About the reptilian threads

[Platapus]

Originally Posted by Takeda Shingen

My approach to them would be the same; create a master Obama thread for all of the discussion. Hell, even sticky it. This way, the people that want to talk politics get what they want, and the people that don't want to wade through all of those individual threads get what they want. I know that this may not be organized enough to make some happy, but let us face it; political discourse is less Napoleonic warfare and more bar room brawl.

I would support this. I keep pushing for a separate political subforum. It is getting a bit much. I could understand if the individual threads were actual deep thinking discussions, but rarely are they. Some are simply cut and past from news services (as if we don't have the ability to read the news ourselves) and others are simply rehashing what has already been discussed on other threads.

Your idea of a Obama sticky, while a good idea, won't work because it removes the ego satisfaction of some of the posters. They don't want their opinions "buried" in some discussion form with everyone elses opinion, they want their opinions in their own thread, with their name, on the front page. To some, this is important.

This is one of the reasons I think a separate forum for political discussion would work then everyone who wants to participate by flooding new threads can do so, while the other members can still enjoy the GT forum. A win win solution in my opinion.

Politics is a very emotional topic. There is a reason why in polite conversation one never brings up politics nor religion - Many people can not discuss either without getting emotional. Let's face it, most people consider their opinion to be the "right" opinion and really can't/won't understand that others may have a different opinion.

We have, in my opinion (which is the right opinion of course! ) four options.

1. Forbid any political discussion on SubSim. Not a good solution. It would be one where the cure is worse than the disease.

2. Have an Obama Sticky (your idea). The discussions about Obama are too varied for one sticky. This site would have to have a number of Obama Stickies addressing the full spectrum of Obama topics from one extreme (I hate Obama because he is Black) to the other extreme (I love everything Obama touches) and everything in the middle. It would be a nightmare for the moderators to handle.

3. Have a separate political sub-forum. This the solution I would prefer. In this new forum, everyone could continue to do what they currently do, spamming Obama topics as they wish. Little extra work for the moderators. Any one entering the political sub-forum knows exactly what they are getting into. People who wish to post on matters political have the opportunity. People who have no interest in reading these type of posts won't have their "GT experience" affected.

4. Do nothing. The easiest solution. Most of us here are big boys and girls and we have the ability to not open up a thread. I am a big political interest guy. My interests are professional and academic. I love discussing politics! But honestly, I read the first 2-3 posts in a political thread and I can decide whether it is worth following. Most of the political threads I don't open. Sure it is annoying to see the thread titles listing yet another "I hate Obama" topic, but I am a big boy and I can simply read the threads I like and then select from the quick links "Mark forums read" to gray out the threads I did not want to read.

Censorship on the Internet Tubes is a complicated and emotional topic in itself. In a perfect world, the members of this site would decide for themselves to self manage the thread topics. But this is not a perfect world. People will post here with an agenda, with their personal biases, and even with their emotions. Remember sites like this are probably the only place they can spout off their opinions. That is one of the unintended consequences of the Internet Tubes - Every one now has an ability to post opinions. And many people really like that.

[Oberon]

I would only add my voice in support of a sub-forum (there's a pun there somewhere) for politics however I would also add 'religion' to go with that sub-forum, because if we manage to expel the Obama threads from GT they will simply be replaced with "OMFG THE MUSLIMS WILL KILL US ALL" threads.

[Platapus]

But where would we put the post on "Obama is a Muslim and wants to destroy America"?

[Marcantilan]

Hey, I´m the one who was running the reptilian thread!

http://www.subsim.com/radioroom//sho...d.php?t=104252

You stole my idea ... you .... lizard!

[Castout]

Snake is good for eating. It tastes like chicken.

I know this is not the thread.

[Onkel Neal]

Ha! I guessed correctly.

[Freiwillige]

Originally Posted by Neal Stevens

Ha! I guessed correctly.

I had guessed that you had guessed, What are we guessing again?

