Lasted a whole 3 days

Na und?

Would be happy to see her (Odile) back here - one of the backbones of EF.

New record?

No.... probably the same broken one

Although this thread is about new posters, it should also be noted that bashing long-standing members is unacceptable behavior as well.

Bashing of any member only helps promote and reinforce the reputation that EF is a good old boys-girls club full of bullies. So let's stop now. Thanks.

I'm not aware of anyone claiming that this forum is for massaging egos or a place not to be challenged.

But I hope you're not saying that as a justification for the cliquey bullying that I see most times I drop in. It's the sneery people who seem to have ego problems -- not the newbies. There is a lot of gratuitously rude and unpleasant stuff here that seems to be written solely for the entertainment of the smirking old boys at the EF top table, without much regard for the feelings of those who come here very clearly in distress, or those hoping to get some advice.

I've no problem if the trolls and mischief-makers get a hard time. But people who are obviously scared or upset about something should be cut a bit of slack. If you don't have any sympathy with for their situation, why not just say nothing and move on? It's not mandatory to leave some barbed comment.

Sorry, but that is a load of fluffy nonsense and the moment I see the obligatory canned phrases such as "cliquey bullying" (collusion between supposed EF veterans which I have yet to ever see anyone actually show any evidence of) and "smirking old boys at the top of the EF table" (oh really, please) I know there is no logic intended in this post, merely someone looking to have a moan based on their own bias and self-interest (usually because in the past they were on the receiving end of some flak and never managed to get over it), and not the benefit of anyone else.

So Richdog of you.

it's one thing to not want to admit what it is indeed going on in here and an other to reject any ideas in this sense with smirky comments and insults.

Especially that you are one of those people keep referring too. By denying it, it makes you look more ridiculous, not tough nor up your what ever game this attitude of yours could be called, just ridiculous.

Case in point from one of the forums premier air-headed nitwits. Or should that be Nilwit (heh).

Maybe we should start a thread called "Treatment of Old Posters" too, just to keep everyone happy (or not), as those are the ones who inevitably seem to complain the most.

You see? You just keep proving my point. Thanks!

It's sad though.... Thinking of the underlying issues you must be living with to have this need to insult others in an attempt to stay up your game.

I feel sorry for you

Oh, just give it a rest Richdog. This is off topic anyway as we're talking (or should be) about the treatment of new posters. And yes, us "old posters" do complain because we've stuck around long enough to see it all going on. Which unfortunately isn't the case with many new posters who get driven off by snide remarks when they ask a question. Yes, it's probably been asked many times before, but that doesn't mean they a) know how a forum works and how to search it and b) can always find the answer anyway. I do searches for threads which I'm sure I've seen, but can't always find them despite several different word search efforts and I'm fairly experienced at it by now I hope. Yet you expect a newbie to be able to do this?

I'm with Connor MacLeod - we were all newbies to begin with. Keep that in mind when the next one comes up on your radar and don't simply make unhelpful/useless remarks. If you can't help, at least say welcome to the forum. If you can't be bothered to do that, then don't bother replying at all.

@Nil
And yet you have continuously done the same - ending up getting drawn into arguments which have seen you request yourself to be banned.

@Everyone who has been offended by anything on the web
FFS everyone - it is the internet - it doesn't really matter. All this <points wildly around EF> is bollocks - its not real - it has no influence over your life. It is a distraction from the banality of the real world so many of us occupy - we never did become train drivers, astronauts or show jumpers.

If you are so delicate as to be offended by something written by someone entirely inconsequential to you then it is best you pack up your laptop and go live as a hermit on a desert island.

__________________
"Don't believe everything you read on the internet" Abraham Lincoln

Sarcasm honey, sarcasm. For your information, my request was based on real life events. Not that is of your business but voila.

You seem to have a good influence on this forum, in all means. I think you can make a big impact on how people see this place. Use this in a positive manner.

I like newbies, most of them are nice and well-meaning, and the only time I see any grief given is to those who come on asking obvious questions that have been answered a gazillion times (yes, sorry but most times they are easily searchable), or those who have come here specifically with the aim of unreasonably (most times, but not all) slagging of Switzerland or its denizens. The former soon learn to search, and the latter usually understandably are shot down.

It's the long-term members that imo are by far the biggest moaning pains on this forum, and you see the exact same people making the exact same tired complaints in every thread of this nature.

Unfortunately, people do take comments about them on the web seriously and some have been driven to suicide because of the bullying that goes on in some forums. If you think that's inconsequential perhaps you need to be living as a hermit on a desert island. Bullying/harrassing shouldn't be tolerated whether it takes place in the "real world" or cyber space.

That comment has made me feel harassed.
Bloody EF legends

Talking about yourself now I see.

So Medea, can you please give us real life examples of the kind of unwarranted cyber bullying on this forum that you think could drive someone to suicide? I mean unwarranted and persistent harassing of someone who is otherwise innocent and doesn't intentionally provoke any other member?

Or are you just exaggerating and using extreme examples to push what is a largely non existent point. It's ok, you wouldn't be the first.

The old one was "Name 3" - this was usually in response to "5 million people have died of passive smoking" - but it could work for this too.
To save the kitten-huggers the work:

Ryan Halligan: Aged 14, cyber/real-world bullying - primarily by instant messenger. Most probable episode instigated by girls
Megan Meier: Aged 13, cyber bullying via instant/private message on MySpace
Jessica Logan: Aged 18, sent nude pictures to her boyfriend - who then forwarded them on to friends/the world.
Hope Witsell: Aged 13 - as Jessica Logan
Tyler Clementi: Aged 19, college room-mate streamed a video of Tyler kissing another man, leading to public ridicule.
Amanda Todd: Aged 16, exposed her breasts via instant video - images went viral.


Meanwhile, I have yet to find a case of forum mobbing/bullying leading to suicide.

__________________
"Don't believe everything you read on the internet" Abraham Lincoln