Is this forum unrepresentative?

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Tangled Metal
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Re: Is this forum unrepresentative?

Post by Tangled Metal »

Snowflake argument. Love it.

Next you'll be saying abusive comments aren't made or if they are then just man up. That's been said.

Can I just say one thing? Debate on political matters on this forum generally start ok but once the points have been made they degenerate. I'm on another hobby forum and they have a lot of political debate threads. There's a different style to the threads. There's no degeneration like on here. I would even say that there's genuine debate going on. It's really not common that the snowflake argument gets used on there.

Mind you, and don't take offence, there's some very knowledgeable people on there. Of working age too but they're so well read on topics that you'll often get links to academic papers, official documents or the more weighty of think tanks. Plus economic topics have experts too. A lot of bankers, historians, financial sector, and politically active people. If Godwins ever gets applied there's even a historian specialising on that period of time to correct them. :lol:
Tangled Metal
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Re: Is this forum unrepresentative?

Post by Tangled Metal »

I got moderated recently. The mod beat me to the edit. Seems I offended when that wasn't my meaning. I intended to edit when I realised offence was there. We all see things differently and sometimes aren't clear or get misunderstood.

No the mods do an excellent job on here imho.
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661-Pete
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Re: Is this forum unrepresentative?

Post by 661-Pete »

100%JR wrote:Locked two threads in as many days.......not sure about unrepresentative but it's definitely over-moderated :wink:
Mods are supposed to be impartial.Unfortunately they seem to be too far up their own backsides on here and if they don't like the way a thread is going they see fit to lock anything they don't like.
This is what happens when people are given power beyond their capabilities :wink:
Well, whatever your opinions, that statement has certainly put the kybosh on your ever being considered for the post of Moderator - on this or any other forum. If you ever had such aspirations....

Don't know what your opinion of Police officers is. Do you think their work consists of stomping along the beat going "Ello! 'Ello! 'Ello!", wielding their truncheons, and snapping the darbies on any proffered pair of wrists?! I don't think real police work is like that.

Nor is Moderators' - despite your views on them.
Suppose that this room is a lift. The support breaks and down we go with ever-increasing velocity.
Let us pass the time by performing physical experiments...
--- Arthur Eddington (creator of the Eddington Number).
merseymouth
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Re: Is this forum unrepresentative?

Post by merseymouth »

No way 661-Pete! Police don't walk anywhere any more, haven't done for years, must be your age showing. IGICB MM
Tangled Metal
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Re: Is this forum unrepresentative?

Post by Tangled Metal »

The fitness requirements must have been dropped too. Seen too many police who would look good handing out presents in a red suit and false white beard. Ho ho ho! :lol:
francovendee
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Re: Is this forum unrepresentative?

Post by francovendee »

Police seem to be carrying enough stuff about them for a weeks survival in the wild.
Must be difficult to chase anyone loaded down with all that kit.
Maybe chasing the baddies isn't part of the job anymore.

The coppers in the UK are a lot more approachable than Gendarmes here. Rather a surly bunch and friends have told me they mostly socialise with other Gendarmes.
Tangled Metal
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Re: Is this forum unrepresentative?

Post by Tangled Metal »

Most police forces socialise among themselves. They certainly do so in the UK. I doubt many could keep up with them on a works night out! At least that's what a mate who married a copper said. He didn't go out much with his wife's police workmates. He's not a big drinker though.

I guess they need to destress.
Psamathe
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Re: Is this forum unrepresentative?

Post by Psamathe »

When one questions if something is "representative" surely one has to qualify what one is talking about representing as well as exactly what "representative" means.

Is the forum "representative" of generally older touring cyclists - probably.

Does the forum general opinion follow the national majority on certain political matters - probably not (but same can be said of virtually any group).

Does the forum general opinion on Brexit follow the national majority - if polls are to be believed or is statistical analysis are to be believed - probably yes (at least from last I saw what %ge of the vote did the Conservatives get?)

