How do they sleep at night?

I am a member of a number of forums covering a number of subjects - from Soul music to Land Rovers to tools... and fishing. Of course in all of them folks fall out now and again, there are differences of opinion.
However, most people stay friends and the overal theme is always that the members are united in a love for the subject.

Yet here on FM there is a group that deliberately set out to cause controversy. They actually post controversial threads on an almost daily basis. They also invariably dive in to a "normal" post to criticise, again - the only conclusion one can come up with - to get people angry.

I joined this site to discuss tactics and to engage in a friendly debate with like-minded people.

These that I am referring to appear only to want to cause upset and discord.

Do they, I wonder, go to bed at night with a smile on their face or do they spend their nights, as they spend their days, all bitter and twisted ?

I think some post a controversial topic to spark debate and there's nothing wrong if the debate is kept friendly or at least avoids getting nasty.

There are only so much fishing related topics to discuss and non fishing topics keeps the forum going

I do post something that I know will draw different points of view but discussion is healthy if keep within certain bounds

I'm with Paul on this, for the most part it's pretty light hearted banter and on many occasions posts have brought a smile to my face, even when stressed by other issues. Some topics remain more emotive than others, otters, barbel, PaSC etc. On the whole it's a pretty good site and I can say I have received help and very good advice from people posting on here.
If certain threads, posts or opinions are offensive to you, you can always PM a mod, they do a pretty good job.

Anyone that holds a grudge or really falls out with anyone, based on what goes on on a forum, needs to give their head a shake. No matter how much I may disagree with someone on a forum, I make no assumptions as to what they may be like if I actually met them.

I've met blokes that appeared to be quite objectionable on a forum only to find that they couldn't be more affable in real life. Naturally, it can also work in the opposite direction.

itsfishingnotcatching said:

If certain threads, posts or opinions are offensive to you, you can always PM a mod, they do a pretty good job.

Click to expand...

Alternatively you can put a poster on 'Ignore" by going into "user cp" and selecting the "ignore" function.

You will still see the thread titles posted but not the content from the original poster (OP) and then you'll see others' replies but nothing from the OP unless he/she is quoted in a reply.

Having been on FM for many years I do agree somewhat with the OP here inasmuch as 'some' threads are only started to have a 'pop' at anther member, which is truly quite sad in my opinion, but it takes all sorts I suppose . . . . . . .

Frank Elson said:

I joined this site to discuss tactics and to engage in a friendly debate with like-minded people.

Click to expand...

That would be an impossibility, I'm afraid.

For example: take a group of 100 anglers and ask do you all enjoy fishing - 100% yes!

Ask then do you agree with barbless hooks being mandatory - 65% yes (a split in the ranks)

Do you agree with keepnets - 45% yes (a further split)

Do you agree with the (can't believe I'm saying this) close season - 50/50% split again.

Do you agree with unhooking mats - 35% yes.

And so on, keep splitting the ranks again and again with more and more questions until in the end each angler is standing on his (or her) own. So I'm afraid not everyone is like minded, or atleast not on every subject, which makes fishing all the more interesting. I think.

Things might improve for a short time at the end of the week - not pointing any particular fingers at anyone, honest. :wh


Edit: perhaps we should adopt the motto of the 101st US airborne division - Currahee, a Cherokee word meaning "We stand alone, together." - Join the Angling Trust is what I say.

For example: take a group of 100 anglers and ask do you all enjoy fishing - 100% yes!

Click to expand...

Errr... no, not true actually. Maybe 99% 1% split we think!

Hence the expression - 'There's always one.' :wh