Recently I have become increasingly concerned about the tone and content of some of the comments posted on this site. Furthermore, there have been complaints, both in public and privately, about these comments and the attitude of certain participants. May I please remind you all of the Site Policy, particularly the first paragraph regarding aggressive, insulting or inflammatory comments and the later reference to off-topic comments.
I fully agree that comments made here should be in good taste.
A bit of banter is fine otherwise this becomes a rather dull sterile place. outright nastiness and childish name calling is another thing. other only sites have had rather worse recently.
I agree with all he sentiments above.
Sadly it seems to be a commonplace on internet forums, irrespective of the topic they deal with, once they have been running for long enough…
It’s mainly a problem on this site because Paul Bringloe, who posts here as Paul B, and also over time as numerous sock and meat puppets, pollutes the site with his offensiveness. On another site he wishes that the opposition should “rot in Hell”.
He called me slugbrain recently – I may adopt that as my username so folk don’t forget. He has used many other similar terms against me and many others and trolls all my comments in the same manner that he previously trolled those of RCW.
He’s only here to troll Guardian setters because he can’t get a gig there.
I had not contributed to the comments on the recent Arachne puzzle. I was about to when I found:
Why mention me? Not relevant to the puzzle and I hadn’t even commented.
He should be banned from the site permanently. If he isn’t then the site rules are a joke because he’s been flouting them for years.
So what if he’s a setter. T4TT and Big Dave run fine, and with much less negativity, without any setters – other than those coming in in relation to their own puzzles. That’s how it should be.
Jolly Swagman
Your comment is very strongly worded, perhaps excessively so, and is full of allegations and suppositions. Do you have any proof regarding the presence of sock-puppets on this site? If so I would very much like to receive it.
I agree that some of Paul B’s comments, along with those of other participants including yourself, have been unacceptable during recent months and this is something I am determined to eradicate. The use of abusive terms like the one you have quoted should not have appeared and action has been taken to prevent a recurrence.
I am well aware that you and Paul B do not see eye to eye but I am asking you, as I have already done with Paul B, to end this feud, at least on this site even if you are unable do so elsewhere.
I always enjoy the comments of Paul B, they bring a smile to my face.
At least he is straight shooter. I don’t condone picking on people, but as Marcus Aurelius says “the only person one can upset or hurt is themselves”.
It may be worth adopting that attitude and not allowing yourself to get upset…
We are all adults!
@Jake
We are all adults!
Really? You read some of the recent posts?
I agree with guscat’s comments on the Picaroon crossword. Uncle Yap will be someone I shall miss and I think the way he was “put in place’ was appalling.
A ‘theatrical cat’ is GUS. That’s SI, so great, you’re a player. But lurk less – you’re a diamond.
Re Yap, why all the yap? It’s done.
@Gaufrid
I don’t care for the tone of your comment.
You suggest that I an running a feud. In other words it’s OK for Paul B to be appallingly rude to people but not OK for anyone to respond in similar terms or even more muted ones in the same vein.
I’m not sure what you mean by “proof” of puppeteering but I know that I’m not alone in having spotted that. Interesting that you speak of:
“full of allegations and suppositions” but only ask for “proof” of one of them.
If you want I can trawl through all Paul B’s comments and label them according to which site rule they offend:
* Off topic
* Offensive (If I include condescension that’ll be rather long)
* Reason for any dissatisfaction [not being] clearly indicated
Is that what you want? It’ll be a long list.
It’s not a specific site rule but I’ll add gratuitous trolling.
I’ll deal with puppeteering later.
His crescendo of abuse was reaching the point of self-destruction – you would have done better not to interrupt it. The high point so far was probably:
Compared with the harsh treatment you have dealt out publicly to others I can only conclude that either he’s a pal of yours or else you are in thrall to the idea of having a real live UK daily setter (even if not a prolific one) on the site. Maybe there’s another reason. In any event it seems very uneven
While I’m here I’ll make an exception to my normal rule and reply to #9, or at least that part of it that I could make sense of:
“Re Yap, why all the yap? It’s done.”
The reason for all the “yap” about the Uncle Yap issue is that most of us here (I can really only speak for myself) greatly enjoyed and valued UY’s blogs and appreciated the time, effort and thoroughness that went into them as well as the occasional bit of humour; were disappointed to see two good people falling out and hoped that a reconciliation would be possible.
“It’s done.” ??? Is it indeed? – News to me.
JollySwagman @10
I don’t care for the tone of your comment.
I have reread my comment several times and can find no ‘tone’ in it.
You suggest that I an running a feud. In other words it’s OK for Paul B to be appallingly rude to people but not OK for anyone to respond in similar terms or even more muted ones in the same vein.
It is not acceptable for anyone to be rude which is why, as I have said, action has been taken to prevent any reoccurrence. I would say that your original comment #4, accusing Paul B of having numererous sock puppets, without any proof (factual evidence), making statements such as “He’s only here to troll Guardian setters because he can’t get a gig there.” (pure supposition) and saying that he should be banned, is indicative of an on-going disagreement.
If you want I can trawl through all Paul B’s comments and label them according to which site rule they offend:
Thanks for your offer but I have already gone back through several people’s comments made during the past year and I think I am able to determine which ones are at variance with the guidelines set out in the Site Policy.
I’ll deal with puppeteering later.
Please do. I would welcome any suggestions as to who may be a sock puppet, along with how/why you have come to believe this to be the case.
Compared with the harsh treatment you have dealt out publicly to others …
What harsh treatment? I have asked a few people to moderate the tone and/or content of their comments, and one person was placed under moderation for a couple of days, but that is as far as it has gone.
I saw a film a couple of years ago called Catfish which claimed to be a true documentary. I found it riveting but a bit disturbing and I have since read that some question whether or not it was staged. The basic plot is that a guy’s brother and friends film his growing online relationship with a young girl who sends him artwork, and her older stepsister who he fancies. Of course everything is not what it seems and the woman pretending to be both characters is rather disturbed. Anyway at the end her husband, who is also rather disturbed, says something I thought profound in explaining her behaviour. He says that when live cod were shipped to Asia from North America, the fish’s inactivity in their tanks resulted in only mushy flesh reaching the destination. Fishermen found, however, that putting live catfish in the tanks with the cod kept them active and ensured the quality of the fish. He says that we need ‘catfish’ in our lives – people who keep us on our toes and make us think. I have thought much about this since and tend to agree. What might seem an ideal world with everyone being nice to everyone else all the time would probably be an awful place in reality!
To put a bloody end to all this…
I have been on the Internet since 1995 ~ a scary fact in that a lot of people around now were not even born!
Now, even since the advent of ‘bulletin boards’, ‘forums’ etc. there is ALWAYS a war that appears to happen in certain circumstances.
One problem is that sarcasism, irony, in-jokes do NOT work over a text media; you either get it or don’t – and for some reason people take offence as much as if it was said to their face when really it is just a bunch of words on a web page.
The second problem (documented all over the web) is the final ‘click send/submit’ button ~ writing something when not in control (drunk?) and then the next day regret it (too late!).
So just ignore the abuse, and as said, we are all Adults or if not, act like children do – cry forget it.
Nick
I can’t see much to get worked up about here. Paul B makes me chuckle. What on Earth is a sock puppet? Hope I’m not being dim.
Hi Samui Pete
“What on Earth is a sock puppet?”
From Collins – sock puppet: an extra online identity created by a member of a discussion forum, etc, to agree with opinions submitted under his or her usual name.
Ah thanks. As in authors going on Amazon raving about their own books or indeed rubbishing others. Thanks.
I, for one , am glad that Gaufrid has stepped in.