Close the Politics Forum?

[The Monkey]

that was my fault (too many people hate me ...mostly right wing extremists ..oh and that girl I cheated on a long long time ago) ...ban me if that will spare the politics forum ..I'm a willing sheep ready to be sacrificed

Awww, a martyr, how touching.
(not sarcasm)

Anyway, I have another idea... maybe you could keep the politics forum unmoderated! Just let the war go on, and if the trolls ever show their faces outside politics, ban them

 

[Pi Mu Rho]

Believe it or not, moderating is not just closing and banning, its stopping things from getting to that stage. If a forum goes to shit its the fault of the mods, or the owner for employing mods who cant/wont get the job done.

Actually, it's the fault of the morons that cause it. People are warned, people are banned. Threads are closed, posts deleted. If it still continues in this section far, far more than any other, then what next step do you take? You close it.

 

[Reaktor4]

That's one of the most stupid posts I've ever seen. :|

Whatever.

 

[jondy]

In fairness. This is a gaming site, that's what it was created as. In it's short time on the site the politics forum has caused more bans, trolls, and generic flames than any of the other sections combined.

It even indirectly caused the site to be attacked from outside.

Arguably these forums aren't responsible, but rather the people posting in it, however, this demonstrates the unsuitability of such a section on this site, and ultimately this is what is leading to it's closure.

Hope this clears things up.


-What's all this about power trips?-

That's the problem I have with this though; this is more than a gaming site, it's a community.

With so many people in here reaching high post counts, I liked there being a place where people get to know eachother out of the 'gaming' stereotype.

There's no denying politics gets heated, but at the same time I think forcefully removing political debate is the wrong way to calm things down.

 

[Reaktor4]

Actually, it's the fault of the morons that cause it. People are warned, people are banned. Threads are closed, posts deleted. If it still continues in this section far, far more than any other, then what next step do you take? You close it.

Usually what happens is that things are allowed to get out of hand and the thread is closed. If people were told to act civil more often things wouldnt be that bad.
Sometimes things are not preventable, but the majority of flaming here is, imo.

 

[CptStern]

Awww, a martyr, how touching.
(not sarcasm)

Anyway, I have another idea... maybe you could keep the politics forum unmoderated! Just let the war go on, and if the trolls ever show their faces outside politics, ban them

that would work ..or just make me mod ..I'm heavy handed but fair, plus I have no hidden agenda

 

[The Mullinator]

Come next election or next major series of political events and the desire to bring it back will start to resurface. I guarantee it.

It is really easy to close it down now since there isn't much of a debate at the moment. Nothing altogether interesting has really started to occur yet.

Besides, the flaming that went on the politics forum was really not much worse than the flaming that went on at a much larger level in the General Half-Life 2 discussion from the infamous September 30th date until a couple of months before the game was released. Anyone who knew what that was like will also know that most senior members often simply abandoned that forum section and kept to off-topic.

I would also like to point out that most of the flaming and trolling in the politics section was not as widespread as people think. Contrary to popular belief here it was not like an unmoderated "House of flames" section. Intelligent debate was in fact quite common.

 

[Laivasse]

That's the problem I have with this though; this is more than a gaming site, it's a community.

With so many people in here reaching high post counts, I liked there being a place where people get to know eachother out of the 'gaming' stereotype.

There's no denying politics gets heated, but at the same time I think forcefully removing political debate is the wrong way to calm things down.

Agreed. This is no longer a gaming site, since the game this forum was originally created around is now old and generates relatively little of the discussion that goes on.

Frankly, the politics section has been fine lately, apart from one troll who tried to get at Stern and was promptly banned. It might not be very appealing to have to look at tinpot conspiracy theory threads, or seeing Solaris espousing the merits of communism, but if you're going to run the site solely on the basis of "the people who say stuff we like, or stuff that is so bland and insubstantial that noone can dislike, can post, and only them", then at least say so.

 

[CptStern]

Come next election or next major series of political events and the desire to bring it back will start to resurface. I guarantee it.

