to think that the average debating ability of Mumsnetters has dropped considerably over the past year?

[colditz]

I was browsing through some old threads earlier, and the general standard of debate has dropped. People here used to be able to follow a thread and give a pertinent response, backed up with careful research. Lately the response is likely to be completely unrelated to the original point, and passive-aggressive to boot.

just wrote post disagreeing with you lenin and then realised you might mean a 'here is an interesting thread i've seen' thread? that might work, but would lead to accusations of wanker ambush.

I think that people who want to discuss or debate a subject then they should start a thread with a proper thread title to get things rolling.

I had no idea that the 'wankers' thread was anything to do with anything in particular.

I think there are still some brilliant mumsnetters around with proper opinions but there aren't always the right threads to bring it out or provoke a reaction.

I think also that some topics have been done to death and where you might dive in with lots of opinions as a newbie, you might not be so interested once you've said your piece a few times.

More people need to be willing to open the debate.

I think the trick is to word the OP in a way that initiates contribution rather than a flaming. But then I find sometimes if you're not controversial enough it's hard to stay in active conversations long enough to get the debate flowing.

Hmmm, which brings us back to their being so many more people here now, so things move fast.

light stalking is basically what i'm suggesting, i think.

i haven't looked LG..too scared...

how far down have i gone..?

break it to me gently.....please

que?

Actually a thread linking to other interesting threads might be quite useful... a bit like a MP round-up but sort of ongoing...

hang about didn't every one get upset about moldies and selecting posters as the chosen ones to interact with

so how does it differ to want to chose whom one interacts with on mn

if you like someone that much give them your personal email

Aitch - Xenia is around - she's been quieter than normal of late through being busy at work (she said) and making lots of money. But back with a vengeance now.

yeah well...enjoy it while it lasts LG....i'll be beating you again in a few weeks...

everyone didn't get upset about moldies, sm. the percentage of people who did was very small, i'd have thought, small but vocal and now happily ensconced in their own cliques where they will no doubt remain until MN no longer meets their needs and then they'll go start their own site. it's the way of the web.

oh good, she is a prime poster, i worship her.

oh come on SM....we all talk to people we like and ignore people we dont...

even you must do that..?

Ahh, OP. T'was ever thus.

sic transit gloria mundi.

o tempora, o mores!

Etc.

(I wanted to put some Greek too, but weirdly I find that MN does not recognise Greek script. Curses.)

each thread is a discrete entity.i dont carry preferences.i may agree with somone on one thread but not another. threads exist in the moment...and then they are gone

aphasia, ah tells ya.

either that or part-droid.

Each thread is a discrete entity? Is it bollocks SM!

And Aitch - causal nexus and aphasia on the same thread? Steady.

Just dipped into another thread which says it's bad manners to leave without saying goodbye even if you've hardly registered on the thread consciousness so ttfn

hey LG...i'm only 1 place below you...and i've got Benayoun playing tomorrow...

am auditioning for the wankers, tfm.

yours was just a good, solid and self-contained post, db, it didn't invite comment now that the fashion has passed for writing 'good post, db'. we should re-instate.