After hours no longer a safe place for irreverent humour.

superfurry1

After hours has turned into a PC newsflash advice thread for shame, i guess it was always going to happen. And this thread wont last very long.

Winterlong

As long as you crack jokes that could not possibly offend anyone then you should be ok. :mad:

But I agree wiht you. AH has majorly lost its way.

Know any good Daffodil jokes?

Zascar

After Hours is the Donald Trump of forums

RobbingBandit

Zascar wrote: »

After Hours is the Donald Trump of forums

By that you mean the second coming of Ronald Regan. America's best and only choice. The saviour of the 1%. I for one believe in The Donald.

biko

AH is the moanfest of boards.
That hasn't changed.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

superfurry1 wrote: »

After hours has turned into a PC newsflash advice thread for shame, i guess it was always going to happen. And this thread wont last very long.

What did you get carded for? Be honest

kneemos

Gone to shoite.

Wibbs

Bring back Terry. Oh and allow pictures FFS. It's 2016, not 1996.

RayM

biko wrote: »

AH is the moanfest of boards.
That hasn't changed.

It's a lot moanier than it used to be. Full of threads that would be more suited to Politics Cafe or Humanities or somewhere (fucking anywhere, tbh).

riffmongous

Careful OP, people won't like you talking about wanting to turn AH into a safe space

BattleCorp

superfurry1 wrote: »

After hours has turned into a PC newsflash advice thread for shame, i guess it was always going to happen. And this thread wont last very long.

It's absolutely retarded that you can't even say the word retard any more without being pulled up. Where's the craic gone. Spastics*









*Which word went too far, retard or spastic?

osarusan

AH is mostly just a place for incoherent moaning from people about how they and their group really have it worse than everybody else. And if you can't see that, you're sheeple.

Aint Eazy Being Cheezy

It's a sitewide thing. I used to love boards, I'd spend a couple of hours each evening reading through it. Now it's a couple of hours a week, and it's more a force of habit rather than finding anything interesting.

Shint0

I was only thinking this exact same thing a couple of days ago. I was searching for something on Boards and came on an AH thread from around 2008/9 era. There were a lot of insults being traded back and forth between Pighead (don't know if he's still around) and someone else who is still a regular poster who I won't name but is much quieter these days compared to that thread It was all in good humour but I was waiting to see where a Mod would step in and stop it which would happen now but it was allowed to run. Very different beast compared to the Boards of today.

wakka12

I think its still a funny forum

suicide_circus

This culture fostered by management is reflected in the usership decline.

IamMetaldave

Pigface/head speaking in the third person was the best thing on boards.. he should come back.

Giacomo McGubbin

superfurry1 wrote: »

After hours has turned into a PC newsflash advice thread for shame, i guess it was always going to happen. And this thread wont last very long.

it entirely depends on what you are irreverent about. As long as it fits in with the political agendas of the owners and their mods, you can be as irreverent as you want about certain things. It fact its positively encouraged and fostered.

DEFTLEFTHAND

RayM wrote: »

It's a lot moanier than it used to be. Full of threads that would be more suited to Politics Cafe or Humanities or somewhere (fucking anywhere, tbh).

I remember a year or two ago there was an initiative by the mods to keep serious political discussion to the Politics and Politics Cafe forums. I thought it was a good idea at the time but it never stuck.

I suppose the forum has just evolved over the years, it's more of a place to discuss current affairs these days.

The_Captain

Boards has always been famous for being quite heavy handed when it comes to imposing limits.

Whatever about language on after hours, try criticising an MCD event, saying anything about the Liverpool/United or Leinster/Munster rivalries, going off topic, swearing, talking about sex (paying members only), bumping an old thread, making a new thread if there's already a thread on it that isn't too old, having something you post misconstrued by a mod, explaining to a mod why he's wrong, posting something a mod disagrees with, posting in a thread after a mod tells you not to post again in it, criticising someone's parenting, criticising someone's pets or posting anything when a mod is in a bad mood

b_mac2

Giacomo McGubbin wrote: »

it entirely depends on what you are irreverent about. As long as it fits in with the political agendas of the owners and their mods, you can be as irreverent as you want about certain things. It fact its positively encouraged and fostered.

Yup. There are a quite a few posters here that would have been banned long ago, had they been on the centre right, because of the absolute nonsense/shīte they come up with.

I'm very fond of this place but it's a bit safe at times. I hate the whole right wing left wing thing. People have opinions and that's the end of it. Let them be free to air them. Don't want the country being turned in to the Middle East? Then it should be ok to say so. A Donald Trump supporter? Tell us about it. Horrible experiences with travellers? That's ok too. *Find the idea of special transgender toilets silly? I'm all ears.


*they are silly. pick one and use it*

Winterlong

Deleted User wrote: »

I'm very fond of this place but it's a bit safe at times. I hate the whole right wing left wing thing. People have opinions and that's the end of it. Let them be free to air them. Don't want the country being turned in to the Middle East? Then it should be ok to say so. A Donald Trump supporter? Tell us about it. Horrible experiences with travellers? That's ok too. *Find the idea of special transgender toilets silly? I'm all ears.


