Introducing the Current Affairs/IMHO forum

Discodog · 04-07-2020 9:00am

Deleted User wrote: »

Is it the standard? A few posters who post all the time about something they care way too much about defines us all? I'd much rather boards.ie let the conversations take place and moderate it like they're doing. A lot of people are far too fond of censorship these days and cheer on the shutting down of anything they don't like. It would be far more shameful for boards.ie to shut down conversation because you don't like it.

I think the conversation will shut itself down & the forum become an echo chamber. It's already so predictable. Gradually those that oppose the toxic views expressed won't bother to interact. The disappointing thing is the way that the attitudes prevalent in CA now permeate many other Boards fora. Maybe people aren't either interested or intelligent enough for reasoned discussion ?

Pintman Paddy Losty · 04-07-2020 9:04am

Still no examples of these toxic and racist posts. The best that could be come up with is one where someone said the minister for children should have children. Lots of whinging and not many facts.

Omackeral · 04-07-2020 9:08am

Pintman Paddy Losty wrote: »

Still no examples of these toxic and racist posts.

I put it specifically to the poster Better Than Christ to put up one or two examples that weren't mod actioned because he was repeatedly adamant this is the case... and he wouldn't or couldn't. Reason I asked was because he kept saying the place is a ''racist cesspit'' and allowed to be by the people in charge. So I assume it's easy to share an example or two? I respect him as a poster usually but he couldn't do that simple task. I now notice this morning that his account is closed, which I think is a shame.

04-07-2020 9:11am

Discodog wrote: »

I think the conversation will shut itself down & the forum become an echo chamber. It's already so predictable. Gradually those that oppose the toxic views expressed won't bother to interact. The disappointing thing is the way that the attitudes prevalent in CA now permeate many other Boards fora. Maybe people aren't either interested or intelligent enough for reasoned discussion ?

I don't think it will become and echo chamber yet. Out of boredom, I've been active there in the last while and it's pretty balanced.

As for attitudes there being prevalent elsewhere, that's just a sign of the times. Things are predictably swinging to the right as people realise that these extremely loud and vocal minorities just have to stamp their feet a bit and they get their way.

Pintman Paddy Losty wrote: »

Still no examples of these toxic and racist posts. The best that could be come up with is one where someone said the minister for children should have children. Lots of whinging and not many facts.

It's been like that since the thread opened. One poster claimed a thread was full of a type of post and I went and found one example of it and it was post #168 or something.

Pintman Paddy Losty · 04-07-2020 10:27am

I think these people spend their day to day lives surrounded by very like-minded people. So they probably perceive someone with a different viewpoint as being a racist or some other undesirable characteristic. Easier to just say opinions you don't like are toxic than to engage in discussion. Cancel culture has proven very effective in silencing views you don't like. Seems like they're trying the same here.

Just keep saying it's a racist cesspit and eventually the admins will close it down or be seen as complicit.

Dial Hard · 04-07-2020 1:57pm

You don't have to post "I'm a racist/homophobe/bigot" for it to be perfectly obvious that you are. People are perfectly capable of reading nuance, inference and implication, no matter how clever the deniers on here think they're being with their "Prove where someone typed *exactly* those words" nonsense.

The place is a cesspit and has been pretty much since its inception. I avoid it like the plague but had another quick look in light of all the ardent defence of it going on in here and it's as bad if not worse than ever. Quite frankly if I had the option to even hide the threads showing up on my front page, I would.

As others have said, leave it open, it serves as a handy corral for the perpetually angry/persecution complexers. But let's not pretend it's not Boards' safe space for ineffable ****.

Rodney Bathgate · 04-07-2020 2:05pm

Dial Hard wrote: »

You don't have to post "I'm a racist/homophobe/bigot" for it to be perfectly obvious that you are. People are perfectly capable of reading nuance, inference and implication, no matter how clever the deniers on here think they're being with their "Prove where someone typed *exactly* those words" nonsense.

