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#1 Posted : 03 June 2003 08:56:00(UTC)
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Posted By Hilary Charlton Do we really need to resort to personal comments, snide remarks, sarcasm and bile to make our point? I thought the whole idea of the forum was to help others and gain help ourselves, to show ourselves as professionals in a professional world. Instead we are acting like children bickering over who gets the last Smartie. Am I alone in this opinion?
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#2 Posted : 03 June 2003 09:40:00(UTC)
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Posted By Jim Walker Hear, Hear.
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#3 Posted : 03 June 2003 09:47:00(UTC)
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Posted By Gareth Bryan Hilary, You are not alone on this, I agree entirely. Regards Gareth
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#4 Posted : 03 June 2003 10:29:00(UTC)
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Posted By Linda Westrupp You are definitely not alone, there are many of us who feel exactly as you do and are finding the 'slanging matches' tedious.
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#5 Posted : 03 June 2003 11:05:00(UTC)
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Posted By Nigel Hammond Rubbish!! ;-) People often take health & safety far too seriously! I agree we want to be professional and managers need to treat H&S as a top priority. However I think many managers and staff avoid thinking about h&S because they regard it as tedious. I feel that our profession takes itself far too seriously. I think it's better to stop trying to be over-professional and far better to be persuasive and good-humoured. For example - where's the entertainment or humour in the SH Practitioner?? When I used to sit on the train reading it, my fellow passengers use to joke about the 'waves of boardom they could feel emanating from it!!' Therefore I feel that a slanging match is OK -as long as it is good-humoured. But, I agree with you that many slanging matches on this forum are not good-humoured and are thus tedious.
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#6 Posted : 03 June 2003 12:25:00(UTC)
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Posted By Nigel Hammond What I just said was rubbish! We cannot be 'over-professional'. I think what I meant to say was that our profession can be pompous and over-formal.
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#7 Posted : 03 June 2003 12:49:00(UTC)
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Posted By Hilary Charlton Nigel, Not suggesting for a minute that we all disappear up our own rear ends with our pomposity and self importance - fun is good and should be encouraged, a good debate is healthy and a difference of opinion is a good way of seeing both sides of the argument. However, some of the more recent debates are not healthy, they have dissolved into petty squabbling, personal comments and venom - not helpful, not healthy, not even particularly grown up - this is what should go. Hilary
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#8 Posted : 03 June 2003 13:15:00(UTC)
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Posted By Geoff Burt All of you are right. This is a very successful discussion group where numerous points of view and information is provided and shared. In the past it has been successful because of this and a sense of humour, yes a few barbs, but mainly in good heart. I have never seen or experienced such personal attacks as is ongoing. To add to that there is currently another one ongoing on the chartered status thread. The whole thing is degenerating - which is quite a depressing thought when I think of the help I've had (and hopefully given) on this forum over the last few years. Geoff
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#9 Posted : 03 June 2003 14:06:00(UTC)
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Posted By Ian Stone Im finding it hard to believe some of the comments that have appeared from certain persons on this forum over the last few days. Surely we are above all this personal attacks. Can people grow up and get this forum back to its best
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#10 Posted : 03 June 2003 14:41:00(UTC)
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Posted By Nigel Hammond Hilary Sorry for my earlier cheeky comment. Having looked at the thread on chartered status now - I see what you mean. It's very sad to see people who are well-known in the profession behaving in such a childish negative bitchy way.
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#11 Posted : 03 June 2003 14:41:00(UTC)
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Posted By Jack I agree there are a couple of threads with a little vitriol but let's not get this out of proportion normal business is proceding elsewhere on the forum. It is, though, a pity that people cannot make robust points without resorting to point scoring when challenged. It seems though, that whenever there is robust debate that is what happens (I'm sure a trawl through the back numbers will show I'm as guilty as anyone). I think it's partly a facet of the electronic medium; the speed of response (the equivalent of acting before fully engaging brain) - if it had to written in the old fashioned way we'd probably edit before posting. Of course once you know a thread's going that way (and they usually drag on for months) you don't have to revisit it - but I reckon a lot of us do judging by the hit rate. It's usually the political issues which generate the most heat (nothing new there then). Perhaps the 'OSH Chat' should be divided into 'Technical' and 'political'?
