Polotics/Phillosophy/Religion in GT
 

It is my opinion that General topics would be much better with out so much heavy PPR.
All the topics that have real worth are not PPR topics.

How about a separate forum area for PPR stuff so GT isn't so full of it?

Excellent idea. I myself am farcking tired of all the politics/religion debates there. Tons of them, but there's no proper debate, just name-calling.

Also: is it just me, or is the smile icon slightly creepy? ( :) )

Which means locking the thread, now if you ask me...whats the point in making a section for subjects which cause(d) the most problems between members as at the sudden there are harsh words and name-calling involved between them?

there are plenty of other forums that are all about PPR subjects on the web if you are in for deep debates and conversations.

Remember, this is a naval/Simulator forum...lets keep it that way
GT section is for all the stuff that doesnt fit in the other sections inlcuding some of the political/philisophy and Religious threads that are made from time to time, ignore those if you dont like it...smartest thing to do.

HunterICX

Good advice. :up:

I'll second that one :yep:

@ Hunter: nice post mate.


RDP

Well, firstly, it does seem to take quite a bit of time for an "hot" thread to get locked at GT. Usually it's at the time when one of the debaters gets pissed off at the others because they dont believe/think as he. This is what I mean, we can have a 50 page thread with no name-calling, but full of posts that are simplified as "my way of thinking is better than yours, no matter what you say, I wont change it!". Take all those posts out and only leave the ones that actually have something in them, you have 2 pages left.

And as for ignoring them, you know as well as I do that you can rant about ignoring the trolls etc. till the end of the world and it doesnt change a thing. ;)

Well then lock the GT Forum from June to September, got my vote. Or put me in charge and I will lock these threads and suspend people for being drull.

Give me the big stick and I will kick ass.

All I can say about the politics part in the GT forum, it is a new era it seems in the US. A women and black man running for President of the US. If that does not strike up conversation, nothing will. As far as religion, not the time or the place IMO.

While that may sound like good advice, it's advice that for most people, simply doesn't work. Regardless of what a persons stance is on politics and religion, they ARE topics that touch very sensitive areas for everyone.

One may not intend to get involved in such debates, but when its smeared right there in your face for all to see, its very hard to not click the thread link out of some morbid curisoity or inflammatory subject title that goads you in some way shape or form. Politics and religion threads are alot like traffic accidents. You know you shouldn't slow down and rubberneck, but you do it anyway. Another metaphore, tell a person, "Don't look down!", and what do they end up doing 8 out of 10 times?

Seems to work for me, ignoring certain threads in the GT Forum :yep:
Yeah I may be tempted to look, or go wtf.... but the kicker is actually choosing to
invest any time in the thing, almost always I choose not to. I don't have the time and would rather spend it in the gaming forums or history stuff.

But a small part of me has to admit though, even if GT can get a bit twisted by
times ( ok a lot twisted :doh::doh: ), it does have it's moments when you actually learn something you did not know or at least were not aware of previously.


RDP

All im going to say, is, i really think that old saying of "Never talk about politics or religion" has same honest truth to it. It's an old saying, and if it wasnt true, it woudlnt have been around for so long.

Its a subject that can burn away respect you may have for others, or others may have for you, in about the same amount of time it takes to light a match. Especially on the internet. Ive seen it on a number of message board communities. And theres always a resistance to want to put a cap on it, or stick it in its own corner where it arguably belongs. I guess some people like the strife that is created by these subjects, while others don't. If you like seeing people go at each others throats, well, by all means, stoke the coals and keep the fires burning. Eventually that boiler will blow, its only a matter of time.

edit:

I might add, the last few days, ive had to exercises an incredible amount of self control because of some of the crap ive read in the GF. My 2 cents and 2 posts worth, im done talking about it.

I apologize for my part in that 'dust-up', but when someone starts posting things you think are wrong, it's hard not to respond. I try not to resort to hostility or name-calling, but sometimes I just lose my cool altogether, as with August the other day.

On the other hand, General Topics is just that - it covers 'everything else'. You could post a rule that says "Don't discuss these things", but that kind of defeats the purpose, don't you think?

I think that the last thing SubSim needs is another set of forum divisions. GT is designed to be a grab-bag of everything not related to naval simulations, and so you will see a veritable potpourri topics ranging from beer to the discourse of religion. To echo the sentiments of so many above, the best way to not discuss the topic is to not discuss the topic. This is why threads have titles.

As it relates to dust ups: If you will recall the number of locked threads from even just six or eight months ago, you would note that the frequency is a mere fraction of what it used to be. The civility on GT has improved dramatically, and it is the members who are to thank for it.

Yep, we need another topic section.:yep: