Election Year/Political Subforum?

jonathanjonathan
Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
Your opinion is wanted.



First, would you be for or against the creation of a subforum (with its own moderators) in AO for political/war related threads?



This sounds dreadfully like Fireside Chat, I know, but the idea of FC was fundamentally sound, it was just our execution (unmoderated, etc) that made it bad. I understand how wrong that went, and if this idea has your support, I would make sure that it would not fail as FC did.



Secondly, if you are in favor of a subforum, PM me your suggestions as to who you would like to see moderating such a forum.



I would be particularly interested to see who the most prolific political posters would think would be a good moderator of such a forum.



So: please vote on the poll, and, PM me who you'd like to see moderating such a forum.



Thanks.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 83
    brussellbrussell Posts: 9,812member
    Well, I guess I'd be willing to click an extra link in order to see the political stuff, if it would mean protecting the sensitive people here from seeing it.



    I just think it's kind of silly that some people can't even bear the thought that other people are arguing about politics and such. I mean, thegelding had Brad hide AO from him so he couldn't even see it. That's just sad. Sorry gelding, but it is.



    IMO, if you think there are too many politics threads because of the election, a new forum is fine. It would be like creating any other new forum in order to organize things better. But if it's for thegelding's reasons - just to shield people from wanting to see threads that have people arguing - then you shouldn't do it.



    I personally think just some good moderating - a few warnings and temporary bans to insulters, closing redundant threads - would work just as well as a new forum.
  • Reply 2 of 83
    jonathanjonathan Posts: 312member
    I think it'd serve two purposes. Those who want to not read it, won't have to- and it would certainly clean up the clutter.



    Think of it as pre-MWSF -- the amount of redundant threads gets out of control in normal FH, so we create Temporary Insanity to handle the load.



    This would be the same principle.



    A link would be at the top of every AO page, and it would also be shown on the front page.
  • Reply 3 of 83
    chinneychinney Posts: 1,019member
    It will just lead to arguments to whether a comment belongs in AO or in the new sub-forum. Threads about general social issues, for example, can bring up election matters, while election threads can lead to general social debates.



    My view, endlessly reiterated, is that AO is just fine as it is. Sometimes it gets ugly, but so does life. There is no obligation to click on any given thread if you don't want to and even within threads there is no need to pay attention to comments that are nothing more than "spewing". Sure there is that sort of garbage on it sometimes, but my view is that if you pay attention to the substance - and ignore the hot-air - there is quite a bit of value and interest on AO. Let's not kill it or split it up.
  • Reply 4 of 83
    bungebunge Posts: 7,329member
    I think those people that enjoy the political discussions will search it out wherever it exists, and it will be easier to avoid for those that don't. That's good. I would hope it didn't degenerate too much though.



    EDIT: I have to agree that I'm OK with it staying the way it is.
  • Reply 5 of 83
    thegeldingthegelding Posts: 3,230member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by BRussell

    Well, I guess I'd be willing to click an extra link in order to see the political stuff, if it would mean protecting the sensitive people here from seeing it.



    I just think it's kind of silly that some people can't even bear the thought that other people are arguing about politics and such. I mean, thegelding had Brad hide AO from him so he couldn't even see it. That's just sad. Sorry gelding, but it is.





    partly true...and i have taken some ribbing for it from time to time...no problem....



    for me it is not the arguing...hell, i'm irish, we argue all the time (and fight some too)...it is the hate i see in the arguements that pains me...



    i don't mind the arguing, i don't mind the fighting, i've gotten into a few fist fights with people i dearly love



    i do mind the endlessly repeated jabs filled with hate that i see in AO politics from both sides...there is no arguing, nobody changes anybodies minds and nobody is trying...just alot of "so an so is a nazi" "so and so is lying" "sure you started a thread about "X" but let me tell you about the sleazeball you want to vote for"



    all very nasty and all that



    but i like alot of things about AO or i wouldn't care...but i want to see some g'rat posts and i want to say hi to powerdoc and AO seems to be the place for that





    g
  • Reply 6 of 83
    ghost_user_nameghost_user_name Posts: 22,667member
    Grab your pitch-forks and fallow me...
  • Reply 7 of 83
    brussellbrussell Posts: 9,812member
    I nominate thegelding for mod.



    I think it would be more a matter of who'd be willing to do it than who would be good. PowerDoc, alcimedes, Anders would do a good job.
  • Reply 8 of 83
    shawnjshawnj Posts: 6,656member
    It should have definite rules against all flaming, trolling, and hostility towards other members. We need to enforce a no-nonsense, no bullshit, zero tolerance policy so the mods don't go crazy telling people two or three times not to do something, or so they don't let it go to shit like Fireside Chat (and arguably, Apple Outsider).



    This is a great policy from a particular live journal group:

    Quote:

    1. Do NOT intentionally subject anyone to belligerent comments. If you do, we'll warn you and--if the post is egregiously offensive--we'll delete it. If you violate this guideline twice, we will ban you (unless you have a really good explanation).



    Note: Respectful, heated debate does not constitute violation of this guideline.