The place is a cesspit and has been pretty much since its inception. I avoid it like the plague but had another quick look in light of all the ardent defence of it going on in here and it's as bad if not worse than ever. Quite frankly if I had the option to even hide the threads showing up on my front page, I would.

Get yourself banned from Current Affairs and the threads will disappear.

ExMachina1000 · 04-07-2020 2:17pm

Dial Hard wrote: »

You don't have to post "I'm a racist/homophobe/bigot" for it to be perfectly obvious that you are. People are perfectly capable of reading nuance, inference and implication, no matter how clever the deniers on here think they're being with their "Prove where someone typed *exactly* those words" nonsense.

The place is a cesspit and has been pretty much since its inception. I avoid it like the plague but had another quick look in light of all the ardent defence of it going on in here and it's as bad if not worse than ever. Quite frankly if I had the option to even hide the threads showing up on my front page, I would.

As others have said, leave it open, it serves as a handy corral for the perpetually angry/persecution complexers. But let's not pretend it's not Boards' safe space for ineffable ****.

Not only did you have a quick look you also posted about your findings on the threads.

The cheek of you to just call out people as ****

Omackeral · 04-07-2020 2:57pm

Dial Hard wrote: »

You don't have to post "I'm a racist/homophobe/bigot" for it to be perfectly obvious that you are. People are perfectly capable of reading nuance, inference and implication, no matter how clever the deniers on here think they're being with their "Prove where someone typed *exactly* those words" nonsense.

Point to raise here. Not everyone is a ''denier''. I myself merely asked a poster to provide one or two examples of posts which are indicative of a ''racist cesspit'' and which the mods let slide without sanction.

Can you provide quotes of same yourself? If they're so ubiquitous, it shouldn't be a problem.

joe40 · 04-07-2020 3:18pm

I don't think it is a racist cesspit but there is definitely a very marked consensus of opinion.
That's not the individual posters fault, it is up to others to post alternative opinions.

But you do know if you enter any discussion on CA with any kind of liberal left leaning slant, it doesn't have to be extreme, you will be in the minority.
That is just an observation, not a complaint against individual posters.
Plenty of opposing opinions will be respectful, but not all.

A guy has just registered to a thread with a username "slave owner" how does that contribute to serious debate.

Rodney Bathgate · 04-07-2020 3:55pm

joe40 wrote: »

I don't think it is a racist cesspit but there is definitely a very marked consensus of opinion.
That's not the individual posters fault, it is up to others to post alternative opinions.

But you do know if you enter any discussion on CA with any kind of liberal left leaning slant, it doesn't have to be extreme, you will be in the minority.
That is just an observation, not a complaint against individual posters.
Plenty of opposing opinions will be respectful, but not all.

A guy has just registered to a thread with a username "slave owner" how does that contribute to serious debate.

How about a username like ‘Better than Christ’ or ‘Matt Barrett’? Do they contribute to serious debate?

Deebles McBeebles · 04-07-2020 5:08pm

Discodog wrote: »

Gradually those that oppose the toxic views expressed won't bother to interact.

100%.

04-07-2020 5:20pm

Rodney Bathgate wrote: »

How about a username like ‘Better than Christ’ or ‘Matt Barrett’? Do they contribute to serious debate?

Is better than christ not just a beetles reference??....kinda shows up the age profile.of the outraged boomers tbh

Your fairly far down rabbithole to know,who matt barrett is though,ìd have passing enough interest in irishpol and had to google the name

(Whole discussion is pointless as website is dying and if they removed the rage/edgy posting from.CA....advertisers would walk,due to not enough interest/views,and money talks)

Rodney Bathgate · 04-07-2020 5:36pm

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Is better than christ not just a beetles reference??....kinda shows up the age profile.of the outraged boomers tbh

Your fairly far down rabbithole to know,who matt barrett is though,ìd have passing enough interest in irishpol and had to google the name

(Whole discussion is pointless as website is dying and if they removed the rage/edgy posting from.CA....advertisers would walk,due to not enough interest/views,and money talks)

No, a Beatles reference would be ‘Bigger than Jesus or More Popular than Jesus’. No suggestion of ‘better’ there. Try again.

