h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Norti, I have been advised from mails and phone that you have been behaving in a rather 'norty' fashion. I really have no interest in searching, looking or lurking. If I don't see anything 'current', I don't care. That is my philosophy. (It really works well if silly folks get on and I miss it all )

Please Norti, do tone down again, ... Take a breather and step in with calm voice? You have good things in that head, but when steamed those thoughts come out pretty harsh

I say again: Fully concur with Mrs Zen's missive post 559.

As I have said many times tracers work both ways, that includes search (lights) and

Yes I am in quite a combative mood today , it's been one of 'those' days. I'm taking Mrs Zen's advice for a cup of ,tea> before it all kicks off again, which won't be long judging by the atmosphere

I know that your line of work, like that person Taff, isn't conducive to calm discussion during work hours. Just suggesting to be a little more calm ... Heck, you might find yourself 'ooted' for a time.

A very neat statement containing moral and emotional blackmail, hmmmmmm, I must think on this further

God bless ya Ben! I just had to borrow all those 3rd-personables from Post #559 for my ongoing 1-2-3 person thread. http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/alabaster/F19585?thread=128542&post=109441679#p109441679 ~jwf~

Concur, a truely brilliant post. Cruel, but true, and sums so many of our temprements at times
Deserves the status of quoye of the week

Rev Nick

you were banned once, that does not give you the moral high groung

get stuffed!!!

I preferred moral and emotional blackmail myself, put more bluntly by Taff

Cheers Taff, your opinions are your own and free to express.

And friend Norti, ... I haven't re-re-read enough to find the 'blackmail'. Sorry

We'll just have to agree with Mrs Zen's post 559 I sure it's pertinent to all of us at one time or another

I'm begining to warm to the idea of a pit

I don't like it when things get like this

No worries, Peanut, Taff seems to think that he has a problem with me. I've seen it across 3 or 4 threads. It's not a bother to me, ... And Norti and I have known each other a long while and never take each other 'personally'. Long work shifts do make people a little sharper sometimes, and lack of work make some more edgy and sensitive.

It's entertaining for the participants, mainly, and the vouyeristic ,but pretty quickly all lose interest aside from the entrenched.
There'll be tears before bedtime

Nick, I think you have misinterpreted me, my post wasn't directed at any one post, it was a reflection on 'the general atmosphere' for the want of a better expression

I see people saying "I don't like seeing arguments, it puts me off the whole site."

These are, I assume, the sorts of people who write in to the BBC to complain about television shows they've assiduously watched because they know in advance that there's something offensive in there.

One appeal of the pit idea is that it protects the delicate, fragile sensibilities of the people too lacking in self-control to simply unsubscribe from conversations that get their knickers in a twist. There might even be an option you could set in your preferences page - tick this box if you are a dewicate wikkle fwower. You will henceforth be automatically unsubscribed from any conversation which gets Pitted, and also incidentally a big list of words will be ****ed out to protect your eyes from naughty words. Implement an option like that, and send complainants who don't use it on their way with a flea in their ear.

No.

For example, this thread. I want to stay subscribed, because I think we're talking about important things. Instead, people are slinging mud.

I could unsubscribe. But then I can't contribute to the OP.

Trouble is, it means that all the people who dislike the sort of mud-slinging we've just seen never get an opinion, because they leave.

If we weren't talking about the future of the site I wouldn't mind so much. But we can't only take into account those who shout loudest.



It comes back to the same old point; some people find talking through things helpful, others find that false and irritating. We're not going to find a medium here.

So essentially this thread has proved that the standard of behaviour on h2g2 will sink to whatever lowest level the participants decide. Regardless of what the rest of them wish, think or feel.

Great. Just great.

I guess those who are really interested in the discussion per se will stay. Or come back at a later point.

>It comes back to the same old point; some people find talking through things helpful, others find that false and irritating.<

It's a message board. Talking is what happens. If people find that false and irritating what are they doing being around other human beings?

I like that we don't go in for silly gimicks like 'ignore buttons'. If you want to ignore someone you ignore them.

It might lead to more turmoil in that we don't use these kind of gimmicks..but it's more creative for the community ultimately IMO.

You can never predict where some new idea or way of looking at things may emerge from

Vip's got a point about this being about the future of the site, and too important for bullying and sarcasm.

I don't want a site that's made of pink and is the online equivalent of the giftware section of a garden centre, full of kitten-shaped cuteness made of oestrogen and smileys.

Equally, I don't want a site that's the online equivalent of a low rent gym, full of testosterone-fuelled attempts to make one's point by pissing higher up the wall than anyone else can.

I actually want both. And a whole range of other things too.

And that can only happen if people are sensitive to the tone of the thread they are in. You wouldn't wear swimming trunks to a funeral, and you'd feel a bit of a plonker wearing a tux at a football match.

So - topic-drift, yes. Tone-shift, not so much.