    2. Do NOT troll; if you do, you're gone. Verbally attacking other community members and visitors constitutes trolling, as does threatening violence. (Yes, we know that trolling is subjective; hence, we'll try to be as fair and moderate as possible.)



  • Reply 9 of 83
    moogsmoogs Posts: 4,296member
    It's worth a shot IMO, assuming the mods have a better sense of how to keep things in hand... otherwise 50% of the posts in here are going to be political / at least partially duplicative. Loads-o-clutter IMO.
  • Reply 10 of 83
    curiousuburbcuriousuburb Posts: 3,325member
    venting some of the spleen from AO will be a bonus



    as for moderator: Jimmy Carter?

    murbot or Sir Mac O The Isles.

    each delivering a prose pranging that warring sides would be set aback figuring out.

    mods more comedic than commandant might help defuse tension.
  • Reply 11 of 83
    ibrowseibrowse Posts: 1,749member
    It's not that I can't handle seeing threads with arguing in them, it's just that there's enough arguing in the rest of my life, I enjoy sitting down in front of AO with a big bowl of chips and forgetting about arguing for a bit.
  • Reply 12 of 83
    drewpropsdrewprops Posts: 2,321member
    Great Idea Jonathan! I would LOVE a new and better Debate Club forum!



    PowerDoc has been a fantastic mod in this forum, a very smooth touch when everybody starts acting silly and flinging poo-doo.



    Murbot is already on my AI Hall of Fame nomination card so he's an automagic "in".



    Gelding already ran away screaming from AO/FC once, he'd have to agree to being a mod, but he could be great.



    Fellowship has been pretty level-headed of late, I'm sure he'd take mod responsibilities seriously.



    if I think of any others I'll post 'em!
  • Reply 13 of 83
    cosmonutcosmonut Posts: 4,872member
    Would Powerdoc's mod abilities and rights extend to the sub-forum in AO or would the Election Year sub-forum have totally different people and ONLY them (plus Admins, of course)?
  • Reply 14 of 83
    powerdocpowerdoc Posts: 8,123member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by CosmoNut

    Would Powerdoc's mod abilities and rights extend to the sub-forum in AO or would the Election Year sub-forum have totally different people and ONLY them (plus Admins, of course)?



    I will still continue to moderate the two forums, but there will be others moderators. However the debate is still open, and no decisions have been taken.
  • Reply 15 of 83
    formerlurkerformerlurker Posts: 2,686member
    What drewprops said.



    Quote:

    Originally posted by drewprops

    Great Idea Jonathan! I would LOVE a new and better Debate Club forum!



    PowerDoc has been a fantastic mod in this forum, a very smooth touch when everybody starts acting silly and flinging poo-doo.



    Murbot is already on my AI Hall of Fame nomination card so he's an automagic "in".



    Gelding already ran away screaming from AO/FC once, he'd have to agree to being a mod, but he could be great.



    Fellowship has been pretty level-headed of late, I'm sure he'd take mod responsibilities seriously.



    if I think of any others I'll post 'em! [/B]



  • Reply 16 of 83
    ganondorfganondorf Posts: 573member
    I voted YES for the political subforum, but it is kind of a slippery slope. So I have reservations about my vote. Even though, "sure, what the hell" seems to apply in this situation.
  • Reply 17 of 83
    drewpropsdrewprops Posts: 2,321member
    What will you guys call it?
  • Reply 18 of 83
    fellowshipfellowship Posts: 5,038member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by drewprops

    What will you guys call it?







    "The Round Table"



    sounds clever



    Fellowship
  • Reply 19 of 83
    buonrottobuonrotto Posts: 6,368member
    I voted no, my reason being that while the political sub-forum probably has enough interest, the top-level forum probably won't have enough critical mass of interest in itself. The result would be a nuisance to anyone who wants to go to the sub-forum, and the lack of interest from people in the political threads would make the top level forum a ghost town. The non-political threads feed off the interest in the political threads, and the non-political ones serve as a counterpoint or cooler for the politics. The political forum would be even more extreme -- hard to imagine but true -- and would become just plain nasty like FC was without checks in place.



    I don't think the sub-forum does anything for the political threads, and it hurts the rest of AO. Right now, you can step over the political threads if you so choose, even though they're fairly redundant and come in bunches. I don't see how a sub-forum will add either decorum or moderation to the political stuff.
  • Reply 20 of 83
    chinneychinney Posts: 1,019member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by BuonRotto

    I voted no, my reason being that while the political sub-forum probably has enough interest, the top-level forum probably won't have enough critical mass of interest in itself. The result would be a nuisance to anyone who wants to go to the sub-forum, and the lack of interest from people in the political threads would make the top level forum a ghost town. The non-political threads feed off the interest in the political threads, and the non-political ones serve as a counterpoint or cooler for the politics. The political forum would be even more extreme -- hard to imagine but true -- and would become just plain nasty like FC was without checks in place.



    I don't think the sub-forum does anything for the political threads, and it hurts the rest of AO. Right now, you can step over the political threads if you so choose, even though they're fairly redundant and come in bunches. I don't see how a sub-forum will add either decorum or moderation to the political stuff.



    Exactly right.
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