Is 'General' often this nasty?

[EqualOpportunities]

what happened yesterday? what did I miss?? please update me

Listen 'ere Letter Box, you don't want to know.

[Denny]

Despite my post count I am a newbie on Contractor UK. (The post count comes from using 'test please delete' as a sandpit to play in while I lurked elsewhere on this site.)

Yesterday's postings, specifically some threads in the 'General' area, seemed to be quite nasty.

The Bulletin Board Terms and Conditions at "http://www.contractoruk.com/about/bulletin_board.html" suggest a much more restrained approach than seems to occur here. I know rules are only guidelines but I am getting the impression this isn't somewhere I really want to be - the gap between my expectations and some of what I am seeing are immense.

To be blunt, I'm inclined to quietly close my account and go away, which is a shame, since the advice and support I have seen are extremely good.

But had I been a very new member here, I would have been appalled at what I had seen and left, never to return. I would have also been left with a VERY poor impression of UK contractors (unless I was a permie in which case it would have confirmed everything I already suspected). I would probably have tarred www.contractoruk.com with the same brush too.

Since everything on here is visible in Google, non-members are able to cheerfully find and browse these messages and some of what got said yesterday I would only expect to see in some of the less pleasant Usenet groups that are filled with adolescents and social drop-outs, not professionally employed people running their own businesses.

Am I misunderstanding what this 'General' area is for? Should I just quietly go away and explore the PCG fora instead?

The PCG fora is worse, in fact. You get too much banter caught up with serious, helpful answers and waste a lot of unnecessary time. If you're looking to join the PCG for the forum - don't bother. The PCG is only worth the money for the insurance. Take that away and you have nothing worth bothering with. There's too much infighting and petty politicking.

At least on here there is at least a half hearted attempt to keep serious posts (legal/accounting and Contractor/business sites) from trivia and banter on the General. Although the distinction isn't as great as it was when I first joined. That doesn't happen on the PCG forum at all. It's perfectly possible to see a serious query descend into trite pointless comments quickly on with one of two serious answers submerged into the mix, after wading through 10 responses of no value whatsoever. It's also heavily regulated with too many 'this post has been removed' notices from the PCG gestapo but no attempt to remove the banter or bullying. It's a nightmare, frankly. At least on the General forum here, there's the odd bit of humour. The lounge on the PCG forum is about as amusing and entertaining as a two week holiday in Afghanistan. The PCG general fora layout is also offputting - too many sites to wade through.

I hate it there, in case you haven't caught on yet!

My favourite is the Shout 99 forum, which is generally quite good most of the time because its very easy to pick out the troublemakers. I also like the layout and it seems well moderated. I guess it's down to personal preference though, but I think S99 has a pleasant look and feel to it and I like the 'ask an expert' site as well which is handy if you want some freebie accounting or legal commentary instead of the blind leading the blind misdirection you so often get on here or on the PCG forum.

There. That's my two pennyworth.

[Jog On]

The PCG is only worth the money for the insurance. Take that away and you have nothing worth bothering with.

Interesting - so Shout99 is FTW?

Do they have a jazz club?

[BrowneIssue]

<snip detailed explanation about General, other bits of Contractor UK, PCG fora and Shout99>

There. That's my two pennyworth.

I think you undervalued your answer. Thank you for the explanation.

[Churchill]

what happened yesterday? what did I miss?? please update me

You missed an attention seeking pillock threatening to leave.

Where as this attention seeking pillock is staying right here!

[Denny]

I think you undervalued your answer. Thank you for the explanation.

No doubt Malvolio will say that's its well and truly overvalued.