Exactly. There's been plenty of times here where people have been making a genuine effort to express their opinion intelligently (the vast majority of Chris's posts not falling under this category), only for one of the main posters here to try to shut them down completely, which is obviously going to be intimidating and make posters not come back. I mean, it really isn't that hard to express your opinion strongly while still keeping a respectful tone. I think/hope I've managed to do that with most of my posts here.

 

not sure i agree tbh, anyone who has expressed an oppinion in an intelligent way is treated with respect, even if not agreement, however it does depend on their reasoning.

 

think me n scott are used to debating in pubs after a few bevvies and are used to talking to others in a manner that seems harsh... thats how we should be understood... as m8s bantering with eachother, i think some might not quite understand this and take things personally. obviously craig 'gets' it, others should too.

 

ive noticed that in parliament, mp's from opposing sides often get together for a drink afterwards, talking like m8s, just after they have been bitterly opposed when debating...

 

this is how i see this forum, we (me scott etc) are of the rock n roll generation, not thatchers nicey picey wrap em in cotton wool generation.. debates aint PERSONAL... agree one minute, disagree with another point the next..

""Perhaps the dole lout will spend less time on the web and more time jobsearching, now, eh?"

 

 

Could you please stop posting inaccurate details. I have been receiving Incapacity Benefit since 1988 due to nerves and depression confirmed by my Dr. and being called a "dole lout" is defamatory and slanderous and may result in you hearing from my legal team."

 

 

hmm.... PM'd to me yesterday. :lol:

 

Does this mean even dole louts can have 'legal teams'?

His lawyer is going to be busy what with suing you and suing Bassetts for licourice allsorts being stuck together :o

BTW Chris if you go to your lawyer and say you want to sue Russ for slander based on postings on a message board he would laugh at you, it is LIBEL dear boy, slander is verbal defamation and to prove libel you have to provide hard proof that at least 5 people changed their opinion of you as a result of a libellous post on the net, given that EVERYONE already hates you before Russ's post given your position in the Rate I think you will have a hard job proving it ;)

I am sorry (and a little alarmed to be erring towards Chris on this) but I have had my opinions belittled / insulted and ridiculed aggressively on this board so many times I rarely feel the need to post - although I do still read here.

 

Whilst I agree with the need to back up statements, I don't appreciate the agrresive foul language tirades that can follow a statement that does not fit with Mushy or Grimly ideas of the world.

 

Take for example the Moon landings? Unless you actually went there you can't know they really happened, and whilst I like to believe they did happen I respect the entitlement of others to believe they didn't ........

 

I wont even get started on religion. Craig and I agree with very little on religion, but I would no sooner belittle or insult his beliefs than he would mine. Grimley's lastest tirade against religion I find offensive.

 

But like I have said, I don't post here so much and it is 90% because I am tired of being sworn at and ridiculed. (oh and just a little tired of Maragret Thatcher being blamed for everything since the Boer war!!!)

 

and by the way - you are not in the pub bantering with your mates, you are on a discussion forum with an average age WAY below yours and mine. Maybe you should consider you role as mods in that light not that of your pub based standards.

Edited September 26, 200915 yr by ICR

I am sorry (and a little alarmed to be erring towards Chris on this) but I have had my opinions belittled / insulted and ridiculed aggressively on this board so many times I rarely feel the need to post - although I do still read here.

 

Whilst I agree with the need to back up statements, I don't appreciate the agrresive foul language tirades that can follow a statement that does not fit with Mushy or Grimly ideas of the world.

 

Take for example the Moon landings? Unless you actually went there you can't know they really happened, and whilst I like to believe they did happen I respect the entitlement of others to believe they didn't ........

 

I wont even get started on religion. Craig and I agree with very little on religion, but I would no sooner belittle or insult his beliefs than he would mine. Grimley's lastest tirade against religion I find offensive.

 

But like I have said, I don't post here so much and it is 90% because I am tired of being sworn at and ridiculed. (oh and just a little tired of Maragret Thatcher being blamed for everything since the Boer war!!!)

 

and by the way - you are not in the pub bantering with your mates, you are on a discussion forum with an average age WAY below yours and mine. Maybe you should consider you role as mods in that light not that of your pub based standards.

 

thats nonsense.... so unless you actually measure out every piece of information yourself, check it, experience it, you have no right to preach it?.... and you teach?..

 

the point is with the moon landings, they DID happen, the proof is unrefutable, so i will not have someone posting 2 + 2 = 78 because they chose to believe it!!!!

 

until admin direct us to behave otherwise, we will continue to mod as we see fit.

I am sorry (and a little alarmed to be erring towards Chris on this) but I have had my opinions belittled / insulted and ridiculed aggressively on this board so many times I rarely feel the need to post - although I do still read here.

 

Whilst I agree with the need to back up statements, I don't appreciate the agrresive foul language tirades that can follow a statement that does not fit with Mushy or Grimly ideas of the world.

 

Take for example the Moon landings? Unless you actually went there you can't know they really happened, and whilst I like to believe they did happen I respect the entitlement of others to believe they didn't ........

 

I wont even get started on religion. Craig and I agree with very little on religion, but I would no sooner belittle or insult his beliefs than he would mine. Grimley's lastest tirade against religion I find offensive.

