Should we have a new forum to allow those that want it to turn off COVID and BREXIT?
What do people think? I don't use skiing, culture bunker or bouldering and shape my experience accordingly. Some people are weary of these two areas, perhaps we should give them an opportunity to stop them coming up
Yes it would be nice to switch off the negativity.
Or do what another forum I use does and just have one thread for Covid and one for Brexit meaning there isn't this ridiculous proliferation of threads we get on here.
No I like HIS posts.
> Or do what another forum I use does and just have one thread for Covid and one for Brexit meaning there isn't this ridiculous proliferation of threads we get on here.
That would be as rubbish as having one thread for all rock climbing.
What would I do without Brexit to bang on about every day?
I’d go climbing I suppose but apparently I’m not allowed to leave the village due to some new disease or other. Also, I learnt my lesson about climbing when the wind rides in over snow covered moors 11 years ago. Technically I can do it, but when I have to look at my fingers to guess how well they’re holding the rock, I’d rather not.
> That would be as rubbish as having one thread for all rock climbing.
I think it's fine for a climbing forum to have multiple threads on rock climbing! I don't find that tiresome in the way I find the divisive, repetitive Brexit and Covid threads tiresome. They're all just variations on a theme so a better analogy would be having multiple threads every week on bolts or TPS. That would be tiresome.
Edit: I agree that separate forums would be better though.
I can relate to that, as I get Reynaud's phenomonon, with resulting totally white circulation-less fingers. You just have to focus and make each hand placement count. (Easier said than done).
I think that we'll allow you to get totally engrossed in mapping out the patterns of a varying new virus, and say the odd word about our economic european tunnel....
> I think it's fine for a climbing forum to have multiple threads on rock climbing! I don't find that tiresome in the way I find the divisive, repetitive Brexit and Covid threads tiresome. They're all just variations on a theme so a better analogy would be having multiple threads every week on bolts or TPS. That would be tiresome.
I do get the viewpoint that climbing should always be given precedence on a climbing website, but I also think there is great validity in saying "don't click on it" if you don't want to read it.
There have been some very interesting and intelligent threads on both Brexit and Covid on here and I think it is fine that they should not be lumped in with all the dross.
As a regular, but not frequent, poster on both climbing and political topics, I think it's fine as it is. "Off belay" is what it says on the tin. Everything that's not climbing/mountaineering related. I don't think a climbing forum needs to further subdivide topics that are not climbing related. Currently COVID and Brexit are bound to dominate in "Off Belay". You may be weary of them, but they remain the two most important issues of our time. Brexit, in particular, is an issue on which I believe the majority of climbers and mountaineers feel badly let down by the turn of events.
Yes, the Brexit and COVID threads can be tiresome, but that's largely because a minority of posters on here seem to regard it as their purpose in life to insult others or denigrate their opinions. I fear they would do that regardless of the current top topic of the day.
On the other hand, UKC has some exceptionally knowledgeable, thoughtful and experienced posters on areas other than climbing. It's regularly a joy and an education to read what they have to say.
Martin
Maybe we need a Dead Horses forum where all the banging-your-head-against-a-brick-wall topics could go, particularly all the politics. The list of DH topics could be updated as necessary.
Yes yes yes! It's galling when I look at an ambiguous thread title and is more doom mongering remoaning bollocks.
Best idea ever.
> .........more doom mongering remoaning bollocks.
But there is a lot to moan about (we've just left the EU properly today)
And we're doomed (it has been confirmed today that the new covid variant incresaes R by between 0.4 and 0.7)
"Happy New Year"
Discussion of Brexit will largely die off now it's happened, for right or wrong.
There are only a few threads on COVID, if you don't want to discuss it don't read them?
> Should we have a new forum to allow those that want it to turn off COVID and BREXIT?
Might be fun to see what UKC comes up with as forum icons. A corona one would be obvious - ball with golf tees on - but what'll it be for Brexit? Be-Union Flagged hand gripping the word 'CONTROL'? Britannia's foot with a gun-shot wound?
Amen to this!
I think practically, most COVID threads are clearly COVID from the title so I just don’t click now but I have to resist. Kinda like not smoking a cigarette or something.
Surely that's what 'Off Belay' is for?
The site looks quite different if you turn that (and 'The Pub') off.
Britannia for sovereignty, with her spear thrust through her torso?
> Discussion of Brexit will largely die off now it's happened, for right or wrong.
But it will feature prominently in the deluge of Scottish independence threads to come.
> Yes, the Brexit and COVID threads can be tiresome, but that's largely because a minority of posters on here seem to regard it as their purpose in life to insult others or denigrate their opinions. I fear they would do that regardless of the current top topic of the day.
^^^^
This for me. This is the only forum I'm a member of that this happens. I really find the insults tiresome, and I doubt they would be said face to face. There is no need to insult someone just because their opinion differs from yours.
> I also think there is great validity in saying "don't click on it" if you don't want to read it.
> There have been some very interesting and intelligent threads on both Brexit and Covid on here
I agree with both points. But the problem for me is that some posters are obsessive about these subjects and constantly bring them into unrelated threads. I've had real life problems this year with these 2 things, I lost my job, had relationship problems and problems with access to my son. This has all led to some mental health issues. Sometimes I have periods where I try to avoid C and B completely coz it can lead to a downward spiral. I read UKC mostly for fun, entertainment, banter and climbing news, I don't participate much in politics etc. and usually regret it if I do. I think there's a case for a seperate politics thread.
