What? No political threads!

Snowdoggie wrote: As somebody who has actually been staying away from here for a while because of the political threads, there is a difference between starting a thread with 'Hopey Changey blah blah blah' - 'The people of SC have spoken and they are idiots', and 'I disagree with the President's tax policy' - 'I think Ron Paul should have done better in the SC primary and here's why..' I have been about as guilty of this as anybody but to tell you the truth, if you ban political threads I am not going to miss them.

That reminds me of a cracked article I read, where they said to "stay away from anyone who uses derisive nicknames for the opposition, you have nothing to learn from these people" ie calling people dumbocrats, or republitards. Although, I have referred to a certain group in the past as teabaggers, but I try not to do that now.

Joey

I've actually learned things in some of the political threads we've had. I might not have posted about it, but I was forced to go out to Wikipedia and beyond to learn some things.

While I might not have changed my mind about anything, I was certainly more informed about them.

It is my most sincere hope that that has happened to one or two people as a result of something I posted, too.

The real problem, as I see it, is that back when the Framers of the Constitution wrote our right of free speech into being, people could (and did) challenge each other to duels if there was too much asshattery happening around a topic. We've lost our ability to shoot at each other with pistols or hack at each other with swords in the name of truth and honor.

joey48442 wrote: I wouldn't mind seeing them go. I don't remember threads like that when I first started coming around in the early 2000's. They just seem angrier now.

93EXCivic wrote:

Duke wrote:

MrJoshua wrote: Maybe we could have a "Political" forum where you can discuss this stuff or where mods send threads that get out of hand? Combine this with the ability to personalize which forums come up when you click on "Latest Topics" and those who don't want to see the politics wont.

Too much. The forum I was involved with (admittedly with many many thousands of members) went down that path and eventually wound up with dozens of boards and subboards and... KISS. Heck, people don't even know there's a Feedback board here for issues or questions about the forum itself. GRM = cars and stuff Sprockets = bikes and stuff Classifieds = cheap stuff Feedback = questions, concerns, and stuff CMS = old stuff Off-Topic = other stuff That's plenty IMHO.

Honestly the only thing I would like to see added is a built thread section...

I miss the readers rides part of the old forum (one forum ago), and I miss that CMS was just a sub-forum of the main forum. I dislike it having its own, though I do understand it.

Aw man, the archive is dead.

Brett_Murphy wrote: We've lost our ability to shoot at each other with pistols or hack at each other with swords in the name of truth and honor.

I think you're on to something there..

Harrumph. You kids don't know nuttin'.

Way back in the Dark Ages of ~2000 or so, there was no 'Off Topic' forum on this site. Well, as people do a coupla asshats went and did some political wranglin' in the regular forums. (No. Not me! How dare you think that!) Those battlethreads (rightfully) peeved The Powers That Be so much that the OT forum was created specifically to get OT subjects off by themselves.

SO IMHO the OT forum is doing exactly what it's meant to do: keep that kinda stuff out of the regular forums. It took off and to me seems to be probably the most active part of the site.

I would like to make a suggestion: perhaps the OT forum could be invisible until someone hits, say 25? 50 posts? and that way only after reaching that level of comfort with others on the board in the 'regular' forums could somebody stick their toe in this fire.

I'd say put that info out there as in 'there's an OT forum but yada yada', sort of like a 'you must be this tall to ride' sign.

For those who think this OT forum is nasty: you should have hung around the 'reserved for fighting' part of the RX7Club.com forum. You had to Email the mods and they'd give you access; no access, it wouldn't even show in the forum list. Now THAT was some nasty wrangling going on. For instance: there was one guy (allegedly a Canadian) who claimed to be a porn film producer who started an absolute war by saying he saw nothing wrong with 16 y/o's starring in porn films and that banning them till they were 18 was cutting into the porn industry's income.

In reply to Marjorie Suddard:

I know that political threads are one of your pet peeves. I also know that I contribute to this thorn, for which I apologize.

I do, however, think that the forum you have created here is a community and, just like a family reunion, there are always a few loudmouth relatives that annoy the crap out of folks. Doesn't make them anything less than family.

When you started your business it was supposed to be about cars. I'm sure you never envisioned that it would have anything to do with "community" and "off-topic threads". But it does.

I think it is appropriate and necessary to reign people in every once in a while and whack them on the head when they say something stupid. I'll happily take my beating whenever I earn it.

But I am pleased you have reversed your decision. A ban of an entire subject would have seriously cut off the community nature of the forum.

I was going to write you a note requesting you reconsider, but now I don't have to. Way to go, GRM!

Oh, and for the record, there are DEFINITELY some subjects within the broader subject of "politics" which I have changed my mind based solely on the input from this forum. I appreciate the input, and politely recommend that people who are not happy about political threads should...

....not ever click on them.

Thanks Margie!