As for ‘Matt Barrett’ you are being disingenuous. Anyone with even a passing interest in Irish politics would know the name, plus he has appeared in public with Varadkar numerous times(official and unofficial) since Varadkar came out, with lots of articles mentioning him in papers and online since. You would need to have lived under a rock not to know the name and know who he was.

But yeah, boomers, right? FFS.

04-07-2020 6:00pm

Rodney Bathgate wrote: »

No, a Beatles reference would be ‘Bigger than Jesus or More Popular than Jesus’. No suggestion of ‘better’ there. Try again.

As for ‘Matt Barrett’ you are being disingenuous. Anyone with even a passing interest in Irish politics would know the name, plus he has appeared in public with Varadkar numerous times(official and unofficial) since Varadkar came out, with lots of articles mentioning him in papers and online since. You would need to have lived under a rock not to know the name and know who he was.

But yeah, boomers, right? FFS.

Tbf i assume it was a beatles reference anyway.....tbh i hadnt a clue who matt barett was,it just deosnt feature on news etc,(nor do i particularly care)

Yeah...likely boomers,doubt most are racist/homo/transphobic etc etc....just lads trying to be edgy/contarian,which given the likely age profile of those involved...is kinda sad,when ya think on it

circadian · 04-07-2020 6:06pm

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Tbf i assume it was a beatles reference anyway.....tbh i hadnt a clue who matt barett was,it just deosnt feature on news etc,(nor do i particularly care)

Yeah...likely boomers,doubt most are racist/homo/transphobic etc etc....just lads trying to be edgy/contarian,which given the likely age profile of those involved...is kinda sad,when ya think on it

I don't get the whole contrarian thing. I have a family member who is very successful in their chosen career and a very intelligent person. However, he's been progressively getting more and more invested in conspiracy theories, climate change is a hoax, covid is just a flu, the EU is evil etc. He loves a good debate and was always contrarian. He definitely has some emotional issues and I'm starting to think that being so contrarian, so much to do he point of actively seeking out subjects to go against, that it's part of some sort of stunted development in his teenage years.

Rodney Bathgate · 04-07-2020 6:15pm

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Tbf i assume it was a beatles reference anyway.....tbh i hadnt a clue who matt barett was,it just deosnt feature on news etc,(nor do i particularly care)

Yeah...likely boomers,doubt most are racist/homo/transphobic etc etc....just lads trying to be edgy/contarian,which given the likely age profile of those involved...is kinda sad,when ya think on it

It clearly wasn’t a Beatles reference but you still ‘assume it was anyway’. (I could tell you the exact reference, it wasn’t the Beatles.)

You still claim not to know who Matt Barrett was.

Then you rant about contrarians...

Discodog · 04-07-2020 6:16pm

joe40 wrote: »

I don't think it is a racist cesspit but there is definitely a very marked consensus of opinion.
That's not the individual posters fault, it is up to others to post alternative opinions.

But you do know if you enter any discussion on CA with any kind of liberal left leaning slant, it doesn't have to be extreme, you will be in the minority.
That is just an observation, not a complaint against individual posters.
Plenty of opposing opinions will be respectful, but not all.

A guy has just registered to a thread with a username "slave owner" how does that contribute to serious debate.

Why bother ? Look at any thread title & you can guess the first ten posts & probably the posters. It's utterly predictable. Yes you can try to put an opposing view but, in a way, it's like feeding them. Best to just leave the thanks collectors to post on their own.

Reasoned debate works when there is a chance that open minded people will listen & maybe change their opinion. That will never be CA.

