😟 Fuckwhittery on the Brexit Thread

[saintbletch]

Brexit Thread

I’ve closed the Brexit thread until tomorrow morning at 8:00am as things got a little heated tonight.

I suspect we’ve lost a few members for a while.

It’s a divisive topic and I’ve happily unsubscribed from it (Muted notifications) and I’ve lived in blissful ignorance of its existence - until I started to see posts flagged for abuse and off-topic tonight.

Special Area of the Forum - Divisive Topics

I raised this idea with my fellow mods because I could foresee what has just happened on the Brexit thread.

I got a less than lukewarm reception from the mods because I believe they felt it smelled like censorship.

But I’d like to run it past the membership to see what you feel. Here goes.

There are some topics that will raise the temperature, make tempers flare and result in personal abuse. I think our flagging system does a good job of handling these instances of abuse, but not before the rest of the forum has been pulled into these spats. It makes the whole forum appear very unfriendly for a while.

If we allow these divisive topics to be viewed by every visitor by default then this place looks like a shit place to engage with people.

One solution would be to move certain threads to a hidden category #divisive-topics.

The threads in the #divisive-topics category would not be visible to the general membership by default.

Importantly, anybody that wants to see these divisive threads would be able to do so.

Nothing is being censored. Just removed from view.

I see it as moving the porn to the top shelf.

If you want to see the threads in this category, you would simply go to the groups page.

(Hamburger menu - Groups) - https://www.sotonians.com/g

From there you would request to become a member of the @Divisive group.

Once a mod has seen your request, you will be added, so nobody is being excluded.

And we’re not censoring any content because anyone can see anything - they just need to take the step of requesting membership of a group first.

So, Is setting up a divisive groups area a good idea?

• Yes - this is a good idea we should trial it
• No - we don’t need to worry about divisive topics. Everything is OK.
• No - I don’t like the Divisive Topic idea but we do need a way to handle problem topics
• Other - please reply with details below

[BTripz]

OK, I get as pissed off as you with the “fuckwittery” on certain threads but I also think that the “include everyone by default” option is the best. They can then mute the thread if they like, I will be doing this with that particular thread when it reopens.

How do we (as a group not just mods) decide what is a divisive thread and who moves it there? Do we wait until the personal insults fly or until enough people flag it divisive

Love the cooling off feature for a thread, didn’t realise that was an option…

[PhilippineSaint]

I open the thread and if it has fallen over in to a bucket of shit just ignore it. not an issue.
No different than a couple of drunk twats having handbags in the pub.

[Intiniki]

I said many moons ago I’d not comment on that thread but sometimes you just have to. I think the topic in question sadly shows how divided we are. Maybe we wouldn’t say those things face to face? Maybe we would.
I’ve muted loads of sport related threads and will likely mute Brexit ones too. Although other threads seem to be pulled in that direction at times.
Need to have a think about divisive threads.

I don’t think there is much flagging of posts. Maybe a reminder on that would be helpful? What could be flagged etc.

[Cobham-Saint]

Started to write a rant, but do you know what, fuck it, can’t be arsed anymore.

Brexit is decisive we get it.

On a few occasions I have said that I get pissed off by @pap constantly sniping and being condescending to me and others on this site. He even bangs on about flouncing if I get upset by him. I’m here now aren’t I?

I like the site, mostly, but there are pockets that become toxic. Are they deliberately engineered or natural, I have my doubts about the latter after this sorry episode.

[Nottarf-Krap]

Can’t we all just agree that Alistair Campbell is a cunt, shake hands and start again?

[Cobham-Saint]

He’s a cvunt, but he made some relevant comments that got picked up by some people on here and blatantly ignored / denigrated by others.

Shake hands and start again, and end up in the same position next week?

G’night.

[scotty]

Personally, I don’t see any point in a hidden or separate area. There’s a section called the Open Forum on cunts corner which is set aside specifically for abuse and bickering, topics occasionally get shifted there by a moderator, but tbh I never look at it myself (although I’ll sometimes get linked to it by comment links, or after a topic has been moved there.) If there were topics on here that I had to opt into to view then I probably wouldn’t bother.

[Rust-Cohle]

I voted remain then, I vote remain now. I think its time for the forum to unite as one and move on to a bigger brighter future. A hard no thread exit is bad for sotonians.

[pap]

I’m really not a fan of punishing everyone to sort one or two problems out.

I also take issue with the notion that topics in and of themselves, are divisive. Plenty of people manage to be civil on these threads most of the time. It’s not hard. I think there just has to be enough mutual respect so that neither side wants to bury the other.

There are a few people that don’t have this respect, and fail to see this line. They make the journey into personal abuse land, and they’ll do it fucking everywhere.

I’ve voted no to new groups. I’m going to start flagging all 100% abuse flags as off-topic. That’s not censorship. People can still read the content. They’ll just know upfront that someone else deems it unsuitable.

That is a much more elegant solution, and unlike the separate groups idea, will actually work.

[scotty]

Nearly 8 o’clock lads, I’ve got the popcorn ready. Time for a little light limbering up, are all you moronic brainwashed cretins who voted to destroy the very fabric of the UK economy and push us back into the stone age by leaving the EU ready for kick off? And how about you treacherous, unpatriotic, immigrant loving middle class fucking tree huggers that want to shackle us forever to the tyrant yoke of the Krauts and Frogs??

The whistle awaits. The ball is on the spot.

Let’s 'ave it

[pap]

You should announce the boxing.

[scotty]

If you check the brexit thread I think you’ll find…

[lifeintheslowlane]

It’s a bit like a shit Tennis match where the opponents are intent on hitting the other player rather playing a good game.

Shit to play in but amusing as a spectator sport. Thanks for the enjoyment…keep it going.

[tigger]

Not a fan of censorship, then again not a fan of small minded idiots who feel personal abuse is fine. If you dont like something then scroll on by or avoid certain topics

[pap]

Which is why the Flag Post feature is decent. Nowt is censored. It is transparent, so the curious can click on the content and judge for themselves where the post deserves a flag.

Anyone can do personal abuse. As my brief sojourn out to the Beef Thread proved, so can I. I’d rather not, hence the flags.