Our Politics section is sliding down hill.

[dusred]

First off I'm not trying to earn myself a new Nico Darwin Award custom title by making this thread I truly do have Nico's best interest at heart .

It seems that our once very interesting and grown up politics section has recently took a turn that is driving lots of the good posters away (obvious, I know). The question is what can we do about it. We need some change in our politics forum. Here is a few ideas:

1. Have 2 main moderators; one Conservative and one Liberal. Each of these Moderators have to be fair and get along with each other or in other words they need to be able to disagree without being disagreeable (yes, I like that term ). The Conservative moderates the Conservative posts and the Liberal moderates the Liberal posts, and they don't edit the other side's posts (Conservatives don't edit Liberal's posts ect.). I think this is a good idea because the 2 sides think so much different it is hard for one to edit the others post without being somewhat biased. Hash has done a great job as a Liberal moderator and I think he would do great as the Liberal moderator if the Nico dad's use this idea.

2. Dedicate another Moderator of a third party (Librarian etc. since Hash is doing great as the Liberal moderator, and about 90% of the other mods/admins are Conservative). A third party moderator would help even things out a bit IMO.

3. Keep just one main Moderator and instruct him to crack down on all name calling, mud slinging, and irreverent posts/threads.

The last few weeks I've just been lurking here every now and then because it gets so hostile here and it's becoming less enjoyable to read/post. I think I put my finger on the reason; I think it's the mud slinging one member to another and the childish name calling and it shouldn't be allowed on a politics forum.

Please don't ban me mods, they are just ideas.

[AZhitman]

Oh noes. It's teh Fareness Doctrine!!!

[dusred]

It's OK as long as we're not talking about money right?

[wawazat8402]

I actually really like this forum. Though I dont agree with some of the people on here, I like to see why they believe what they do. I, like most other people I hope, tend to only keep up with the media that supports my own view. Its refreshing to see other angles and remind myself why I believe what I do, haha.

[heliochrome85]

you know, i think the best thing is to keep things as is. the whole idea behind the poltiics forum is to have a reasonable place to debate this stuff. mods wont ban you for bringing this up, as i have, smockers has, etc have in the past. the best way to handle it is sometimes to just realize that each of us has our own reasons for being crotchety and cranky. you will often find that we are very receptive to new ideas or points of view if they are phrased and presented properly. at least that was what happend in my case, right AZ/audi? you wont always agree, but you will earn the respect of the other guys here. im sure that your participation here alone, even at 17, has earned you sizable respect from us old guys. its only a matter of time til you are here writing exactly what i am, to another new guy in the same position. GL.

[sensibleS13driver]

Oh noes. It's teh Fareness Doctrine!!!

Ugh, I've been reading "Justice as Fairness" all day and trying to stay sane.

I suspect there will be a collective exhale after the election and maybe a group hug or two.

[Jesda]

Its gotten better in the past month.

[Cold_Zero]

Its gotten better in the past month.

Probably because of the arrival of you, the return of Helio and Hash's moderating and facilitating skills.bud

[marlin29311]

haha...i just made a rant post about this in the thread Bobbo made...didn't even know this was here....

@ me

[DrifterXRPS13]

I agree, when you guys first made this forum i was excited to just see what people are thinking and what ideas one had but as it's gone on and the election is getting closer the negativity has just gotten increasingly worse.

Let's get back on track and not be like the actual candidates, that's the reason why i don't watch the debates or polls, i just see what they are about and base my decisions and opinions on that.

You shouldn't have to defend yourself for having views and opinons and you shouldn't be called names and nor should we be calling each other names.

This is supposed to be a civilized forum, if we can keep it that way, more members will find their way in here.

[HashiriyaS14]

I think my moderation in here is pretty fair.

I've only edited one post in the last few weeks and it was one of telco's.

I post plenty of pro-Dem material due to current personal leanings, but I think I also call out "liberal" users when they post BS on a fairly regular basis.

I actually haven't had to "moderate" (defined as editing/deleting threads or posts and admonishing users) this section hardly at all recently. I've taken a hands-off approach and it appears to work just fine.

What I post personally and what I "moderate" need to be taken separately.

[marlin29311]

I think my moderation in here is pretty fair.

I've only edited one post in the last few weeks and it was one of telco's.

I post plenty of pro-Dem material due to current personal leanings, but I think I also call out "liberal" users when they post BS on a fairly regular basis.

I actually haven't had to "moderate" (defined as editing/deleting threads or posts and admonishing users) this section hardly at all recently. I've taken a hands-off approach and it appears to work just fine.

What I post personally and what I "moderate" need to be taken separately.

