I Am Done With the Politics Forum

[Intense]

Has anyone else noticed the increasing idiocy of those posts? I can barely remember the days when there was intelligent, principled liberal-conservative debate. Now it is little more than cheer leading for whichever team one identifies with, regardless of facts, logic or civil discourse. I fear this is representative of the country as a whole, with each side seeking to manipulate the brainless masses. History does not suggest a good outcome...

It has always been thus... with partisanship and emotionalism coming to the forefront and dominating the dialogue from time to time... whenever a medium grows beyond its charter or founding membership, but, it's that, or grow stagnant - part of the price for maintaining vitality. Some folks adjust. Some don't. But each departure does diminish the collective. Many folks here would advise a person feeling this way to take a break but not to abandon all participation, but, of course, that's a matter of priorities and energies and personal choice.

It's all cycles, some more extreme, some less, funny how, regardless of the slant, cause and effect remains true. Too bad we are not as focused on that as we are on spin.

 

[Intense]

Has anyone else noticed the increasing idiocy of those posts? I can barely remember the days when there was intelligent, principled liberal-conservative debate. Now it is little more than cheer leading for whichever team one identifies with, regardless of facts, logic or civil discourse. I fear this is representative of the country as a whole, with each side seeking to manipulate the brainless masses. History does not suggest a good outcome...

What you say is true but it's sometimes fun.

When you find a place that can somehow have civil discourse, let us know.

I came from a site that was heavily monitored and strict rules were in force. Still no one ever convinced the other of anything and nothing was ever solved. I figure, just have fun.

Whoever has the highest level access controls the forum. Your at the mercy of an individuals value system and the principles they use to guide their forum.

Actually, the direction, the success, the failure of a thread, has more to do with the nature and intent of the OP and the follow ups. We will defend your right to establish and make your point as best as we are able.

 

[Intense]

I can understand that.
The GZ trial is a prime example of people Cheering for their side despite all evidence.

And you cant have a rational discussion with people who think free shit is the answer to our countries problems.

You can either put the idiots on Ignore or simply skip their posts.

There are still many posters who think out their posts and try to create interesting discussions. Nobody expects to change anyone's mind but it's nice to share experiences and thoughts.

One can choose to ignore, poke, throw stones, or elevate the discussion, depending on forum restrictions and intent.

 

[Intense]

There could be a Formal Debate forum with rules to be followed by the two opposing posters only, for a set number of alternating posts followed with judging by members familiar with the rules and purpose of logical debate. (A good debater can take either side...and win.) ...but such a forum would be peculiar to the basic tenets of a message board and would require considerable moderator efforts. Again, we're screwed.

I used to coach debate. There is a formal set of rules for such a debate. There is a clearly articulated proposition and the audience votes in advance for which side they favor. Speakers proceed under the ordinary rules of forensics alternating for however many rounds are mutually agreed on. At the end, the same audience is polled again. The side that has gained ground is the winner. Provision can be made for audience questions. I've participated in a couple of these on line and the logistics work out pretty well. But the participants need to know what they are doing.

You're right; we're screwed.

Take it to the Bull Ring.

 

[Mac1958]

It's all cycles, some more extreme, some less, funny how, regardless of the slant, cause and effect remains true. Too bad we are not as focused on that as we are on spin.

There's lots of folks who clearly consider themselves an online Limbaugh or an online Maddow or any other of a number of partisan blabbers.

Spin is the partisan blabber's stock in trade, so we can expect that from their copycats. Not exactly constructive, but I guess that's not the point.

.

 

[Intense]

Has anyone else noticed the increasing idiocy of those posts? I can barely remember the days when there was intelligent, principled liberal-conservative debate. Now it is little more than cheer leading for whichever team one identifies with, regardless of facts, logic or civil discourse. I fear this is representative of the country as a whole, with each side seeking to manipulate the brainless masses. History does not suggest a good outcome...

This happens when a Board is predominantly right wing, and prone to use profanity and ad hominems in their attacks on those who don't agree with them.

Most eventually dissipate, as they end up with only their own kind - and how boring is that!

Perhaps, unnoticed by many, but there may be a learning process going on at the same time? Do some do their homework before posting? True, some get frustrated, probably because they are wrong, and begin the name-calling bit, but that too can be a learning experience?

Bottom line is - why bother attempting any kind of mature and thoughtful discourse when the thread is so quickly bogged down. XXXX

If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. Don't take any of it seriously and enjoy yourself.

You can create and maintain Clubs here, to accommodate most any parameters you want to set, that includes controlling membership and access.

 

[Intense]

It's all cycles, some more extreme, some less, funny how, regardless of the slant, cause and effect remains true. Too bad we are not as focused on that as we are on spin.

There's lots of folks who clearly consider themselves an online Limbaugh or an online Maddow or any other of a number of partisan blabbers.

Spin is the partisan blabber's stock in trade, so we can expect that from their copycats. Not exactly constructive, but I guess that's not the point.

.

Talking points, left or right, are easy to spot. Separating the wheat from the chaff?

 

[FA_Q2]

What you say is true but it's sometimes fun.

When you find a place that can somehow have civil discourse, let us know.

I came from a site that was heavily monitored and strict rules were in force. Still no one ever convinced the other of anything and nothing was ever solved. I figure, just have fun.

Whoever has the highest level access controls the forum. Your at the mercy of an individuals value system and the principles they use to guide their forum.

Actually, the direction, the success, the failure of a thread, has more to do with the nature and intent of the OP and the follow ups. We will defend your right to establish and make your point as best as we are able.

