And equally late - I can't recall if anyone else has done the official welcome bit...

Hi Uncon, and welcome to the Politics Forum!

Before anything else can I make a couple of quick points about posting in the forum. If you haven't read the rules yet, please do; you can find them here. Knowing what’s appropriate and what isn’t can save everyone a great deal of hassle! You might also find the Guide to Good Posting useful. Also please respect other people’s views; they mightn’t be the same as yours but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re wrong, just different.

If you need help with anything at all, feel free to contact me, or one of the other moderators, via a personal message; details can be found here.

Enjoy the debates

I don't believe anyone has done the official thing yet Midas, so well done there for getting in two seconds before me!
Hello uncon and welcome again!
Out of general noseyness may I ask where-abouts do you sit on the political divide?

Hello uncon.

Hi there uncon, all the best.

Hi Uncon,

Welcome! I have enjoyed your posts hitherto.

Hello uncon, have fun!

Originally Posted by uncon

Hello. I'm Uncon, so called because my email starts with unconcerned (not good when you are expecting a reply), real name is Saff.

I'm 38 with two small children and primarily work from home and so can be found skiving on places like this.

I found this place by googling 'political forums uk' and have found a warm welcome, so thank you people.

Just a tip about the forum rules, take no notice of them

Originally Posted by CAGAN

Just a tip about the forum rules, take no notice of them

In the history of the internet has anyone, ever, read a set of forum rules from start to finish?

Like all forums, this one boils down to the personalities of the bosses. Are they spotty little nerd-Hitlers, strutting about barking orders? No. Is the mod bunker politically balanced? Yes. Combine those two things and you've a successful politics forum. It's nothing to do with rules.

Originally Posted by Balthazar

In the history of the internet has anyone, ever, read a set of forum rules from start to finish?

Well, yes actually.......

Like all forums, this one boils down to the personalities of the bosses. Are they spotty little nerd-Hitlers, strutting about barking orders? No. Is the mod bunker politically balanced? Yes. Combine those two things and you've a successful politics forum. It's nothing to do with rules.

That's quite true, I do believe that it's people who set the tone of discussions in a forum, but to achieve that we (as Mods) do have to have a framework of rules to fall back on if needed. However it's far more the a mixture of good posts by people who both know their subject and have plenty of views and opinions which they can express more or less lucidly, and the light moderating touch which I'd like to think we all have (with one or two exceptions when we do have to administer a short, sharp shock to the odd person!), which makes or break the quality of a forum.

I think especially in an area where people genuinely feel strongly, like politics, the leeway is as important as the enforcement of the rules. There is a difference between having a strong view and campaigning which can often slide in which can be a tough call as to the line.

Then we have the UKIP massive who are seriously hillarious for three threads before they become so utterly tedious that you start to consider euthanasia.

The point I am making is that I like it here because people do actually appreciate irony and politics is not a sacred cow, but always a sickly one

Originally Posted by Balthazar

In the history of the internet has anyone, ever, read a set of forum rules from start to finish?

Like all forums, this one boils down to the personalities of the bosses. Are they spotty little nerd-Hitlers, strutting about barking orders? No. Is the mod bunker politically balanced? Yes. Combine those two things and you've a successful politics forum. It's nothing to do with rules.

Your right, I once got thrown off of a forum for simply suggesting we burn left handed people at the stake for being witches, I thought it was reasonable my self.