After hours no longer a safe place for irreverent humour.

Letree · 01-10-2016 03:21PM

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 · 01-10-2016 03:21PM

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 · 01-10-2016 03:24PM

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 · 01-10-2016 03:31PM

b_mac2 wrote: »

He's still here...

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

Amalgam · 01-10-2016 03:35PM

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 · 01-10-2016 03:39PM

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.

01-10-2016 03:48PM

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 · 01-10-2016 03:50PM

This post has been deleted.

pablomakaveli · 01-10-2016 03:52PM

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 · 01-10-2016 03:53PM

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

kneemos · 01-10-2016 03:55PM

[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 · 01-10-2016 03:57PM

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 · 01-10-2016 04:00PM

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 · 01-10-2016 04:09PM

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 · 01-10-2016 04:18PM

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 · 01-10-2016 04:27PM

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.

01-10-2016 04:38PM

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 · 01-10-2016 04:43PM

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.

01-10-2016 04:48PM

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 · 01-10-2016 04:50PM

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.

01-10-2016 04:50PM

[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 think sometimes it's confused between lighthearted and serious.

Gatling · 01-10-2016 04:56PM

Give me AH over the political cafe .

01-10-2016 05:42PM

This Fat Girl Runs wrote: »

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.

This is the crux of it for me, while AH was never well defined it at least had it's own subculture which is gone and ain't coming back. Sure many people thought it was stupid but they should have been told to **** off and a separate 'current affairs' or whatever forum should have been made for the people looking for a place with relaxed rules to post about serious stuff

Shint0 · 01-10-2016 05:47PM

I actually like the style of The Gentleman's Club for serious discussion on topics. It feels like you can have a more adult, level-headed discussion with diversity of opinion without the sense that you're going to be pounced on by the powers that be. You can also elaborate further on points with more lengthy posts than would be tolerated in AH where people are more quick to take pot shots and the attention span seems to be limited to a couple of sentences before people gloss over individual posts.

In AH it is hard to know sometimes what type of humour will fly here anymore compared to years ago so you just err on the side of caution and I think that impacts on the type of threads people start which used to be more colourful and entertaining and would just draw people in.

Annasopra · 01-10-2016 07:24PM

suicide_circus wrote: »

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

Nah... forums are becoming outdated due to facebook and twitter. Not managements fault at all just the changing culture of the internet.

GerB40 · 01-10-2016 07:26PM

Shint0 wrote: »

I actually like the style of The Gentleman's Club for serious discussion on topics. It feels like you can have a more adult, level-headed discussion with diversity of opinion without the sense that you're going to be pounced on by the powers that be. You can also elaborate further on points with more lengthy posts than would be tolerated in AH where people are more quick to take pot shots and the attention span seems to be limited to a couple of sentences before people gloss over individual posts.

In AH it is hard to know sometimes what type of humour will fly here anymore compared to years ago so you just err on the side of caution and I think that impacts on the type of threads people start which used to be more colourful and entertaining and would just draw people in.

Perfectly said..

kneemos · 01-10-2016 07:35PM

Joeytheparrot wrote: »

Nah... forums are becoming outdated due to facebook and twitter. Not managements fault at all just the changing culture of the internet.

Nope . Definitely management.

laugh · 01-10-2016 07:37PM

Joeytheparrot wrote: »

Nah... forums are becoming outdated due to facebook and twitter. Not managements fault at all just the changing culture of the internet.

Reddit?

Sue Pa Key Pa · 01-10-2016 07:41PM

This thread grossly offends me. Mods, please close it.

Did I mention I was grossly offended???

Mister Vain · 01-10-2016 07:46PM

Too many pseudo intellectual armchair psychologists and not enough comedians. Or is it the other way around? I don't even know anymore.

After hours no longer a safe place for irreverent humour.

Comments