If all non-gardening threads are banned it’ll be because some folk can’t behave like grown-ups and accept what Catherine Mansley has said, and that’ll spoil it for the rest of us …
Can we now just get on with stuff and stop poking the Mods to try to get a reaction? It’s not funny and it’s not clever.
Bog gardening anyone? … advice on submersible lawnmowers welcome … 🛶
Perhaps I ought to buy a hovercraft, rather than a hover mower!!
Nobody will come for party political advice here, but reading through pages of scuffles would turn off any reader. Gardening is political by its very nature as it affects the general environment, the very mention of peat free compost gets people going 🤣.
But we can really discuss big issues without bringing parties into it. This being an election year this forum can be a refreshing place that doesn't engage in the latest sound bites a party press office throws at the media to create engagement.
How we slot in the bigger picture of the planet with our little piece of land or balcony is interesting enough to keep the forum going and there always issues to ponder over with diseases and plant choices.
I found the COVID thread really wild at times and I have avoided it for the last year or so. The forum doesn't get huge amounts of traffic and frankly having irrelevant threads that can have an alienating effect is not good for it.
I'm frankly relieved not to have a vote for the general election in this country...being a foreign national is a blessing all too frequently 🤣
There has been political discussion on here for years, some quite heated. Why ban it now? The cynic in me says it isn't a ban on politics, but a ban on discussion of one thing.
I have avoided the politics threads because I visit this forum for useful information, and for enjoyment. Debate is one thing, just being rude about politicians, parties or their supporters is another. At least with a politics thread, I can ignore it. I have found it unnerving when statements pop up in other threads, like reasons to be cheerful or curmudgeons, which I otherwise enjoy. How would contributors feel if similar statements were made about religion or lack of it, along the lines of ‘all Catholics / Muslims/ atheists etc are idiots’? I don’t know what the answer is. I feel the forum is predominantly about gardening, but I really enjoy the Potting Shed. If I really wanted to discuss topics like politics ( or religion, can’t think what else) I’d join a forum dedicated to those topics. There must be plenty out there? If posts are deemed offensive, they can be flagged, and potentially removed, and this is one of the risks of contributing. Maybe we can learn from this? One could reword a post in such a way as to encourage debate and to be open to considering other points of view. Just posting ‘ anyone who votes Labour/ Conservative/ supports a particular politician etc is an idiot’, is just rude and could be deemed discriminatory to someone with a different point of view. As I said, I don’t look at any of the political threads, so maybe I am doing everyone an injustice, and they are actually full of intelligent and well reasoned debate!
I hate that certain posters have to bring up their religious nature on all sorts of threads. To me this is highly offensive, so will that continue to be allowed?
How can you lie there and think of England When you don't even know who's in the team
I hope that the Mods lock this thread soon. It’s just not fair to keep trying to provoke them (or other people) and it simply demonstrates the reason why political threads are so difficult to moderate. 😢
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
What people find offensive varies doesn't it? And varies with time and social norms.
I've seen arguments and heard about arguments more on threads about plants than I did on the politics thread ...or curmudge...or brexit ...or covid ... or... How many threads mention WUMs?
The moderators have a tough time as it's impossible to know what someone will find offensive (in way of tone or content - both of which have to be judged subjectively) - BUT - I don't read posts I don't want to. To me, reading is my choice. I skim threads that do not appeal and ignore others. Isn't that what people do? If something is offensive to you, do you continue to read that discussion? I tend to just read the Potting Shed - ignoring threads and engaging on others - mainly by their titles. If someone started a thread on Knitting - I have no issue, I just wouldn't read it.
The only issue I saw was where there was a cross over - ie certain things said outside the forum I would comment on in Curmudge or in Politics - but they could be in either. I follow that posting '...such and such politician did blah...' on a thread about Begonias would be out of order - but I presume the mods can move posts as well.
I also know threads morph - they start out on a and end in discussing z - but if threads are roughly titled correctly, do they offend people who are not interested or easily offended by that topic?
I'm dithering myself. I have found comments by other members on this thread insulting, particularly the one about having your favourite toy taken away.
Posts
So topical debate only includes non censored topics!
I don't visit very often but as soon as censorship starts especially on a BBC related website its a slippery slope.
Maybe those that have complained ought to be the one's censored for stifling freedom of speech?
C'est La Vie there are other places to contribute to.
'The power of accurate observation .... is commonly called cynicism by those that have not got it.
George Bernard Shaw'
But we can really discuss big issues without bringing parties into it. This being an election year this forum can be a refreshing place that doesn't engage in the latest sound bites a party press office throws at the media to create engagement.
How we slot in the bigger picture of the planet with our little piece of land or balcony is interesting enough to keep the forum going and there always issues to ponder over with diseases and plant choices.
I found the COVID thread really wild at times and I have avoided it for the last year or so. The forum doesn't get huge amounts of traffic and frankly having irrelevant threads that can have an alienating effect is not good for it.
I'm frankly relieved not to have a vote for the general election in this country...being a foreign national is a blessing all too frequently 🤣
Have a good morning, one and all.
Why ban it now? The cynic in me says it isn't a ban on politics, but a ban on discussion of one thing.
How would contributors feel if similar statements were made about religion or lack of it, along the lines of ‘all Catholics / Muslims/ atheists etc are idiots’?
I don’t know what the answer is. I feel the forum is predominantly about gardening, but I really enjoy the Potting Shed. If I really wanted to discuss topics like politics ( or religion, can’t think what else) I’d join a forum dedicated to those topics. There must be plenty out there?
If posts are deemed offensive, they can be flagged, and potentially removed, and this is one of the risks of contributing. Maybe we can learn from this? One could reword a post in such a way as to encourage debate and to be open to considering other points of view. Just posting ‘ anyone who votes Labour/ Conservative/ supports a particular politician etc is an idiot’, is just rude and could be deemed discriminatory to someone with a different point of view.
As I said, I don’t look at any of the political threads, so maybe I am doing everyone an injustice, and they are actually full of intelligent and well reasoned debate!
When you don't even know who's in the team
S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.