I’ve got an account on the East Dulwich Forum but I don’t live there.
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I largely disagree with your worldview and politics - but I’ve never let other peoples differing politics get in the way of a discussion - it’s just knowing the topics to skirt around.
At some point in the past, I (and I’m sure others) lost faith in you as a person/site administrator. Now you’re no longer the owner, whether or not I trust you has little to do with anything - you’re just somebody I largely disagree with on the internet.
Nothing personal - just some context from somebody who mainly reads the posts on this forum with a heavy level of ambivalence
Edit:
100% agree with this. Tone is so very difficult to get across correctly on the internet.
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I’ve lived here six years now. I don’t really care about the strength or duration of other people’s connections to the area. It’s interesting to hear how the area has changed, or how it compares to others today.
But whether someone’s lived here fifty years, fifty minutes, or now lives fifty miles away, I get disheartened and (to be honest) bored stiff when simple local interest posts get derailed into an exchange of political swipes. There are a lot of these swipes here and I find they add nothing but bad feeling. Whoever/wherever they come from.
Yes we all have different opinions, and sharing them to a degree is healthy. But some of us share more loudly than others, in language that becomes personal, or aggressive, or holier-than-thou, or smug – and I don’t really see the point of these additions.
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Agree too much political undertones which has greatly reduced my activity over the years in the local forum. It’s rather tiresome
Yes, you are quite right. I was much more active in the past also but it stopped being worth it.
Wider discussion of political matters (amongst other things) poisoned the well for a time- thankfully it seems more focused on local matters with the moderators performing an unsung task of keeping the ship largely on course.
I don’t envy their task of drawing a balance between keeping it civil and being seen to suppress opinion. I don’t always agree with the decisions made but I respect them and that as a quorum they reflect a range of political positions
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I notice that several of the people commenting on this thread to bemoan political posting are people who themselves enthusiastically dived into political debates on this forum - but generally from the politically opposite angle to me.
The original post of this topic was a plea to respect forum members wherever they live.
It was not a plea for critique about politics or posting style. I think some people here are just taking the opportunity to let off steam, taking swipes at a person they’ve disagreed with politically in the past.
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I totally agree with this statement, for months I’ve not posted on here until recently, because I see the same old people clapping themselves on the back for their superior views. It’s like a little clique, who just interject to make sure they have the last word. Why you’d want to hang around a local forum after a number of yrs baffles me but hey there’s not much on Netflix these days.
This forum has become stale and lacking in diversity. It puts off new users and current who want to speak about local issues, it should be a way to connect with your neighbours or local community. Yes you all have a voice and may have some connection but those voices are less valuable or relevant to me than someone living here now. Especially as those voices seem to be of a certain age, white and privileged.
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I find ageism, racism and attacking people’s background quite off-putting on a forum, and it makes me want to participate here less.
I think the most important form of diversity on a forum is diversity of opinion.
And ironically by attempting to marginalise “opinion minorities” like me, you’ll be reducing diversity on this forum.
I couldn’t care less whether you’re black or white, old or young, @chamonix.
I consider contributions from all people on this forum as equally valuable.
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My point is diversity.
I’m also white and privileged but I want to hear other peoples views not just certain members
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As is my point
This post was flagged and is temporarily hidden.
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As someone who is often involved in such debates, I find myself often engaging out of frustration. It’s frustrating when a local forum that is supposed to not engage in general political debate is used to post plainly general political views, and it’s confusing when there’s no link at all to SE23. I think @ModTeam do a good job at keeping things on track but sometimes political posts are left up in which case I think it’s reasonable to challenge them.
I agree with you that it definitely does take more than one person to digress in to a political debate, but as a piece of genuine feedback, it only takes one to start it. Not every post has to be an opportunity to get on to a political thread, but it often feels that way. Posts about graffiti don’t benefit from someone showing up and questioning the artists political leaning, posts about beggars in SE23 have nothing to do with posters’ views on immigration, posts about LTNs don’t have to be challenged every time with accusations of posters waging a war between motorists and pedestrians. Perhaps if we all took a step back before making broader, general points on topics of local significance this would not happen so much, regardless of the colour of the politics involved.
