Hi

[Rosenicola]

May sound like a daft question, but i haven't been on here for a while, but is this section meant to be for us to just have general chit chat?

Also, is this now here permanently as i have read somewhere before that it was taken off a while back for people were just abusing one another.. I don't think it will change much unfortunately..

It seems a little boring at the moment :-)

[Doc_Spock]

Check out AB Ed Blog.

[Rosenicola]

Thanks Doc..

So what does it depend on as to whether ed keeps it on or not? DO we know?

[VillageVicar]

Rosencola: I'm relatively new. I do hope this section will be for the general conversations, rather than for posts where people actually ask questions.

Personally, I'm finding that the site is losing its shine with me. It seems more to be a forum or chat group where people are belittled, shouted down, and ridiculed when they either ask honest questions or offer thought-through answers.

Part of the responsibility rests with AB in their relaxed nature of moderating the threads, especially at night.

I'm hoping this is one of the issues they're working to address.

Fr. Bill

[redcrx]

its on for a trial period of a week. I suppose its fate rests on whether people can keep it fairly well mannered and refrain from some of the real nastiness that is seen at times on other sections.

We can just wait and see really :)

[Rosenicola]

Hi Fr. Bill,

That's the reason i'm not on it as much these days as it just seems like all the idiots enjoy causing arguments etc and it's unfair to all the nice people who use the site correctly.

I just ignore them really as you sort of get used to who the trouble and abusive members are..

Oh well, we can't be perfect :-)

[Theland]

Fr Bill - Striking the balance you find desirable must be difficult for the AB Ed.
Too loose control and folk like you may walk, which would be a pity. On the other hand, too much censorship will also make people walk, if they are not allowed to freely express themselves.
Better to suffer the slings and arrows and custard pies, and just take time out to lick wounds and recover.

[webstar]

Rosenicola, I think the trial period of a week is about as long as CB will last, unfortunately. But at least B&S will get back to what it was designed for and serious threads won't be pushed off the page. Only for a week though, so folks if you've got a serious question I'd get it on B&S now :0

[VillageVicar]

Rosencola and Theland: Thank you for your comments. I agree with you both. I have some empathy with the AB editor. I realise there needs to be a balance. And I actively support everyone�s right to free speech. Personally, I�m not in the least bothered by some of the shenanigans that goes on here. However, where I do become concerned is when I see someone whom I believe to have made a sincere effort to ask something, become ridiculed and openly abused. Whilst I�m not a prude, I don�t feel it appropriate, in the context of the questions asked, to use profanity � whether it be masked or not. Children read the site and I�m not comfortable participating where I see this becoming an acceptable norm. And I recall there was one instance when an individual chose to blatantly smear with profanity another culture. I found that to be reprehensible. It may be possible that the individual involved has since been removed. As I�m still new to AB, I still haven�t clearly grasped the ethos of the site. Initially, I thought I understood. However, it seems to have several facets to its personality. Accordingly, it still remains an learning experience.

I wish you well

Fr Bill

[donegal]

it will get better in time. i liked it way back in the day

[knobbynonut5]

Ohhh its the village vicar