Morning all,

Reading over a few threads last night and keep coming across this talk of there being cliques on BE and some people saying that they don't feel comfortable posting as a result of these cliques. So, wondering what everyone thinks of this issue - has BE become 'cliquey'? If so, is this ok/not ok? Does it deter people from posting their opinions for fear of being ganged up on? Or is it not cliquey at all, instead just a natural progression of a social forum?

Remember - it's good to talk! Over to you guys,

Always was, always will be. It's a faint echo of society at large, in which humans form cliques with like-minded people because everyone's drawn to people who share their outlook on life. Same is true of every discussion forum I've ever belonged to and indeed every IRC channel I visited in the years before the World-Wide Web was born.

If people can't recognise that, and it puts them off posting here, then they're in for a real fun time when they emigrate.

When people get to know each other they are going to have more banter with each other on these forums than if they did not know them.I do not post much but have never felt ganged up on.Sue.

Some of us have been posting for some years to this forum. So quite naturally we tend to know other posters and will banter etc. And yes, that can come across as cliquey to someone who has just joined. Get over it imo and join in.

If it were not for the older posters who stay posting to this forum once they have migrated, offering views and advice to those who would follow, this place would be one giant immigration forum and "Whoohoo I got it" threads. And that would be as boring as they come.

As to new posters being "ganged up on", no I really don't feel thats the case. This is an open internet forum and if someone is seriously expecting nothing but fluffy clouds and supportive comments all the time, they really need to perhaps reconsider expectations of any social open forum platform, not just this.

Dunno about cliquey but there are a few characters that could give us all a break if they just chatted to each other on MSN. Interesting threads get hijacked 5 posts in and end up being very monotonous 3 way chats about nothing. Sometimes they descend into attempts at typing the Geordie accent which nearly takes the cake.

This on line forum bizzo really is quite sad anyway, so I'll just go away now.

Don't mind cliques thats kind of part of life.....but there are some bullying types about...some with personal grudges...I just steer clear...its obvious who they are..

I don't mind cliques, just can't find one thatll have me!!

Happens on every forum to some extent, no different to real life.

When i first arrived on this forum i was outraged and took some things personally and would rant and rage and argue with everyone, but, as stated in a few above - no different to life. So i just get on with it and no-one bothers me any more tbh.

I've found this website great and it's nice to actually get replies to my posts. There was a UK forum I was using but unless you posted 100 times a day then you weren't in and your posts were ignored. I've given up on that forum.

Part of life I belong to some other forums and I suppose I am in a Clique on one mainly because its been years and there are a few of us who know one another, nothing to do with migration or Brits. Sometimes its hard work being in a clique

Being part of a clique takes way too much time

Should you be talking to us then?

what are you on about, you're always taking things the wrong way?

Yes, but we're talking about the forum, not her private life!