Were people always this crazy?

bobmac

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Maybe they were, but we just didn't know about.
Now it seems anyone with a modern mobile phone and access to Youtube/FB/Twitter can seek out like-minded people and share their ''opinions''.
Freedom of speech is important, I get that, but where do you draw the line?
 

D-S

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They probably always were but now they have various media to allow a greater number of people to hear/read what they otherwise would be shouting into the wind.
 

patricks148

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Once apon a time people wrote to the letters pages of newspapers, you know "angry of where ever" which took some effort, but now anyone can put their thoughts and opinions out to millions at the touch of a button...its def easier being crazy in the 21st century
 

Doon frae Troon

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Once apon a time people wrote to the letters pages of newspapers, you know "angry of where ever" which took some effort, but now anyone can put their thoughts and opinions out to millions at the touch of a button...its def easier being crazy in the 21st century
Tumbridge Wells.
I went there once and was surprised to find that the people did not seem to be angry at all.
I think it was mainly due to some trains being 5 mins late into London.
Reggie Perrin style.
 

ger147

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I always think the same when something happens on TV and it gets reported how many complaints OFCOM have received about it.

If people still had to write a letter on a piece of paper, put it in an envelope, buy a stamp and then drop it in the post, 99.5% of all OFCOM complaints would disappear overnight. Can't imagine many people going to all that trouble to complain about Holly Willoughby's dress being too revealing for a Saturday night family TV show for example.
 

stefanovic

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I miss 'Disgusted' of Tunbridge Wells, whoever he was that used to write to the broadsheets.
I also miss in these PC times the Robin Day types who would suddenly start off a heated conversation.
The anger comes out in music these days. That dreadful rap stuff.
 

SocketRocket

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I miss 'Disgusted' of Tunbridge Wells, whoever he was that used to write to the broadsheets.
I also miss in these PC times the Robin Day types who would suddenly start off a heated conversation.
The anger comes out in music these days. That dreadful rap stuff.
We no longer have interviewers who really question and seek clarification, most of them only question anything disagreeing with their owners/sponsors agenda. Look at that ridiculous interview of Harry and Megan by Oprah Winfrey as an example.
 

larmen

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Youtube/FB/Twitter can seek out like-minded people and share their ''opinions''.
Freedom of speech is important, I get that, but where do you draw the line?
Freedom of speech doesn’t say that someone has to host it. That was speakers corner was for.
Social media can just shut that down if they want to. Want, but that drivel drives ‘engagement’ and therefore value.
 

GuyInLyon

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Maybe they were, but we just didn't know about.
Now it seems anyone with a modern mobile phone and access to Youtube/FB/Twitter can seek out like-minded people and share their ''opinions''.

It used to be folks would only express their wacky opinions with a few other ne'er-do-wells when sitting at the bar (Beer Hall Putsch anyone?), but now the entire world is one big bar filled with wackos.
 

Tashyboy

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The country has always had village idiots. They always stuck to the villages and they had a limited audience. Limited because people knew they were idiots.
Now with social media, Facebook etc. They have a worldwide audience.People that did not know them. Classic example, Donald Trump, I knew of him but did not know he was that thick or dangerous.
Me I am quite new to Facebook compared to some. I have had a cull. Some “ friends” are thick as pig muck. Others just a negative moan all the time.
 

Lord Tyrion

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The country has always had village idiots. They always stuck to the villages and they had a limited audience. Limited because people knew they were idiots.
Now with social media, Facebook etc. They have a worldwide audience.People that did not know them. Classic example, Donald Trump, I knew of him but did not know he was that thick or dangerous.
Me I am quite new to Facebook compared to some. I have had a cull. Some “ friends” are thick as pig muck. Others just a negative moan all the time.
Totally agree with this. There was always an idiot in the pub who would get more vocal as their alcohol intake increased. People avoided eye contact with them, switched off when they spoke. You hoped they would shut up when they realised no one was listening. Now they have a worldwide audience.

I did a similar cull a few months ago. It makes Facebook much more enjoyable again afterwards. I don't miss any of this who didn't make the cut ?
 

Voyager EMH

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Yes, the crazies have always been with us. But rarely did they get into print. You could discern a lot by body-language and demeanour etc. Generally just went in one ear and out the other.
Now, when it is written on the www to be read and re-read, without seeing the person, it is a different matter.

People seem far too ready to express an opinion without first obtaining some facts on which to base that opinion. They mainly listen to or read other opinions and choose which one they like or want to agree with.

When did you last hear or read, "I don't know, I'm not sure, I'll have to find out some more facts" ?
Opinions seem to be given priority and the facts are greatly obfuscated.

These non-fact-based opinions have become the current affairs of the day in themselves. An almost total waste of time and thought.
It seems that facts are "boring" and "uninteresting" in this era and the factual reporting about current affairs does not sell newspapers or get TV viewers.

On this forum, I read a lot of factual content about courses, equipment etc. Then I feel I'm becoming "better informed". I like that.
But when we get into life-issues we seem to stray into the non-fact-based, bandwagon jumping stuff, which like many here, I find tiresome, but can still be an interesting debate sometimes.

As for drawing the line, we have the moderators on here and the law. I'm not sure what else can be done. I'll have to look into it and obtain more facts.

I've not yet put anyone on ignore. I must be a bit like my dad who used to read the Daily Mail. He used to say, "I need to know what we're up against."
 

stefanovic

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The flat earth society has been around since at least 1956, based on some dodgy "scientific" experiments done in 1838.
Are you implying the earth is not flat?
Have you been to Spalding or Crowland?
What more proof do you want?
Look around you there and witness the flat earth.
Sure there are bumps and hollows but they are caused by subduction.

How do explain the oceans not being flung into space?
Read Terry Pratchett. The earth is a disc resting on the back of a turtle.
Don't bore me with questions like what the turtle is resting on, because there are turtles all the way down.
 
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