04-07-2020 6:39pm

Rodney Bathgate wrote: »

It clearly wasn’t a Beatles reference but you still ‘assume it was anyway’. (I could tell you the exact reference, it wasn’t the Beatles.)

You still claim not to know who Matt Barrett was.

Then you rant about contrarians...

I know who he is now,(google is a great thing)

What is better than christ about??
as any google i do,shows up beatles reference (all results after that,are about bible?)

Quantum Erasure · 04-07-2020 6:49pm

Rodney Bathgate wrote: »

As for ‘Matt Barrett’ you are being disingenuous. Anyone with even a passing interest in Irish politics would know the name, plus he has appeared in public with Varadkar numerous times(official and unofficial) since Varadkar came out, with lots of articles mentioning him in papers and online since. You would need to have lived under a rock not to know the name and know who he was.

the only reason I know his name is because of that user on Boards, don't think ive heard him named in any media reports, or if he was i wouldn't have taken much notice of it, like I wouldn't know Enda Kenny's wifes name or Micheál Martin's either

EmmetSpiceland · 04-07-2020 6:51pm

Discodog wrote: »

I think the conversation will shut itself down & the forum become an echo chamber. It's already so predictable. Gradually those that oppose the toxic views expressed won't bother to interact. The disappointing thing is the way that the attitudes prevalent in CA now permeate many other Boards fora. Maybe people aren't either interested or intelligent enough for reasoned discussion ?

Are you kidding? If you started a thread about the sky being blue you’d get an argument. I know there’s a few “brave souls” fighting the good fight in CA but, even if they gave up, you’d still get a few who just wont let something go.

[Deleted User] wrote: »

What is better than christ about??

Is it not something Rik Mayall said? Better than Christ and bigger than Hitler?

Have to agree with RodneyBathgate on the whole “Matt Barrett” thing. I believe I expressed my concern, and displeasure, with that handle at the time.

It was all a bit creepy and unsettling. I believe that user has now changed “names”. Thankfully.

04-07-2020 6:56pm

EmmetSpiceland wrote: »

Is it not something Rik Mayall said? Better than Christ and bigger than Hitler?

It looks like that....honestly i have never heard of him either before this evening :O

Like fair play and all,but knowing that reference or who varadkars parthner is,is a very very niche area for average people to know about

Either that or i lead a v.sheltered existance

EmmetSpiceland · 04-07-2020 7:16pm

[Deleted User] wrote: »

It looks like that....honestly i have never heard of him either before this evening :O

Like fair play and all,but knowing that reference or who varadkars parthner is,is a very very niche area for average people to know about

Either that or i lead a v.sheltered existance

It’s not a big deal that you didn’t know but, considering where that user was posting, it was basically picked to wind up the blueshirts in CA.

04-07-2020 8:04pm

"cesspit" again, my gawd the preciousness

the thing about those posters who always decry the lack of reasonable debate, who claim tisnt worth their sterling pure efforts to engage the scum with the wrong opinion in order that they may be saved from the gutter, they are almost always the type who seem to consider "reasoned debate" as one thing and one thing only:

stupid/bad people listen to their wisdom and are converted

anything that falls a hair outside of this expected pattern is trolling or cesspittery

of course there are trolls that arent worth bothering with- on any topic on either side.

of course there are plenty of patient, interesting and worthy posters that can and do winningly and convincingly set out or oppose a position and argue it with wit and without rancour (not that rancour is necessarily a bad thing, some topics are serious, some positions are abhorrent)

but theres a lot more of the "right thinking" types unfortunately. god knows what they do in real life when they step across a commoner with the wrong opinion. give them a lash of the riding crop while holding their nose, one suspects.

Hotblack Desiato · 04-07-2020 9:58pm

ExMachina1000 wrote: »

Not really. That post is specifically asking for a minister for children who actually has children.
It is you who is twisting it into something different

No, it's you who is choosing to ignore the obvious dogwhistle.