[Raptor1]

Originally Posted by Oberon

I would only add my voice in support of a sub-forum (there's a pun there somewhere) for politics however I would also add 'religion' to go with that sub-forum, because if we manage to expel the Obama threads from GT they will simply be replaced with "OMFG THE MUSLIMS WILL KILL US ALL" threads.

It seems to me that most religious threads are also political threads anyway, so that's probably a good idea.

I was rather opposed to a political sub-forum, but I guess it might be a viable solution to the topic spamming. I don't think an Obama thread will survive unless the whole issue is very brutally moderated, and even then it will not work so well. So if we're not going to fix this with mock trials and execution by firing squad, I think a political forum might indeed be a reasonable solution.

[Hottentot]

Originally Posted by Platapus

I am a big political interest guy. My interests are professional and academic. I love discussing politics! But honestly, I read the first 2-3 posts in a political thread and I can decide whether it is worth following.

Well said, sums up many of my thoughts too. I'm mostly a reader, because I don't think I have enough knowledge to start debating politics of a foreign country (and not always even those of my own country either), but I like following a political discussion. And when it's usually about a subject that doesn't touch me directly (say, American health care), I just like following a good debate. Even when I don't participate myself, I often find myself learning something from both sides of any given debate. It's nice.

I still agree with this topic. The Obama threads aren't a problem. The problem is that the first page can only hold so many topics at once. While there are many valid discussions about the subject as well, they too get buried under the topic spam and get the "great, yet another Jawabama thread"-label all too easily. Agitprop benefits no one in here, but if that can't be stopped, then a sub-forum or a big thread would be nice. At least then everyone would know what they are opening.

[Rhodes]

So, those this lizards would be eating birds heads or not?









V reference...

[Oberon]

Originally Posted by Rhodes

So, those this lizards would be eating birds heads or not?









V reference...

Nah, I think they're more into Guinea Pigs.

[Lord Justice]

Originally Posted by Hottentot

I just like following a good debate. Even when I don't participate myself, I often find myself learning something from both sides of any given debate. It's nice.

Are you French sir? or just a wise owl! @tak, if you should advance my way enroute to brig, I will throw you a ball and glove, if to be had.

[Hottentot]

Originally Posted by 4Para

Are you French sir? or just a wise owl!

No, I'm a Hottentot! Sorry, couldn't resist. You just reminded me where my nick comes from. We were once in France with bunch of friends (all Finns), staying in a certain place where many people from different countries were staying at and usually also accommodated in same rooms. Then this French guy suddenly barged into our room when I was all alone and asked if anyone there was French. I replied apologizing that I'm unfortunately a Hottentot and all my friends are Bushmen. Poor guy left with a very confused look on his face and later I learned that he only wanted to know what time it was.

Come to think of it, I haven't ever been called "French", "Sir" or "Wise". Even less all in the same post. I'm taking it as a compliment and hope that tomorrow I won't wake up as a Reptilian drone.

[Lord Justice]

Originally Posted by Hottentot

Come to think of it, I haven't ever been called "French", "Sir" or "Wise". Even less all in the same post. I'm taking it as a compliment

Then a toast my good man! To duty, and manners. Good day.

[Weiss Pinguin]

Originally Posted by Hottentot

No, I'm a Hottentot! Sorry, couldn't resist. You just reminded me where my nick comes from. We were once in France with bunch of friends (all Finns), staying in a certain place where many people from different countries were staying at and usually also accommodated in same rooms. Then this French guy suddenly barged into our room when I was all alone and asked if anyone there was French. I replied apologizing that I'm unfortunately a Hottentot and all my friends are Bushmen. Poor guy left with a very confused look on his face and later I learned that he only wanted to know what time it was.

Come to think of it, I haven't ever been called "French", "Sir" or "Wise". Even less all in the same post. I'm taking it as a compliment and hope that tomorrow I won't wake up as a Reptilian drone.

This is exactly what I'm talking about! If you try a superthread for something like politics, you'll have people going off on tangents left and right just like this, and it'll be more foncusing than just having a thread for each line of thinking