It is really easy to close it down now since there isn't much of a debate at the moment. Nothing altogether interesting has really started to occur yet.

Besides, the flaming that went on the politics forum was really not much worse than the flaming that went on at a much larger level in the General Half-Life 2 discussion from the infamous September 30th date until a couple of months before the game was released. Anyone who knew what that was like will also know that most senior members often simply abandoned that forum section and kept to off-topic.

I would also like to point out that most of the flaming and trolling in the politics section was not as widespread as people think. Contrary to popular belief here it was not like an unmoderated "House of flames" section. Intelligent debate was in fact quite common.

yes I agree wholeheartedly, thank you for clarifying

 

[jondy]

plus I have no hidden agenda

Lies!!

 

[CptStern]

lol ...I'm soooo going to gut you :E

 

[The Monkey]

I just had a chat with Solaris, and he believes him being banned is a heterian (I've never learned to spell that correctly) conspiracy.

 

[jondy]

I just had a chat with Solaris, and he believes him being banned is a heterian (I've never learned to spell that correctly) conspiracy.

Being banned not changing him much then? :E

 

[Llama]

It probably is.

*cowers from the ban stick* Spare me please, ill be good

 

[ComradeBadger]

Believe it or not, moderating is not just closing and banning, its stopping things from getting to that stage. If a forum goes to shit its the fault of the mods, or the owner for employing mods who cant/wont get the job done.

We delete offensive posts, close the bad threads etc - however, this doesn't change the fact that the offensive posts were made, and that the threads were created.

The fact that this section invites people to do such things is grounds for closure.

I just had a chat with Solaris, and he believes him being banned is a heterian (I've never learned to spell that correctly) conspiracy.

Why the hell would it be that? Hetairia is a completely separate forum, and isn't related to the management of this site.

 

[CptStern]

but so does offtopic ..the very nature of off topic leads to spamming

 

[Angry Lawyer]

Politics - pwnt.

-Angry Lawyer

 

[JNightshade]

It's tough to say...
In my opinion, while it may have started out as a gaming site, it really has gone beyond that at this point. I mean, I barely play HL2 anymore. I've moved onto newer games. So why am I here? Surely not to discuss a game (albeit an amazing one) that I lost interest in half a year ago. I'm here because it's an excellent forum, inexplicably so. So of course it's the mods' decision, but I still think it's unnecessary to close it.

 

[The Monkey]

Why the hell would it be that? Hetairia is a completely separate forum, and isn't related to the management of this site.

Ask him... He said he would e-mail Munro.

EDIT: Just a quick question, does this mean that all the posts I made in Politics will disappear? That would mean that my post count dropped a couple of thousand.

EDIT 2: 6000th post!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Absinthe]

The fact that this section invites people to do such things is grounds for closure.

Any section can invite crap.

I'm really wondering what brought about this sudden decision. It can't be anything recent in Politics. It's nowhere near the boiling pot of rancid hatred that it once was. Granted, people do get out of line every so often, but it's not some kind of widespread pandemic. I certainly don't see it affecting any other section of the forum.

The justification that it's a gaming site holds no water... unless you also feel like getting rid of the Music, Film, Art, and Off Topic sections as well.

 

[Angry Lawyer]

Solaris is just a overzealous, overopinionated kid who thinks that a forum is controlled by an illuminatus organisation

-Angry Lawyer

 

[Ennui]

Solaris is an idiot who's been inflammatory and generally stupid for too long. He's deserved a ban for far longer than this, and Hetairia's got nothing to do with that.

 

[DiSTuRbEd]

I just had a chat with Solaris, and he believes him being banned is a heterian (I've never learned to spell that correctly) conspiracy.

Awww thats so cute, he thinks it's a conspiracy maybe he should do what his uncle or grand dad or whoever it was, to himself.

Solaris is an idiot who's been inflammatory and generally stupid for too long. He's deserved a ban for far longer than this, and Hetairia's got nothing to do with that.

