ricmk
Lib Dem
Posts: 2,330
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Post by ricmk on May 19, 2022 11:53:21 GMT
Before I joined here, I often used to follow discussions on Political betting. I haven't looked at it more than occasionally for a good few years, but then my recollection is that the threads were a great deal more abrasive and sometimes unpleasant than is generally the case here. I think it's mostly pretty civilised My experience is similar. I used to be a regular poster there but as Brexit approached I found the volume and tone just made following and participating as I wanted to impossible. The threading and structure here (and high-class clientele of course) have proved much more to my tastes. I'll still read PB headers but only dive below the line even to read when I'm desperately trying to avoid doing something useful.
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cogload
Lib Dem
I jumped in the river and what did I see...
Posts: 8,209
Member is Online
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Post by cogload on May 19, 2022 12:28:40 GMT
Before I joined here, I often used to follow discussions on Political betting. I haven't looked at it more than occasionally for a good few years, but then my recollection is that the threads were a great deal more abrasive and sometimes unpleasant than is generally the case here. I think it's mostly pretty civilised PB can be a real bearpit - but then it's a completely different (nearly said kettle of fish!) environment, with no threading and a fairly radical libertarian approach to administration. It's complete chaos. And as a result, probably has an even greater proportion of lurkers to participants. There are a few regular participants it's worth reading, but other than that it's just the headers. I've just had a quick look at the front page on here: there are currently twice as many lurkers as registered users, and over the past 24 hours the ratio has been > 4:1. Quite a lot would not choose to participate directly even if the environment was different, but I wouldn't be surprised if the number of participants doubled if it was seen as more welcoming.
Mike Smithson has threatened to close the place a few times. I was registered on there - and on UKPR as well - however if you stood against the prevailing wisdom (sic) then it could get quite nasty.
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Post by matureleft on May 19, 2022 12:52:52 GMT
It’s an important discussion. I’m not a natural censor and am personally relaxed about some of the over-excited stuff that comes from a minority and the crabbiness that is fairly common. But there’s no denying that such a tolerant culture puts off some completely and upsets others. And it’s no coincidence that few women participate. There’s presumably some awareness among those who choose an aggressive, even abusive approach that these are the consequences? But some may prefer a narrower group prepared to put up with their ways as opposed to a wider community from whom we might all learn and gain?
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Post by jamesdoyle on May 19, 2022 13:09:21 GMT
PB can be a real bearpit - but then it's a completely different (nearly said kettle of fish!) environment, with no threading and a fairly radical libertarian approach to administration. It's complete chaos. And as a result, probably has an even greater proportion of lurkers to participants. There are a few regular participants it's worth reading, but other than that it's just the headers. I've just had a quick look at the front page on here: there are currently twice as many lurkers as registered users, and over the past 24 hours the ratio has been > 4:1. Quite a lot would not choose to participate directly even if the environment was different, but I wouldn't be surprised if the number of participants doubled if it was seen as more welcoming.
Mike Smithson has threatened to close the place a few times. I was registered on there - and on UKPR as well - however if you stood against the prevailing wisdom (sic) then it could get quite nasty.
His son Robert does most of the running now, and seems to be much more lenient/liberal/laissez faire about how people interact. My main problem there tbh is that everything is thrown in together - it's difficult to sort out the different threads of conversation, and if you feel motivated to reply, by the time you do another 40 posts have appeared. And it's difficult to see if anyone's responded to you! If VoteUK is a pub where some conversations can get a bit lairy, and you know to avoid that bloke in the corner with the tattoos, then PB can be a pub with eight jukeboxes all playing different songs at full volume, and a WWE tag match going on in front of the bar.
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neilm
Non-Aligned
Posts: 25,023
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Post by neilm on May 19, 2022 16:01:42 GMT
there are members who consider it their right to be unpleasant, rude, threatening, self-referential, or selfish, and who get away with it continually. Well, indeed.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on May 19, 2022 18:19:27 GMT
UKPR was good for polling analysis, discussions on particular seats, and the pre-2010 parliamentary boundary changes, but fell off the boil after that.
PB is pretty good on election nights for live coverage / reaction but quite a lot of the headers are just questionable opinion pieces rather than informative analysis, and the comments are full of unpleasant people, shouting and fluff.
At least this forum has a thread to discuss railway stations.😁
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Post by grahammurray on May 19, 2022 21:03:02 GMT
The problem with women, in life and in politics, is that they expect to be permitted to talk shit and not be called on it. Now a great many men share the same fault, but it is more prevalent among women. Blokes talk even more shit but are more used to be called on it. You don't get called enough on it.
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Post by greenchristian on May 19, 2022 21:36:08 GMT
The problem with women, in life and in politics, is that they expect to be permitted to talk shit and not be called on it. Now a great many men share the same fault, but it is more prevalent among women. Blokes talk even more shit but are more used to be called on it. You don't get called enough on it. Nobody else has enough time to call him on all of it.
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Post by Disgusted Of Tunbridge Wells on May 19, 2022 23:17:41 GMT
You don't get called enough on it. Nobody else has enough time to call him on all of it. Or the will.
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batman
Labour
Posts: 8,932
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Post by batman on May 19, 2022 23:22:19 GMT
I've done it in my will.