Hotblack Desiato · 04-07-2020 10:00pm

Deleted User wrote: »

I'd much rather boards.ie let the conversations take place and moderate it like they're doing. A lot of people are far too fond of censorship these days and cheer on the shutting down of anything they don't like. It would be far more shameful for boards.ie to shut down conversation because you don't like it.

It's not being moderated properly though, that's the problem. If Boards applied its own rules consistently then nobody would have a basis for complaint.

Muahahaha · 04-07-2020 10:45pm

circadian wrote: »

I don't get the whole contrarian thing. I have a family member who is very successful in their chosen career and a very intelligent person. However, he's been progressively getting more and more invested in conspiracy theories, climate change is a hoax, covid is just a flu, the EU is evil etc. He loves a good debate and was always contrarian. He definitely has some emotional issues and I'm starting to think that being so contrarian, so much to do he point of actively seeking out subjects to go against, that it's part of some sort of stunted development in his teenage years.

I didnt know Andrea Corr was on Boards :eek:

:pac:

Seriously though its a good observation. Id say people who post what would be considered to be extreme opinions bordering on racism and bigotry would be pretty contrarian in real life. Over time theyre ostracised by most of their friends and family and then they turn to using internet forums to go even deeper with their contrarian nature.

This is it · 04-07-2020 10:46pm

Hotblack Desiato wrote: »

It's not being moderated properly though, that's the problem. If Boards applied its own rules consistently then nobody would have a basis for complaint.

Ideally it would be consistent but in my opinion, true consistency is impossible because it's impossible for two mods to think alike never mind the 3 or 4 active in CA, and then there's a few more less active. So all on all, consistency is impossible, even when they're all following the same charter.

2u2me · 05-07-2020 1:50am

Hotblack Desiato wrote: »

No, it's you who is choosing to ignore the obvious dogwhistle.

The problem is when the poster meant no alterior intent and the actual words used were innocuous; you're just gaslighting. What if you're wrong?

Or are you saying it's dogwhistling regardless of intent of the poster? That the words themselves are a dogwhistle and it doesn't matter who speaks them or in what context.

Everything and anything can be a dog-whistle.

'International banks' is apparently a dog-whistle for anti-semitism.
'family values' is apparently now 'christian values'
'all lives matter' is apparently 'black lives don't matter'
'black lives matter' is apparently 'all lives matter'

How come only one group of similar thinking people get to to define what things mean? I call bull****. We all interpret what words mean by how people use them. Definitions can change in the dictionary to reflect the zeitgeist.

When you put forward a theory in science it must be falsifiable, this is an important concept in proving things. Claims of dog-whistling are not falsifiable.

hullaballoo · 05-07-2020 2:05am

I really like Muse and in fact my name here is a reference to that.

Almost all of their success is down to Matt Bellamy who basically does all the work while 2 others tag along. They're talented but nothing without Bellamy.

However Bellamy is a complete lunatic by many if not all accounts. But clearly a genius.

He believes all kinds of conspiracy theories and is fundamentally anti establishment and all the rest.

So what do I do? I don't agree with Matt Bellamy on almost everything but still love what he does.

Do I silence him and look the other way when he releases new music? Do I pretend he doesn't exist? Do I say ok Matt you just go over there in the corner and rant to yourself while I enjoy your music?

No.

I accept him for what he is and get on with my life. I like his stuff but I hate his stuff. I can't silence him nor should I attempt to because some things he says and does are unsavoury to me. That would both limiting for me and harmful to him (in a very small way) because I might not buy his records.

Makes no sense this course of action.

Instead what I do is I apply my brain to the situation and co exist with him and his brilliance and his foibles.

Which apparently people have been doing for millennia.

But are somehow incapable of doing so on boards.ie?

Doubt it.

Introducing the Current Affairs/IMHO forum

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