Nature and intent really are meaningless when 2 trolls from opposite sides sidelong the discussion and devolve into a slime fest. It happened to one of my recent threads started in politics and CDZ. The politics version lasted only a few hours before devolving into rubber room material. So fast that I did not even get to reply to my own topic

 

[Intense]

Whoever has the highest level access controls the forum. Your at the mercy of an individuals value system and the principles they use to guide their forum.

Actually, the direction, the success, the failure of a thread, has more to do with the nature and intent of the OP and the follow ups. We will defend your right to establish and make your point as best as we are able.

Nature and intent really are meaningless when 2 trolls from opposite sides sidelong the discussion and devolve into a slime fest. It happened to one of my recent threads started in politics and CDZ. The politics version lasted only a few hours before devolving into rubber room material. So fast that I did not even get to reply to my own topic

I'll look into them both later when I have some time.

 

[wavingrl]

This seems to go on in every forum, fwiw.

I assume that each and every one of us is 'fed up' over something.

 

[waltky]

Granny askin'...

... Ya still here?

 

[Jimmy_Jam]

Hack partisanship has one outcome and one outcome only: black/white world views in which the opposition must be painted in the ugliest light possible. This appears to be the only means of communication such hacks are capable of.

They also tend to use the word "truth" a lot, especially when they are lacking a premise or two, or presented with a piece of evidence that contradicts their world view.

 

[Mertex]

Has anyone else noticed the increasing idiocy of those posts? I can barely remember the days when there was intelligent, principled liberal-conservative debate. Now it is little more than cheer leading for whichever team one identifies with, regardless of facts, logic or civil discourse. I fear this is representative of the country as a whole, with each side seeking to manipulate the brainless masses. History does not suggest a good outcome...

You can actually have good discussions and debate if you happen to respond to someone that is civil, intelligent and honestly wants to discuss problems in politics. It's the fanatic trolls that ruin it for everyone. Most of them don't know what they are debating so they resort to name-calling and accusations that are not even true. The good debater then just gets frustrated and either responds back the same way or gives up.
It's up to the ownersof Forums to decide what kind of people they prefer to have. It's the same in the country. The fringes on both sides blur intelligent discussion and their shrieking is so loud that now even some legislators are catering to them. Hopefully reason will win out.

 

[Avorysuds]

The main issue I see on these boards is that there is no filter based on rep points. Like people who have low to no rep should not be allowed to start a thread. Reasoning is because we get 5+ of the same threads and that with red reped people we get incredibly partisan hate filled threads spammed at us.

If your rep is turned off you shouldn't be allowed to post new threads.

I often think about not reading these boards due to the lack of debate seeing that the amount of trolling is our of control.

I actually do want to learn, that is how I became Libertarian. 10 years ago if you told me who I would be today politically I would have wondered how that was possible.

 

[Mertex]

The main issue I see on these boards is that there is no filter based on rep points.

What? You actually believe that those with a high number of rep is all due to the fact that they have posted nothing but "good" posts?

There are many with a high number of rep that post really good posts, but there are also many with a lot of rep who have gotten it for posting nonsense and hateful comments that members who are just like them, like to see, and it's usually the same category of member, mostly troll.

 

[FA_Q2]

The main issue I see on these boards is that there is no filter based on rep points.

What? You actually believe that those with a high number of rep is all due to the fact that they have posted nothing but "good" posts?

There are many with a high number of rep that post really good posts, but there are also many with a lot of rep who have gotten it for posting nonsense and hateful comments that members who are just like them, like to see, and it's usually the same category of member, mostly troll.

That is a bit of a search from what he stated. I don’t think he was implying that ‘high’ rep people are only posting quality threads but rather that the negative rep people almost always post something that is trash. Considering that many here do not neg at all and most barely neg, it takes a LOT imho to actually earn an overall negative rating. Those people really don’t bother with anything bordering on rationality. Of course, I don’t think that barring them from posting new threads means anything though. Really, the number of troll threads is rather irrelevant, those are easy to avoid. It is the number of trolls in god discussions that matters.

I must say though, the MODS here have done a lot in that regard and they have also done very well in the creation of the CDZ/Bull ring to allow all posters an area that caters to the specific posters desires. Once you get a feel for the different areas, you can have the discussion that you are looking for. I would not want them to change that either. It is nice to be able to post however you want as long as you keep it where it belongs

 

[Luddly Neddite]

If your rep is turned off you shouldn't be allowed to post new threads.

That seems to me to be an odd reason to censor someone. Would you mind explaining ?

 

[Mertex]

If your rep is turned off you shouldn't be allowed to post new threads.

That seems to me to be an odd reason to censor someone. Would you mind explaining ?

I think it's a way for neg reppers to punish anyone that keeps them from getting their jollies off because they can't neg rep them anymore!

 

[BlueGin]

Exactly. That is why they neg them into oblivion in the first place and brag about it on the open board. To get other posters to circle their wagon's in hopes that the posters they want censored will either get banned or will stop posting.

It's a power play.

 

[dilloduck]

Has anyone else noticed the increasing idiocy of those posts? I can barely remember the days when there was intelligent, principled liberal-conservative debate. Now it is little more than cheer leading for whichever team one identifies with, regardless of facts, logic or civil discourse. I fear this is representative of the country as a whole, with each side seeking to manipulate the brainless masses. History does not suggest a good outcome...

I think there is far too much talk and far too little action.