There is a category and a place for those of you who are intensely politically minded to debate and express your views. I, for one, would be deeply grateful if you restrict your posts largely to that category. I realise there are times when it might spill over to other areas - healthcare, climate change, for example. But I would suggest that for much of the rest of the time such views really do not need to be thrown over other topics.
I think it is a great, great shame that the women’s football thread has gone so sour.
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It is puzzling that discussing politics has become so tribal and at the forefront in such a short time.
5 years ago I couldnt give a monkeys about politics - and reality is I still dont now - but I do detest what this current UK government has done to UK and i do vent that frustration.
I do share your concerns about too many threads drifting to the same inevitable end.
Should I be blamed or current UK govt?
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There is so much that is good about SFN. The Wordle thread, the Cheerful News thread, the threads where people post their photos or share useful/interesting information and, particularly, the incredible advice freely given by members here. The last couple of days it seems to have got niggly and unpleasant. It’s a shame.
Izzy x
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Maybe it’s the heat…!
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It’s pretty warm and humid here in the UK too (in my part of it anyway). Nothing like you’re having of course!!
Maybe the nigglers need to take a cool shower and have a nice cup of tea 
Izzy x
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Or just leave threads alone that are generally of no interest to them. 
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I hope I’m not stored under the “nigglers” category, but I do find myself leaving threads alone… (muting) threads which are of no interest and where I cannot say anything useful.
I find that helps me to home-in-on the threads/responses which do interest me…
and I do try NOT to give a knee-jerk reaction to something I dislike… ( I do try!! …)
just saying…
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I think that there is a group of people (I don’t just mean on SF ) who have convinced themselves that repeatedly stating their opinions on SoMe equals activism
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I recently saw a quote to that effect (I’ll have a look for it) and the thought was developed quite a bit further.
It does seem that most controversial topics descend too quickly into shouting, sneering, insults and generally childish name-calling.
And I’m astonished - but I should know better - at the lack of tolerance for differing views (often exhibited by people who would claim adamantly that they are beacons of tolerance!).
I’m afraid social media as a whole can be like that and SF is unfortunately no different.
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It was a review by Tim Keller (a Christian) of a sociologist’s book about social media: Tim Keller on Social Media, Identity, and the Church
Looking at Chris Bail’s Twitter (is it “feed”?), it looks like there are other interesting reviews and analyses.
Hopefully you’re at a safe distance in France, but the referendum in the UK created two groups of people with a giant chasm between them.
I think it’s become a part of people’s identity and that tribalism has kind of become a habit, no matter what the topic.
It’s becoming pretty toxic, certainly online, (and this isn’t a post about the rights or wrongs of Brexit!). Maybe we need another summer of love!
All the best to everyone on here.
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“Everything is politics”
“In our age there is no such thing as ‘keeping out of politics.’ All issues are political issues, and politics itself is a mass of lies, evasions, folly, hatred and schizophrenia.”
Thomas Mann
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Bristol Pete, do you mean Guardian readers and the rest?
Perhaps we should once again revert to social omission of the top three provocative subjects - Religion, Politics and Sex.
But where would be the fun!?
It’s not the topics that have become so toxic but the language. An invasion of provocative statements cloaked in anonymity with complete lack of editing and devoid of the elegance of etiquette.
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So a politician shagging a vicar would be on or off limits? Sounds like diddleyshyt to me!
Too late, mate
Time to mute my own thread methinks - ah me! 
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No particular readership! It seems pretty universal to me!
So true.
Plus the inability of some to politely discuss the content of posts without resorting to personal comments about other site users.
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Dear oh dear, wicked, wicked, get a smacked botty for that!