The EDF is doing downhill.....

[Tuffstuff100]

I remember the days, albeit vividly, when the EDF was good; a place to find interesting debate, what is going on in the local area, alongside various other things of East Dulwich life.

It feels like it has started to go downhill in the last few years with ridiculous arguments all over the place.

Maybe it's time to take those arguments and meet face-to-face? Maybe over a cheeky half in the Plough? Certainly the EDF is not the place for this.

Online has long been a place for people to rant but I thought EDF was above that

Somewhat in contradiction, my rant is now over.

Nicholas Cage.

[JohnL]

Try the EDT, or The Bishop or The Lordship, The Plough or The Cherry Tree

I'm not sure which of those pubs is the best, maybe someone can tell me ? :)

[2wans]

There is, without a doubt, some very thirsty individuals who, without fail, challenge the most mundane of posts, turning it into something ugly & off topic.

Unfortunately, the internet is also used by many insercure individuals who don't bring their online persona out into the real world.

[JohnL]

I'm afraid in my case you'll find my offline persona the same as my online one. I'm pro remain, Ed Millibandish in politics and not one for really long discussions - maybe too old for that - I need bite size chunks or I lose concentration...

.. and I like a drink and I'm a Swansea fan originally from Mumbles way (noting the name 2wans)

[TheCat]

Agree with the OP. Unfortunately its symptomatic of a much broadder issue that's combined with the rise of the internet/social media/blog posts.....there's no nuance in debate anymore, and especially if it's conducted through the internet....

If you express a view that questions immigration levels....someone will immediately brand you a racist or a xenophobe

If you express a view that calls for higher taxes...some one will immediately brand you a socialist

If you express a view which is in line with one Tory policy...then someone will accuse you of supporting fox hunting

If you express admiration for one Labour MP...then someone will accuse you of worshiping at the magic money tree.

In very few of these cases above will someone actually engage on the points you have made, because its much easier to just use hyperbole to shut someone down, than to actually have to think and reason....

There's also no ability to control/direct the debate online. You could write an essay citing 10 points about why you dont like controlled parking in Dulwich....and someone will flag that you should have used semi-colons instead of commas in your list of points...and then the entire thread is now about the use of semi-colons.....

[Sue]

That's what a forum is, TheCat.

It's like an offline conversation. Where topics can veer off on various tangents, if that isn't mixing metaphors or something.

If you want to have a debate where everybody sticks rigidly to the original point, maybe you should join a debating society. Or a philosophy group :)

[TheCat]

The OP mentioned 'interesting debate' in his/her post....

Also...I think perhaps my example of a discussion moving to 'correct grammar' from 'controlled parking' is a little more extemethan the normal cut and thrust/veering of topics in a face to face conversation....

but thanks for proving my point sue:)

[JohnL]

Listening to my co-workers conversations today .. yes they go exactly like this and you can add in the office gossip too.

We could have a moderated group of course ?

[Angharad_L]

Totally agree with the OP :(

[JoeLeg]

No one ?owns? forums (except for the literal owners of the website). They come and go and peak and dip and there?s always someone who says ?it?s not as good as it used to be?. Well, I?ve been hearing that said about various things since I was a kid. Nothing?s ever as good as it used to be, apparently.

Then either get involved and change it, or stop using it. There?s websites I just don?t go to because I don?t like the direction they took; no one cares, it?s the internet, no one is forcing anyone to go anywhere. I?ve never understood the need to complain like this, if complaining is your only intention. I can certainly understand it of course if you?re looking to change things.

There?s way more to the EDF than the small handful of arguments that take place, and if those are enough to drive you away then so be it.

[edcam]

There is a distinct lack of fun in these parts but in my many years of experience on this forum, it has always become heated at times. I genuinely don't think there are more arguments here than before.

The trouble is that there isn't a huge amount of balance these days and it has to be said that we are to some extent living in dark times, so it's hard to escape the negative.

[redjam]

Agree with JoeLeg. The forum definitely has its ups and downs, but overall I still prefer it to other forums which are even more shouty (you want to see really vicious name-calling, go on mumsnet...). And sometimes it surprises me - I posted the link to the article about the women protestors in Dulwich Leisure Centre with a rather flippant title the other day because I was expecting to get lots of light-hearted responses, but it's turned into a thoughtful and interesting debate about gender rights. So we're not all nutters.

[BrandNewGuy]

The EDF is like Private Eye ? it's never been as good as it used to be...

[DulwichFox]

Well when it comes down to empty shelves in the Co-Op being a major talking point,

its hardly surprising things have taken a turn.

East Dulwich isn't really that exciting. Its just like any other place, only different.

[Melbournemember]

We are new to East Dulwich and find the Forum very helpful and a great way to find out about local businesses and local news!

[Sue]

DulwichFox Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Well when it comes down to empty shelves in the

> Co-Op being a major talking point,

> its hardly surprising things have taken a turn.

>

> East Dulwich isn't really that exciting. Its

> just like any other place, only different.

But it's a local forum and, in the main (lounge excepted) the discussions are around local issues. Which are extremely useful for those of us who live in East Dulwich, which I'm guessing is most of us, since it's the East Dulwich Forum :)

Depends how you define "excitement" and how much "excitement" you want, I suppose.

Many of them are quite exciting to me. I would really like to see the Co-op improve, so nothing wrong with discussing empty shelves, in my opinion.

Thank God life in East Dulwich isn't more "exciting". Imagine what discussion on the equivalent Salisbury Forum is like just now, if there is one ...... :))

[Blah Blah]

Isn't it like most forums? A heady mix of sanity and madness alike. No-one forces anyone to read anything and different people will take different things from it.

[nxjen]

Despite denials, there WAS a clique who may disagree amongst themselves but if someone ventured in who was not "one of them" they would close ranks. Though the rows continue, and probably will do, the forum is less aggressive and less intellectually snobby since they've moved on. I haven't seen a post commenting on punctuation for some time.

Also as Edcam pointed out, we are living in dark times. It was easier to have more fun

before the effects of the banking crisis took full effect

before the awful regressive Tory party became the government

when leaving the EU was viewed as a bit of a joke

etc etc etc

[Louisa]

The forum seemed more fun between 2007 and around 2013. But that?s probably just because the rose tinted glasses make it seem that way to me. I do miss a lot of the regulars, but then again they were clubbed together and they often did make life hard for some of us. Although, I did enjoy play fighting with them.

The forum seems to be going through a transitional stage. We?ve lost old familiar faces, but gained new ones. We?ve kept some elements of the old forum and integrated them into the new informative, and much less confrontational style exhibited by most. Life is definitely easier for some of us.

There are exceptions though. Yesterday?s bizarre thread about Lib Dem?s with wrist problems confirmed that.

Louisa.

[BrandNewGuy]

Indeed, but I think you'll find that 2wans is an old EDF troll in new clothing :-)

[malumbu]

Debate and a bit of teasing (not trolling). Good to keep it anonymous. I left a previous forum (cough, FH, cough) as there was too much control, and after meeting some of the main contributors found out one was an opinionated wonker in real life as well as on line. I am sure he/she is monitoring this.

Main issue is a number of interesting posters have gone in recent months.

[JohnL]

I did get the impression that some people felt there was sometimes too much of a center left remain consensus.

But no-ones going to swap sides for the sake of balance :)

[jimlad48]

Agree this place is full of people going out of their way to be offensive. One poster has just accused me of endorsing ethnic cleansing because I happen to support the redevelopment of Peckham Rye station. I cannot begin to describe just how offensive I find such a statement.