This is the objective scientific answer, OP.

The Fripp collaborations also merit your attention.

Yeah, that got a double-take out of me too. Hell, “Lord Pickles” alone is quite the concept to be reminded of in itself.

What is happening?

Already answered your own question there chum:

have the Tories just given up

…they’re literally just sitting and running down the clock at this point.

“Politics” is not about reconciliation. It is a battle

QED.

Oh well, I tried.

The “i don’t want factions” faction

Which you’ve just invented. No such animal exists unless you insist on comprehending the world in absolutes. It’s an unhelpful choice.

irreconcilable differences in ideology

There are none. When you choose an ideology that claims there are, then you are de facto giving up on politics in favour of fighting.

The reason we as a species gradually invented politics over the last five or ten thousand years is precisely to reconcile differences of opinion that would otherwise lead to conflict. A refusal to partake in it would be base barbarism, in my estimation.

You’re keen to do “factions” (your word).

That’s not politics. That’s the problem with politics.

Is there really any need to import stupid school playground drama from reddit?

No. No, there is not :)

Forget the forensics guys, if he keeps this up they’ll be prepping the rubber hose and dentistry tools guys.

Maybe ISPs is an okay comparison? Most of us are on different ISPs but we access the same internet.

It’s probably more productive to just ignore the technical details. Half the country seems to believe they’re buying “wi-fi” nowadays.

Just stick with “try Mastodon” or “try Lemmy” and let the non-technical folk build whatever mental model suits them best.

Just for the record: the Sun ended Page 3 in 2015.

No “it was a different time” excuses wash yet.

Okay, that’s fair, they do have another scandal to weather (contrived though it appears). Sorry, I thought I read a slight undertone of “filthy BBC got anuvver nonce innit” :)

I’ve still got no idea who people think it is.

Nor do I care to, because it ain’t remotely sodding important.

Seems like the BBC may have another one on their hands.

Another… what, exactly? Rude, unpleasant person who happens to be either gay or bi? (I think I get this message from the reporting, but I’m not certain that I’ve specifically seen the gender of the original “young person” mentioned now that I think about it)

This is such an obviously confected story to fling shit at the BBC. It disappoints me that so many otherwise articulate and sensible people seem to be swallowing it hook line and sinker.

Damned filth.

I had a Panda

No.

There’s no need for monoculture - especially on a platform that aims to be decentralised.

Look at it this way - if some town has three gay bars, three metal pubs and three old-man real-ale pubs, it’s not an issue for the LGBT community, the metal community or the drunk old men; they’re just different places to drink. Possibly the drunk gay old metal fans might get confused, but they sound awesome and are likely welcome everywhere.

…actually, thinking about it, I bet the drunk old men probably do have an issue with all eight of the other pubs they don’t go to. But that’s just them.

I would love to know more without having to actually research who this guy is.

With the greatest of respect: the guy was Chancellor of the Exchequer for years. It seems reasonable to assume people know who he is in a UK politics forum. (edit: sp.)

on par with Private Eye

…dear god man. I mean, it’s great at what it does, but comparable to the Eye? No. Just… no XD

We have been contacted by George Osborne and Thea Rogers’ lawyers

This, though, may as well be a straight-up admission of truth.

I mean, let’s be real - it’s totally inconsequential. We’ve known for years who he is and how he fills his days waiting for his inheritance, and more importantly, none of this stuff, even if true, will actually affect him in any meaningful way.

But I can’t claim for a second that I’m not chuckling at his misfortune today.

“PopBitch” (that’s a new one)

They’ve been around for knocking on 20 years, if not longer.

Absolutely nothing more noble than a gossip-sheet (and they don’t aim any higher either, to be clear), but they are legit and are broadly non-partisan.