Ladies and Gentlemen,
This site has never been the most endearing to the club or even parts of our own fanbase. A common piece of feedback I receive privately is that some find it too negative or drama-filled, which is why many choose to stay away. At times we clash hard and put each other down, the club, the players, and even Super, who pays for this site out of his own pocket. Some of this could understandably offend players’ families. In conversations I’ve had with people within the club’s hierarchy, the club takes a fairly open-minded view and accepts that it can’t control what others say or think. That’s a mature approach.
That said, I believe the majority of us are good eggs, mean well, even if some are rough around the edges and a small minority hold more extreme views. Over the past decade, I’ve met many wonderful people through this site, some of whom I now count as close friends and have learned a great deal from. You’re a big reason I’m still here and why I care about this community.
If you’re willing, I’d appreciate your thoughts on the direction the site should take. Ultimately, Super will decide, but it’s helpful to understand how people feel, here or privately, on:
- Current affairs and political blogs: Even if personally enjoy them, these often become the most feral and attract extremist views, especially in challenging times. They can flood the site and turn off many who simply want to talk footy, the one thing we all share. Life has enough dramas.
- Moving these blogs to The Cave: Making them members-only may be a win-win, it allows discussions without overwhelming those who’d want to avoid it.
- Any other ideas for improving the site.
Please don’t comment on political, religious or current affairs issues in this blog. This is about improving the site, not saving the world from an apocalypse.
Replies
I do need to use my critical thinking skills more and stop engaging with those who possess none.
Good advice Carlo..... Merry Christmas Queen
I read often have have done so for years but very very very rarely comments. Usually you get attacked for commenting so it's pointless.
I don't come
here for politics and things and I don't care about anyone here's opinion on such things. I come for eels footy only (not other clubs).
most of the blogs and comments are trash to be honest but a few good ones exist.
ill prob be attacked for even posting this.
In the off season lets face it, it goes kinda quiet. But if there is a major event in the news I will come here hoping there is a discusion about it because you get the full spectrum of views. Just keep them in the social blogs so people that aren't interested don't have to be annoyed.
I'm a die hard Parra fan as everyone else is and I don't go to any other site, I find the comment sections on the socials a bit, I don't know, shallow, trashy and full of people who havn't got the devotion that I believe is amoungst us.
Strange-eel, my comments to you are probably better attached to one of your previous responses, but, I do want to say that political discussions are, in and of themselves, not problematic - but they become problematic when dealing with highly sensitive topics where some folks will take offence.
It is at that point where we need to exercise caution.
Mark seems to be fixated on what happened to Brett Allen. Now, it should be pointed out that Brett Allen is a hardline evangelical Christian who is of the firm belief that his rapture will occur only when Israel's 'defeats' of the Gentiles is concluded. That includes Palestinaians and all Arabs.
Once the 'Israelites defeat the Gentiles', according to his version of the scripture, Jesus will come back to Earth and swoop up all the Christians and take them to heaven. As for the Jews, they don't believe that Jesus is the son of God, so they automatically go to hell - and irrespective of his avatar, he's just peachy with that outcome!
So, when he used the Star of David as his avatar, it was not because of his deep concern for Israelis taken hostage by Hamas terrorists; moreover, it was because he saw it as an opportunity for him (personally) to be reunited with his God. At the same time, this same individual was of the view that former League player Rowan Charles Baxter was justified in setting his wife and family on fire because sometimes "bitches get too mouthy".
Irrespective of the diabolical man that Brett Allen actually is, he was invited back to the forum. He chose not to return. That's a fact!
Now, back to political discussion.
I'm all for the exchange of ideas, but we haven't had that for some time. Other than Poppa's recent post about two old blokes fishing, most of the political threads are an entire pile on anything other than hard right political ideation as an acquiescence to lefty/woke/socialist/communist musings. Any attempt to direct away from such intractable thinking is met with serious bullying from a number of characters on this forum who, to be honest, simply don't really have a proper understanding of their history, nor the current lay of the land.
Let me put this to you - because, for me, it's personal. I'm half Palestinian so this shit hurts. This happens on a daily basis in Gaza. It rarely gets reported. Watch this video and tell me these little children deserve it.
https://youtu.be/FJzh3xRbfy8?si=fckCsisl_xtsKdc4
The attack on innocent Jewish folks at Bondi was appalling, as is this attack on innocent Palestinians. By me saying this will probably result in comments that I'm anti-Semetic. I'm not. I'm anti-terrorism, wherever it finds itself.
In the same way not all Germans are Nazis, not all Palestinians are Hamas terrorists and not all Jews are Zionists who seek the destruction of their Arab neighbours.
Here's a test run.
Let's see what folks say in response to this post. If it is met with sensible, reasoned, even impassioned debate, then your argument wins. If it is otherwise met with an aggressive narrative that is nothing more than ill-informed talking points from Facebook or Fox News, my argument wins.
Over to you 1EyedEel!
Prove to all of us that we can engage in reasoned debate.
I don't know ask Albo.
That's where all social media is headed including blog sites like this.
Every site member selects the topics or posters they'd like to see and only these blogs or contributors will show up in their thread.
This way they don't have to pull out the razor blades everytime they see negativity or opinions opposing there's or heaven forbid, a poster pointing out the 40 year drought.
Whether some admit it or not, the off season blogs do keep this site alive during the downtime. It's also offers people a place to off load and share their opinions on matters outside of footy.
And if we are all being honest, who can honestly say that they haven't learnt anything from others by reading some of the more educated posters on here.?
I know I have and my writing, punctuation and spelling (although great already 😂😂😂) has also improved significantly since I began posting in 2013.
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