Brett_Murphy wrote: We've lost our ability to shoot at each other with pistols or hack at each other with swords in the name of truth and honor.

I think they put the kibosh to that pistols-at-dawn stuff right after the sitting Vice-President killed the former Secretary of the Treasury in a duel over a bit of defamation.

I do feel like most of the time, everybody is civil, even when talking about touchy subjects. But, occasionally it does go too far or get out of hand. Overall, this board has been better, by far, than many other boards in that respect.

That you can actually HAVE a discussion on politics or religion and not simply devolve into a shouting match or pure mockery is an accomplishment. (Edit: it's unfortunate that we cannot expect a gentlemanly disagreement/debate on the internet. It is not unfortunate that it is accomplished here.)

Curmudgeon wrote: Harrumph. You kids don't know nuttin'. Way back in the Dark Ages of ~2000 or so, there was no 'Off Topic' forum on this site. Well, as people do a coupla asshats went and did some political wranglin' in the regular forums. (No. Not me! How dare you think that!) Those battlethreads (rightfully) peeved The Powers That Be so much that the OT forum was created specifically to get OT subjects off by themselves. SO IMHO the OT forum is doing exactly what it's meant to do: keep that kinda stuff out of the regular forums. It took off and to me seems to be probably the most active part of the site. I would like to make a suggestion: perhaps the OT forum could be invisible until someone hits, say 25? 50 posts? and that way only after reaching that level of comfort with others on the board in the 'regular' forums could somebody stick their toe in this fire. I'd say put that info out there as in 'there's an OT forum but yada yada', sort of like a 'you must be this tall to ride' sign. For those who think this OT forum is nasty: you should have hung around the 'reserved for fighting' part of the RX7Club.com forum. You had to Email the mods and they'd give you access; no access, it wouldn't even show in the forum list. Now THAT was some nasty wrangling going on. For instance: there was one guy (allegedly a Canadian) who claimed to be a porn film producer who started an absolute war by saying he saw nothing wrong with 16 y/o's starring in porn films and that banning them till they were 18 was cutting into the porn industry's income.

Hi Curmudgeon,

I would be one of if not the grand poobah asshat to which you speak.

Back when there was no off-topic forum, I went by the name RX-7 Guy and one time, I went on a rant about how Social Security was a Ponzi scheme.

Just as was the case with the Change- Hope-Change thread, a double digit page count quickly racked up and many individuals complained that discussions should be limited to automotive related topics.

Soon after, the GRM Administrators established the off-topic forum.

From my point of view, what we currently have represents the best of both worlds.

The high page count of these subjects indicates their popularity so it’d be unfortunate to ban them and since they’re partitioned away from automotive subjects, I find it difficult to believe that anyone is truly inconvenienced by them. Finally, in terms of anyone being offended, unless someone is the electronic equivalent of a flasher by creating a topic about bolt patterns for instance and then goes off on a tirade about how much a particular political party sucks, I really don’t have a lot of sympathy.

The only issue I see is the one Margie pointed out where new visitors may be put off before they’ve been exposed to the full range of this board’s culture.

Bottom line, this board is a privilege not a right and is sponsored by a for profit company that needs to do whatever they feel is in their best interests.

In reply to neon4891:

Training a guy for one day and I miss all these chances to act a foo?

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote:

Brett_Murphy wrote: We've lost our ability to shoot at each other with pistols or hack at each other with swords in the name of truth and honor.

I think they put the kibosh to that pistols-at-dawn stuff right after the sitting Vice-President killed the former Secretary of the Treasury in a duel over a bit of defamation.

Pretty sure it was already illegal at that time. Its not something I would want to do, but those pistols are so inaccurate, standing right in front of someone may be the safest place.

N Sperlo wrote: ... to act a foo?

In reply to DukeOfUndersteer:

RACIST!!!!

bravenrace wrote: In reply to DukeOfUndersteer: RACIST!!!!

RACIST!!!!

The high page count of these subjects indicates their popularity

No it doesn't.

Zomby woof wrote:

The high page count of these subjects indicates their popularity

No it doesn't.

(pause)
M: It's just contradiction!
O: No it isn't!
M: It IS!
O: It is NOT!
M: You just contradicted me!
O: No I didn't!

I'm glad they're gone. I like the peopel here, even the ones I have dissagreed with. Of late, I've been doing a better than usual job staying out of the political threads - or at least saying things without the rhetoric and getting out before it gets ugly. But all the same, history seems to indicate that, given enough opportunity, I will make an ass of myself. Just as glad to have the opportunity minimized.

I like pie.

fast_eddie_72 wrote: I'm glad they're gone.

You should read the thread.......

I only now like cake because you've chosen to like pie. Flip-flopper.

I also prefer pie to political threads...pecan, please

fast_eddie_72 wrote: I like the peopel here, even the ones I have dissagreed with. I like pie.

Except the asshats that would point out that peopel isn't even a real word.