I don't think that anyone is calling you out for your posts Hash - they've all been well though out and carefully articulated and never "lash" at anyone. I think the issue has become more of the "you're a test tube baby" / "youre a dumbass" / "ride the shortbus" / "i'm awesome because i think i know what's going to happen but i have no proof" type of posts that continue to ensue in this part of the forum. I personally would like to see more action taken, as recently there is a lot more name calling and senseless banter coming from just about everyone that posts in here, and it's become a giant mess. When Bob was removed as mod here, things seemed to quiet down a little, as his blatant personal attacks were certianly not welcomed, but with the imminance of the election around the corner, it seems that the "idle noise" has picked up once again...just my .02...

[Cold_Zero]

I would also wager to say that after a week or two after Election Day (Nov. 4) things will calm down a lot. Something about Presidential Politics during an election year gets people worked up. Once this all blows over, I am sure things will be a lot calmer.bud

[HashiriyaS14]

I don't think that anyone is calling you out for your posts Hash - they've all been well though out and carefully articulated and never "lash" at anyone. I think the issue has become more of the "you're a test tube baby" / "youre a dumbass" / "ride the shortbus" / "i'm awesome because i think i know what's going to happen but i have no proof" type of posts that continue to ensue in this part of the forum. I personally would like to see more action taken, as recently there is a lot more name calling and senseless banter coming from just about everyone that posts in here, and it's become a giant mess. When Bob was removed as mod here, things seemed to quiet down a little, as his blatant personal attacks were certianly not welcomed, but with the imminance of the election around the corner, it seems that the "idle noise" has picked up once again...just my .02...

I ask that you not rip on Bob directly. He inherited a section of the boards with no precedents to follow and thus he had to invent them as he went along. This is not an easy job. I had the benefit of having seen it in action for a few months before I stepped in.

Anyway, in regards to the personal attacks between people, I have taken the position thus far that to moderate them actively, except in the most extreme of circumstances, would be folly.

A politics forum lacks "bite" if people aren't allowed to get a little heated, and I don't think it's passed the "too heated" line yet.

Hopefully, people will gradually realize that as they resort to personal attacks rather than sound logic more and more, they will be taken less and less seriously. The posters in this section who are taken most seriously and who are most respected tend not to resort to personal attacks at all. You and I know who these people are.

We also have plenty of jokers in here, but everyone knows who the jokers are and their penalty for being jokers is that we tend to discount even their better arguments due to their reputation as being less than model citizens.

The election is coming up in a week, things will calm down after that. Heated political discussion is fun and we won't have another POTUS race for four more years, so unless things get really and truly out of hand, I'm inclined to let it ride.

[DrifterXRPS13]

I guess your right hash, only a week left and then things will most likely calm down but i think we'll still be discussing about whomever gets elected until they are sworn in.

[heliochrome85]

Probably because of the arrival of you, the return of Helio and Hash's moderating and facilitating skills.bud

thanks bud. i think things are going quite well. plus, this isnt exactly how the forum is normally run...

presidential campaign will be over soon, and things will change.

[AZhitman]

Probably because of the arrival of you, the return of Helio and Hash's moderating and facilitating skills.bud

Absolutely.

I'm quite pleased with this forum, I never thought it would take off.

Also, Bob did a fine job as the "founding Moderator". Even a World Series team switches up its coaching staff once in a while.

[dusred]

Hash, sorry if I didn't make it clear but I think you're doing a great job at modding the Politics forum. Nothing against Bob here I think he did really good at first after all this is a car forum.

The reason I made this thread is because of the absence of some of our better posters lately; namely Encryptshun, srellim234, and others who haven't been around much probably because of the mud slinging and name calling not only by the members but by some of the mod's too.

[Urabus GodofTraction]

a third party (Librarian...

*Chuckle*

I'd rather not have a liberal mod, conservative mod, etc. A mod of the section needs to be above all political alignments.

If it were me, this sub-forum's mod would be a nameless joint account that an unknown (to us pleebs) number of mods had access to. Regular mods would be "powerless."

Also, Bob did a fine job as the "founding Moderator".

While I don't know what went on in the background, my interactions with him outside this sub-forum kept me out of here (for better or worse, ehh?). I respectfully, but emphatically disagree.

This is, by far, the worst political forum I visit. However, the only other forums I frequent anyway are GRM, which is small enough we're all friends and it's needed a mod's touch maybe twice, The Highroad, which avoids all politics that aren't 2nd Amendment related, and Corner-Carvers, which is well, Corner-Carvers. So, good job!

[CakeDaddy]

*This is, by far, the worst political forum I visit. However, the only other forums I frequent anyway are GRM, which is small enough we're all friends and it's needed a mod's touch maybe twice, The Highroad, which avoids all politics that aren't 2nd Amendment related, and Corner-Carvers, which is well, Corner-Carvers. So, good job!

