Hi Plantagenet

I agree articles can benefit from stridency to avoid their being boring. However if, as an author, you really want to convince someone to change their mind, it is generally helpful to throw in something that they can agree with up front - and something that demonstrates that you are open to the other perspective. It is of course better if it can be perceived as a genuine concession otherwise you risk appearing disingenuous.

579: clearly there aren't many people still supportive of Tony Abbott's leadership - even LNP voters - so there aren't too many pickings here. But at the time of the Martin Place siege he did show excellent judgement in the way he didn't leap on the 'Islamic terrorist bandwagon'.

Is Mise: if you really can't find anything positive to say about a religion that is followed by over 2 billion people in the world, including a country like Indonesia that is extraordinarily peaceful and welcoming given its relative poverty, then you need to get out more. Perhaps you should try to get to know some Australian Muslims. In my experience, friends (and even strangers) I've met from Iraq, Algeria, Syria are some of the most hospitable people you could ever hope to meet - it is intrinsic to their culture.

One good way to lose the gratuitously offensive comments would be to lose the anonymity. Let OLO print articles and all comments on them under one's own name only.

No one is looking for pickings, if you call people becoming more fearful going about their general business because of what we seem to have inherited, if that is called more extreme so be it.

Martin Place; the man was Islamic and a terrorist. What drives these types to respond in such a fashion, can’t they speak the language, why guns and violence. Are we expected to comply with their wishes.
People are invited to this country these days and not forced as was the past. But never before have we seen such acts against our people than now.

I know the percentage is small, but as is said one rotten apple can send the whole barrel bad. We know the trend is not limited to AU, it is where Islam has fled from persecution around the world to be in a safe haven.
The problem seems to be limited to the Islamic belief.
Are we expected to roll over and put a fence between here and there to live in peace to keep the small but dangerous percentage happy.

There is a reluctance to take charge of the problem from their own kind and be Australian.

Cazza

Before your unsolicited advice and tone - you were ahead.

Cheers

Pete

halduell, that topic has been covered many times. Somewhat off topic but I think enough relevancy to be worth addressing. My summary of reasons not to require real identities
- it stops some people from dicussing some topics, eg family law or matters related to employment can both have serious consequences outside of OLO if a poster is identified (and by them being identified family members, employers, associates can also be identified). That can result in significant legal or career related consequences.
- there are some personal safety issues involved. I'm aware of one former poster who had a visitor turn up at the door to sort out a disagreement over views posted on line (thankfully he was big enough to discourage the visitor from taking the apparently intended action), another former poster who chose to reveal enough of their real identity to have someone make some highly inappropriate communications.That same poster also had trouble with a government department she dealt with over her online contributions.
- some years back we had a group of posters on OLO who were in the habit of making threats of legal action against a number of posters. I have little doubt from the tone of many of their communications that they would have been willing to use a variety of unethical tactics to try to hurt in the real world those they disagreed with online. I don't need family, employers etc contacted because someone wants to silence my opinions.
- A few of the grubbiest posters I've seen over the years have been willing to to use ral names.

I've got in my view good reasons to use an alias when I want to discuss controversial topics.

R0bert

wasn't it the warmist who full of pride and arrogance lambasted anyone questioning gw. They even stooped low enough to label questioners denialist. Now they have egg all over their face backed up with a ton of deceit they dig in harder. Yep society is becoming more extreme and secular high priests are among the most extreme.