Media Issues

[Dubai Blue]

Skashion, I agree with all of that and accept they are fair comments.

Dubai Blue, I dont agree with your view however. To suggest that paying your respects on an internet forum as opposed to in person is an 'extremely dramatic' comparison and that they're 'completely different' is basically an admittance that anything written on a forum is completely meaningless and without substance.
I refuse to accept that. Words have consequences and impact whether they are spoken or written. They evoke responses and can move someone or hurt them.
Otherwise....why are people writing things on here at all if that is not true?

I am obviously not comparing going to a funeral and contributing to a RIP thread online as like-for-like. I accept that would be ridiculous.
What I'm saying is that the moral parameters are exactly the same.

And you're entirely entitled to your opinion.

Maybe it's just me, but I really don't understand the way that some users expect everyone else to tip-toe around threads about people who have died. I fail to believe that people turn to a particular thread on a random, completely unconnected football forum to share a moment of sombre reflection with their fellow users. They go on to forums for discussion.

If people simply want to read post after post of people saying RIP to a complete stranger, perhaps they'd be better off visiting on online book of condolence. In my opinion, if something's in the news it should be up for discussion. And if there is a thread called 'Gary Speed has died', that would probably be the most sensible place to discuss anything on that particular subject.

Might sound like I'm contradicting myself mate but I agree with that in a general sense.
Where I divert is that once a thread has become essentially somewhere for people to pay their respects then it should be kept as such.
Its not hard for someone to simply click 'New Topic' if they want to debate the nature/cause of the death or to say they personally never liked that person etc.
Sorry to extend the analogy again of paying your respects in real life as opposed to online but these posters who are going onto the Gary Speed thread and alluding to all kinds of things wouldnt do likewise if the posters paying their respects were before them in real life, huddled in a group. They would walk away and indulge their gossip privately surely? Away from the mourners.
Ultimately it is exactly the same. Behind every post is a real person. Just because it is written, not spoken, I fail to see why that permits such people to act so disrespectfully when it elicits the same hurt and outrage.

We'll have to agree to disagree then as in my opinion there is a quite fundamental difference between a group of acquaintances going to the effort of gathering in person to support eachother while they pay their respects to someone who's died and a group of unconnected individuals logging onto an online football forum to post 'RIP Gary Speed' in between stating that it's a barm not a muffin and explaining that Andy Carroll is shit.

 

[Damocles]

And you're entirely entitled to your opinion.

Maybe it's just me, but I really don't understand the way that some users expect everyone else to tip-toe around threads about people who have died. I fail to believe that people turn to a particular thread on a random, completely unconnected football forum to share a moment of sombre reflection with their fellow users. They go on to forums for discussion.

If people simply want to read post after post of people saying RIP to a complete stranger, perhaps they'd be better off visiting on online book of condolence. In my opinion, if something's in the news it should be up for discussion. And if there is a thread called 'Gary Speed has died', that would probably be the most sensible place to discuss anything on that particular subject.

Might sound like I'm contradicting myself mate but I agree with that in a general sense.
Where I divert is that once a thread has become essentially somewhere for people to pay their respects then it should be kept as such.
Its not hard for someone to simply click 'New Topic' if they want to debate the nature/cause of the death or to say they personally never liked that person etc.
Sorry to extend the analogy again of paying your respects in real life as opposed to online but these posters who are going onto the Gary Speed thread and alluding to all kinds of things wouldnt do likewise if the posters paying their respects were before them in real life, huddled in a group. They would walk away and indulge their gossip privately surely? Away from the mourners.
Ultimately it is exactly the same. Behind every post is a real person. Just because it is written, not spoken, I fail to see why that permits such people to act so disrespectfully when it elicits the same hurt and outrage.

We'll have to agree to disagree then as in my opinion there is a quite fundamental difference between a group of acquaintances going to the effort of gathering in person to support eachother while they pay their respects to someone who's died and a group of unconnected individuals logging onto an online football forum to post 'RIP Gary Speed' in between stating that it's a barm not a muffin and explaining that Andy Carroll is shit.

Couldn't agree more. We have a name for people who grieve those tat they never knew and didn't have the slightest effect on their lives; scousers.

Let's not all be scousers about this now.