Maybe after a General Election it gets too easy to think the winning party got the majority of the cast votes. My understanding is that this is not the case and that the Conservatives got less that 50% of the vote and thus do not (necessarily) represent the "majority" view.

Ian
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mjr
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Re: Is this forum unrepresentative?

Post by mjr »

The Conservatives got roughly 43½% of the votes, giving them 56% of the seats IIRC, thanks to our disproportionate electoral system which no other EU state still uses and the TV news runs explanation items on!
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BlueRider
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Re: Is this forum unrepresentative?

Post by BlueRider »

ALL forums are unrepresentitive.

Tis the nature of the beast.
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horizon
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Re: Is this forum unrepresentative?

Post by horizon »

BlueRider wrote:ALL forums are unrepresentitive.

Tis the nature of the beast.


I agree. This one is left leaning (as I imagine a bike-as-transport forum would be) and it's also unrepresentative in terms of gender, education and age. But it keeps going because, at the end of the day, the sprockets must turn so we have cease-fires. Personally, I think this forum has to be political because cycling exists in a very political environment and it's good to know where people stand. I accept that that is not everybody's POV. But it is the cycling that has to come first.
When the pestilence strikes from the East, go far and breathe the cold air deeply. Ignore the sage, stay not indoors. Ho Ri Zon 12th Century Chinese philosopher
pwa
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Re: Is this forum unrepresentative?

Post by pwa »

horizon wrote:
BlueRider wrote:ALL forums are unrepresentitive.

Tis the nature of the beast.


I agree. This one is left leaning (as I imagine a bike-as-transport forum would be) and it's also unrepresentative in terms of gender, education and age. But it keeps going because, at the end of the day, the sprockets must turn so we have cease-fires. Personally, I think this forum has to be political because cycling exists in a very political environment and it's good to know where people stand. I accept that that is not everybody's POV. But it is the cycling that has to come first.


Some here see their bikes as transport and others see them as sport or recreation. At least that used to be the case. I would hope all would be regarded as equally welcome, the unifying theme being a love of cycling. Or is that just me yearning for the days of the CTC?
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horizon
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Re: Is this forum unrepresentative?

Post by horizon »

pwa wrote: Or is that just me yearning for the days of the CTC?


I think it goes back to the days when CTC decided it would take on "cycling" as an issue. That was my first introduction to the CTC - I thought it was a campaigning organisation for urban cycle transport with a bit of leisure thrown in. Of course that's the opposite of what it was but it is still an identity problem for it. But I don't think it ever set out to take a stand on general political issues (apart from cycling and the environment).
When the pestilence strikes from the East, go far and breathe the cold air deeply. Ignore the sage, stay not indoors. Ho Ri Zon 12th Century Chinese philosopher
pwa
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Re: Is this forum unrepresentative?

Post by pwa »

horizon wrote:
pwa wrote: Or is that just me yearning for the days of the CTC?


I think it goes back to the days when CTC decided it would take on "cycling" as an issue. That was my first introduction to the CTC - I thought it was a campaigning organisation for urban cycle transport with a bit of leisure thrown in. Of course that's the opposite of what it was but it is still an identity problem for it. But I don't think it ever set out to take a stand on general political issues (apart from cycling and the environment).


I joined (though later left) the CTC because of my interest in touring and leisure cycling, and its move away from that focus was a disappointment to me. I have always done varying amounts of "utility" cycling but that doesn't provide me with the escape from the humdrum of workaday existence that cycling for fun does. I wonder if most people who loved the CTC for its traditional role have either expired on gone to sites like YACF where talk is about the next great adventure at the weekend.

But I wouldn't like to think that this Forum is now exclusively for utility cycling. That would be boring. I agree that it does attract people whose focus is in that direction, but there are also the rest of us.
pwa
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Re: Is this forum unrepresentative?

Post by pwa »

It would be interesting to get people here to anonymously provide details of their age, sex and ethnicity, and I think we would find that we are not very "representative" even at that basic level. :lol:
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