to love the fights on mn?

[LadyThingFishAlot]

god, i have to say i think they are so funny. there are some very clever people on here who are very quick minded.

the question i put to you is...

if everyone on mn had a fight, who would win and why?

I think that MN fosters a different way of looking at these things maybe. Whether you call it 'bullying' or not, there are times when a poster who says something against the MN vibe gets beaten into the ground by many many responses all along the same lines, to which he/she respond less than calmly ...and repeat to fade. It's the nature of the forum I suppose.

If you look at it from the POV of a newby who is faced with one of these debates, you would have to agree that it can be quite an aggressive place. Not neccessarily a bad thing of course, but not like the rl norm that most of us deal with.

[Biff]

Shiny - I think you should look at a few definitions of bullying and see how you feel when you've filtered them a while...

It's not bullying though.. it's not like MSN or Facebook or Myspace where, eg, a teenagers peers can turn against her and even though she might switch off the the pc and walk away, she's going to have to face them.. and be victimised by them in RL

MN is just an online forum! If you are upset/pissed off etc you can just SWITCH off and not come back! If you DO want to come back, you are hardly likely to be jumped on again because, actually, this place is full of REASONABLE people who are not backward it coming forward when they spot an injustice!

Or you can name change if you prefer and nobody (but MNHQ who are the soul of discretion) will be any the wiser as to who you are unless you tell them.

If I felt I was being bullied on MN I would just walk away. I don't "know" anyone and from that point of view it all feels a little unreal. And I think that might be the reason people are sometimes more unpleasant, or at least less tactful, on MN than they might be in real life. You can't see who you're offending/upsetting, so it is hard to imagining really hurting anyone's feelings. It's all a bit cowardly, really.

Oh definitely. I like it for that reason. But I do think some people get a little too involved and start to take it all rather personally, not necessarily through any fault of their own, but just because that's the way they are.

Don't you think so? Not even occasionally? Dunno, really - I tend not to get involved. I think I've lost every fight I've ever got into!

I think it's rare anything other than someones opinions are picked apart which is where a line is drawn IMO, if someone started slagging your family and your kids etc or following you round the board being shitty on each thread then yes, I would consider it bullying, but that's a good thing about MN, I can wholeheartedly disagree with someone on one thread and tell them I think they're being ridiculous, yet go on another thread and completely agree with what they say (sometimes I can be a bit pigheaded and not admit it but oh well )

I'm a fight lurker.. I like to just be part of the angry mob lol

And people DO put others in their place if they go too far.. it doesn't get to the "bullying" stage..

There are some bullies and nasty pieces of work on MN. And of course they wouldn't be as vile in real life.

And, if you enjoy using the site it's not so easy just to walk away. But that's the risk you take when you get involved with 'people' - there are all sorts.

I have occasionally seen the odd sarky comment flung at a Hun. The type of comment which you just wouldn't say to someone's face. Although they make me want to gag sometimes too, I must admit ...!

Having said that, you can't come onto a forum like MN and ask people's advice then whinge when they give their honest opinions, can you?!

I think its a bit wierd to say you really enjoy the fights on here tbh

fight fight fight.

haha...

mrsruffalo, sorry but i think it's funny.
if you don't like the arguments on mn then where do you look?!

Good Housekeeping of course Lady

Wrt the bullying thing, I would say there are definitely instances of bullying on here.
It may start as differing opinions but often escalates into something else, I have seen several instances where there is a kind of tag team rounding on one poster who go out of their way to amuse themselves and each other at that posters expense even when its clear they are upset.
The times I have seen this happen, it has generally happened to those who aren't your usual 'chat' dwellers, or aren't very well known posters - which I think makes it worse as it comes across as though they have been judged as inferior and disposable and therefore worth a bit of a verbal 'roughing-up'.

Absolutely, JV. Cliques and friendships form on here as much as they do in RL. Posters tend to rally round their pals. It can be fun but I've seen some pretty nasty comments but rarely.

Agree JV

custy is actually very sweet irl at least when I've net her She's a lover not a fighter

moondog is scary and expatinscotland sometimes scares me and definately custardo...she so speaks her mind and the scariest of all who makes me quake in my boots...the fishface that is cod!

Custy, Hunkermunker, MartianBishop, Cod... anyone who can talk a bit of sense and believe in what they're saying and can thus defend their beliefs.

It's not about winning anyway, it's about taking part...