Bar the shouting
| 13:31 UK time, Tuesday, 21 June 2011
We work very hard to make sure we keep WHYS as a safe and courteous forum for people to explore their ideas and opinions - and have them challenged.
Throughout the "Arab Spring" we've sought to keep that going but last night's programme (1800 B) fell a bit short- through, it has to be said, no fault of ours.
Here are a few of your comments :
"Cut the interrupters mics. This is ridiculous. It sounds like a fox news program."
and :
What are the ages of these guys arguing? Twelve? It is cringeworthy to listen to.
They have a point.
Strange as it may seem to some of our critics , we prepare our contributors thoroughtly- they are respectfully reminded of the rules - no speeches, no heckling , no interrupting, and above all, remember it's a CONVERSATION. (sorry for shouty capitals, maybe it's catching).
Sometimes - and this may shock you- people SAY (there i go again) they'll play the game and then don't. Sometimes it's because they feel passionately, sometimes they are trying it on, sometimes they actually want to inhibit debate.
A mix of all those things happened last night, and despite Nuala reminding them of the rules, we listened to you - and pulled the plug on the "debate" after half an hour.
I'm sorry - we'll keep trying to reflect the debates, we'll keep trying to bring you all sides of an argument but in a way that you can actually hear.
It's an old-fashioned idea, this courtesy thing, but we quite like it.
