Posted by PeterH on November 30, 2006 at 22:59:57 from 86.130.130.192 user Peter_H.
In Reply to: Re: Captain Flint's travels - overcooked? posted by John Lambert on November 30, 2006 at 23:28:47:
All fair points, John, and indeed often made on TarBoard, but I can't help feeling that it would be a shame if we all had to skip any discussion we disagreed with. Should we not feel free to disagree with a point made (so long as the disagreement is polite and within Board rules)? TarBoard would surely be a dull place if it consisted of a long list of unchallenged statements. Bit like Mao's Red Book. Also, by debating/arguing/general chuntering, the true facts can be arrived at - witness the current 'Linking to Photos/Copyright' debate from which I am learning things at least. And there have been dozens more 'Debate in order to Learn' topics down the years.
Sometimes a view is not a 'disagreement' as such, but a ribald or critical comment. Again, provided it is not discourteous and is within Board rules, I see no problem with it. Again, I draw the 'pub' analogy. How many times in a pub argument (all pubs have arguments) do you hear people saying the equivalent of 'get off with you - you'll be querying the colour of Dixon's socks next!' Harmless knockabout stuff. Let's not get all serious and 'political' about it. Do we really want a Great Aunt's tea party?