//Cheryl?
a link to one of her posts, please.//

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http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?article=19338#343697

Out here in my real world (as opposed to the internet echo chambers), real discussion and debate still occurs, and amicably between men and women.

I'm currently at an engineering history conference. I'm not an engineer, but an historian. Understandably, men predominate, but there are a few women engineers here. It's been great. I got a lot of positive feedback on my talk, I understood more than I expected of some of the more technical papers, there has been robust discussion some of which I participated in (where we agreed to disagree), and I've had a beer or two with some fascinating guys with amazing experience, at a world-wide level.

It really is possible to have real robust discussion and debate without falling into the left/right labelling (mind-closing) game. I have no idea who the engineers I've met vote for, and it doesn't matter. And the conference is not at all airy-fairy, the history of technology/engineering is all about politics - mining, water, public works etc. Listening to some the talks about past engineering/development/political debacles - deju vu all over again. (The NBN has had some illustrious predecessors).

Absolutely spot on, Cossomby. Thanks for that.

I, too, tend only to comment on topics that I have some expertise in. Most of the time, at least. This often results in a lot of butthurt from people, like ttbn, when they’re just plain wrong, and the fact is made obvious to the world.

To be labelled a “Leftie” (or the more emotive and dogmatic-sounding version, “Leftist”), however, is to get off lightly around here. One regular to OLO (whom it looks like I may have FINALLY gotten rid of) once tried to portray me as a potential rapist, and all for discrediting his ridiculous position on marriage equality.

Righties - sorry, Rightists - are such a bunch of snowflakes.

I retreat to the serenity of this forum to engage in some equanimity of discussion with calm and most reasonable people who think like me, when things get too hot, abusive, insulting, vulgar and offensive on the only other forum I am a member of; 'Flower Arranging for Beginners'. You would be surprised with the philosophical differences to be found among the hard core fraternity of flower arrangers, me included!

My partner "T" (she is female and although I'm a Greenie I'm in a heterosexual relationship, how odd) will occasionally read some of the posts on here. She says "I'm not surprised by some of the comments." I say "Why?"..."Well. look at some of your posts!...I hope no one takes you seriously."

I enjoy the discourse with all the posters on OLO.

Cossomby,

As I had no idea that you are a woman, it cannot be claimed that anything I have ever said to you was sexist or scathing of women. Knowing, now, that you are a woman makes absolutely no difference to what I think of your opinions. The men/women thing is, after all, merely a political construct of the the extreme Left – the people who are clearly calling the tune these days: the same ones who feel the need to create separate groups to satisfy their agenda for the West. They are also doing it with homosexuals, ethnics, Muslims and all people that appear to have grievances. It is easier to control the population in identifiable groups, giving them privileges and freedoms because of their 'disadvantages'. Now, I can speak only for myself, but I would not be the least surprised to know that there are many people like me who, having had totalitarian dogma thrust down their throats for half a century now, have gradually hardened their attitudes to people and things that they once tolerated or were ambivalent about. I was once an easy going person. Now, I intend to defend what I believe in, something too many conservatives are not doing: they are merely whingeing about the 'enemy' without defending and promoting their own side of things.

As for your comments about 'discussion' – nope. OLO is about 'opinion', a place where you can express opinions without having your head kicked in. I have never known a single poster to change his or her opinion through discussion. We are gradually losing the ability to speak freely in this country, and OLO and its editor should be appreciated for providing a forum where we can say pretty much anything we need to say, without threat and without the sort of person infesting other social media.

Hi ttbn. Most other people here know I'm female, but thanks for the compliment that you didn't know I was. I do try to post as a person, not specifically as a woman. But that doesn't mean I will accept insults such as that women posting here are sanctimoneous lefties.

Yes, this is a place for opinion, but since it's public, it's for debating a variety of opinion, preferably in a civil manner. (I find it interesting that people who deplore or predict the downfall of western civilisation because of something or other they don't like, are rarely civil in their postings.)

I am free to post my opinion that your opinion is based on false premises, fake facts and bias, especially where I can point this out by evidence.
'You are entitled to your own opinion but not to your own facts.'

You want to hear only your own opinion? Start your own blog, and get thee hence from OLO.