100% in agreement with that statement.

 

[The Monkey]

Awww thats so cute, he thinks it's a conspiracy maybe he should do what his uncle or grand dad or whoever it was, to himself.

Get spanked?

 

[Ennui]

More like blow oneself up by accident.

 

[CptStern]

k guys less talk about solaris more talk about why this section is closing down

 

[Yuri]

More like blow oneself up by accident.

Oh yeah, thats what it was that originally made me think he was a twit.

 

[Absinthe]

k guys less talk about solaris more talk about why this section is closing down

Because we're too mean, or something. They really haven't supplied a sufficient rationale.

 

[CptStern]

no I'm being selfish for once and not judging why he was banned

 

[DiSTuRbEd]

Because we're too mean, or something. They really haven't supplied a sufficient rationale.

You don't own the forum, Munro does, he can do what he wants when he wants to. Quit complaining its not fair etc, when you start paying the bills you can speak up about it until then STFU.

 

[Ikerous]

You don't own the forum, Munro does, he can do what he wants when he wants to. Quit complaining its not fair etc, when you start paying the bills you can speak up about it until then STFU.

Mruno may own it, but its only popular because of the people that post here.
(i.e Absinthe)

 

[DiSTuRbEd]

Mruno may own it, but its only popular because of the people that post here.
(i.e Absinthe)

Now tell me why there is barely any new people EVER posting in here? Its the same ole 3-4 people and nobody else, usually.

 

[Sulkdodds]

Absinthe is the reason.

Off topic: wtf. I honestly think this is a stupid idea, and anyway I loved the horror, vitriol and hate that went into this section. :|

 

[jondy]

You don't own the forum, Munro does, he can do what he wants when he wants to. Quit complaining its not fair etc, when you start paying the bills you can speak up about it until then STFU.

Pay the bills?

 

[Ennui]

It's not really productive debate that occurs, just the same people arguing to the point of flames about the same topics over and over.

 

[Ikerous]

Now tell me why there is barely any new people EVER posting in here? Its the same ole 3-4 people and nobody else, usually.

Because its those 30-40 (I'm assuming you dropped the zeros... or are just really bad at counting ) that enjoy discussing the topics that are in here. And there are probably even more that rarely post here but read this forum on a daily basis. I very rarely post in these forums but i almost prefer this forum to the general OT forum.

It's not really productive debate that occurs, just the same people arguing to the point of flames about the same topics over and over.

Not a single post in off topic is every productive

And i've learned a lot from the debates in here, so they clearly arent all bad.

 

[Absinthe]

You don't own the forum, Munro does, he can do what he wants when he wants to. Quit complaining its not fair etc, when you start paying the bills you can speak up about it until then STFU.

Right, because somebody else owns it, that negates the stupidity of the course of action.

I'm not seeing the logic.

 

[Sulkdodds]

It seems crazy. There are a lot of people here who really enjoy the political discussion, and especially enjoy a good horrible teeth-and-claws argument - more so if the opponent is stupid and/or insane. And then there are often some very interesting threads on very interesting topics that manage to last a while before descending into a pissing contest. Fact is, the politics forum is by no means perfect - in fact, it's a horrid disgusting place - but that's what people love about it, and I don't think it should be destroyed. As has been noted, these forums are about the people now and not about the games.

Plus, Solaris is a bit of an arse but the banning seems harsh. How long's it for anyway?

 

[DiSTuRbEd]

Right, because somebody else owns it, that negates the stupidity of the course of action.

I'm not seeing the logic.

You must be blind then, he can remove shit if he wants and you either accept it or move on. I think you can figure out what to do.

 

[Absinthe]

You must be blind then, he can remove shit if he wants and you either accept it or move on. I think you can figure out what to do.

So discussion and protest is pointless.

Your justification blows. No offense. Just because it's within somebody's power to alter something does not negate my ability to speak out against it. If you have some sort of issue with that, then... well, you have issues, because people do that kind of thing on a daily basis.