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

[J70]

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.

The board administrators and moderators can certainly censor this site, and quite properly do from time to time. No personal attacks should be allowed on players or managers or referees here. Criticize their performance on the field, within reason (some of the attacks on referees are absolutely ludicrous given the limitations within which they must perform their jobs), but anything beyond that should be subject to disciplinary action. This is a private club - speech is only as "free" as the owner/moderators of the site wish it to be.

[longrunsthefox]

It is unbelievable the amount of spectators seem to log onto this board, then condemn the comments before coming back for another read of it. There are comments go over the top alrite tho if a name was on it would still be condemned, 'What does he know? who did he ever play for? blah blah... 

[J70]

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.

+1

Like myself Mr O'Rourke features on Rate My Teacher where virtually anything goes. Same on Bebo where apparently I have at least one profile created for me by some helpful soul.

You have my sympathies. I don't know how teachers put up with such nonsense being put up there for everyone to see. Very few other professions come with the potential for public ridicule and unfair, clueless, personal abuse that teaching does, but I suppose a thick skin comes with the profession. But, as with O'Rourke's point, the pathetic, spinless cowards that post their personal attacks do so anonymously there as well. I'm pretty sure very few would have the guts to say anything derogatory to your face.

[pintsofguinness]

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.

+1

Like myself Mr O'Rourke features on Rate My Teacher where virtually anything goes. Same on Bebo where apparently I have at least one profile created for me by some helpful soul.

You have a bebo page typ? I must have a look for that 

That rate my teacher page is a joke though, just a forum for kids to abuse their teachers...

[muppet]

Interesting comment from O'Rourke.

I wonder should it also apply to spectators attending matches?

When you should abuse at a player for yet another wide should you also shout your name and address?

Or is this particular sensitivity only apply to the internet? I think players and management hear criticism all the time and while I agree some of what is said is over the top and idiot, most players and management are well able to take it.

[TacadoirArdMhacha]

There's only a couple of players I'd refer to as tramps and most of Ireland would agree with me and that's down to things they've done on the field. If they don't like being called tramps then my suggestion is that they stop behaving like tramps. 
There's no rules against that on here but there is rule about abusing and name calling where other posters are concerned, something you should keep in mind.

Except there clearly is a rule against it;

1. Personal abuse.
    Personal abuse is one of the most common problems on internet boards. Known sometimes as 'playing the man', whether foul language is used or not, this behaviour is
    not allowed.
    e.g. Calling someone a fat fool is the same as calling someone something more vulgar.

Rule 1 obviously isn't specific to other posters.
   

2. Libellous/insulting posts about a real person
   In this day and age, many more people are becoming aware of the existance of boards such as this. While this is generally a good thing, it also means that the posts are
   more likely to be read by a casual visitor to the site. In these circumstances, the board must protect itself against allegations of libel, or defamation and so any posts
   which make derogatory remarks about a named, or clearly implied, individual, are a serious breach of the rules, and dangerous to the board itself. This particularly applies
   to individuals' private lives, finances, legal issues etc etc. This also applies to unwarranted abuse of GAA players and officials.

Rule 2 is pretty clear about it as well.

[pintsofguinness]

I wouldn't read those rules in the same way you do tacadoir....

[BennyHarp]

As long as comments made on here are not personal attacks on players or any one else then I don't see why it makes a difference if you use your real name or not! Some journalists and so called experts are a just a bit miffed that a lot of comments made on here are often a lot more insightful than they can come up with.   

[pintsofguinness]

As long as comments made on here are not personal attacks on players or any one else then I don't see why it makes a difference if you use your real name or not! Some journalists and so called experts are a just a bit miffed that a lot of comments made on here are often a lot more insightful than they can come up with.

That's the thing.

[neilthemac]

what about some well known journalists using discussions, opinions and arguments made here and elsewhere on GAA discussion boards as the basis for their own columns in national papers

MrBrehony springs to mind. along with a few others

[Farrandeelin]

I wonder if we could all attack the journalists, what would they make of it all then!

[tyssam5]

Brian Dooher is a bad footballer.

Should I put my name to that?

[Cosmo Kramer]

what about some well known journalists using discussions, opinions and arguments made here and elsewhere on GAA discussion boards as the basis for their own columns in national papers

MrBrehony springs to mind. along with a few others

What worries me about Breheny is the percentage of crap that he comes up with that actually gets seriously discussed at administrative level.

He had a right good go at getting the minor and under 21 championships abolished and replaced with an under 19 championship a while back, completely ignoring the lack of inter-county competition that would be available to 20 and 21 year old lads that werent ready for senior. So when I saw him trying to get the provincial championships abolished last week I started getting worried...

Print media are scared witless of discussion boards and blogs anyway and they have good reason to be - I can get the information i want here or on WJ's (excellent) Green and Red blog long before it makes the papers.

[Zulu]

completely ignoring the lack of inter-county competition that would be available to 20 and 21 year old

And what is wrong with 20 and 21 year olds playing more club football/hurling?

So when I saw him trying to get the provincial championships abolished last week I started getting worried...

Without a doubt the day we get rid of the provincial championships will be the greatest day in GAA history as it will finally signal the day we establish an IC structure that is modern and fair to all. It is a must.

[Cosmo Kramer]

completely ignoring the lack of inter-county competition that would be available to 20 and 21 year old

And what is wrong with 20 and 21 year olds playing more club football/hurling?

Nothing at all, but we lose enough players to work/drink/other sports between minor and under 21 as it is. We need to keep the best players in the inter county development system for as long as theres a possibility of them playing senior. Most 19 year olds aren't ready at that age and if they think it'll be three years before they play county again, some will chuck it and go elsewhere.

So when I saw him trying to get the provincial championships abolished last week I started getting worried...

Without a doubt the day we get rid of the provincial championships will be the greatest day in GAA history as it will finally single the day we will establish an IC structure that is modern and fair to all. It is a must.

I respectfully disagree! Theres only three worthwhile senior competitions to win as things are, in one of them only 8 counties are allowed to compete each year, and another has only been shared between 6 teams in 15 years. For most teams the provincials are the only thing they have any chance at all of winning and while balancing the 32 teams into four groups of eight or eight groups of four sounds nice and neat and tidy, it would destroy gaelic football in all bar about 10 counties.

Leave the championship alone, it's fine. I'm not sure how exactly we stumbled onto the qualifier system 10 years ago, but it's worked out really well if you ask me.

Anyway we've gone off topic.