Trtl,

Your question of whether one should keep quiet when seeing someone cop a rough time or show some support?

O.k., so I know I'm probably not typical as, being bi-polar I could be (am?) classified as having a mental illness. The reason I make no secret about it is because I know there's so many people out there with problems who all think they are alone. So I make no bones about it. To show solidarity as it were. However, what I'm trying to say is, maybe my reactions are just a tad over-the-top at times.

But there was a point where I totally fell out of my tree and went into a deeply depressive episode (y'know, self-harming, attempted suicide etc.)when the trigger was some of the posters on OLO.

O.k., so maybe, by the strict definition, no bullying takes place. But when posters accuse one of being untruthful, a bad mother, demand to be able to get in touch with your kids, be able to contact friends to verify what you say, accuse your kids(!) of things, apart from accusations about ones own personality, it has the power to hit you where you live. Once only did someone say "Hey, lay off", but for the rest I felt, because no-one was supporting me, not just alone, but as if all those things were true.

Yeah, I may be a-typical in being so thin-skinned, but nothing I had ever been through before (and that's actually more than your average bear)had prepared me to be on the receiving end of so much bile and degradation from total strangers.

O.k., so I feel a little ashamed to admit what a wimp I am, but I can't think that I am the only person who has ever been hurt here. So now I try to give support and I fight back more.

But yeah, I reckon we should ride to the rescue if possible: after all, we never know just where someone is in their life or how much they need us, do we?

Dearest Romany,

I've always found your posts right on the mark. Well written, thought provoking and very valid. They have actually helped me re-think things and take a different approach to the one I had originally planned. This Forum to me has been a god-send - in many ways, and you dear lady, have been an important part of it for me.

I just thought you need to know - you do matter. You matter a great deal. And I'm sure to not just me on this Forum.

I agree Romany - you're a real star of the board as far as I'm concerned. (As are you Foxy, for that matter.) I'm often in awe of how neatly and adroitly and cleverly and bravely you can sum up an argument, when I feel I flounder around so much.

While I did take the point about using the word "bullying", I've also been "hurt" - pathetic and girly though that sounds - on this forum. I disclosed some personal and sensitive (non-identifying) information about myself, only to have said information... I dunno... used to prove I'm not much of a person, or something. It wasn't fair, it was nonsensical but it still hurt.

Romany, you came in to save the day.

Like Romany, I'm not saying I'm not oversensitive. But there it is, nonetheless.

All the posts after my last have been uplifting, true they remind me we are a community.
It is not soft to admit we have been hurt, I am no wimp but gee if you only knew how hurt I have been.
During a thread about unions I said I had no reason to support thugs and mugs in union shirts.
That post was distributed to every construction site I service, it hurt!
But I picked up more membership from it.
I think friend rather than being an ex Liberal I even at my age may be a truly new Labor person.
It is true that good ideas good policy's do not belong only to one side of any issue.
Romany you do better than me and with that handy cap? I admire you very much.
I however never want us who use this forum to forget some threads are better left alone, sad but lets not lie, if your views differ good manners are the last thing you will receive.

perhaps your local high school has a debating club, that you can watch. if so, you'll see that they'll play by the rules. that's because there are rules, and an umpire.

on the web in general, "it ain't necessarily so." on the up-side, there's no faces, and often no names. even rudeness loses some of it's sting when it's so impersonal. in any event, the important aspect is some combination of self-confidence and courage: put your opinion out there and let the world do what it will.

it's unfortunate that oz is crushed by the british class system into swallowing the notion that only parliamentarians should have any input into politics. this is a hold-over from the days when parliament was the debating club of the ruling class. it means these discussions are fundamentally futile. but i hope young ozzies will develop a stronger notion of self-worth from being exposed to simulated democracy, however feeble. maybe someday they will evolve into citizens, even though evolution into cattle/robots seems more likely due to the rapid developments in dna engineering and cyber control technology.

I have both given it and taken it! I look at it as banter and nothing more. I usually have a bit of a giggle if somebody attacks me personally. Its just a forum people if you don’t like it there are plenty of other forums which ban people if they say the word poo or if you question one of the long term members logic!

I will say it again, it is just harmless banter.