Silly Scollywag, nobody is banning anything but a forum is defined by its most frequent themes and most are full of expatriates who slag off their ‘home’ country, not just Britty ones. That is sad and boring.
Yes, it is quite possible to avoid those threads but their constant presence is bebilitating in the long term.
‘ Look mate’ maybe such comments about the French political scene and politicians would be more appropriate on a forum about France.
I must admit I’m starting to think dropping the real names policy was a bit of a mistake. It doesn’t seem to have had the positive effects I hoped it would really, and has brought some negative ones too.
Anybody can adopt any name, surely. Is John Scally real?
Well, I understand why it happened, a valued and well informed contributor got shafted by his employers so change was required.
However having some anonymous hit and run merchant take the Mickey out of my real name is as childish as it is offensive, not that I care 
Well if you could spell it right it would be You can Google me. Now put you money where you mouth is, what’s your name big boy 
Edit girl
Well, stops the aggression then, for a moment?
Ruth Callum.
Fair do’s Ruth, delighted to meet you Now we can have a chat in a more natural way IMO.
You are defined as ‘Patron’ which is worrying, slightly. I assume the French meaning for simplicity, the English is perhaps more complex
On another subject, have we seen Helen6 since that happened?
@,randomadness : You do not get to call a respected, longstanding contributor “silly”. If you want to speak to someone in that manner then there are plenty of other forums that have gone to pot, where you would be at home instead. Or, try Facebook.
Exactly John. The very simple solutions put forward by several of us here - if you’re not interested, or actively dislike a topic, just ignore it - and start your own thread about something you do like - are obviously not good enough.
I asked earlier in this thread whether it was really about the authoritarian wish to control what other people say and do. Well, I think that question, at least, has been answered.
No, it’s simple. It has no status but it means I’ve contributed (in a very modest way) to the upkeep of the forum, as anybody can. I think it’s a good forum and I don’t participate in Facebook or Twitter etc. I’ve a Linkedin ID to keep up to date with old colleagues but otherwise I’m happy just to hang out here.
No, hope she’s OK.
Karen, is ancienté a requirement for contributing?
One has merely asked for a respite from certain types of comment which, though they can be avoided, are like the constant wind and the shape of trees.
Then why not do so? There are lots of threads and posts I don’t read, but I don’t feel any need to make a song and dance about it - much less try to censor them.
Come on Ruth, join in, we’re a good bunch and will value your views. Tell us a bit about yourself
You’re speaking into the
though @Geof_Cox. This has been pointed out multiple times by multiple people, but seemingly the forum has now got to change direction because someone can’t find the mute threads button. I think it’s time I found it on this particular thread as it’s becoming incredibly tiresome unfortunately. It’s irritated me so much at this point that I want to start a load of threads to slag of Boris and the U.K. in a petulant act of defiance 
You could do worse. I’m typing and watching clips of the lying bastard on Have I got News for You as we speak. It’s impossible to slag of Johnson enough, until he’s gone. Then we should redouble our efforts
What’s the answer though??
If you pretend Boris doesn’t exist that doesn’t change the fact he does and he is doing enormous damage.
If you continually point out his faults it leads to a kind of desensitisation. Outrage fatigue.
This is an article about it in relation to Trump. To sum it up it underlines that this desensitisation is how dictatorships come about and in the worst cases genocide.
And if you pretend he doesn’t exist or avoid engaging I guess you are already desensitised. It’s a bit of a conundrum!