Should we outlaw any and almost all PP type discussions

[CameronBornAndBred]

So to the "deciders" of whom are considering this, my vote is NO!

Thanks for asking

Well said K68, you're points are why I put my response in italics. The spirit of CTN is based on letting anything be said. I know, however, that the spirit of CTN would be hurt if threads turned into the vocal flamethrowing that made up the PPB. I believe that we as a group tend to avoid that conflict by nature, but as we grow that may not always be the case. Threads that turn mean spirited will be something we need to look out for and discourage..no matter whether you are a mod or not. If we have an even stance against that attitude, there will be less times that we have to deal with it. And for those threads we can make a rational decisions about how to handle them.

[CameronBornAndBred]

And anyone knows, if you go to your neighborhood pub, you're never gonna' bring up politics or religion unless- you've had one too many or, don't ever want to go back again.

Thanks for the points, too. Well reasoned.
My favorite was the "it's pointless" remark, becuase DBR's one argument that has very little rebuttal is "it's pointless". It IS a site about Duke basketball, it's not about which bill was killed by the senate this week. For that reason alone I could see why they would suggest CTN in the draft letter, because at the end of the day this site is more about anything but Duke basketball, or any other Duke sport. I've said it before, Our House will always be bigger than The Stadium. So for Duke fans looking for a different board, CT could be seen as an option. Because of that, this is a good time to discuss it.

[cl15876]

I am going to run for Prez eventually... I have a LOVELY girl who needs an INAUGURATION Dance!!! This is good practice!!!!

[CathyCA]

I am going to run for Prez eventually... I have a LOVELY girl who needs an INAUGURATION Dance!!! This is good practice!!!!

Thank you, sweetie.

[CathyCA]

If the folk who enjoyed the PPB over at DBR want to continue their community, they can go to the bottom of this or any page on crazietalk.net and click a button to find out how to set up their own PPB community.

CTN has always been an extension of the friendships that we made over at DBR on the OTB. We weren't a PPB then, and I don't see us becoming a PPB in the future. Besides, how many of us really want to moderate a PPB?

I'd be interested in knowing: those of you who voted "no" in the poll, how many of you actually posted on the PPB? Are you familiar with the tone over there?

I think the neighborhood pub analogy fits here. I come here to relax and laugh with my friends and to make more friends--not to spar and split hairs with other posters.

[wilson]

I come here to relax and laugh with my friends and to make more friends--not to spar and split hairs with other posters.

Right...that's what grammatical errors are for.

[CathyCA]

I come here to relax and laugh with my friends and to make more friends--not to spar and split hairs with other posters.

Right...that's what grammatical errors are for.

How does one type "touche" in binary?

[Bostondevil]

FWIW, the Begging to Differ website is very political. I started a thread over there just to yank some chains - "I like dessert!" It took 33 posts before somebody made a political comment in the thread. I then came clean that the whole thread was an experiment and that the community did not disappoint.

[TillyGalore]

If the folk who enjoyed the PPB over at DBR want to continue their community, they can go to the bottom of this or any page on crazietalk.net and click a button to find out how to set up their own PPB community.

CTN has always been an extension of the friendships that we made over at DBR on the OTB. We weren't a PPB then, and I don't see us becoming a PPB in the future. Besides, how many of us really want to moderate a PPB?

I'd be interested in knowing: those of you who voted "no" in the poll, how many of you actually posted on the PPB? Are you familiar with the tone over there?

I think the neighborhood pub analogy fits here. I come here to relax and laugh with my friends and to make more friends--not to spar and split hairs with other posters.

I think K68 posted no and explained above.

I'm inclined to say no as well. I have posted on the PPB and am well aware of the tone. Thus I am "inclined" but am not convinced either way.

I can see reasons to have PP type discussions and I can see why we shouldn't. There are topics that I am curious to know how people on this board feel about. I respect the people on this board. But, I am concerned if we grow larger, much larger, how would we moderate things at that point.

One of the downfalls of the PPB, I think Throaty will agree, was that is wasn't heavily moderated. Then when they tried to moderate it, things worked for a while, but then it would spiral back out of control again.

TNT, there may not have been a whole of name calling. But, there were a number of folks whose holier-than-thou attitudes made being there uncomfortable. While I would love it if the rest of the world agreed with me, I realize it doesn't. When I would start a discussion it is because I was trying to get a better handle on why people felt a particular way. Not so I could start an argument or a I'm better than you type discussion, but to truly understand things from another perspective. I got the impression a lot of people didn't want to try to understand why people felt the way they did. They were stuck in their ways, the rest be damned.

[Ima Facultiwyfe]

I just think this board ain't broke so there's no need to fix it. I have a good friend whose philosophy is that you shouldn't make a decision until you have to.
Love, Ima

[wilson]

I have a good friend whose philosophy is that you shouldn't make a decision until you have to.
Love, Ima

And you shouldn't play leapfrog with a unicorn.

[cl15876]

I come here to relax and laugh with my friends and to make more friends--not to spar and split hairs with other posters.

Right...that's what grammatical errors are for.

How does one type "touche" in binary?

01110100 01101111 01110101 01100011 01101000 01100101 00001101 00001010

[cl15876]

I have a good friend whose philosophy is that you shouldn't make a decision until you have to.
Love, Ima

And you shouldn't play leapfrog with a unicorn.

That would INDEED BE PAINFUL!!!!

