Enough is Enough

[belton rover]

I firmly believe that over the past few weeks, I’ve done no more than give as good as I’ve got. I know that some on here agree with that, and some don’t.
But I stand by it.
I’ve been a member for over 10 years, and have mostly read from afar and not really taken part in the debates. Recently I thought I would give it a go, thinking I knew what I was letting myself in for. How wrong was I
There is a toxicity running through this ‘Off Topic’ section of the forum that really is quite frightening.
I’ve sat back over the years and chuckled at and admired BST’s in depth and very, very detailed musings. I’ve cringed at his condescending and patronising attacks on many posters over this time, without really getting involved (apart from a while ago when I briefly challenged him after he assumed I was a Tory because I didn’t want to sing from the rooftops to celebrate Thatcher’s death). I wouldn’t give Billy all the credit, he just sets the example.
I know, that this forum is bound to be predominantly an anti Tory one, as it is a branch of a South Yorkshire, mining town, football team forum.
But some of the venom on here is quite shocking.
When it became clear that Billy and one or two of his followers didn’t like me presenting a different view (always politics) I initially thought, bring it on, let’s have some good humoured, quality debate.
I often played devil’s advocate, I sometimes genuinely was aghast at some of the anti government bias, and argued against that too.
What I never expected, was to be ridiculed  so intensely for it.
To be labelled a bigot, an embarrassing, unpleasant idiot, someone who must live a very, very empty life. A bully.
But I have been called all these things, and much, much more (these are just from today)Not by many, I might add but enough to question why I should accept such abuse.
I am none of these things.
For all I know, BST might not be a condescending, patronising, hater of the Tory government, either (although he is a self confessed t w a t).
But I suppose that’s what you get when the only medium you have to judge is the written word.
So I will leave you now, you who wallow in your own self importance, and those of you who still enjoy the entertainment, as I once did.
I wont delete my account because I still want to read the Rovers’ stuff. I’ll apologise now for any one off posts that I might make on here after one or two sherbets. But effectively, I’m done.

This off topic forum is not fit for purpose anymore, and should be disbanded before someone gets into real trouble.
And I expect that there will be some ‘dying swan’ piss takers filling their boots.
But believe me - it’s toxic.

[Filo]

You could just decide not to post anymore rather than announce your departure like some kind of attention seeking martyr

😳😳

[Draytonian III]

This is a forum it’s about opinions, end of

[BillyStubbsTears]

With hindsight, I would have preferred not to have called Belton and embarrassing unpleasant idiot. I shouldn't have said that and I wish I hadn't. Because it helps no-one. It was an angry lashing out after realising that for the seventh or eighth time, I'd wasted my time in defending myself against accusations of what I'd apparently said, when I had said no such thing. That came after several attempts to draw a line under the increasingly nasty exchanges and allowing myself to be goaded back into it. I was annoyed and I do believe I was entirely justified in being annoyed, but that doesn't excuse my response. That was unacceptable. Many of us, probably me more than anyone, need to think more carefully about how we act on-line.

[Nudga]

Stop being a pair of pussies. People disagree, people argue, people say stuff. Big deal.
BST, we've recently exchanged a few insults, so what? We can't live our lives afraid of upsetting people for our views and the way we speak and vent off.

It seems like gone are the days you can call someone a Kitson, agree to disagree and move on.

Life's too short boys, especially if you test positive for a girly virus😁

[wilts rover]

Turn your phone/laptop off, grab a beer/cup of tea, watch the cycling or do something more interesting in the real world.

Then come back on tomorrow when its just a forum for people whose views don't matter at all in the slightest and are not worth getting stressed about.

[Pancho Regan]

All interested parties should be big enough to step back, take a deep breath, apologise and (virtually) shake hands.

Then move on and play nicely in future.

[selby]

  I love it Belton when they start baying at me Billy and the disciples, just the knowledge I have got right up their noses, it's brilliant.

[Janso]

  I love it Belton when they start baying at me Billy and the disciples, just the knowledge I have got right up their noses, it's brilliant.

Which just about sums up a good chunk of this country. Not arsed about anything other than "lefty tears" or "lib-baiting". Bit weird, really.

[BillyStubbsTears]

All interested parties should be big enough to step back, take a deep breath, apologise and (virtually) shake hands.

Then move on and play nicely in future.

Agreed.

[bobjimwilly]

I love it Belton when they start baying at me Billy and the disciples, just the knowledge I have got right up their noses, it's brilliant.

