Suzi_Avonside^✦ @Suzi_Avonside

Waves frantically back! (?)

That's a great image!

I suspect that FreshVirtualWorld is a Russian troll, a Putin stooge, and if not, the language they use, especially in the quote you use is very similar to the rhetoric used by Putin and the Russian extreme-right who are his main support (along with the communists, bizzarely, but these are nostalgic Stalinists, who are hardly better.

Those who think a group such as this is superflous are the same kind of people who stood aside and enabled Hitler in 1930s Germany. Not bad people, but people who do nothing to prevent the triumph of evil.

You would be quite welcome Courreges - especially with a name like Malatesta :)

If anyone would like a hoodie like the one so well modelled by Dorena, I can sent them out. All sizes, but for women only at present. If men would like one, please message me and I'll consider producing one, depending on how many would like one.

You are indeed Dorena, Wilkommen!

I think to remind ourselves of the nature of what we're all dealing with here we could do far worse than watch the film American History X, or maybe watch it for the first time. It is an excellent film, though hard to watch at times.

Xpletive, is that you?

Says the person who now works for the fascist GlennXpletive at his beach. I don't always agree with Cyber, but in this he is correct to assert his identity, and I will support him and others in this.

Great that there is this focus on Linux. I have Ubuntu MATE on most of my hardware. It's a pity that the more up to date corporate identity for Ubuntu wasn't used on the stand, as the one used went out of use well over a decade ago... https://design.ubuntu.com/

I'm not sure about forgiveness, but I know I never hold grudges as life is simply too short.

This will date me, but in school in the late 60s I was subject to some bullying from one particular person. They just would not leave me alone, and it got to the point where I was at my wits end, so, unfortunately I punched them. They were more emotionally shocked than physically, and I ended up having to answer for my actions to the deputy head teacher, but the one thing positive that came from that incident is that I wasn't bullied ever again at that school.

Bullying always triggers something in me, and I will always take a stand against a bully, wherever they show themselves. I guess that's why in later life I became a labour union representative with a specialism in representing workers who were being bullied by their managers or employers. It's sadly all too common.

Yeah, I did that and got accused of restricting someone's freedom of speech when all I was doing was deleting an irrelevant rant that was about as imaginative as it ever is... No prizes who it was *giggles*. That person was free to go and moan all about it somewhere else, thus no restriction in freedom of speech. We don't have to provide a platform, even if costs us nothing.

I guess my approach is that of an old anti-fascist who has been involved in local campaigns to keep the far right fragmented in terms of their activities in RL. I'd say do whatever it takes to deal with your feelings, just be aware that this many headed hydra will reappear and it will have to be dealt with. The site isn't the issue, it's the lack of moderation, and yes, you have a very real point in that it could be moderated in a way that's favourable to the far right (and that is effectively where it stands anyway). And the 'problem child' is, as you say, only part of the problem, just as Trump isn't the real problem of Trumpism (he's far too stupid for a start) as anyone who has read Miles Taylor's Blowback will be aware.

Getting on with our lives, both in reality and in virtual is vitally important, and whilst I am aware that some see virtual worlds as an escape, ( and nothing wrong in that) I tend to regard them as a microcosm of the real world.

I understand where you're coming from perfectly Jaimie, but for me leaving this site would mean acknowledging that toxic person behind the attacks has won, and I'm not prepared to do that. It's not okay in RL, so why indeed should it be okay online? Indeed, I think the fight to eradicate this kind of hatred is even more crucial online simply because it's so often given the free pass it isn't in RL. One of the biggest problems is that social media won't act to stem the politics of hatred, and that's the main way in which it promotes itself as a result.

I'm not sure that forgiveness is warranted given that the transgressions are very real, and despicable. I noted a conversation where there was mention of the terms and language used, that maybe the use of milder language may have been more appropriate to put across a point. However, that could only be the case were the opinions to be expressed were acceptable, which they were not. That individual is now going around crowing that they are the injured party when that is far from being the case. The viewpoints they were expressing are despicable and definitely cross the line into hate speech. There is no need to forgive, or even to feel that there is any kind of burden to be borne by you, you are not the guilty party. Certainly you should distance yourself from any responsibility in any of this. I certainly do not carry any guilt around with me, or feel that I have to make any atonement for the comments I have made. In comparison any comments we have made, even at their most extreme,, have been completely respectful of the culprit's humanity wheras theirs have besmirched the character and sought to dehumanise in the most disgusting manner. Forgiveness there can only be reasonable when that individual themselves proves themselves worthy of that forgiveness, something I doubt will ever come to pass.

It is sad when posts are deleted, and even sadder when people are driven from this site all down to the actions of one deplorable individual who some, even now, having seen the evidence of their eyes, still try to minimise and be apologists for the most awful behaviour.

We need to stand in solidarity, for I think we all know that we will be faced with a situation once again where the weak man will attack someone for having the audacity to question him, only I suggest that this time, instead of taking him on head on, (difficult when he's blocked people anyway) we offer support to the afflicted and then, make individual reports to the owner of the site, including screen shots of the offending texts.

I'm all for peacefulness here in OSW, but not at any price, and certainly not at the price of tolerating bigots.

Nah, Glenn is a complete prick. His knob might have fallen off, hence the impotent anger, but he's still an utter prick. Get your 'GlennXpletive is a dick' hoodies here!

Not primitive at all, simply stating truths. What does it matter what sex someone is in RL? For all we know you could be a woman, or someone transitioning; it doesn't matter a jot. Glenn deserves all he gets: there is only one bigot here, and that's Glenn, he proves it over and over with his hate speech, which contrary to VickyJoanne's opinion below, is't problematic or difficult to define at all. It's simply any language that seeks to undermine, dehumanise or derogate someone else without sound justification, i.e. is a lie.

There are those, who, from a standpoint of false equivalence who will argue that calling out nazis, fascists, racists etc is unfair, as they have a right to their opinions too. As Thomas Mann said, "Tolerance becomes a crime when applied to evil" I don't know whether Glenn is a fascist, but I do know he is a Trump supporter an MAGA fruitcake. and along with Trump Glenn is the kind of person who enables fascism and the rise of the far right. I wonder what is Glenn's opinion of the Unite the RIght rally in Charlottesville in 2017? Maybe that would be unfair, as wouldn't want to tax the mans clearly confused thinking too much, as I'm pretty sure he'd be somewhat conflicted, especially over the 'Commie libtard nazi fasicst' counter-protestor who was brutally murdered.

Nice one Xenon! Idiots like Xpletive must always be called out. The only way to deal with a bully is to stand up to them. I'm actually surprised at the amount of hatred he seems to have inside. He's clearly not in possession of a healthy mind.

Nah, Glenn seems to suffer from a very extreme form of Tourette's Syndrome.

A seriously disturbed individual who needs help.