[bluebeer]

I had been posting on the DBR PPB since the "code" days and I couldn't really say, definitively, that it had gotten that much worse. I seem to recall a few threads from the "code days" involving "Anabasis" that got down right nasty. The "community" may have gotten a good bit larger (having to wait for your approval code put a lot of folks out). Therefore, I'm somewhat confused about the shutdown and why it happened now. I was most confused about the mods periodic complaints about the "lack of civility" (although I just got a, well-deserved, 3-point pop-in-the-kisser). I realize that things could get testy, however, that's gonna' happen when discussing the topics of race, religion and politics et. al. To think otherwise is, IMO, naive. But, the PPB was nothing like some other boards I visit from time-to-time.

I also didn't see the name-calling (other than liberal v. Conservative), that everyone else references so often. I'm not saying it didn't happen but usually the "flame-throwers" didn't last too very long on the PPB, regardless of their political persuasion. Also, some posters tended to get a bit snarky (I plead guilty) but, I also did my very best to stay on topic and add to the discussion whenever I posted.

If there was any real reason to shut it down, it was that it was pointless. You could make the most reasoned argument, backed with supporting evidence out the wazoo, only to have someone post: "...well, I don't believe that" or, "XYZ.com is completely biased" etc. It would seem to me that if the mods had a problem with posters on the DBR it was those type of intellectually dishonest "crap storms" that should have been continually referenced and not "lack of civility".

That being said, I'll miss the PPB. It was a very fun place to discuss politics that was free of a lot of the BS that goes on in other PP-oriented forums. I learned things, even from people with which I didn't agree and, it really forced me to think through my points before finally clicking "Submit".

As for should it happen here-- I don't really see CTN's "Our House" board as a very good medium for PP type discussions. There seems to be a real, if you'll allow me to steal a DBR reference, "neighborhood pub" interaction at work on this board. And anyone knows, if you go to your neighborhood pub, you're never gonna' bring up politics or religion unless- you've had one too many or, don't ever want to go back again.

I don't post much here beyond the beer thread but am a frequent visitor and I think TNT captured my thoughts perfectly..I have wasted a lot of time of late as a frustrated reader/poster on the PPB for all of the reasons identified above. I think I'm actually relieved that they shut it down...I've been coming here to this friendly, laid back spot to "relax"...would be a shame to see the tone of this site shift and I think that becomes difficult to avoid when certain PP topics are introduced..just my 2 cents..

[Lavabe]

I am siding with knights68 on this one, even though my initial reaction is yes. I think some of the issues I raised in my Madagascar thread veered somewhat over to PP territory. Sometimes disasters, wars, and other PP-type subjects affect us in deeply personal ways. I'd hate to see these aspects shut off from discussion.

Besides, the description of the board is "Anything goes, all topics welcome!"

Perhaps we should edit it to read: Almost anything goes, all topics (except soda and politics) welcome! ;)

[colchar]

I am kinda late to this discussion, but for my ...
"Should we outlaw any and almost all Public Policy type discussions"
My answer: NO!
If any type of discussion was outlawed, regardless of the motivations or intent, it is a slippery slope that I do not think anyone would want to attempt if this was thought out to it's natural conclusion.

So let's say (in the wonderful world of theory) PP discussion were verboten and most everyone is ok with it.
Perhaps we will then start going down the same road DBR did and start cherry picking what is or isn't acceptable in topics of discussion, or perhaps how things are disccused.
Who will it be to select future topics or even ways topics are disccused? A select handful of roating mods? Majority rule?

In my opinion once a decision is made to "ban" one thing or one way... it will only be a matter of time before more things will fall to the same such restrictions.

I, in my naive state perhaps, would like to think that we're all 'growd up here, can be civil and well mannered, and share the common goal to make this joint a success!
This would mean we all have to pitch in together and make it work. And yeppers, it may even mean we have to watch out for our fellow posters and those who do not share the same opinions and outlooks as others.

We may not encourage PP discussions, but to "forbid", "ban" or otherwise have it unacceptable in this wonderful world of crazietalk is just something bad waiting to happen.

So to the "deciders" of whom are considering this, my vote is NO!

Thanks for asking

I am also late to this discussion (been on campus all day) and had planned a response similar to this one. But since my thoughts were expressed so well in this post I will refrain from composing my own. All I will say is that one of the things I value most about this place is our freedom to do pretty much as we wish (as opposed to over yonder where we were told what we could or could not discuss) and I think banning those types of topics, or any topics for that matter, is an absolutely terrible idea that can only lead us down the aforementioned slippery slope.

[cl15876]

I am siding with knights68 on this one, even though my initial reaction is yes. I think some of the issues I raised in my Madagascar thread veered somewhat over to PP territory. Sometimes disasters, wars, and other PP-type subjects affect us in deeply personal ways. I'd hate to see these aspects shut off from discussion.

Besides, the description of the board is "Anything goes, all topics welcome!"

Perhaps we should edit it to read: Almost anything goes, all topics (except soda and politics) welcome! ;)

... WAIT...., don't you HIGHLY EDUCATED FOLKS that live in KY-ville have an ALL or NOTHING policy? Kind of like horse shoes? Just saying.....hoooRAAAAA ;)

[DukePA]

I voted "yes" but really don't like the idea of banning anything. I didn't post on the DBR PPB because I cannot stand the idea of arguing with my fellow Blue Devils. We are a large community with many different ideologies. What I really want us to do is avoid the nastiness of the PPB and keep it fun and supportive over here!

All that being said, there is one public policy which we can all agree on:

GTHC! GTH!!! 9F 9F 9F!!!!

[wilson]

I think that, in somewhat typical fashion, we're overthinking this one. The spectrum of opinions in this thread notwithstanding, we're pretty much all on the same page regarding this issue, and I just don't envision there ever being a lot of problems with political(ish) conversation around here.

[colchar]

I have a good friend whose philosophy is that you shouldn't make a decision until you have to.
Love, Ima

And you shouldn't play leapfrog with a unicorn.

Well I guess that depends on what you want to get out of the game...