O'Rourke advocates Burmese style suppression of freedom of speech in the GAA

[Cosmo Kramer]

http://www.independent.ie/opinion/columnists/colm-orourke/colm-orourke-gaa-positional-switch-catches-managers-with-eye-off-the-ball-2124687.html

Colm O'Rourke has stated than unless users of internet forums can provide some sort of conclusive proof that they are who they say they are (and that they are 'bona fide' GAA supporters), they should not be allowed to comment on GAA matters.

"It should be possible for the GAA, along with internet providers, to have such sites vetted so that only bona fide GAA supporters have access and where they have to use their name and club."

So, in effect, if you're not a paid up member of the junta, Colm says you're not allowed to comment.



Now, i live abroad and am not a paid up GAA club member at this point in time. This means that, by Colm's rules, I can't point out the obvious bias and lack of fair and balanced argument in the first part of his article. I can't point out that, as someone involved in the creation of the head to head rule, he might have some kind of vested interest in only portraying one side of the argument.

And I can't point out that he's completely ignored the fact that there is an imbalance of home and away games in the NFL and, as teams don't play each other both home and away, his rule, which he describes as 'a fair system for all' , is anything but.

But, you see, Colm finds it 'hard to understand what part of fairness causes a problem'. Of course fairness, in his view, is having a dedicated weekly newspaper column allowing him to sound off unopposed on whatever takes his fancy, calling people 'bastards' and 'cowards' along the way, but preventing the rest of us from commenting at all.


Tough **** Colm, we're not going away.

[pintsofguinness]

I think the way he finishes of the piece says it all.

On the interest site thing, considering his background on criticising players I don't think he's to be taken seriously.

[Zulu]

He may have said some harsh things in the past but the point he is making is he puts his name to his criticism, we don't and that is a fair comment IMO. It's rubbish to suggest you need to be a GAA member to comment on GAA matters but other than that I think he has a point. However I don't agree we should put our names to our posts, for a number of reasons and I don't think players or managers get personally abused on most sites (with the odd exception) but there can be no doubt that some lads have posted things they wouldn't say to someone's face and this is unfair.

[pintsofguinness]

He may have said some harsh things in the past but the point he is making is he puts his name to his criticism, we don't and that is a fair comment IMO. It's rubbish to suggest you need to be a GAA member to comment on GAA matters but other than that I think he has a point. However I don't agree we should put our names to our posts, for a number of reasons and I don't think players or managers get personally abused on most sites (with the odd exception) but there can be no doubt that some lads have posted things they wouldn't say to someone's face and this is unfair.

We don't have a national audience zulu.

[TacadoirArdMhacha]

Its a fair rule of thumb for this board that you should assume your real name goes on all your posts and that you shouldn't make any comments which you wouldn't be content to have your real name put to.

Some of the personal abuse of club and intercounty players that posters  see fit to put on this site is scandalous.

[Zulu]

He may have said some harsh things in the past but the point he is making is he puts his name to his criticism, we don't and that is a fair comment IMO. It's rubbish to suggest you need to be a GAA member to comment on GAA matters but other than that I think he has a point. However I don't agree we should put our names to our posts, for a number of reasons and I don't think players or managers get personally abused on most sites (with the odd exception) but there can be no doubt that some lads have posted things they wouldn't say to someone's face and this is unfair.

We don't have a national audience zulu.

We have a world wide audience POG. While I accept many people associated with players and managers will not read GAA forums, some will and the players themselves probably do. So I think he has a point but I still don't think we should put our real names to what we say, however we should consider if we'd say it in public before we post it. Another point worth noting is the fact Colm gets well paid for his opinion we don't and therefore we shouldn't be expected to put our names to our opinions.

[Hardy]

His comment that it's regrettable that the internet provides a public forum for any fool to spout any nonsense he wishes and for anyone with malevolent intent to try to damage another's reputation anonymously is of course true. We've said it here many times and we all wish all posters would behave as they would if they weren't anonymous. But to suggest that it's technically possible to change this state of affairs is naive and foolish.

And to suggest that I should expose my identity to the mass of morons, some of them dangerously unhinged (as we've also seen here) who populate the internet on the same basis as you do in your column, Colm, is ludicrous. You see, Colm, I don't get paid for the nonsense I write here.

[IolarCoisCuain]

I'll happily sign my name to anything I've written here. And I'll be paid for its use just as Colm is by RTÉ and the Sindo.

Otherwise, it's a ducks and drakes comparison, isn't it? Lazy Col(u)m(n). Páidí is equally lazy in the Sindo this morning too, btw. Zzzz. I'm going for a walk in the sunshine while it's here.

[REDCOL]

Maybe O Rourke might be referring to comments such as this classic by our sligo poster - sligonian


I dont blame our players, who massively handicapped by a retarded management.

[pintsofguinness]

He may have said some harsh things in the past but the point he is making is he puts his name to his criticism, we don't and that is a fair comment IMO. It's rubbish to suggest you need to be a GAA member to comment on GAA matters but other than that I think he has a point. However I don't agree we should put our names to our posts, for a number of reasons and I don't think players or managers get personally abused on most sites (with the odd exception) but there can be no doubt that some lads have posted things they wouldn't say to someone's face and this is unfair.

We don't have a national audience zulu.