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There are some really good views here and thankyou all for the feedback.
It is tiring to start a new day and find the same arguments being perpetrated and I think we need a little breather, time to reflect and perhaps find our positivity.
Therefore I’m trying something new - setting this topic to ‘slow mode’. This will limit how often each member can post, giving time hopefully for more thoughtful responses while also taking the heat out of any quick-fire arguments.
Let’s see how it works… if good, I’ll write it up on the site rules.
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Thank you! I do too 
Personally I dislike moving posts out to #moderator-actions if it cuts up discussions. Moderators are volunteers and don’t watch the site 24/7, so sometimes posts that fall outside the guidelines aren’t quickly removed.
Personally I feel that if a post has been challenged or corrected in subsequent replies, and if the discussion has moved on, it’s often better to let things be, rather than cut things up or risk over-moderation. The same can be true of flags that are received sometimes several hours of even days after a post was originally made.
It’s always a difficult decision what to do, and the other moderators will likely see things slightly differently and that’s fine too. But hopefully that explains why some things may sometimes be left, even if they aren’t strictly within site guidelines.
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I stopped posting here around about the time the BLM and street art conversation was taking place. I didn’t want to seen to be linked to a forum where the owner was promoting ‘all lives matter’ during a time where the focus should have been on promoting equality for Black and other minority ethnicities. It riled me that someone who no longer lives in the area was actively trying to have certain street art removed because it didn’t fit in with his political views, thinking that he was being the voice of the people. It is up to the current residents to take action on matters like this. Though it seems that the majority were happy to have this street art in our neighbourhood.
With @ForestHull now at the reins I had hoped that this forum would now be a safe place. Alas it is not, certain people’s agendas are still loudly being pushed.
As for people posting here that no longer live in the area. I say go for it! Having lived in the area you are able to prove valuable input to matters that have been ongoing.
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The thing is, people shouldn’t be forced to take a stance as in the BLM debate. We all have our own opinions and feelings. I have a 15 year old who wouldn’t talk to me because I said all lives matter. It took her a while to understand why I had that standpoint. I also tried to look at it from her viewpoint.
But all I ask is, focus on the reason, not the person. Chris, and others have some very strong views, engage with them as apposed to blocking them out or trying to stop them. This is directed at all btw, not you.
Finally, we have a really well set out flagging and mod system. Too often it is misused as someone doesn’t like a comment or standpoint. Please ignore it, move on or counter it. Whatever you do though, do it in a polite way and fight the argument, not the person.
Please only flag if it against the guidelines. As mods we are getting tired of people flagging as they don’t like a comment. If it isn’t against the guidelines, please don’t flag.
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How & why posts like this are closed out is astonishing
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I’m not forcing anyone to take a stance on any subject. I have friends who have differing political views than mine and find it quite easy not to let these views get in the way of our friendship. A community forum owner should remain neutral on subjects like this thus not aligning the forum to any political leaning, be it right or left. I could carry on about various actions taken against those with differing opinions to Chris, which still continues to this day, but this is not what this thread is about.
My point is, if the matter being discussed is a recent event like, for example, undesirable street art, leave it to those in currently living in the area to discuss and resolve. Wider topics like the deathtrap at the FH station crossing (again as example) quite happy for past and current residents to get involved.
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I tried to make it clear that was not directed at you.
Chris is no longer the owner but even still, he took a lot of time and effort to set up the site as he was driven out of another local one because he got shouted down as his viewpoint was different.
Our differences are what make us unique. The opportunity to discuss those must surely be allowed. You may not have liked some of his, or mine, or others commented, but I am sure that censoring them is not a good thing.
Mary Whitehouse was the challenger of anything that looked dodgy on TV in the 80’s. I remember her being interviewed when she, yet again, wanted something shut down on TV as she saw it as lurid. The interviewer just told her to turn over.
The same for here, unless it goes against the forum guidelines, turn over.
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I agree, they shouldn’t be forced to take a position. But once the lid is unnecessarily ripped off the can of worms, then the worms fall out.
The point I take from this thread is that if cooler heads can prevail and keep the can opener in the drawer more often this wouldn’t happen
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