...yes, the worst! I have to agree with the original post from dusred. "Have 2 main moderators; one Conservative and one Liberal" That would've been a great idea 1 year ago, but this is too far gone now. With 6 days to go just let it play out. This side of the forum will die down and we'll get back to talking about nothing.

[AZhitman]

...yes, the worst!

Hmmmm.... Really? I'm pretty certain you're not ON any other political forums.

If you were, you'd have something intelligent and unique to contribute.

I have yet to see it.

[Jesda]

I used to be an IRC junkie. I didn't sneak out, drink, or do anything "wrong" in high school. Just read tons of books, wrote a lot of stuff, and watched a lot of news. Seriously.

I spent a lot of my free time until 2005 as an operator on #politics Efnet. I ate, slept, and breathed philosophical, economic, and political discussion. Then there was the debate team at school, lol.

I think I get some kind of weird pleasure out of this that sets off my neurotransmitters. I must be mental.

Anyway, Chris is doing well with the forum.

[C-Kwik]

Seeing as how most of the moderator staff that posts in here lean Republican, I don't really think we need too many hands in here. Ultimately, so long as everyone plays by the rules, things should be fine. When someone does not, their post gets moderated. Heated debates are bound to happen. And I think that's fine. So long as people attack the issue and not the people...

[480sx]

You shouldn't have to defend yourself for having views and opinions and you shouldn't be called names and nor should we be calling each other names.

This is supposed to be a civilized forum, if we can keep it that way, more members will find their way in here.

What?! You shouldnt have to defend yourself for having views and opinions in a political forum!?! Thats the whole idea behind the forum dude.. If you want to spout off at the mouth and not be attacked and question your in the wrong place.

I mean yea people shouldnt be calling names and stuff but i havnt really seen much of that..

The whole idea of civilized is very indescriptive to most people. From what i have seen this forum is pretty civilized IMO. You just cant expect someone to come out of the woodwork and create ridiculous statements that have no backbone and not get hung out to dry. Or at least grilled on their thought process behind their statements.

As far as this whole issue.. Fairness doctrine lol. The forum mods def lean to the right but theres still a balance here. Hash does a good job from the little of him i have seen.

[CakeDaddy]

Hmmmm.... Really? I'm pretty certain you're not ON any other political forums.

If you were, you'd have something intelligent and unique to contribute.

I have yet to see it.

You’re like that not so cute girl in jr-high school that I could never get away from. Thanks for helping prove another point. I was contributing to this thread with my opinion and here you come with your hate. Congratulations! Did you even take note of the thread title? Hmmm. Lets try not to infest this thread with hate and mindless rhetoric. I said this earlier, good luck to you and I wish you the best. I really dont see you as being a bad guy, but I see a guy wound up a little to tight and your My Space pics made it even more clear, so lighten up just a little. It aint that serious. I promise.

….and just to stay on the topic, the politic section is sliding down hill.

My work is done here Greg...Enjoy Obama's 30 minute special tonight. I know you'll be watching.
Modified by CakeDaddy at 6:00 PM 10/29/2008

[AZhitman]

You’re like that not so cute girl in jr-high school that I could never get away from.

Sorry there was only one. And I'm sorry she was ugly.

Maybe guys like me were taking all the good ones.

...here you come with your hate... ...and mindless rhetoric.

"Hate" is such a strong word. I think if there was any "hate", someone else would have pointed it out.

Alas, no one's rushing to your defense.

....I see a guy wound up a little to tight and your My Space pics made it even more clear...

LOL. Ask anyone here who's met me - I'm about as easygoing and fun-loving as they get. I didn't get blacklisted from most major rental car companies (and a few hotel chains) by being a stick in the mud.

But I'm glad you took the time to perv my MySpace page.

Enjoy Obama's 30 minute special tonight. I know you'll be watching.

Nope.

Cartoons just don't feel right unless it's Saturday morning.

[szh]

My work is done here Greg...Enjoy Obama's 30 minute special tonight. I know you'll be watching.

Not addressed to me, I know, but I certainly will not bother watching.

No biggie ... I don't watch other "praise the lord" channels/programs either!

Z

[marlin29311]

Good thing the Phillies won otherwise I would have been 2x more annoyed at that stupid propoganda crap than I already was....pushing back the World Series for pete's sake - how UNAMERICAN is that?

[HashiriyaS14]

Nope.

Cartoons just don't feel right unless it's Saturday morning.

[AZhitman]

....pushing back the World Series for pete's sake - how UNAMERICAN is that?

Pompous and arrogant is more like it.

What can you expect from a guy who said he was rooting for the Phillies AND the Rays? ONLY a woman would say something so pathetic.

Then again, he probably lumps sports fans in with those who "cling to guns and religion".