to think we should be allowed to have different opinions on threads without being insulted?

[gorionine]

I hesitated between an AIBU and a "Flouncers'corner" I decided to go to AIBU because it is not personal , not something that was directed at me in particular but sadly something I see more and more on threads.

I could have chosen "flouncers corner" because I am not going to post again (I shall carry on lurking)

I don't often report because often I prefer people's rudeness/bigotry to remain in full view.
I do believe that mnhq should ban posters who continuously post upsetting stuff, especially aimed at other sections of poster like those on benefits or those with disabilities.

YANBU

I am so glad that someone has created this thread, I pretty much doubt those who have no problem insulting people on here and are very confrontational would never do it in RL. The internet gives you the opportunity to ask how you wouldn't in RL.

Yes there is a lot of hostility directed at people whose opinion is different from those that the mumsnet heavyweights deem acceptable.For example voting UKIP.

I do believe that mnhq should ban posters who continuously post upsetting stuff, especially aimed at other sections of poster like those on benefits

why? Why are their opinions not valid?

Sunshinecity

Well firstly because this is Mmsnet : by parents for parents
Posting goady stuff aimed at other parents itsn't really appropriate
Secondly it is actually against posting guidelines and the philosophy of the talk board - which is why they get banned .
And thirdly they are usually utter tossers.

But what is goady?
They lack the mental capacity to appreciate that the holding of a different POV is not done purely to anger them.

I think it's quite easy to spot a wind up merchant when they do it day in, day out.
gets very after a while, like a broken record.

You could walk on broken records instead of eggshells.

At the risk of a flaming, I do think that sometimes posters who want to enforce the conventional moral view and shoot down unpleasant minority opinions do more harm than good.

I notice this on e.g. racism threads a lot (which I rarely read and even more rarely post on-I've had enough of the spurious gollywog debate to last me a lifetime). These posters often come on and just shout down and rail at people posting admittedly offensive opinions, which tends to end up just feeding the whole 'oppression of lefty liberals, where is my freedom of speech, political correctness gone mad, woe is me' trope. Which these threads have often been started precisely to feed.

Whereas I think you can't shut down debate on anything, not even whether the Holocaust happened, or is rape wrong. You have to keep having, and winning the argument. By all means express your disgust at the offensive views, but still keep having the argument in a reasoned way. It's just a shouting competition otherwise.

If you find the whole thing too emotive for you to be able to do that, it might be better not to be on the thread at all.

I think hiding AIBU is the only way to go.

This is a strange place.
Half the posters talk about how they wax their hair off, half denounce the practice as being non-feminist.
The bum sex threads are always popular, but I saw a post this week that advised women to avoid PIV sex at all costs.
Baby feeding, disabled parking spaces, stay at home versus working are all issues that are a total free for all, and heaven help the OW or an less than perfect husbands.

I do agree that it is very easy to post what you think is a perfectly normal response to something and end up the subject of a vicious attack, when that happens I generally report and get the post deleted.
I fully understand why this place attracts trolls when it is so easy to light the blue touch paper, stand back, and watch the fireworks.

I do think there are more 'internet arsonists' on MN than before. Post goady OP (usually in AIBU) about a well known MN controversial topic, and then stand back and watch it go.
Sometimes return to the thread with a line or two but not saying much, maybe fan the flames a little if it looks like it's fizzling.

I still don't understand what pleasure they get though.

Watching the bunfight and knowing they caused it? Like people that would watch a fight and film it on their phone rather than break it up? Something like that I think.

It's another world isn't it?

Takes all sorts to make a world. Or something.

Liquorice Allsorts. Yum. Could eat some now

I posted on the 2nd of June on this section:

To think it is very unfair to pick someone up on their spelling or grammar because you disagree with what they are saying.

They were 334 posts on that thread, clearly you have picked up on this.
People are using spelling , grammar and insults such as 'Racist or Bigot' to avoid debate over the issue discussed ,because it is easier to call someone than to discuss. It is also clear that if you agree with the consensus of opinion on the site , nobody comments on your poor grammar or spelling. This in many ways is just the same as commenting on the Daily Mail website, agree with the majority you will be fine , disagree and you are ridiculed by the baying mob.

This site deserves better because the high level of intelligence/education of posters, means they should be able to discuss without reverting to insults or unfair remarks.

I have just been called a cunt and told to fuck off on a thread where I disagreed with a poster.

This was not in AIBU it was in the Pets topic

What sort of pet?

Sheesh.

YANBU. People just put the boot in. To other posters, to other posters' partners, DC, pets.... Sometimes it is just boring;sometimes it's plain nasty. It is always for want of an adequate argument though.

YANBU. There's a huge difference between disagreeing with someone and being rude, aggressive, personal and insulting. Unfortunately some posters just don't understand that difference.

And others do, but just come on here to vent their bad mood on some innocent stranger who just posted asking if they were being unreasonable to object to their neighbour mowing his lawn at 7 am.
I am always amazed at how some threads, which start off quite mild and normal, turn into absolute bunfights because of one bad tempered snarling poster backed up by a couple of boot girls looking for a row about anything.

Dog not a cat for a change

Some people just love having a ruck though don't they, to the point where they just carry on and on. I think there are a lot more insults and nastiness thrown about on here now.