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#12 Posted : 03 June 2003 14:42:00(UTC)
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Posted By Hilary Charlton Nigel Cheeky we can cope with - it downright rudeness that annoys! Hilary
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#13 Posted : 03 June 2003 14:54:00(UTC)
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Posted By Martin R. Bessant Dear Colleagues, Thank you all for your support in trying to resolve some of the problems which are occuring on this forum. I have just placed a warning message on the "Chartered Status" thread reminding people of the Code of Conduct and Acceptable Use Guidelines. The Moderating team is monitoring the debates on the forums and will take action to remove any threads which breach the IOSH guidelines. Martin Bessant - Lead Moderator.
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#14 Posted : 03 June 2003 16:46:00(UTC)
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Posted By Nick Higginson I agree with Jack, he is as guilty as anyone! (only joking Jack!) Kind regards Nick
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#15 Posted : 04 June 2003 08:47:00(UTC)
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Posted By Gavin Gibson I have only just joined this debate, but I don't like smarties. Please can I have the last rollo instead?
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#16 Posted : 04 June 2003 09:17:00(UTC)
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Posted By Paul Bellis I do agree that some of the comments are very personal, and as professionals we act as such and should not air these views to the public at large, which is what we are doing. This forum is accessed by anyone who would care to visit it - some senior personnel officers for instance, I know do so, and I dread to think what their opinion of safety 'professionals' may be biased towards as a result - On another note -there does not appear to be any restriction as to accesses it - hence some of the types of questions and comments maybe. Maybe the forum should only be accessed by members of IOSH only?, or perhaps have a members only area?
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#17 Posted : 04 June 2003 09:26:00(UTC)
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Posted By Robert K Lewis Paul Totally agree with you. The problem is also that some threads are started by non-Members and they can initiate some strong responses. We must always be aware of the "general public" who view this forum and need to take care not to go too far, which is happening elsewhere. Bob
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#18 Posted : 04 June 2003 10:13:00(UTC)
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Posted By Diane Thomason Paul, you're absolutely right. I shudder to think what kind of impression this forum is giving to people outside the profession. It's such a shame that the "policy" debating threads attract so much attention, when some poor soul wanting advice on confined spaces or whatever waits in vain for a reply. Diane
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#19 Posted : 04 June 2003 10:28:00(UTC)
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Posted By ron muir I am always amazed when I see long threads like the one on Corporate Status. It begs the question " When do these people ever do any work !!!! If they are really pationate about the Institution they should put themselves up for Council, or join a Branch Exec and work from within IOSH instead of knocking it from outside.
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#20 Posted : 04 June 2003 19:28:00(UTC)
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Posted By Geoff Burt Ron et al The debates in question are about a chartered IOSH - for or against. I certainly haven't seen any evidence of 'knocking' IOSH. If there is I'm sure it isn't intentional. Finding the time - Ouch! I frequently have to work late so that probably answers the question in my case. Working inside IOSH - Whilst people can spare a half hour here and there it is a bit different taking days out to attend meetings and such. In addition courses and conferences have to be attended to maintain CPD points - I'm sure you will appreciate that aspect - especially for the self employed practitioners or those in small companies. If the forum is restricted to IOSH members I imagine it will lose a huge variety of inputs - although having said that I have no way of knowing who is a member and who isn't, so perhaps it isn't a valid point. Geoff
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#21 Posted : 04 June 2003 21:39:00(UTC)
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Posted By Michael Miller No! and well said Hilary. I am a bit of a newby on this site. I learned about it from another friend and safety advisor who warned me that Although there was some good debate there was also a lot of 'anoraks' on the site
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