Yes, you are right @billybutcher but sometimes one wants to read a part of a thread to see other opinions (there are others, which whilst contrary have their place in a free speech society and space). Anyway, for myself, I am finding the number of threads being opened about Gaza and Israel a bit too much. I think someone else said a while back why not put them under one thread? At least three would be enough. I am not sure SF readers need these opening up every day / few days? Forgive me I am not a big contributor and have got loads of help so I cannot really complain.
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Free the Var one 
When at fifteen years of age I started telling anybody that would listen that the Catholic Church in Ireland was corrupt they all thought I was nuts. So if people think I’m nuts banging on about this I don’t mind. I’m not doing it to annoy anybody. I’m only saying what I would (and do) at dinner parties (AKA meeting friends) 
Just when I see innocent little four year olds slaughtered by cowards flying drones or F15s I think of my daughter at that age, and become incensed. Wouldn’t everyone here kill anybody who slaughtered their little children?
I hope I am still around to see Netanyahu and Gallant brought to justice one day, just like the Irish Catholic church was
Meanwhile… some good news…
And the view from Israel’s paper of record on the War Criminal’s speech. (I think it’s open to read).
https://us18.campaign-archive.com/?e=64e961f848&u=d3bceadb340d6af4daf1de00d&id=a56d3e79e0
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We don’t think you’re nuts John, it’s clearly an awful situation, but perhaps folk find the frequent mentions a bit relentless, like my jokes…
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@ChrisMann I think you have hit the nail on the head there. It is too frequent and relentless. Sometimes more is not helping anyway. You are not nuts John but maybe join up the threads into one rather than posting more and more. It deadens the brain to what you are trying to put across
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I agree with you, and have said as much before, and John knows that too. But it doesn’t stop me from reading what he has to say, and won’t.
It may not but I am concerned other new arrivals to the site might think so and even those who on here regularly may not wish to see relentless threads on the subject. For what it is worth, I read them too but just saying…
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I think if you mute me you will see the rest of the thread, just I’ll disappear 
I’ve just had a quick scan of my posts and I believe the last Gaza thread I started was on June 29th, so not that frequent really, for such a serious matter.
It was about Sunak’s attempted interference in the ICC. So I suppose I should have posted the above Guardian article to it. It would have finished it off nicely.
But would I be wrong in thinking that if I mute a person, then that person’s posts are invisible to me, and so how do I make sense when reading threads with chunks of possibly interesting and useful information removed?
There must be a point where whole threads will become an unintelligable mystery to me.
Exactly!
I cannot see the point of muting or blocking someone.
You can read the posts if you want - they are still there, just hidden.
But many share your views, it’s OK to not use the feature or see the point but some people will.
Each to their own.
Personally, some posters just wind me up and I don’t have the self control not to read them so blocking helps.
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Sorry @JohnH, I’ll try be less annoying 
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But don’t you effectively block out others by not understanding what they are saying in relation to the people you have muted?
this made me worry, am I muted by anyone?? Is there any way to see??
Yes, but it doesn’t bother me though, occasionally, an interesting-looking response will drive me to “unhide” a message.
There’s no way to tell unless someone says that they have you on mute or they repeatedly ignore your replies.
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It’s usually pretty easy to tell what’s being said from the replies, and posters are usually consistent with their online characters. So if you muted me but saw some posting smilies, others groaning faces, you might guess I’ve posted a joke.
OK, so you have the first tick on my new list ,… 
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In all honesty, it’s far from ideal, but may be the only way to co-exist with someone else on the forum. If their problem is real and not just a clash of characters then it will bother others too. If not then the problem is likely your own. 
I remember in my very early days a couple of posters who would go off on their own interminable, barely comprehensible conversations, no matter what the subject of the thread. Some people may have found them interesting / amusing. I just found them incredibly irritating. Being able to mute them kept me engaged with SF.
I find the best way to deal with the political stuff is to delete the whole thread. Looking back over the years there are over a hundred threads, mainly political, that I have muted. Why? Because so much of it is just speculation, anxiety, rabid gossip, conjecture. All of which just causes me anxiety over things about which I can do absolutely nothing. It’s not where I want to put my energy. I don’t even want to have to make the effort to look away.
There is much I can do within my sphere of influence and that’s where I’d rather be.
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