Political Signatures

Kirth Gersen · 14 Sep 2007 at 08:53

I've noticed a few signatures with political messages appearing on the main forums, which strike me as out of place. "Immigrants - No" is one. Another implying that only whites are labelled rascist in this country and not blacks. While I haven't seen any, I would have issues with signatures supporting non racial politics: eg Pro-Life or Greenpeace.

Am I being too sensitive, or are these signatures inappropriate for a comupting oriented website?

Discuss...

Kirth Gersen · 14 Sep 2007 at 09:12

You know, this is my first venture in the general discussion forum (after 200 odd posts), I didn't realise overclockers was a front for political extremism. I sense a Panorama report...

Kirth Gersen · 14 Sep 2007 at 09:26

AcidHell2 said:
how it political extremists?
People are simply implying there views and the one like only white people are racist is a joke as well as being partly correct.

I was joking...

Or just turn the sigs off in your profile options?

Then I'd miss 99% of relevant signatures including PC specs...

Kirth Gersen · 14 Sep 2007 at 09:52

Zip said:
TBH im sick of seeing willy waving PC specs in sigs.

Be creative people!

I suppose there is a certain amount of willy waving, but I am sure the majority find the specs useful, if only to provides answers to issues being discussed etc.

Note to self - some people don't think this website is based on our shared love of technology, so tread carefully...

Back to the topic in hand. If OCUK let political signatures lie, where does it end? Links to fascist organisations, Robert Mugabe Appreciation Society, Paedophiles R Us? Why do I have to mess around with Adblock, when all I want to do is fix my totally screwed up new build?

Kirth Gersen · 14 Sep 2007 at 10:24

Mat said:
If you see a link to a fascist regime there is nothing there to actually make you click on it. I'm pretty sure you are able to read a sig, roll your eyes, maybe tut a little and move on in a similar way that I glance at your sig, see that its nothing but a shopping list and move on.

I do precisely that, I'm not the raving "soft", "liberal" that I've been portrayed. I just think they are inappropriate, and potentially offensive.

If all you want to do is fix your rig, where does the content of a sig come into it? Surely your going to make a post about it rather than scour the site for sigs that might contain a snippet of useful info?

Come on - PC specs are useful for loads of reasons: you don't have to keep tying them up when discussing components, if you happen to see one which is close to yours, it's interesting to see what issues they are encountering etc.

Kirth Gersen · 14 Sep 2007 at 10:29

semi-pro waster said:
It was the raison d'etre for the forums initially as I understand it but here in GD, not so much, given GD is the most popular sub-forum in pure numbers terms I suppose an argument could be made that this is now just a general forum with a computing bias and supported by a computer store.

Now - this is an eye-opener for me. As I have said before this is my first (probably regrettable) foray into the GD forum, clearly, my view of the website have been badly misaligned!

[/QUOTE]For the original topic, the political signatures don't bother me greatly one way or the other. In some cases it reinforces my opinion of the poster, in a very few cases it surprises me but by and large it makes no difference to me. I personally prefer to see the slightly surreal signatures or in my case vaguely witty quotes by other people but I wouldn't try to stop people having what they want provided it fits the rules as given by the FAQ (size limits*, no personal attacks etc).

*Which incidentally penskis doesn't, 400pixels is the maximum length.[/QUOTE]

Does that me that I can complain about being called a "prune"?

Kirth Gersen · 14 Sep 2007 at 11:16

Zip said:
No becausae that would make you soft and you said you wernt

Personal attacks dont really mean School kid attacks. More highly offencive things then being called a Prune

You have a lot to learn about GD

Where I come from being called a Prune is the ultimate insult

Kirth Gersen · 14 Sep 2007 at 11:24

Which gets back to my whole point. One mans offensive is another's inoffensive bit of joking. I suppose that's what moderators are for.

Anyway, got to travel now, will revisit tomorrow.

Kirth Gersen · 14 Sep 2007 at 20:03

[DW]Muffin;10090188 said:
One would suspect the OP is ethnic or doesn’t comprehend the humor of GD and becomes "offended" and deems us racist, narrow-minded etc

He/she needs to wise up to what’s really out there in this world and differentiate between humor and hate mongering.

I'm back for another battering...

Now, the point is Muffin, my old fruitcake, is that the stuff which I find offensive isn't limited to good old GD - where, given the forum title, different points of view are positively encouraged. I don't care (to a certain degree) what rascist xenophobic, sexist claptrap you lot engage in. But not when I am trying to rebuild my disaster of a rig!!

Kirth Gersen · 14 Sep 2007 at 20:43

jumpy said:
Your wish is my command...

sorry, it's a slow day at work and your question tickled my funnybone.

Or alternatively

Dammit - I had to smile

.