The dark side of the forum. (stupid, aggressive "we'll ruin you on the EDF" comments)

[Penguin68]

We do seem to be talking about lots of different things here.

There are some people who are contrarian ? they will look for an argument within a thread ? and frequently (but not inevitably) are readable when they do so. They are prepared to ?take-on? other feisty posters and tend neither to use dismissive or ?threatening? language when they do. One at least, who has been quite silent recently, is missed, at least by me, although we were frequently on opposite sides of any debate.

There are some people who take a clear and consistent stance (perhaps over wild-life, over dogs and dog-poo, over cars, over cyclists, over CPZs (my pseudonym might be seen there), over the social changes seen in ED) and will weigh-in whenever they can, often quite stridently, and repetitively. These are far more monomaniacs than bullies.

Indeed neither of these groups are cyber-bullies ? although I am sure those on the other end of their posts may feel either discomforted or annoyed.

Then there are those who will hi-jack any thread (or start one) with an outrageous statement, not infrequently insulting, hoping to create an argument or cause discomfort. Although outwardly not dissimilar to the first group these are much more close to the standard forum troll. Normally these are the ones found-out and banned (at least in the persona they have chosen) by the Administrators.

As someone quite active over the last few years, I have rarely seen the form of cyber-bullying on the EDF which has been the subject of recent reports. (James Barber has probably been the most bullied, or at least attacked, individual ? as a politician I suspect he can handle this ? he certainly seems admirably robust on the forum).

Entirely different is the OP?s initial complaint, which is about real (not cyber) bullies using the forum as a threat, rather than being threatening within the forum. In my experience any such threatened unwarranted attack made on the forum is immediately and robustly countered (a warranted complaint may be supported however) ? the forum is not somewhere where reputations can be unreasonably ruined.

I do not see this forum as a hot-bed of bullying or aggression (arguments can get heated) and rarely is language used which is personally directed (rarely but on occasion ? often these are late night posts when alcohol might have been taken). It is generally good natured and often supportive. The one thing which I think will not help is to search for lists of names (or hints) at posters who have not been consistently emolient, and who have been combatative and argumentative. These traits are not necessarily or at all markers of cyber-bullies.

[El Pibe]

Top post Penguin!

*quietly wonders if I am 'E'*

Totally lost by SJ's cryptic clues, should it have been in the Who Am I Game thread?

[StraferJack]

Sheemy has been her before. Many times

And that's the truth. You can dispute it if you like...

[El Pibe]

Oh great it is me.

If spelling things out pedantically whilst trying not to be too patronising is bullying then colour me, erm, whatever colour bullying is! Magenta?

[maxxi]

StraferJack Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Sheemy has been her before. Many times

well with a user name like that...

>

> And that's the truth. You can dispute it if you

> like...

The undiluted facts?

ETA: EP - it is Cerise you pipsqueak!

[polla2256]

Never seen any bullying on this forum, youtube is where it's at. Here at least people form constructive opinions, thoughts, counter arguments etc...

youtube is like a mental institution for cyber nuts.

One thing I will say about this forum is that it has an astounding ability to go completely off topic without mod intervention - it's great

[Otta]

I can't decide whether I'm O or K, or both.

[Otta]

Sheemy, you said

"I have not named H, but others on the thread have. I cannot think of any bullying I have witnessed from Huge in particular. "

4 hours after saying

sheemy Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> H has already been named but I think the others

> are

>

> O

> S

> E

> K

>

> .....they have been known to operate as a pack.

This isn't bullying Sheemy, this is just pointing something out.

[KidKruger]

Is Sheemy the person who (under another EDF username) was complaining about a handyman's skills / reliability a few weeks ago ?

If so, then I may be the 'K', for pointing out (albeit bluntly) that it's not cool to slag a tradesman right off over what was more probably a communication/specification issue.

If I AM the 'K' I claim my prize now please. Or Else.

[Alan Medic]

Otta Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I can't decide whether I'm O or K, or both.

If you were both you'd be OK!

[El Pibe]

Sheemy's previous alterego was a classic case of the world saying it quacked like a duck, so obviously the world is wrong and full of bullies for ganging up on bleating on about bloody ducks!!

[El Pibe]

p256, it's not so much that there's no moderation, it's just offtopication seems to have reduced significantly as a concern over the years, and is pretty much accepted practice everywhere but the main thread.

In the main thread these days it just needs to vaguely stay on local issues rather than on topic per se, depending on the seriousness of the thread (ie there'll be a lower tolerance threshold on, say, the local councillor thread than on one about, say, blue bins in general turning into all bin/council/fox related gripes.

[El Pibe]

in fact this seems to be now a forum navel gazing exercise so perhaps it will be moved....

[Alan Medic]

Go on EP.........you moved it didn't you........out of harms way?

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

For Pete's sake, Landbeyondthewardrobe, use a bloody apostrophe when appropriate.

Will get my initial on this thread, or burst trying.

[edcam]

Echoing what penguin68 says above, this forum has a way of sniffing out unreasonable accusations against businesses so my suggestion to the OP if this happens again, would be to say - go ahead and post on the forum if you have a genuine grievance. In all likelihood they would never have the bottle to do so.

Oh and Hugeknob was just a tedious willy waver from what I could see.

[Alan Medic]

edcam Wrote:

> Oh and Hugeknob was just a tedious willy waver

> from what I could see.

I think that post says more about you TBH.

[StraferJack]

AM, it is possible to the..err.. Thrust of edcam's argument and still like/miss Huguenot

[numbers]

You're all clearly operating in a pack here.you know who you are.

[first mate]

The wolves of the forum ;)

I too miss Hugo and underneath the puffery and plumage of le coq sportif was a sometimes wise and kindly bird....just to keep the animal theme going.

[Atticus]

how come this thread was moved?

[Vik]

I'm guessing because it's 'About This Forum.'

[edcam]

Alan Medic Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> edcam Wrote:

>

> > Oh and Hugeknob was just a tedious willy waver

> > from what I could see.

>

> I think that post says more about you TBH.

Ah - one of his minions!

[Alan Medic]

No. My post was referring to your use of language. Name calling is juvenile in my opinion.

[edcam]

Yet sometimes completely appropriate.