At last, an admission you're just a WUM

[Donnywolf]

I have no comment to make other that this is a Forum where people are mostly anonymous and if they were discussing things face to face in a Pub or at work they would have the ability to read (or use NVC) the other persons body language for a starter

They could correct any nuances there and then - explaining things exactly to their satisfaction for example rather that written communication which even though I spent 10 years writing stuff to ensure it had ONLY one meaning - I have still found on here I have slipped up when writing then reading back my own posts as I could see how someone reading it would pick up a different meaning.

PS thats why so many of my Posts have Edits at the bottom - as I correct them to remove any chance of them not being understood (and be different to what I really want them to say)

... and finally probably since Social media evolved - everyone has an opinion on everything, there seem to be many experts on each side of every debate -  and it has to be said MOST of the responses I see on most topics are split virtually 50 / 50 - so people are and will continue to disagree on most subjects in life, on Rovers and certainly on here

Life is so divisive these days (someone will probably say in reply - no it isnt lol)

It is amazing to think we have people who dislike one another or disagree with others openly on here and who MAY even meet by chance before during at after games without even knowing that one is Mr X and one is Mr Y on here. They may discuss quite amicably Rovers related stuff - or any number of other subjects but then go home and have different opinions once behind the shield of anonymity

I have thrown that in because I have seen it in action for real as I have got to know several posters on here (maybe 70 + or a bit more) through running Super6 and various other ways and so I was chuckling for most of last Season because there were 2 people who sat near to me and who were like cat and dog on here - with totally different opinions on Football - and especially politics.

However they sat so so close together at home games and were always polite to each other and discussed almost everything rationally and to a conclusion with no animosity whatsoever, I used to find it very strange as we were like a little Club up there, bringing sweets and chocolates & sharing the pies if anyone ever won them etc etc - and in the end I just had to tell them

[Glyn_Wigley]

I love it Belton when they start baying at me Billy and the disciples, just the knowledge I have got right up their noses, it's brilliant.

At last, an admission you're just a WUM

We got that ages ago!

[Herbert Anchovy]

There’s some robust opinions shared on here for sure and I’ve had some run ins with people who have a different opinion to mine. If we’re all honest, I’d say that all contributors on here have said things that they regret and wouldn’t dream of saying face to face. I know that I have and sometimes I can be a bit of a prick. But we move on. You have to accept that if you have an opinion on here you’ll likely get some robust challenges. If you can’t accept that then it’s probably not for you.

[Metalmicky]

Reference to 'Bill' is entirely inconsequential.....

[Axholme Lion]

I firmly believe that over the past few weeks, I’ve done no more than give as good as I’ve got. I know that some on here agree with that, and some don’t.
But I stand by it.
I’ve been a member for over 10 years, and have mostly read from afar and not really taken part in the debates. Recently I thought I would give it a go, thinking I knew what I was letting myself in for. How wrong was I
There is a toxicity running through this ‘Off Topic’ section of the forum that really is quite frightening.
I’ve sat back over the years and chuckled at and admired BST’s in depth and very, very detailed musings. I’ve cringed at his condescending and patronising attacks on many posters over this time, without really getting involved (apart from a while ago when I briefly challenged him after he assumed I was a Tory because I didn’t want to sing from the rooftops to celebrate Thatcher’s death). I wouldn’t give Billy all the credit, he just sets the example.
I know, that this forum is bound to be predominantly an anti Tory one, as it is a branch of a South Yorkshire, mining town, football team forum.
But some of the venom on here is quite shocking.
When it became clear that Billy and one or two of his followers didn’t like me presenting a different view (always politics) I initially thought, bring it on, let’s have some good humoured, quality debate.
I often played devil’s advocate, I sometimes genuinely was aghast at some of the anti government bias, and argued against that too.
What I never expected, was to be ridiculed  so intensely for it.
To be labelled a bigot, an embarrassing, unpleasant idiot, someone who must live a very, very empty life. A bully.
But I have been called all these things, and much, much more (these are just from today)Not by many, I might add but enough to question why I should accept such abuse.
I am none of these things.
For all I know, BST might not be a condescending, patronising, hater of the Tory government, either (although he is a self confessed t w a t).
But I suppose that’s what you get when the only medium you have to judge is the written word.
So I will leave you now, you who wallow in your own self importance, and those of you who still enjoy the entertainment, as I once did.
I wont delete my account because I still want to read the Rovers’ stuff. I’ll apologise now for any one off posts that I might make on here after one or two sherbets. But effectively, I’m done.

This off topic forum is not fit for purpose anymore, and should be disbanded before someone gets into real trouble.
And I expect that there will be some ‘dying swan’ piss takers filling their boots.
But believe me - it’s toxic.

Don't let it bother you. I dare say most people on here think i'm a prick, so what?

[selby]

  My wife agrees with you all.

[IDM]

All I can add is, thank f**k we have football to discuss now.!