A "Politics and Pandemics" forum perhaps?
Edit: probably should chuck religion in there too whilst we're at it
> There is no need to insult someone just because their opinion differs from yours.
Alternatively there is no reason not to?
> I think it's fine for a climbing forum to have multiple threads on rock climbing! I don't find that tiresome in the way I find the divisive, repetitive Brexit and Covid threads tiresome. They're all just variations on a theme so a better analogy would be having multiple threads every week on bolts or TPS. That would be tiresome.
> Edit: I agree that separate forums would be better though.
Most of the brexit and covid threads have pretty obvious clues as to their content in the title, is it really that difficult to avoid them?
I suppose if the titles are misleading you, maybe we could all start using tags in the titles in the pub and off belay forums.
Would titles like
Dover queues [politics] [brexit]
and
Hospital admissions [covid]
help you avoid them?
> I think there's a case for a seperate politics thread.
Whilst I agree in principal, the issue is that ultimately everything is political. We’re living in incredibly divided times and I think these discussions on UKC merely reflect that.
> A "Politics and Pandemics" forum perhaps?
> Edit: probably should chuck religion in there too whilst we're at it
And bloody bouldering.
> I agree with both points. But the problem for me is that some posters are obsessive about these subjects and constantly bring them into unrelated threads. I've had real life problems this year with these 2 things, I lost my job, had relationship problems and problems with access to my son. This has all led to some mental health issues.
I am very sorry that these two things have badly affected you. But the fact is that they have affected all our lives to a greater or lesser extent and impinge on many aspects of our lives and this is precisely why there is so much to discuss and therefore so many threads on them and why they find their way tangentiallly into so many other threads.
> I am very sorry that these two things have badly affected you. But the fact is that they have affected all our lives to a greater or lesser extent and impinge on many aspects of our lives and this is precisely why there is so much to discuss and therefore so many threads on them and why they find their way tangentiallly into so many other threads.
Thanks. I've never met you but I have a sense of you from your contributions here and I think you're a good person. I'm just so tired of it all. But then, aren't we all?
Ms. aln and I had a great walk at Loch Leven the other day, a place I'm sure you know. Incredible sunset followed by a spectacular full moon rising. I feel so down about so much, but those moments of beauty keep me going.
> Ms. aln and I had a great walk at Loch Leven the other day, a place I'm sure you know. Incredible sunset followed by a spectacular full moon rising. I feel so down about so much, but those moments of beauty keep me going.
Presumably the same day I took these. I live just out of shot to the left. The light was amazing
> Should we allow those that want it to turn off COVID and BREXIT?
After all this time, that's all we had to do to turn off BREXIT?!?!
The thing about Covid and Brexit is that there are continuously new things to talk about and everybody can have an opinion. Climbing has a far lower number of discussable events (especially when there's a Covid lockdown) and you need actual expertise so a smaller number of people will comment.
If you want to get page views on a website or burn an hour a day on an internet forum then Covid and Brexit are far more productive topics.
It looks like the same day. The light was indeed amazing. The Slavonian Grebes were around, and the swans were lovely, it's a beautiful part of the world. Your pics of the sleeping giant are great.
In the last week and a half you have contributed to 2 threads about COVID as well as starting this one.
In the last six months you have contributed to two Rocktalk threads, two hill walking threads and zero alpine, destination or Scottish winter threads.
Of the 100 threads showing on my forum page 7 are about COVID and 5 about Brexit, given today is the first day we ‘properly’ leave the EU and we have just had a change in the tiers, record hospitalisations and the vaccine starting to be rolled out I don’t really think there is a huge issue.
I vote for keeping things as they are. It's not hard to filter out Off Belay and Pub forums. No need to complicate things.
Sorry, not the sleeping giant, Bishop Hill and West Lomond. Fabulous photos.
Leave it as it is. For the good reasons stated above. Happy New year all.
> Might be fun to see what UKC comes up with as forum icons.
This.
Yes please. I barely use or look at UKC nowadays. Probably since a coterie of posters have monopolised such dull topics. It would be nice to filter them out.
Wouldn’t it be great if we could just switch off COVID and brexit. Do you have the user manuals?
> Or do what another forum I use does and just have one thread for Covid and one for Brexit meaning there isn't this ridiculous proliferation of threads we get on here.
I think this would be good.
But you don’t necessarily get expertise, just in the main, keyboard warrior bias and misinterpreted statistics.
Very nice photos. I’m trying to work out which hill you were on to take them 🥴! Cleish or further west?
> Very nice photos. I’m trying to work out which hill you were on to take them 🥴! Cleish or further west?
Dumglow in then Cleish Hills. I had never been there before despite living just down the road for 22 years! A great viewpoint.
> Yes please. I barely use or look at UKC nowadays. Probably since a coterie of posters have monopolised such dull topics. It would be nice to filter them out.
What, filter out individual posters?
Many thanks. Not been there myself, but having been to Loch Glow a few years ago for sunset photos over the loch, I’d seen it on map as a possible viewpoint and had always planned to go to see what views were like.
One for the list of places to visit once restrictions are eased. Cheers.