[James]

Originally Posted by Jack_

I know you were joking and I know people think I'm being flippant when I suggest this but these days I'm really not

Just...get rid of it? How about we all just learn to handle ourselves like adults rather than running off to the mods like kids to a teacher? I would much prefer - and think it's a lot healthier - for members to be able to address things and people they disagree with and say what they REALLY think if it gets heated rather than trying to reign it in, which just fosters ill feeling. Let's hash it out. This is the internet, text on a screen, does it really matter if someone is offended? Just give as good as you get.

The way I see it is, so long as threads don't go off-topic too much (which can make the forum messy), so long as people's personal information isn't being used against them, and so long as people aren't making any libellous comments that could get admin into legal trouble, then what other rules do we need?

'It cheapens/spoils the forum' is often used as justification for a lot of rules. Well, let me put it this way...there's a lot of spammy, repetitive, inane or just plain baiting threads that are posted here on a daily basis, and it's those that actually cheapen/spoil the forum and that need dealing with IMO. I'd much rather see two people going at it in a thread over racism than yet another three pager about someone's favourite changing or what Jeremy Corbyn put in the bin last night.

Experience on the forum has shown allowing arguments to go on, or allowing insults, doesn't work. Many people generally don't want to be personally insulted for supporting a housemate or whatever, and are likely to be put off the forum if they get insulted - and that isn't in this forum's best interests. You'll get some people thinking it is alright to insult as a forum weapon, and you'll only be left with those types of members.

Allowing arguments has the effect (in practise) of excluding people from debates.