 

But like I have said, I don't post here so much and it is 90% because I am tired of being sworn at and ridiculed. (oh and just a little tired of Maragret Thatcher being blamed for everything since the Boer war!!!)

 

and by the way - you are not in the pub bantering with your mates, you are on a discussion forum with an average age WAY below yours and mine. Maybe you should consider you role as mods in that light not that of your pub based standards.

 

That's simply not true... There have been no insults chucked your way at all... I've actually often agreed with you on a fair few things... So, er, "insults"...? Methinks you're being a tad overly sensitive tbh....

 

As far as the moon landings go, I actually myself DID once believe they were faked, then actually looked at these "theories" in the cold harsh light of ACTUAL SCIENCE, and quickly came to the conclusion that they were basically full of crap.... As anyone would with an ounce of sense who looked at things in a sober, rational manner, something Chris quite clearly hasn't done as he continually insists on banging on the same arguement even though myself and Rob have actually directed him to the evidence that disproves the conspiracy....

 

Conspiracies theories are great, but they're often a bit like buttholes - everyone has one.... And it can get dangerous too... Look, for example, at "Dr" David Irvine and his psuedo-historical "facts" to try and debunk the Holocaust, claiming it was all some sort of conspiracy dreamt up by the allies and the Israelis to garner sympathy for the Jews..... What absolute ROT.... My grandfather say the mass graves and the living dead at one of the concentration camps he helped to liberate, I guess, according the Irvine he would be part of this grand, elaborate conspiracy as well, yeah, right.... Irvine is a Nazi apologist and his views only serve to fuel the arguments of the Fascist right, eg, the BNP.... So, conspiracy "theories" are incredibly damaging in this case....

 

thats nonsense.... so unless you actually measure out every piece of information yourself, check it, experience it, you have no right to preach it?.... and you teach?..

 

Yes I do teach. I teach children to think, to not take the world at face value, to question and form their own opinions.

Just because one person says something is so / happened doesn't make it right / true.

(I was using moon landings as an example, not wishing to open that argument)

 

 

That's simply not true... There have been no insults chucked your way at all... I've actually often agreed with you on a fair few things... So, er, "insults"...? Methinks you're being a tad overly sensitive tbh....

again I am wrong?

Yes I have been insulted and ridiculed in the past, I am far from over sensitive, please do not patronise me.

My religion and beliefs have come in for many, aggressive insults. Whilst I do not wear my beliefs on my sleeve, I also do not insult those of any faiths - muslim / Jewish / Catholic / etc........

 

I strongly believe everyone has the right to an opinion - no matter how unpalatable they may be to others.

I also believe that it is wrong to force those opinions on others.

 

until admin direct us to behave otherwise, we will continue to mod as we see fit.

 

I don't doubt it for a minute. And I, like many other posters, will continue to avoid posting here, for all the wrong reasons.

 

I agree that this forum does create some STRONNNNG opinions with big characters, but one of the reasons I don't post in here is because I feel it's way over my head and I'm not intelligent enough to soak it all up like a sponge. A LOT HAPPENS IN THE WORLD and all I'll say is "Oh that's terrible!" which is so meh! I do love this forum though I love debate <3

Yes I do teach. I teach children to think, to not take the world at face value, to question and form their own opinions.

Just because one person says something is so / happened doesn't make it right / true.

(I was using moon landings as an example, not wishing to open that argument)

again I am wrong?

Yes I have been insulted and ridiculed in the past, I am far from over sensitive, please do not patronise me.

My religion and beliefs have come in for many, aggressive insults. Whilst I do not wear my beliefs on my sleeve, I also do not insult those of any faiths - muslim / Jewish / Catholic / etc........

 

I strongly believe everyone has the right to an opinion - no matter how unpalatable they may be to others.

I also believe that it is wrong to force those opinions on others.

I don't doubt it for a minute. And I, like many other posters, will continue to avoid posting here, for all the wrong reasons.

 

full agreement with teaching kids to think for themselves, but what then happens when they have formed opinions? the idea here is to air those opinions, debate your beliefs and support them by reasoning.. however the 'right to opinion' doesnt mean that you are always right, but i WILL NOT sit back and let reams of unfounded, unresearched, biased post be presented here without challenging them. thats what this forums for...

 

you are offended by scotts latest tirade against religion?... IM offended by religion itself, claiming the moral high ground, claiming its 'the truth' <_< , claiming that religion (of whatever flavour) has ALL the answers to life itself....when clearly it does NOT. religious types always hide behind 'their rights' , 'we can believe what we want to believe'....well yes you can, but come in here and expect to defend your beliefs with reasoning and thought, evidence and why/how you come to those conclusions... THATS WHAT THIS FORUM IS FOR, not just a nicey picey politically correct nursery whereby everyone can pat eachother on the back out of respect for their rights. respect should be earned, craig has my utmost respect because he can debate, unheatedly, un personally, dispite being practically politically my oposite. craig knows how to play the game, and if he can do it , theres no reason why others cant.

 

i dont agree that opinions are being forced on others, just some posters are more adept / knowlegable at debating then others! :lol: