discomfort of confronting new ideas. Always question. The biggest, most powerful word in the English language has three letters. W.H.Y. Ask questions with an open mind and be prepared to adapt, to change. Your mind is the most powerful tool you own, don't keep it shut away wrapped in the powerful opiate of certainty. You are remarkable people, you are all stories waiting to be told. Make yours a good one, a meaningful one, one that will inspire. The only thing we leave behind us when we go is the impression we have made on others. How do you want to be remembered? Peace and love all, gbn x
Nothing to add. Just wanted to say 'bravo' for posting that.

TheLurker

1,407 posts

202 months

Thursday 6th June
quotequote all
It's interesting that the main culprits have remained absent from this thread...

tangerine_sedge

5,052 posts

224 months

Thursday 6th June
quotequote all
Eric Mc said:
tangerine_sedge said:
I'm all for Pseudonyms on the internet - it insulates you from the nutters. I don't want a crank to turn up at my office claiming all sorts of nonsense just because I've had an online disagreement on some topic.

Personally, I'd prefer PH to implement 2FA based on a registered phone, so that banned returnees and multiple account holders would have to put some effort into signing up.
Never had a problem like that to be honest.
It happened to a prolific poster last year, and about 10 years ago I received quite a few threatening private messages which would have worried me if I knew that the poster could track me down through my uncommon name. There are some odd people who frequent NP&E and I have no desire to meet them.

Ian Geary

4,698 posts

198 months

Thursday 6th June
quotequote all
I post under my own name party to keep a sense check on what I say publicly.

Also because I couldn't think of a user name.

The Israel invaded thread is a stand out example of the worse ph behaviours. Any comment about idf actions is immediately "oh so you must support Hamas"

The trump thread - any comment is "oh so you must support Trump".

But they are decisive topis of course. So there needs to be some thickness of skin grown before entering an online (or even face to face) discussion, and one's ability to cope with crap aimed at you should be proportional to the amount of crap you dish out to others.