Not what it used to be

[Dudley]

The Sports section is becoming a chat room, or should I say slagging off room. What a pity it is degenerating like the Football forums where everyone is abusive to supporters of opposing teams. This is not what the Answerbank used to be and is very much the worse for it. I understood the purpose of the Answerbank was to help other subscribers to find answers to genuine questions in a friendly and informative way. Perhaps Football should have its own section so that fans of other sports can have sensible interaction. I love Football by the way but not the silly bickering and I never visit the football forums any more because they are so childish. Call me old fashioned but good manners are sadly missing.

[dot.hawkes]

you posted this in another catagory, i have reported it for u so u don't get called for duel posting.; )

[dot.hawkes]

just realised\that I didn't actually report u as i was busy on your 160+ thread in sport at the time. lol!!!!!!

[Redbel]

Dudley, I understand what you mean..but when you get silly people saying that Liverpool fans caused the Hillsborough disaster surely we have the right to comment on that......... I know these categories are not meant for chat, but as a Liverpuddlian I'd have to have my say on something like that......the question should never have been posted and I'm glad it was removed....

[kick3m0n]

have to be honest, while the silly bickering at times on Sport may annoy some (but amuse many others, eh Dud??), it is far more humour based and non threatening than a lot of the posts that appear on some other categories....News in particular. I rarely post on news topics, because it all gets far too heated and way too serious. This arguing on News seems to be classed as "debate" yet the same thing, when posted on Sports, is immediately thought of as "silly bickering". This is a distinction which seems to be based in some form of snobbery, ie that News is a more "worthy" topic, and so any arguing is elevated to the level of debate (regardless of how purile the content). Yet when the same thing occurs on Sports, it's immediately bickering.... and that's double standards.

YES, this is answerbank, and there to provide information, but the banter that takes place on many sports threads is often more informative (and much more funny) than on other opinion-based topics eg Body and Soul, Parenting, etc. Information does not always need to take the form of hard based facts...if it did, many other topics on AB would be rendered useless, as they frequently require advice and opinions.

[AB Editor]

Hi Dudley

Apologies if I am just repeating myself - ZOrro - just made a similar comment - we are currently discussing ways to possibly subcategorise our categories and football may indeed require their own little place in the ole AB.

In the meantime, please report any post you feel over steps the mark. I know I have previously removed a thread on the whole Liverpool fans being responsible for the Hillsborough disaster theme - as Bez mentions.

Unfortunately, we cannot make people have good manners, just as we cannot make people use proper grammar. I have purposely allowed more "discussion/chatty" threads in the Sports category as - unless its a Crossword/Puzzle clue - most comments are opinion based.

[smudge]

Ooohhh - categories with sub-sections!

Glad to see you have taken note of that request Ed.

[Dudley]

Bez. I completely understand and empathise with your reasoning about Hillsborough. There are always exceptions to everything and after last night I have a completely different perspective to other people's opinions. By the way, you were up late last night or are you in Oz?

[Redbel]

Hiya Dudley thanks for that, btw I read your 180 post thread, must admit it made me laugh :). I'm not in Oz btw...I was just having a late night that night.