We have a world wide audience POG. While I accept many people associated with players and managers will not read GAA forums, some will and the players themselves probably do. So I think he has a point but I still don't think we should put our real names to what we say, however we should consider if we'd say it in public before we post it. Another point worth noting is the fact Colm gets well paid for his opinion we don't and therefore we shouldn't be expected to put our names to our opinions.

the vast majority of what is said on here would be a reflection on what's been said at games, on the way home, in pubs and clubs etc. I don't see what the difference is in saying it on here. Ok, players, managers etc can see it and may not like some of the things that is said about them but I'm sure they enjoy others.  if I was privy to every conversation about me I probably wouldn't like some of the things said about me either (no smart remarks).

The way some GAA figures go on you would think that there was never any criticism of players or managers until discussion boards and we all know that's bullshit. There's very little personal criticism of players on here, there may be criticism of the likes of Ciaran McKeever or Galvin etc but if you behave like they do then you have to expect that. If it makes them feel better we can ban all criticism but what's next, ban criticism in gaa club houses, at gaa grounds etc.  It's just ridiculous. He also said soemthing about the people being criticised have no right to reply - they do, anyone can sign up to these boards. They have more of a right to reply then they do when he's criticising them while they're in the changing rooms, oh that's right they can write him a letter.  Give me a f**king break. If I said what I think about Colm and what I've heard about him I can assure he wouldn't like it - but I don't want to get personal.
I'm rambling now but the whole point is that Colm and co who cry about discussion boards have their heads stuck up the arse (I'm not signing my name to that but if I ever meet you colm I'll tell you that to your face)

And to suggest that I should expose my identity to the mass of morons, some of them dangerously unhinged (as we've also seen here) who populate the internet on the same basis as you do in your column, Colm, is ludicrous. You see, Colm, I don't get paid for the nonsense I write here.

Spot on.

I have to add another point - Colm has regularly criticised GAA figures to increase viewing figures on RTE, him and his mate Spillane - he's got a f**king nerve!

[Cosmo Kramer]

[I have to add another point - Colm has regularly criticised GAA figures to increase viewing figures on RTE, him and his mate Spillane - he's got a f**king nerve!

Exactly - how often have i heard him on RTE having a go at players who respond to his nationally televised criticism of them saying something along the lines of Brian/Conor/Brendan should go now and cut his hair and concentrate on his football and not be answering back to what we're saying about him up here...and then has a moan about players not having a right of reply to us - fcuks sake!

To be fair to Sligonian, I get the impression that most Sligo fans do know who he is, he is honest about his club etc. but that doesn't stop him having an opinion and posting it here...I think someone called it Little Man Syndrome before or something...

[southsidejohnny]

O Rourke the footballer was top class. Like him or leave him as a commentator he does put his name on all his utterances. I have to agree with him. Most posters put up intellegent and fairminded stuff, however stuff has  appeared from cowards that not in a million years would they have posted such drivel had they to put their own name on it. Certainly I have no bother putting my own name to what I send in. Like another poster said, no point in doing that with the amount of ranting mouth foaming lunatics out there who would never sign their own name.

[Throw ball]

I like most people try and post as if I was using my own name i.e. I will not post anything that I wouldn't say face to face. If O'Rourke had been reading some of the comments on the Armagh v Down match a couple of weeks ago, for example, it would be easy to come to the conclusions he has. However, I firmly believe that in the majority of cases posters are responsible and to tar everyone with the same brush is wrong. We all must be aware of what we are saying. Players can read these posts or have them relayed to them by others and no matter what we think they are amateurs doing their best without compulsion and it can be hard to take criticism from people you cannot defend yourself against. In the end of the day though we are posting here because of our love for GAA and for the association to grow it needs much of the publicity internet sites offer.

[down6061689194]

Surely calling the ref/player a bollix in the pub never to be heard again is the same as behind a username.

Naive to think that he can censor the internet. Freedom of speach is here to stay.

[Lar Naparka]

Unfortunately, O'Rourke, like Eugene Magee before him, is referring to an ever-increasing menace on the Internet. It didn't start with GAA boards and it won't finish with them either.
The saving grace, if there is indeed any, is that O'Rourke is referring to people who post their comments on little-know internet forums ands whose comments are disregarded by everyone with a tiny bit of sense. I find this practice is regrettable and unwelcome but I don't see how it can be stopped either.
I can't think of any possible way to ensure posters can be forced to supply their real names- and contact details also.  Even if it were possible to force all Irish sites to have moderated discussion boards, that would mean forcing some innocent moderator to take full legal responsibility for what is being put up. That would be impractical and anyway sites can be set up easily elsewhere so it would be pointless to even consider trying this.
If China can't succeed in forcing Google to moderate its contents for the Chinese people, we won't manage to prevent immature laitchekos posting drivel on discussion boards that could be hosted anywhere on earth.
Teachers and solicitors were very upset when the likes of ie.ratemyteachers.com/ and rate-your-solicitor.com/ sprang up but were able to do nothing about it.
Those sites and many similar ones are still there. The only positive about them is that once the initial fuss died down, they have dropped out of sight.
I'd be more concerned about what might appear on Facebook or Bebo than what passes for constructive analysis on some obscure GAA-related board or other but I know that is small consolation for anyone who is getting abused by those nitwits.
Freedom of speech and all that comes with it is a reality.