There does seem to be an aspect to this forum in which any posters who don't like the plot/direction/style of the series gets nasty comments in reply. The whole point of a forum is that it is there to discuss a subject - an opposing viewpoint can be argued and debated. It's not a lovefest for the programme!

Some people can get VERY defensive of the show. It's the same with all fandoms tbh (or anything we love - there's a really interesting piece of psychology about how it ties into our sense of self and worth etc...).

Some people only post negativity with no discussion or interesting commentary and that's kind of pointless. Blind hate is just dull. At the other end some will defend the show viciously to the point where their comments become meaningless. It's a bit like if you go into a One Direction forum and dare suggest they're not 100% amazing.

Tbh I find the block button makes everything more palatable.

The problem is that these people wouldn't be criticising the show if they didn't like it. I adore the show but I'll be the first to admit that I won't proclaim every episode to be outstanding. If I don't like something or I think it could've been better then I will say so. I didn't think tonight's episode was great if I'm honest, it was very slow moving and there didn't really seem to be much actually going on; just a few random ideas cobbled together to fill up time until the main event began at the very end. However, this does not mean that I suddenly hate Doctor Who; quite the opposite. I make these statements because I care about the show and I WANT to enjoy it. If I don't enjoy it then I will make my thoughts and feelings known. If it weren't for critics nothing would ever move forwards. Many people disliked series seven (I actually adored it, probably my favourite series of the new era) and voiced their concerns. Moffat took those concerns on board for series eight and many felt it was a vast improvement. We all need to be free to share our thoughts and opinions on the show without fear of attack; that is after all the whole point of a discussion forum.

...and vice versa, of course. It's not nice to have your judgement and standards called in to question just because you enjoy something.

I think this forum is pretty tame, compared to the standards of some other forums at least (even some other areas of DS are a relative wilderness). There's always a minority who will contest viewpoints that don't match their own - often it's the case that someone who dislikes a new episode will be called out on for hating or trolling if the common consensus towards the episode is a positive one. In contrast though there are sometimes people who deliver opinions without explaining themselves, and other people feel they are owed an explanation.

The fact is nobody is ever going to unanimously share an opinion...if they did there'd be no point in discussion. I just accept viewpoints different to my own, occasionally talk about them and then move on. It's all you really can do.

If those people make interesting, reasonable criticisms then they are met with interesting, reasonable debate. If they make childish rants, spurious claims, give bitter invective, or pompous snobbery then they get put down, but really very gently by the standards of Internet world.

That's my perception of the situation and certainly my own approach.

If you want to 'criticize', you simply have to realize people aren't obliged to accept your criticism, are entitled to refute it and that ultimately you will get back the tone you give off. To be fair, if you don't want anyone to counter your arguments then why post it in a forum? You can't demand that your thoughts are given respect if they were not well written or well considered and weren't communicated in a reasonable tone.

I say this in total candor and as genuine advice: when I first 'got onto' the Internet many, many years ago I would get into terrible rows and it would hurt my feelings and I would sometimes feel 'attacked'. I eventually came to realize that I was essentially getting back what I gave. My own manner would come off as pompous or aggressive or dismissive and people countered that. It was something I had to recognize and learn to bear in mind. I learned to moderate how I deport myself somewhat, recognizing that in a purely written word environment communication needs to be handled somewhat differently.

I'm not saying that I can't still be all of the above but now I have a detachment: I don't really know the people I may be debating with and they don't know me and it doesn't really matter. You just cannot be sensitive about it, If you want total friendliness you have to give total friendliness. If you want to be a little bolshy and outspoken (and God knows I do ) you have to understand you will get some spikiness back. If you really feel you must post something you know will provoke a lot of people then either learn to take their counter posts non-personally or simply 'hit and run' with your comments - ie. don't read the responses. I've done that myself when I got a little 'carried away' - walked away and didn't read any of the fallout.

Of course, the above doesn't work if you simply enjoy provoking argument. In that case you're a **** and deserve it if you bite off more than you can chew. I don't believe that is the case with the OP or the majority of posters.

Honestly, if you think you're being treated overly aggressively or being patronized or any other negative response then it really is worth some self reflection and examination of how you express yourself. Because honestly you're probably getting back what you give even if you don't realize it.

The thing is though is that this isn't supposed to be a fansite. It's just a sub-forum on DS where people are invited to comment whatever their views are.
Criticism should be welcomed just as much as praise, because otherwise what's the point of discussion if people are made to feel bad for not being complimentary about an episode?

Defensiveness will always happen on any forum full of 'fans', though I admit I don't class people who blindly proclaim every episode of something to be flawless and "the best episode ever" as fans, because any true fan should see the bad as well as the good and be critical because they want the show to be the best it can be.

I don't think this forum is worse than any other, but I do think it goes into the realm of the ridiculous when people start competing to be the ones to start threads or be the first to post something because they think it makes them a bigger fan. It doesn't.