*they are silly. pick one and use it*

Post reported. Your lack of mentioning of muslims is discriminatory.

Winterlong

Winterlong wrote: »

Post reported. Your lack of mentioning of muslims is discriminatory.

Fück you!!




:pac:

Jawgap

Not everywhere has to be a "safe space"

TerrorFirmer

Deleted User wrote: »

I'm very fond of this place but it's a bit safe at times. I hate the whole right wing left wing thing. People have opinions and that's the end of it. Let them be free to air them. Don't want the country being turned in to the Middle East? Then it should be ok to say so. A Donald Trump supporter? Tell us about it. Horrible experiences with travellers? That's ok too. *Find the idea of special transgender toilets silly? I'm all ears.


*they are silly. pick one and use it*

Absolutely this. The problem is way too many moderators now consider anything other than the ultra liberal, PC viewpoint as trolling, incitement, etc.

If you don't agree with someone's opinion, by all means point out why they are wrong or why you disagree with them. Don't tell them they're simply not allowed have that opinion.

I understand stuff like the MCD issue and why that had to be enforced, but the heavy handed censoring of genuine opinion driven discussion and debate is a huge issue on boards in my opinion.

We all know that famous phrase - "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it"

Too many moderators prefer the angle "I disapprove of what you say, therefore I am shutting you down".

twill

You know, for all the supposed pinko-liberal-feminist agenda on boards, AH is full of right wing threads too. That's not even the issue, the problem is people start clickbait threads about how (opposing agenda) is destroying humanity with the sole objective of having their position reinforced and proving everyone else wrong. All you have then is a Youtube comments section rather than a discussion.

Solution: start discussions in Philosophy, Humanities, The Ladies Lounge/Gentleman's Club, Debate, etc. That's not to say politics shouldn't come into AH, just don't take things so bloody seriously.

RobbingBandit

Its like a shrinks office to many most of whom may or may not be Abe Simpson or the auld lads down your local that ****e on about the good auld days.

Badly Drunk Boy

Winterlong wrote: »

Post reported. Your lack of mentioning of muslims is discriminatory.

In fairness, she mentioned the Middle East. There are still some Muslims there, I hear... :pac:

This Fat Girl Runs

I for one was shocked and disappointed that no one said 'yore ma's' when I asked what the best pillow you ever slept on was. AH is definitely slipping.

Electric Sheep

Shint0 wrote: »

I was only thinking this exact same thing a couple of days ago. I was searching for something on Boards and came on an AH thread from around 2008/9 era. There were a lot of insults being traded back and forth between Pighead (don't know if he's still around) and someone else who is still a regular poster who I won't name but is much quieter these days compared to that thread It was all in good humour but I was waiting to see where a Mod would step in and stop it which would happen now but it was allowed to run. Very different beast compared to the Boards of today.

Maybe most of the users have grown out of the idea that trading insults is the height of wit and (insert stupid made up word and spelling) craic.

Letree

Before Merkel opened the borders it was much harder to voice concerns about immigration on boards. I think it's a bit more tolerated now. A guy called nodin used to report any posts he didn't like and the mods backed him up. But he is gone now. So overall I don't consider the place to be as stiflingly pc as a few years ago.

The_Captain

twill wrote: »

You know, for all the supposed pinko-liberal-feminist agenda on boards, AH is full of right wing threads too. That's not even the issue, the problem is people start clickbait threads about how (opposing agenda) is destroying humanity with the sole objective of having their position reinforced and proving everyone else wrong. All you have then is a Youtube comments section rather than a discussion.

Solution: start discussions in Philosophy, Humanities, The Ladies Lounge/Gentleman's Club, Debate, etc. That's not to say politics shouldn't come into AH, just don't take things so bloody seriously.

I agree with this, I don't think there's a site wide bias towards the left and there's plenty of right wing stuff in AH. Mention the unemployed or travellers and there's people calling to have their bones smelted into bricks to restart the property industry.

There's a load of nonsense on both sides. They should abort that eighth amendment thread since its just the same three or four people on each side of the debate posting their opinion over and over

b_mac2

Letree wrote: »

Before Merkel opened the borders it was much harder to voice concerns about immigration on boards. I think it's a bit more tolerated now. A guy called nodin used to report any posts he didn't like and the mods backed him up. But he is gone now. So overall I don't consider the place to be as stiflingly pc as a few years ago.

He's still here...

Letree

b_mac2 wrote: »

He's still here...

Has he a new name or has he finally realised he was wrong all along...

Amalgam

Letree wrote: »

Has he a new name or has he finally realised he was wrong all along...

Only place he/she can exert any inlfuence over others. Where else would they go for that..

alchemist33

I find this death of boards -- and AH in particular -- to be mostly exaggerated and an idea usually propogated by posters with a certain agenda. Despite the claims that some views aren't allowed I still see the same right wing views being expressed here on a daily basis.

Boards changed quite a lot when it became something that made some people money. It went from something that had an excellent community to being something neutered, where the moaniest of people are given a platform instead of being shouted at for being moany bastards.

