Plea for common sense

[Hagar]

I see another thread has been locked over a misunderstanding. People taking offence at something that was quite unintentional. By doing this they missed the whole point that the author was making.

This seems a shame to me as this forum is a unique opportunity for people of all ages from all parts of the world to share their opinions on a wide range of subjects. Discussing things sensibly is the only way to find out how other people from different parts of the world feel about many subjects. Some views might be the complete opposite of others but this makes them no less valid. Discussion is the only way to understand the broader picture & find out what people really think on a wide variety of issues. In this way we can get to know them better. If we're frightened to say how we really feel for fear of upsetting somone we might as well not say it at all with the result that nobody knows what we really think about it. This is what leads to conflict & even war, not flame wars but real war where people get killed.

This is called the General Discussion forum. If we can't discuss things here I see no point it having it. Politics & religion is unfortunately banned but for a very good reason. Applying this to the actual words politics or religion is PC taken to the extreme & I want no part of it.

[Omag 2.0]

I'm away for 24 h and return to this...  :-/

I agree with Hagar! Long live common sense, and remember, if some-one's ideas offend you, keep in mind your thought and idea's might conflict the same effect on others!

Kris... calling for a grouphug!

[ozzy72]

Agreed Doug, I have to say it is the minority that cause the problems, they tend to have some narrow-minded self-righteous point of view.
I think the majority of us can sit down and discuss things in an open an sensible way.
Speaking as a mod I have to say sometimes it is very hard to enforce the rules against ones friends on the forum and to be completely unbiased, but whilst a few people persist in stirring the pot for some pathetic egotistical reason we have to enforce the rules very strictly

[Fly2e]

What gets me is that people have been told time and time again that certain things are not "allowed" here but yet they have total disregard for a few "guidelines" that make this "General Discussion" a happy place for most!.

I totally agree Doug. General discussion is a great place for people to discuss things that people are not familiar with! I have learned many a thing that I would not know unless I read it here in this international forum!

I can't understand WHY someone, (excuse me Woodlouse), needs to  bring up Bush when (excuse me Woodlouse), know blatantly well that it is going to stir the pot. Do people not understand what is meant by Politics or Religion, or are they just out to spread their own views with total disregard for people and THIS forum.....  ::)

WTF does Bush have to do with the Space Shuttle!!!!!!!!!!!!!  ???



Dave

[Craig.]

WTF does Bush have to do with the Space Shuttle!!!!!!!!!!!!!  

Doesn't that sort of leave the place open for people to respond

[Hagar]

Just to explain something. Bush happens to be the name of the US President just as Blair is the name of the British Prime Minister. Now Woody might have used the President's name rather than type US President. He might have been knocking President Bush but I don't think that this was the case. Even so, if anyone took a pop at Mr. Blair or any other British politician I would take no offence at that at all, in fact I would probably agree with it.

One of the many things I've learned on this forum is a major difference between Britain (& probably the whole of Europe) and the United States. We're used to knocking our politicians & we do it at every opportunity. It helps keep them in line & they're under no doubt as to what we really think of them. They take no offence at this at all & most of them seem to enjoy it.

[C]

I see another thread has been locked over a misunderstanding. People taking offence at something that was quite unintentional. By doing this they missed the whole point that the author was making.

Oh well...

Maybe we're going to need a "3 strikes and you're out" rule. Maybe then the politics/religion rule would be taken completely seriously, however light heartedly any mention of the subject was intended...

[Hagar]

::) Oh well...

Maybe we're going to need a "3 strikes and you're out" rule. Maybe then the politics/religion rule would be taken completely seriously, however light heartedly any mention of the subject was intended...

If lighthearted comments are applied to that extreme I'm out of here.

WTF does Bush have to do with the Space Shuttle!!!!!!!!!!!!!  

Sorry Dave but by taking offence at the use of the name Bush you missed the whole point of Woody's argument. I think this proves my case.

[Felix/FFDS]

If lighthearted comments are applied to that extreme I'm out of here.

Me, too.

[C]

If lighthearted comments are applied to that extreme I'm out of here.

Not that lightheartedly Doug! [edit] and Felix [/edit]

Maybe we all just need to take a step back and bite our tongues every now and then. If something offends you, just walk away. If it's really that bad it'll be dealt with. I tend never to notice (maybe I'm just an insensitive thick skinned (young) old sod ), and if I don't like something I'll generally press the back button and meandre on elsewhere. "Real Aviation" (and its relatives) and the "Photo" forums are really the only places that I find worth posting in and reading all of the posts...

Cheers guys, lets keep SimV a happy place, not one where people decide to disappear...

(Chilled) Charlie

[Fly2e]

Actually,

I only saw that Kevin had noted he had to lock his own thread in the Admin Forum because it was going South.

I read the thread and noticed that it seamed to turn a bit when Woody mentions a few

[Saitek]

I was just going to jump in and say; Yep, I agree and add my one pence worth of a lecture on common sense. I thought what locked thread?  ??? I went back on the webpage and saw nothing. To be honest I couldn't figure Doug out. I then went back to his post and carried on reading the thread agreeing with Mark and Kris and lo and behold I get to Dave and boy! it's me at the centre! I have to say I don't think it has got out of hand, Woody me and the other Ben had a wee rant. My main one was that it was on politics which I can't figure how many flipping times it has been said is not allowed.

I disagreed with Woody and after it went a bit sour I decided to jump out. Then when I returned I so liked Woody's wit that I had to post a laugh. I never felt there was any ill feeling between us. I've no idea what Woody felt like to me, but I had no more ill-intentions to him that anyone else at any other time.

So maybe folk interpreted things a bit weird. *scratches head*

Doug, I don't see any locked thread. Oh and Dave I do think Bush has a place in the Space Shuttle thread.. (but I'll leave it there).

So drinks on me..... sweets to go around too.
Here is some nice strong whisky from a distillery about 9 miles away form here in a small village called Tomatin.

[Ben_M_K]

Thank you Dave...

But I just wanted to say that I overreacted...I really should have kept it to myself and nothing would have come of it. So I'm sorry Woody, next time I'll keep things to myself...

[C]

Then when I returned I so liked Woody's wit that I had to post a laugh. I never felt there was any ill feeling between us. I've no idea what Woody felt like to me, but I had no more ill-intentions to him that anyone else at any other time.

I didn't think there were either. I find it very hard to justify having ill intentions or fellings towards anyone as all we are doing is expressing ourselves via the medium of text, which is the hardest in which to convey any feelings (other than using emoticons/smileys etc) - for all anybody knows sitting at their screen what I've written below may imply I'm a sozzled (very drunk) chappie...

So drinks on me..... sweets to go around too.
Here is some nice strong whisky from a distillery about 9 miles away form here in a small village called Tomatin.

Bit of a long drive Ben - I think i'll crawl to the fridge and grab another Stella!

Charlie

(Stone cold sober - I shouldn't be (I've got tomorrow off), but I am!)

[Hagar]

I still think you're missing my point Dave. Americans might well knock their own politicians & G. W. Bush the presidential candidate obviously has his supporters & opponents. However, once he becomes President most Americans take offence at any criticism of him whether they support him or not. It goes further than that. They take it as a personal insult against themselves & their country. This is how it appears to me anyway.

This is not the case in Britain & many parts of Europe which I suspect is the cause of the problem. A storm in a teacup. Unfortunately, by taking offence where none was intended leads to missing the whole point of the argument, which might be a perfectly sensible & valid point.