A very well reasoned post. All too often, we see people hide behind their pseudonyms for little better reason than to hurl abuse at people who have different views. Good manners cost nothing, and they hurt no one. My other bugbear is those people who give their opinion (to which they are entitled) but don't offer anything in support of it. It just boils down to 'I like this' or 'I don't like that'. Tell us why you like (or don't like) the programme and we have something to discuss.

I enjoy the show watched it since a child. I don't pull it apart for this is stupid, that is rubbish, Moffet and before him Russell should go. I just watch and enjoy.

The people that I just cannot understand and its not just Who fans but other shows, actually usually fantasy/sifi to be honest. Are the I hate it, its crap, rubbish etc and go on and on about how awful it is. Why are you watching? I get bored with a show I just drop it and move on. I don't come on forums to bitch and moan how awful it is. Its wasting my time when I could be enjoying something else. There are shows I watched up to 5 - 7 series, then I just decided I don't like or enjoy it any more and stop watching.

In fact you really need to go to the Strickly section, full on foaming at the mouth in fury happens over someone's favourite voted off. I have someone on ignore as I couldn't be bothered with them board hogging with the most stupid post headlines and rubbish they come up with. Its made that part of the forum so much more pleasant for me.

Some people on here tend to get annoyed and lash out when they shouldn't. And of course that's wrong. But in their defence there is a small core of posters, and of course they're a minority who have absolutely no interest in reasoned debate and go out of their way to turn every post they can into a sledging match. There's also a lot of threads which are created for the sole reason of being inflammatory with no reasoned debate and a simple statement that Who is dreadful now inserting a generic statement of how much the show has gone downhill with no examples or reasons for their answers.

Of course on a forum people should be expected to have their opinions challenged in a reasonable way but often people are just stating their opinions as fact and shutting down any reasonable reaction in one sentence.

The knock on effect of that is that when someone else does want to have a reasoned debate about the various flaws of Who and recent Who, they can often be shot down because some people on here are so tired of the trolling and the hate that they get snappy and defensive too easily. That's not the right way to handle it, but as far as I see it, that's the most accurate depiction of what's happening.

The way I see it, if people criticize an episode they've seen, so what. They still watch it and add to its credence as one of the most popular dramas on tv and keep it there.

its if no one had anything to say that I'd be concerned.

There is valid criticism and there is trolling.

And there are some trolls in this forum. The job is to ignore them.

Unfortunately the valid criticism can get lumped in with the trolling.

I think this forum is probably in a better place than it ever has been.

I don't visit it quite as regularly as I used to but when I do I find there is a lot less of the contentious debates going on like the perennial RTD V SM debates, the Tennant V Smith ones seemed to cause a lot of heated argument as well.

They seemed to crop up almost every day in one form or another but the few times they do these days they seem to be discussed in a more gentle manner.

When I started on here we had a certain poster who used to wind everyone up with his hatred of RTD, there was also one who used to proclaim with no evidence whatsoever that Classic and New Who were two separate entities and the TV Movie wasn't even canon!

So yes, better all round I think. It's not perfect, but compared to a few years ago, a lot better.

I was told 'why watch it then?' even before it had broadcast! But such rudeness pales compared with what you can experience on Gallifrey Base...

It's always important to argue the point not the person. To be fair, I personally have found over the years that - with a very few exceptions - the people on this forum are actually very pleasant and happy to hear other points of view.

You weren't told, you were asked. I have asked this of numerous posters who say they don't like the programme but watch anyway.

I'm sorry if you think it was rude.

People who dont like the particular thread will be what i call wannabe moderators and wont even do it correctly like i bumped an old thread relevant to the opinion I wanted to express and people suddenly had a meltdown meanwhile i start a new thread and people ask me to merge it with old threads dafuq

Generally think we're a bunch of pussycats compared to some forums I occasionally lurk on! Things can get heated, but think most DS-ers have two very important senses.....perspective and humour. And trolls and WUMS are usually Sussed out pretty quickly.

Why I like it here!

Yes this

I think disagreement and polarised feelings are fairly normal on these sorts of forums. I also wonder if some of the seeming intolerance may be due to some individuals maybe being on the autistic spectrum or having traits and thus having different thinking styles or ways of expressing things.

I find this sub-forum to be one of the friendliest. The regulars here I find, are a nice, mellow bunch and any banter is always in lite, as long as you're not WUM or troll which are usually sussed-out very quickly and politely asked to stop. Like any other forum, if they persist, then they're ushered out so to speak. Why wouldn't they? Forums run better when well-oiled with proper debate and opinions and in their perspective threads.

I've been into the Soaps forum, the Big Brother one, the Reality, X-Factor ones and they're mayhem. The amount of vitriol spouted on those leaves me with a sour taste, which is why I rarely visit them now.