FizzleSticks

This post has been deleted.

pablomakaveli

Deleted User wrote: »

Boards changed quite a lot when it became something that made some people money. It went from something that had an excellent community to being something neutered, where the moaniest of people are given a platform instead of being shouted at for being moany bastards.

Seems to be more focus on drawing in as many new users as possible than catering to the community already here. The new site update being a good example of that. Most new users are just re-regs anyway.

Fuzzytrooper

I miss the atari jaguar option on polls. Simpler times....

kneemos

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Boards changed quite a lot when it became something that made some people money. It went from something that had an excellent community to being something neutered, where the moaniest of people are given a platform instead of being shouted at for being moany bastards.

Exactly,you can't tell the assholes to **** off and as a result they've propagated.Along with their desperate pathetic "jokes".

UrbanSprawl

Wibbs wrote: »

Bring back Terry. Oh and allow pictures FFS. It's 2016, not 1996.

Terry's dead i think

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6eXvKwkf7s

Discodog

It seems like a lot of threads here are started by people who would normally post in the appropriate forum but here is seen as less moderated. A lot of the forums have some really bizarre charters.

A classic example are any threads here involving animals. A lot of the posts wouldn't be allowed in their forum but it actually makes the discussion better because those with opposing views are allowed to post here. For example we have had a thread here on Bullfighting. It was a good discussion because those that agree with it could post. Even though I totally disagree I respect their right to express an opinion.

Samaris

I think there was a lot more irreverent humour a few years ago though. The tone was different, it wasn't taken all that seriously. In the last maybe..two years, it seems to have become a lot more bitter in tone. Jabs rather than jokes. A lot more political and people are a lot more emotional in our politics than the population in here a few years ago were. The growing bitterness killed the humour.

I doubt I'd miss the current forum if AH went back to being the place for things not to be taken seriously again.

hannible the cannible

As long as people can get offended it won't change , a discussion forum should be just that , if you get offended by any thing in any way you should fůck right off , if you don't like what people have to say , then don't read , if you can't come back with a coherent well thought out answer to any post then don't bother replying and definitely don't bother reporting the post if you think everyone else's views should allign with yours

Adult debate should entertain every agenda, not just the traveller immigrant anti right wing loving feminist safe space seekers who feel aggrieved at every little comment that doesn't fit the liberal left wing bullsh1t forced on us at every turn

DivingDuck

Discodog wrote: »

It seems like a lot of threads here are started by people who would normally post in the appropriate forum but here is seen as less moderated. A lot of the forums have some really bizarre charters.

Samaris wrote: »

I doubt I'd miss the current forum if AH went back to being the place for things not to be taken seriously again.

I think these two posts are bang on. Lots of AH threads shouldn't really be in AH, they're just there because the forum they should be in are so stringently moderated as to prevent opposing opinions being discussed.

I think the forum would benefit from being split into two, personally. One to follow the original spirit of After Hours, with silly joking banter, and one for more serious discussion where you can say just about anything apart from serious stuff like trying to dox people, start a hate rally, or break the "don't get the forum sued" rule.

After Hours has a tendency to pull everything in to it but as a wise man once said to me it's a bit like the anchor shop in a shopping centre. It's where most people will gravitate towards while also popping in and out of the smaller shops.
Unfortunately when some threads get moved or closed because there is another home for them they die. The dating thread here was so popular. Yes there is a dedicated forum for dating but it's just not the same. The vibe is different.

We have a long running depression thread here. Why hasn't that been moved to long term illness? Is it because it was started by DeVore?
Who knows but when I see that I can't help but notice inconsistency with what's acceptable and what isn't.

Then there is the 'no chat' rule. Having it in alongside a thread title makes it seem unwelcome and a bit cold.

Winterlong

The concept of After hours has been lost too. It's too much of a mish mash.

Close the place down. Open a new sub forum with a clear purpose/identity of what it is and what it wants to be. And let people interact without fear of getting shut down for breaking some nonsensical rule like 'chatting'.
We dont need another thunderdome but it's a bit like North Korea in here sometimes.

Winterlong

Winterlong wrote: »

The concept of After hours has been lost too. It's too much of a mish mash.

Close the place down. Open a new sub forum with a clear purpose/identity of what it is and what it wants to be. And let people interact without fear of getting shut down for breaking some nonsensical rule like 'chatting'.
We dont need another thunderdome but it's a bit like North Korea in here sometimes.

Hasn't AH's purpose always to be a bit of a mish mash? It was always the place you went to if you didn't want to engage in serious proper topics in places like Politics or wherever else, but instead wanted to have a lighthearted (or at least light topiced) discussion about it all?

Winterlong

Deleted User wrote: »

Hasn't AH's purpose always to be a bit of a mish mash? It was always the place you went to if you didn't want to engage in serious proper topics in places like Politics or wherever else, but instead wanted to have a lighthearted (or at least light topiced) discussion about it all?

I suppose what I meant by mish mash is that there are stringent rules on somethings but others do not matter.
The bull fighting is a good example. That thread prospered here because it was allowed to...but in the correct forum it would not have gotten past one post.
On the other hand AH is over moderated to the extent of confusion.
A mish mash of rules, not topics.