The X Factor in Charlbury (Admin discussions)

Tue 16 Dec 2008, 00:14

Glad to have you as a member of our club. Frankly I'd rather hang out with people who aren't afraid to express their opinions even if I disagree with them than someone too shy to have an opinion to express at all.

Why do they read forums at all?

Mon 15 Dec 2008, 11:32

I tend to agree with Igor on this issue, although for a slightly different reason. Back in May of this year, someone made (what to me at least) was quite a serious accusation against me on this forum. Because I read their comment the same day, I was able to react to it, rebut it and force the person concerned to withdraw the comment straight away. But what would have had happened had I previously chosen to block that poster? Their comment could have lain unchallenged on the forum for weeks and many people might consequently have thought the worst of me as the result of a total falsehood. Not all of the people I associate with in Charlbury are avid readers of this forum so it could have been a long time (if at all) before the pernicious comment reached my ears. So I will not be "switching anyone off" for that reason alone. I also think it might unnecesarily elongate already long debates to have people needlessly chipping in with comments such as "What about this?" or "What about that?" when said points have already been elaborated by "blocked" posters. Anyway, let's wait and see how it works in practice. If it reduces some of the pointless sniping that goes on then it will have served a function.

And Igor, I fully expect to be right up there with you when Richard publishes the first league table of "most turned-off people in Charlbury"!

Thu 11 Dec 2008, 08:59

You assume correctly. It's fairly standard on a lot of forum systems (phpBB, Invision Power Board etc.) and has existed in Usenet readers, where it's rather dramatically known as a 'killfile', since the year dot.

I would far rather see a few people use it judiciously than they feel the need to argue the toss time after time after time.

Thu 11 Dec 2008, 07:54

I can only assume that Richard has introduced an automated means for users to exclude posters they don't like to read at the request of said users. It's incredible to me that someone would need assistance in simply averting their eyes from reading an opinion they don't want to read.

But I guess some people need to live in specially designed bubbles to keep the ugly world out.

I could suggest a special award for posters that accumulate the most Xs but then that would be perceived as blatant self-interest.

On a sad note, what does it say about the disparate fragmentation of this forum and its reflection on the lack of cohesion in this so-called community, that such measures would be requested in the first place?