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Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!

Walking up from Green Lanes, flashing lights and police on Pemberton Road. The police officer said it was a stabbing and they were looking for a knife.

He also had a very resigned look and said it was happening every day all over London but the powers that be don't seem to care.

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It's not trolling. This is what Wikipedia says a troll is:

In Internet slang, a troll (/ˈtrl//ˈtrɒl/) is a person who sows discord on the Internet by starting arguments or upsetting people, by posting inflammatory,[1] extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community (such as a newsgroup, forum,chat room, or blog) with the deliberate intent of provoking readers into an emotional response[2] or of otherwise disrupting normal on-topic discussion,[3] often for their own amusement.

It's lively and polite debate. As you're anonymous, your head was never really ever above the parapet.

Completely agree John. There is very little trolling on HOL, and Hugh is quick to notice quesionable posts and even move specific dialogue to separate thread.

Calling someone a Putinesque contrary troll is not polite...

I really not trolling - I am genuinely concerned/interested in the role that media/social media plays in contributing to our general perceptions of things (see the negative language that is used in reporting about Jeremy Corbyn)  Words matter - really matter - and how we choose to express our thoughts and fears in public arenas has ripple effects we may not even be aware of.  

Safe isn't actually  set of statistics - it's a feeling.  That feeling is driven by our interactions and experiences.  But those interactions and experiences are driven by what we are exposed to. (think about why advertising to young children is controlled)

So to be a bit geeky - take the word 'stabbing' as my example.  If you run a basic analysis of the words it is usually written with (context/concordance) - top words are attacks/fatal/shooting/wounded/victim/.   

So every time you see and hear the word 'stabbing' - those other words are what you also 'hear' as well - even if they are not written there - because of their strong associations. (Our understanding of the meaning of words is dependant on the company they keep.)

Powerful stuff no?  And we are not really aware this is actually going on as we process language all the time.

So whilst the intention may not be 'alarmist' the effect is - because of the way humans process language.

If it makes anyone feel better I saw the chap who it looks like was the victim being taken off in an ambulance. He was sat upright and talking and looked to be in reasonably good shape.

I think the point Jude makes above is a good one, and in the absence of more information (such as the chap was taken to hospital and was not (from what I could see) in a serious condition) then there is a temptation to fill the information vacuum with speculation, superstition and words like those Jude has highlighted above.

In a situation like this it might actually be useful for the Police to make a brief statement, and fill this information gap.

He was conscious? Well then, I don't think the police will be interested. I mean they can't even catch someone who, from an identified vehicle, with many witnesses, in broad daylight, assaulted and kicked unconscious a person on West Green Rd.

There were 4 cop cars and an ambulance, I think they were paying attention at the scene- what others decide to do beyond that who knows. You cannot fault the coppers on the spot.

Having read all the posts so far, here's where I'm at with this issue.

1. Kat posted in good faith in a way many if not most of us would have reported some news of significance that we'd received. Her tone was measured and did not seek to be alarmist.

2. Judith's points about the unintended consequences of language used in relating news or telling stories are well taken. As she says the observation applies widely to media everywhere, whether the messages are filtered through professional journalists or delivered 'raw' via social media.

3. Justin and Judith highlight the issue that where there is an information gap the choice of language can guide us to fill the void with our worst fears.

I think an awareness of this dynamic is helpful and where we can be, we should be guided by it. Do any of the correspondents think there is any other action that we as a community can take in this respect?

Hi Hugh, you ask if there 'is any other action as a community' we could take. I have to say that I believe we were all concerned not only to hear about the 'incident' but also Kat stating that she is often subject to men making leery comments. This unacceptable behaviour has often been referred to on HOL and was brought to my attention by a concerned resident only last weekend. I think it would be worth considering distributing leaflets on the issue along Green Lanes and even asking shop keepers to display it. Of course we would need to engage the right people to ensure the message is delivered in the right way. For obvious reasons if this where to be explored I think it would be appropriate if predominantly women on HOL could determine what action if any should be taken. I understand this may go beyond anything we've done before but one I think is worthy of our consideration.

In my experience the shop keepers of Green Lanes are some of the worst offenders.
Absolutely agree. I walk Misogyny Mile every night and it's rare that I don't get sexually harassed by at least one of them. I used to ignore them, now I tell them to eff off, which I think actually turns them on a bit. Might have to change tactic. Am considering a cattle-prod.
You need to be more derogatory, Lauren. "In your dreams, pencil dick" seems to work quite well.... calling them ugly cavemen is another good one.

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