General Chit Chat

[Hoboh]

Universities have four months to clamp down on student zealots who restrict free speech on campuses, Jo Johnson will warn today.
The universities minister is expected to say he has seen too many ‘worrying’ incidents of groups trying to ‘stifle those who do not agree with them’.
He will warn institutions that they have a duty to intervene and ensure differing points of view can be heard – however controversial.
A new regulator, the Office for Students, will come into being in April 2018 and will have the power to punish universities which do not adequately safeguard free speech. Those falling short could be fined or even deregistered – rendering them effectively unable to operate.
It follows incidents in which student unions and societies have banned speakers because they deemed their views ‘offensive’.

And not before time!

[boltonboris]

I look forward to you congratulating universities who allow students to promote extremist views on religion, for example, then HoboH

[boltonboris]

FWIW if we're talking about left/right wing politics etc, then yeah for sure. Free Speech for the win, and that, but not all speech, should be free in my opinion.

They need to set some guidelines

[Lost Leopard Spot]

FWIW if we're talking about left/right wing politics etc, then yeah for sure. Free Speech for the win, and that, but not all speech, should be free in my opinion.

They need to set some guidelines

It depends on who They are. It depends also on what penalties are in place for failing to adhere to those guidelines.

Thus when the They were the established church, and the breakers of the guidelines could expect to be burnt at the stake, then I'd prefer anybody can say whatever the fxck they want about anything rather than go back to that scenario. Obviously two extremes but who is to set where the line is drawn between those two extremes?

[Prufrock]

There are fecking loads of guidelines. Every uni has policies and guidance coming out of their ears. I've had the fortunate job of reading the blasted things. They already have a legal obligation to actively promote free speech and have done for decades. They also have duties under prevent and have someone whose job it is to manage all of this.

SUs are usually legally separate bodies, and like anyone are free to invite or not whoever they want (but typically, if using uni property have to agree to the uni's own policies).

The "no-platforming" is almost always tabloid exaggeration of one or two fruit loops trying to block/hold fringe events about 7 people go to.

Middle aged politicians obsessing about what students go to is creepy af and definitely not a big "look over there at the really important thing" distraction.

[Lost Leopard Spot]

There are fecking loads of guidelines. Every uni has policies and guidance coming out of their ears. I've had the fortunate job of reading the blasted things. They already have a legal obligation to actively promote free speech and have done for decades. They also have duties under prevent and have someone whose job it is to manage all of this.

SUs are usually legally separate bodies, and like anyone are free to invite or not whoever they want (but typically, if using uni property have to agree to the uni's own policies).

The "no-platforming" is almost always tabloid exaggeration of one or two fruit loops trying to block/hold fringe events about 7 people go to.

Middle aged politicians obsessing about what students go to is creepy af and definitely not a big "look over there at the really important thing" distraction.

No Platforming goes on much more than mere tabloid exaggeration as you claim. Most of the "no platforming" stories are actually carried out by the non tabloids also. And, although I'm not getting into a numbers game, quite a few no platforming events take place under bigger audiences than "7" students. You're doing a damn good good impression that a) it doesn't happen, and b) when it does it doesn't matter.
I'd argue that it does and it does. The mere attempt to no platform, as in the Greer - Melhuish example, is extremely insidious.

[Prufrock]

It's a problem whose scale and exaggeration is spectacularly overblown by the press for an easy story and politicians for an easy win.

My job for literally a month last year was researching universities' free speech policies and practice but, shock horror, our resident schizophrenic know-it-all pops up to argue black is white.

Quiet around here these days, isn't it?

[boltonboris]

[Lost Leopard Spot]

It's a problem whose scale and exaggeration is spectacularly overblown... but, shock horror, our resident schizophrenic know-it-all pops up to argue black is white.

Quiet around here these days, isn't it?

And that's all down to me, of course. Talk about scale and exaggeration!

[Lost Leopard Spot]

It's a problem whose scale and exaggeration is spectacularly overblown... but, shock horror, our resident schizophrenic know-it-all pops up to argue black is white.

Quiet around here these days, isn't it?

And that's all down to me, of course. Talk about scale and exaggeration!

And I've never been diagnosed with schizophrenia.

[Lost Leopard Spot]

Quiet around here these days, isn't it?

You'll also find that's mostly because one Christian called one Conservative a Rapist. At the time that happened I was in hospital recovering from surgery, and hadn't posted on here for months.

[Lost Leopard Spot]

Oooh, all gone a bit quiet....

[Abdoulaye's Twin]

Oooh, all gone a bit quiet....

Are you trying to tell us you're that weird Icelandic bird in your spare time?

[Lost Leopard Spot]

Oooh, all gone a bit quiet....

Are you trying to tell us you're that weird Icelandic bird in your spare time?

I wish I knew what you were saying, but honestly, I've no idea. At all.

[Lost Leopard Spot]

Oh look it's the Chuckle Brothers... (as you can see it only took me three hours to come up with that. No doubt I've caused another 64 posters to commit suicide with this post. Oh well.)

[Abdoulaye's Twin]

Oooh, all gone a bit quiet....

Are you trying to tell us you're that weird Icelandic bird in your spare time?

I wish I knew what you were saying, but honestly, I've no idea. At all.

Mental Icelandic singer sang a famous song about it all being quiet. Pru accusing you of being schizo

[Lost Leopard Spot]

Oooh, all gone a bit quiet....

Are you trying to tell us you're that weird Icelandic bird in your spare time?

I wish I knew what you were saying, but honestly, I've no idea. At all.

Mental Icelandic singer sang a famous song about it all being quiet. Pru accusing you of being schizo

Bjork?? No wonder I've no idea.

[Abdoulaye's Twin]

Oooh, all gone a bit quiet....

Are you trying to tell us you're that weird Icelandic bird in your spare time?

I wish I knew what you were saying, but honestly, I've no idea. At all.

Mental Icelandic singer sang a famous song about it all being quiet. Pru accusing you of being schizo

Bjork?? No wonder I've no idea.

I'd keep it that way then

[TANGODANCER]

A woman and a bloke jump on a piece of wood to break it and both fall on their arses......it gets video'd by some means and "goes viral" Wonder who it was that coined the phrase "Get a life" ?

[Montreal Wanderer]

I got my wife back home with her new titanium hip after two days in the hospital. It was a pretty amazing process. It took a while to see a rheumatologist in order to get a referral to an orthopedic surgeon. Once we saw the latter things speeded up and the system worked quite impressively. Now they send nurses and physical therapists to the house. It's all working out a lot better than I expected given what is generally said about our Medicare system.