I'm not Bob, but I've posted here fairly often ...
If you're talking about events or your own opinions of events, there shouldn't be any problem. If you're talking about particular people, my guideline is "say only what I'm willing to defend in court". Insulting other posters is a no-no; we're here to talk about events, not about each other. (The forum rules here are "Have Fun, and Play Nice". Being nasty on purpose isn't playing nice.)
One "edge case" is when one person posts what he or she thinks is an opinion, but somebody else thinks is an insult. That's a case where (IMHO) everybody should be willing to discuss the difference between the two - we're all grown-ups here (or, at least, pretending to be grown-up), and that's what grown-ups do. Understanding and apologies on both sides mend many fences, if both sides are willing to understand and listen to apologies.
As for unpopular opinions, I have three observations. First, if we were all the same, this would be a boring world. Second, if somebody annoys me repeatedly and regularly, I can switch on Yuku's "Ignore User's Posts" option; I've only had to do that once in the last decade (regarding somebody who wasn't willing to discuss the matter). Third, Bob has often mentioned that he was one of the people who left TVTropes in part because unpopular opinions were being suppressed there; I doubt he'd be willing to allow unpopular opinions to be suppressed here.
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."
- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012
If you're talking about events or your own opinions of events, there shouldn't be any problem. If you're talking about particular people, my guideline is "say only what I'm willing to defend in court". Insulting other posters is a no-no; we're here to talk about events, not about each other. (The forum rules here are "Have Fun, and Play Nice". Being nasty on purpose isn't playing nice.)
One "edge case" is when one person posts what he or she thinks is an opinion, but somebody else thinks is an insult. That's a case where (IMHO) everybody should be willing to discuss the difference between the two - we're all grown-ups here (or, at least, pretending to be grown-up), and that's what grown-ups do. Understanding and apologies on both sides mend many fences, if both sides are willing to understand and listen to apologies.
As for unpopular opinions, I have three observations. First, if we were all the same, this would be a boring world. Second, if somebody annoys me repeatedly and regularly, I can switch on Yuku's "Ignore User's Posts" option; I've only had to do that once in the last decade (regarding somebody who wasn't willing to discuss the matter). Third, Bob has often mentioned that he was one of the people who left TVTropes in part because unpopular opinions were being suppressed there; I doubt he'd be willing to allow unpopular opinions to be suppressed here.
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."
- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012