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Post by Disgusted Of Tunbridge Wells on May 20, 2022 0:24:01 GMT
"To my wife and son, I leave simply a demand to berate boogieeck till his demise"
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Post by froome on May 20, 2022 3:59:37 GMT
UKPR was good for polling analysis, discussions on particular seats, and the pre-2010 parliamentary boundary changes, but fell off the boil after that. PB is pretty good on election nights for live coverage / reaction but quite a lot of the headers are just questionable opinion pieces rather than informative analysis, and the comments are full of unpleasant people, shouting and fluff. At least this forum has a thread to discuss railway stations.😁 Two threads in fact - best railway stations and worst railway stations.
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Post by greenchristian on May 21, 2022 8:52:07 GMT
UKPR was good for polling analysis, discussions on particular seats, and the pre-2010 parliamentary boundary changes, but fell off the boil after that. PB is pretty good on election nights for live coverage / reaction but quite a lot of the headers are just questionable opinion pieces rather than informative analysis, and the comments are full of unpleasant people, shouting and fluff. At least this forum has a thread to discuss railway stations.😁 Two threads in fact - best railway stations and worst railway stations. But what if I want to discuss middling railway stations?
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Post by froome on May 21, 2022 20:45:57 GMT
Two threads in fact - best railway stations and worst railway stations. But what if I want to discuss middling railway stations? You're welcome to start a thread about Coventry railway station if you want...
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sirbenjamin
IFP
True fame is reading your name written in graffiti, but without the words 'is a wanker' after it.
Posts: 4,979
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Post by sirbenjamin on May 21, 2022 21:58:04 GMT
Mike Smithson has threatened to close the place a few times. I was registered on there - and on UKPR as well - however if you stood against the prevailing wisdom (sic) then it could get quite nasty.
His son Robert does most of the running now, and seems to be much more lenient/liberal/laissez faire about how people interact. My main problem there tbh is that everything is thrown in together - it's difficult to sort out the different threads of conversation, and if you feel motivated to reply, by the time you do another 40 posts have appeared. And it's difficult to see if anyone's responded to you! If VoteUK is a pub where some conversations can get a bit lairy, and you know to avoid that bloke in the corner with the tattoos, then PB can be a pub with eight jukeboxes all playing different songs at full volume, and a WWE tag match going on in front of the bar.
That's always likely to happen when a large number of people, by accident rather than design, decide to turn the comments section of a blog into a high-traffic forum.
It became something it never should've been. Smithson should've relaunched it as a proper forum with forum-like features and rooms and threads and whathaveyou about 15 fucking years ago. He didn't, more and more people began to accept the mess for what it was, the conventions of how to (mis)use the place became ingrained, and the site became borderline-unusable.
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Post by jamesdoyle on May 21, 2022 22:03:09 GMT
His son Robert does most of the running now, and seems to be much more lenient/liberal/laissez faire about how people interact. My main problem there tbh is that everything is thrown in together - it's difficult to sort out the different threads of conversation, and if you feel motivated to reply, by the time you do another 40 posts have appeared. And it's difficult to see if anyone's responded to you! If VoteUK is a pub where some conversations can get a bit lairy, and you know to avoid that bloke in the corner with the tattoos, then PB can be a pub with eight jukeboxes all playing different songs at full volume, and a WWE tag match going on in front of the bar.
That's always likely to happen when a large number of people, by accident rather than design, decide to turn the comments section of a blog into a high-traffic forum.
It became something it never should've been. Smithson should've relaunched it as a proper forum with forum-like features and rooms and threads and whathaveyou about 15 fucking years ago. He didn't, more and more people began to accept the mess for what it was, the conventions of how to (mis)use the place became ingrained, and the site became borderline-unusable.
I think you're absolutely right. When pb was tiny (and I was a lurker from quite early on) , the comment threads were both manageable and worth reading. But as it grew it needed a new structure. And the wrong one was chosen. I think what really exacerbates it is that it has gained enough of a profile that political organisations have become interested in the soft power it gives them access to, so there are transparently many commenters who are there purely to push a narrative from a specific political POV.
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Post by gwynthegriff on May 21, 2022 22:35:30 GMT
"To my wife and son, I leave simply a demand to berate boogieeck till his demise" Like those medieval wills that set aside money for prayers for the eternal soul of the deceased?
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Post by carlton43 on May 22, 2022 9:43:53 GMT
The problem with women, in life and in politics, is that they expect to be permitted to talk shit and not be called on it. Now a great many men share the same fault, but it is more prevalent among women. Blokes talk even more shit but are more used to be called on it. It is but one of the problems. And far from the most serious! I am given to understand that they do have a few problems with us as well?
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Post by carlton43 on May 22, 2022 10:14:20 GMT
"To my wife and son, I leave simply a demand to berate boogieeck till his demise" Like those medieval wills that set aside money for prayers for the eternal soul of the deceased? Chantry Bequests.
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Post by finsobruce on May 22, 2022 10:40:56 GMT
Like those medieval wills that set aside money for prayers for the eternal soul of the deceased? Chantry Bequests. Topical reference. There is a Chantry chapel still standing in Wakefield.
Gloriously, one of its uses after the chantries were abolished, was as a cheese shop. "Have you got any prayers for the dead?" "Never at the end of the week. Get them fresh in on Monday".
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