What? No political threads!

Thank you Margie.

The World is back on its axis....

This thread, by its very title, is political and should be locked.

I don't mind them being closed down when they get out of hand, but I would prefer they don't go away completely. Sound bite on the news? I can usually count on figuring out what was really said, the context, and both sides honest non emotionally driven opinions within a few days here. Our mutual love of cars does an amazing job of letting us annoy each other and still get along.

I just ignore the political threads.

In reply to Grtechguy:

Except this one apparently.

Agreed. I'm just going by Margie's post.

The folks here are well mannered (compared to other Forums), can defend their stance on most any subject and are tolerant of others. However, the political threads seem to force the darkness and/or narrow mindedness of some to surface.

I don't mind political threads, I enjoy the intellectual stimulation, and learn from them. What I don't care for is the guy you don't hear much from who quietly wrenches away on his car until you disagree with his Conservative/Liberal/gay/homophobe/cats vs dogs as pets thread and shouts you down.

I can live with political threads.

I can live without political threads.

Dan

Dog vs. cat:

Gertrude is firmly in the pro dog.... ...anti-elf hat.......don't dress your pets as a triceratops for halloween camp!

MrJoshua wrote: I don't mind them being closed down when they get out of hand, but I would prefer they don't go away completely. Sound bite on the news? I can usually count on figuring out what was really said, the context, and both sides honest non emotionally driven opinions within a few days here. Our mutual love of cars does an amazing job of letting us annoy each other and still get along.

+1. I like intelligent political discussions, and this place is awesome at that. Yeah, you've got the occasional troll, but whatever. I also don't know why people just don't click on it if they don't want to read it. Whatever - GRM's house, GRM's rules, but I think that the political discussions add to the decor.

Yup, GRM's house/rules.

Still, it's good to occasionally see what others are thinking about the political/social currents that affect all of us and discuss it logically without it degenerating into an 'oh really? you disagree with me? then you are stupid, ugly and your momma dresses you funny' type of thing that is seen on other forums.

Grtechguy wrote: I just ignore the political threads.

me too

As one who usually doth protest too much, I think its good that the coach has benched me. Im not a kid, but Im not a wise sage yet. Im still full of the piss and vinegar of my white, suburbanite youth, but now Im married and have a mortgage, so Im stuck somewhere between being pissed at the man, and being pissed at the hippies.

What Im saying is I think Margie made the right call...if we were all so able to self police, then Betty ford and chapter 11 would be far less popular than they are today. I think Im a pretty level headed guy, but I bet the guy in the clock tower with a bolt action rifle thinks the same thing. Sometimes the principal has to put you in time out, and often its for your own good.

While I agree with a lot of you who hate to see a black-and-white policy put into place, I can also see the other side, especially when you're talking about someone who's a newcomer, and doesn't understand the players involved and the tendency of some of them to argue for the sake of argument (not that I'm saying that's a sin, since I sure can't cast the first stone there).

This can skew the impression of our forum and scare off newbs, in much the way that the attitude of "oh, that's just grouchy old Wanda in Registration--the rest of the club is really, really nice and welcoming" cuts down on new blood at club racing events.

Thanks for your understanding, and don't worry, I'm sure we'll all find plenty of other stuff to argue about. ;-)

Margie

Marjorie Suddard wrote: Thanks for your understanding, and don't worry, I'm sure we'll all find plenty of other stuff to argue about. ;-) Margie

Will that be the 5 minute argument or the full half hour?

As was pointed out once-upon-a-time, "potential customers" read it.

Dan

DILYSI Dave wrote: +1. I like intelligent political discussions, and this place is awesome at that. Yeah, you've got the occasional troll, but whatever. I also don't know why people just don't click on it if they don't want to read it. Whatever - GRM's house, GRM's rules, but I think that the political discussions add to the decor.

Hear, hear. just like the TV, there's switch to change the channel if you don't want to look.

However, I'm Duke and I support anything that keeps the folks that run this place happy to run it.

I feel like Rumplestiltskin. I must have slept through the ban. But I approve this message.

In reply to Marjorie Suddard:

Who are these noobs? Screen names please. We'll make sure they get a proper welcome, see? {shines brass knuckles with polishing cloth}

In my experience, these types of things are usually the beginning of the end for a web forum. People come for information, but they stick around to post in things such as the political threads. Eventually, the "off topic" section of every discussion board becomes the busiest. This is what keeps them alive. I'm often surprised by the fact that Clubsi is still alive.

Younger web users will actively avoid boards that practice heavy-handed use of censorship and the banhammer. A 55 year old computer-illiterate person may get massively offended, but the 20 year old college student or young professional has been exposed to teh internets long enough to know better than to get upset. You're probably more likely to have a younger person be exposed to the magazine though the forums here. I'd read the magazine before, but I didn't actually buy a subscription until I'd spent some time trolling here.

Did you know: Dolly Parton lost a Dolly Parton look-a-like contest?

We are one of the nicest newb/noob friendly sites on the net and now they get to tell us not to argue? Man o man, sounds like time to revert to the the "Search you f'n Newb!" mentality.

rotard wrote: In my experience, these types of things are usually the beginning of the end for a web forum. People come for information, but they stick around to post in things such as the political threads. Eventually, the "off topic" section of every discussion board becomes the busiest. This is what keeps them alive. I'm often surprised by the fact that Clubsi is still alive. Younger web users will actively avoid boards that practice heavy-handed use of censorship and the banhammer. A 55 year old computer-illiterate person may get massively offended, but the 20 year old college student or young professional has been exposed to teh internets long enough to know better than to get upset. You're probably more likely to have a younger person be exposed to the magazine though the forums here. I'd read the magazine before, but I didn't actually buy a subscription until I'd spent some time trolling here.

I just have to say I agree with you strongly. Closing a thread is more than understandable. Banning a line of discussion doesn't seem right.

This is the single most friendly, intelligent, and civilized discussion board I've ever seen. Most people will be sold on this place as soon as they realize that their first post isn't going to be answered with "Noob! Search!" and a bunch of other snarky comments.

Oh well, it's not a democracy.

1988RedT2 wrote: In reply to Marjorie Suddard: Who are these noobs? Screen names please. We'll make sure they get a proper welcome, see? {shines brass knuckles with polishing cloth}

No, no. Not brass knucks. That's so early 20th century. These days we recharge the Taser.

You know what? This kind of well-reasoned, impassioned argument changes my mind. Fine, go for it. But can you guys, the regular regulars, please keep an ear out for the general tone of the party? It's supposed to be fun, dammit. (And MrJoshua, if you're just dying to establish your shiny happy person cred, this might not be the place for you.)

Margie

rotard wrote: Younger web users will actively avoid boards that practice heavy-handed use of censorship and the banhammer.

I think we're really pretty light there, thankfully because we have a great community. In the last two years, I think there have been only 3 bans for conduct unbecoming, and every time the guy dared/challenged us to ban him.

We don't typically censor either. Some questionable photos are pulled off the hotlink thread, and occasionally there's a thread that needs to be locked. Every once in a while, we'll ask a few people to stop arguing/name calling.

(Canoe posts/users are not part of this sample group.)