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ignore last line above, did not edit it out.
Some people are perfecvtly happy to spout offensive abuse to people to their faces
You must know my wife.
Well I think it is a shame that Henry Portman feels that he has to remove himself from the forum.
Basically a few people totally slammed him and said he wasn't allowed to express his opinion. What is that all about?
As to saying he shouldn't be allowed to speak becuase he isn't in the cozy club of having 2000+ posts, how ridiculous.
Antisocial - i think your long winded posts are to cover up the fact that you actually thought about HP's comments and felt guilty that you regularly use gayness as an insult.
Have just posted elsewhere that I am confident after rooting around that HP, Beeb (he of "mental health losing the plot")and Norbert Dentresangle are of the same author and this person is a particularly peverse and you might say, advanced wind-up merchant.
Personally ham glad he's off and as to removing himself etc etc, well that's just another blatant and oft used manipulators tactic.
In my opinion for what that's worth (not yet been paid) this forum collectively and it's members individually are well sound - no matter how hard they may try to portray themselves!
I was waiting for this, took much longer than I thought.Quote:
Originally Posted by millipede
Firstly I would argue that I use gayness as an "insult", nor do I find merry and Stolly comments especially offensive or think they are homophobic (despite the great fun I have winding them up) but they can easily be construed as such, same as" Al's French comments" , happy to discuss face to face if I ever get that promised pint from you:)
The main issue and what I have been using this thread and the comments made by Merry et al for behind the scenes and part of HP's point (which his original point made me seriously think about, including the stuff I post on) , is that young people and possibly children read this stuff or have access to it and potentially may only take the comments written at face value. As we have a junior thread mixed in with all the other threads access to the other threads is very easy.
I think people should be entitled to say what they want on the forum (and accept the consequences) but to do that do we need to separate elements of the forum from certain user groups? Or do we put in a code of conduct so everyone can read and contribute using appropriate language on appropriate themes.
The FRA promotes itself as a family organisation that encourages children to be involved etc and as an ageing population they will increasingly be looking to grow their membership base, also as a voluntary organisation working with families it has child protection responsibilities which it seems to be ignoring by allowing open access to some of the themes and comments explored. Would you want your children reading some of the stuff on here given all they see it cold type and do not know the irony, humour or have knowledge of what the correspondants are really like. I don't really think Stolly seriously advocates falsifying race entries or trespass but if you did not read between the lines would you know this?
Recently a 15 year and 16 old were posting pictures of semi clad women and a 16 year old was posting dirty jokes, this was encouraged and added to by adult posters, this is part of growing up but not everyone would be happy with their young people doing this on an open forum seemingly encouraged by adults.
Is the forum and by default the FRA (because the forum is an official arm of the organisation) holding itself up to potential criticism as an organisation that does not take child protection seriously if it does not either set standards that are adhered to or split access to the forum based on age so people can post what they want.
Not posting on this anymore, off to read Stolly's posts to see if I can find evidence that he steals pension cheques from old ladies (this is a joke Stolly):D
Of course I do; I'm a financial adviser - its my job :DQuote:
Originally Posted by Antisocial
If I was a betting man I'd bet that Antisocial either was involved or at least has knowledge thereofQuote:
Originally Posted by The Piglit
Agree with AntiSocial.
Most threads eventually degenerate at the hands of a few posters, who seem caught up in their own world. Fine no problem with that necessarily :), BUT, as he says this is a public forum, and the subtlety, irony, sarcasm, humour of some posts isn't obvious. So all postings give a perception of our sport to the outside world. (Check last year's OMM forum for just how many members of the public sought it out following the media sensationalism). Last April a junior Anniversary Waltz thread degenerated on the first page to the point that Wynn had to remind the adult posters they were on a junior section. The recent thread on international selection became libelous (imho).
I have been involved in junior fell running for 15+ years, and like many other activities and organisations it has the potential to shape young people's lives, and not just provide a run out on a hill every so often. There have been and continue to be enthusiastic posts by young runners wanting to understand organisational problems, distance constraints etc. If we don't encourage them, fell running will fade away as the average age of entrants continues to rise.
Increased child protection responsibilities are imminent in a sport, which by its very nature can't be tightly policed in terms of venue and access. I fully expect that the point will be reached where all marshals, officials, spectators on private land (?!) will have to be CRB checked thanks to our paranoid nanny/big brother state. The forum will have to reflect these responsibilities - quite how is another debate. An awareness of the wider context and self censoring by individual posters would be a good start.
That's the whole point isn't it. That HP was making, and no one was prepared to consider.Quote:
Originally Posted by Antisocial
I understand that everyone JUMPED to slam HP because they know Merrylegs (either in real life or because they have talked to him for so long on here). They know that he is a great guy who isn't homophobic, wouldn't knowingly upset someone and is often the peace maker on the forum. I agree with all these opinions.
But Henry P might not have been reading the forum so long and not have such insight.
He rationally said that comments about gay men and tons of vaseline and not stooping down around certain men in showers are very old hat
.................and to an objective gay man reading the forum (young or not) could be taken as insulting and excluding.
I think the reactions of everyone else who contributed (towards HP) were even more excluding.
How worrying/sad/ridiculous. Fell running is, to many, an expression of freedom. As such, we should resist the creep of big brother with as much effort as would give to a big ascent. The least rules the better. That is the whole essence of the sport. The same applies (or should apply) to our forum.Quote:
Originally Posted by FellJunior
This whole debate has been bery helpful and insightful. If it helps just one poster to pause and think before they hit the submit button then it will have served its purpose...I support self-policing through awareness rising discussions like this. I will certainly think twice if I think what I might say would be read by a 13 year old.
Perhaps posters ages should appear as part of their forum status?