I've spent the past week delivering KBF anti-mask leaflets through people's front doors. Hopefully, a few of the recipients will had their interest sufficiently piqued by the leaflets to check out the KBF website. What would be a great shame is if they all came here and, instead of wanting to join us, thought we were all stupid.
I get the impression that some posters feel that the only people who look at this forum are already converts and therefore don't worry about showing restraint. There are a number of threads which promote strange conspiracy theories as facts we would all take for granted, or attack politicians aimlessly. If a 'normal', wavering person comes here and sees them, there's a good chance they'll run a country mile in the other direction. Perhaps we should consider establishing a few basic forum rules to see that the quality of our output is high and that we don't repel possible allies. For example:
1) If you're going to make a claim and assert it as fact, make sure it is supported by a reliable source, for example, a news report, government statement or photographic/video evidence.
2) If you believe something to be true but cannot find a source for it, acknowledge in your post that you are posting with all good intentions, but that you may be mistaken somewhere along the line. If you've just heard a rumour, be honest about the fact that you're posting a rumour. Secondly, I think we would benefit from a literate moderator. I realise immediately why we should be concerned about allowing moderators, lest we should be infiltrated by trolls or 77th Brigade and so on, but I do think it would be necessary to have one or two with very limited powers. Why? Because it seems no one can be trusted to post their threads in the right section of the forum. We've only got seven sections and their purposes are all explained quite clearly underneath them. Yet, somehow, they all seem to become dumping grounds for a litany of links, memes and event promotions. How hard it can it be to get it right?
Honestly, the way we present ourselves to other people is important. We've got the full force of Westminster and its rabid Fleet Street lapdogs condemning us, branding us conspiracy theorists/right-wing extremists/left-wing extremists/psychopaths/morons. Let's try to make it a little bit harder for them.
Couldn't agree more, with all of the above.
Agree - very valid points Locksley - although have some reservations about a moderator per se.
Locksley - I may have slipped up sometimes, but in general unless I can back something up with facts and figures, I usually say "in my opinion".
This really is a tricky one, I have reservations about a moderator also as I don't think I have ever come across a moderated forum where I have not witnessed clear indications of censorship and bias. However, going by the general decline in standards recently, I do agree that someone turning up here after receiving a leaflet may be thoroughly repelled at what they find. I would think the outcome would depend on the level of their interest and curiosity - currently I feel we have quite a spectrum here, including what appears to be possible infiltration by either the 77th, or, what I would describe as quite disturbed individuals who seem to delight in not only stirring the shit but lobbing it in with glee ( and this seems particularly prevalent at weekends). One would hope that any 'newbies' brought here via KBF leaflets would not just halt at the first hurdle and would examine the forum more thoroughly.
Perhaps a combination may be the answer, that is to say a private forum that is uncensored/ not moderated and also an arena open to the public that is moderated , in that any 'pronouncements' must be backed up with facts ( whatever they are in these strange times, I must add ) and any opinions, just that - opinions.
Below is an extract from the epilogue of 'Crime and Punishment' that I feel is very relevant to many current issues both here and in the wider public sphere. I feel that this is the right place to post it at this juncture, although it would make pertinent and interesting reading under several of the other headings.
All in all we do have to make sure our socks are pulled and kept - very firmly up!
Extract as follows:
"He was in the hospital from the middle of Lent till after Easter. When
he was better, he remembered the dreams he had had while he was
feverish and delirious. He dreamt that the whole world was condemned
to a terrible new strange plague that had come to Europe from the
depths of Asia. All were to be destroyed except a very few chosen.
Some new sorts of microbes were attacking the bodies of men, but these
microbes were endowed with intelligence and will. Men attacked by them
became at once mad and furious. But never had men considered
themselves so intellectual and so completely in possession of the
truth as these sufferers, never had they considered their decisions,
their scientific conclusions, their moral convictions so infallible.
Whole villages, whole towns and peoples went mad from the infection.
All were excited and did not understand one another. Each thought that
he alone had the truth and was wretched looking at the others, beat
himself on the breast, wept, and wrung his hands. They did not know
how to judge and could not agree what to consider evil and what good;
they did not know whom to blame, whom to justify. Men killed each
other in a sort of senseless spite. They gathered together in armies
against one another, but even on the march the armies would begin
attacking each other, the ranks would be broken and the soldiers would
fall on each other, stabbing and cutting, biting and devouring each
other. The alarm bell was ringing all day long in the towns; men
rushed together, but why they were summoned and who was summoning them
no one knew. The most ordinary trades were abandoned, because everyone
proposed his own ideas, his own improvements, and they could not
agree. The land too was abandoned. Men met in groups, agreed on
something, swore to keep together, but at once began on something
quite different from what they had proposed. They accused one another,
fought and killed each other. There were conflagrations and famine.
All men and all things were involved in destruction. The plague spread
and moved further and further. Only a few men could be saved in the
whole world. They were a pure chosen people, destined to found a new
race and a new life, to renew and purify the earth, but no one had
seen these men, no one had heard their words and their voices".
You seen the post which appeared in this section late yesterday titled Whistleblower Dan Stevens etc......???
@Gery W Yes, designed to stir up the weekend shit probably - but has anyone taken the bait? Not when I last looked. I think it is pretty self evident that this was 'written' - I use the word advisedly - by someone with the mental age of an 8 year old - and perhaps I am being kind there. Tantrums and 'Ladybird' book style graphics; how is anyone to be taken seriously who either 'writes' this twaddle or just dumps ( re-posts) this sort of thing here without any comment or explanation. Just ignore it would be my advice - narcissists crave attention, don't give it to them.
@bryan no-one has responded at all (yet!) -which is great. I suspect 77th probably - I did some searching around after reading it.
Btw - great thought posting that epilogue extract.... it is a truly insightful piece on humanity to date - on many fronts.
bryan - I have never read Crime and Punishment. Thank you for posting. It certainly is very relevant indeed, and much food for thought.
My pleasure Grumpy : - ).
I think you have the right idea with a private forum, bryan. If we were to have a moderator, it should only be with very limited powers, one of which would be the power to move umpteen different threads about the same protest into the same category (the correct one would be Activism), so the forum might be half coherent.
A user guide for this forum would be helpful. Not clear how or where to comment.
Well said Locksley. Important too. Something I have mentioned on these forums myself. If the sensible skeptics get lumped into the lunatic groups we are easy to dismiss as a whole.