In view of the lies, fake news, deliberate distortions and general rubbish that is printed on social media, isn’t it about time that social media - all of it - was turned off permanemtly ? I’ve never subscribed and I don’t miss it. Email is good enough if people want to talk to me.
Last nights US debate was b ad enough, but what followed on the media was worse.
Surely it’s like the news, there’s an “off” button
I haven’t turned it on.
And what do you think you are all on now
Yes and no, you can’t compare a small forum with the likes of FB etc where people can do and asy what they like!
Doesn’t seem to stop some people on this forum …
Neither should it IMO, nor - I hope - your own.
Exactly! - What an odd thread - reminds me of the old philosophy story of Epimenedes the Cretan, who said that all Cretans are liars…
SF is on Facebook.
Also another member has posted about his comments coming up on google Never dismiss anywhere as just a small forum. The Daily Fail made a full article from posts on another forum I am a member of
Exactly the point I made re names/anon
Peter, I think it’s clear that ‘… not stop some people on this forum’ in response to ‘people can do and say what they like!’ refers to the poor behaviour that Catherine Higgson hopes to eliminate by having contributers use their names, rather than noms de plume.
There’s scant evidence that achieves that. People hide behind their real name just as much as a nickname because they will have vanishing little chance of confronting their ‘adversary’ in person. It’s just a forum, like any other, after all.
Nevertheless, it works
I don’t know what evidence could ever be adduced either way, Christopher, but it’s my experience that other SF subscribers see me and respond to me sensitively and where necessarily robustly, very much as a real person.
My perception of other forum users is that you are sensate, flesh-and-blood and uniquely made-up men and women of depth, character, complexity, wisdom and empathy. I can easily imagine opening my front door to the surprise arrival of any of you en passant chez nous and how pleasing and exciting that encounter would be for me. Like a child on Christmas morning!
It hasn’t happened yet, but I hope to live to tell the tale. The nearest I’ve got to it was an amazing few days in Wozza Joiner’s vacant apartment thanks to his and his partner’s generosity. It filled us with unforgettable joy and affection for them both. Such shared intimacy is a rare gift, but undeniably expresses what SF stands for.
It works. And furthermore people with a proper photo rather than an avatar generally get treated better by other posters . And (generally) also tend to be more considerate posters.
Personally I would go back to real photos or the standard SF replacement but James gets a say in it too so we currently permit avatars.
One thing that I do is if I see a political post or a really good competition or money off offer that’s been reposted by a friend on Facebook, I check if it’s true.
If it is, well and good. If it isn’t, I let them know - sometimes publicly, sometimes by private message.
A little caution and occasionally some tact goes a long way.
Very apposite cartoon in El País today.
As for my avatar, I saw this ceramic tile ad for beer on a wall in Málaga, photographed it and had it printed on canvas, poster size. Everyone who’se seen the print agrees that it’s me [tho’ like others on SF - Vero? - I have a beard, too]. It’s me between mid June and end Sept. That’s why Plan A and Plan B is Normandy by 31 Dec.
Most photographers hate being photgraphed. I do. Tho’ I made an exception for L.F.C. winning the Champions’ League.
You’ve moved me now to update my profile picture - something stereotypically French, I think…
You did mention you were having a beard issue 
