Staying Away From Political Threads...........

[FinanceDude]

All I can say is..........I'm staying away from them. All they do is raise my blood pressure and stress level, and cause me to post stupidly.........

Life's too short, I'll make my point in the voting booth...........

Carry on...........

 

[travelover]

Amen, there seems to be a flurry of them recently. My New Years resolution is to ignore any thread with Gore, Hillary, Old George, global warming, or fresh milk in the title.

 

[W2R]

I ignore them as well. What can I say; I don't like bickering!

 

[FinanceDude]

Amen, there seems to be a flurry of them recently. My New Years resolution is to ignore any thread with Gore, Hillary, Old George, global warming, or fresh milk in the title.

fresh milk??

 

[W2R]

fresh milk??

Did you miss that one? It was wild!!

 

[REWahoo]

fresh milk??

http://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f27/who-knows-about-milk-30257.html

 

[retire@40]

If this software only had the ability to "hide" the thread topic altogether it would make the political spamming done here by a few clowns less bothersome.

 

[Khan]

If this software only had the ability to "hide" the thread topic altogether it would make the political spamming done here by a few clowns less bothersome.

Yea verily.

 

[SecondCor521]

How about a "politics" forum here, like the health area?

2Cor521

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

If this software only had the ability to "hide" the thread topic altogether it would make the political spamming done here by a few clowns less bothersome.

I'd like the ability to hide posts that want to hide thread topics.

 

[Rustic23]

A political area has been suggested numerous times. You would think the board managers would take the hint.

 

[REWahoo]

As much as I sympathize with those who try to stay away from political discussions (I'm one of you), I'm in the camp that believes setting aside a separate section for political posts is an exercise in futility and may actually make things worse, not better. Here was a recent discussion of the topic: http://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f27/no-politics-29178.html

I think BMJ did a good summary of why it would be a lost cause:

• A political board will encourage that type of posting and spill over into other boards on the same forum. (It spills over already. The 2004 election left bad aftertastes for months.)
• Somebody will respond [to a political topic on a no-politics board]. There are just too many people with too many moods and too many hotbuttons. Somebody will reply. Often a moderator gets in the mix.
• Trying to enforce posting guidelines over and above blatant profanity and spam causes all sorts of problems and disruptions with cries of censorship and claims of a political slant to the forum or to its participants in aggregate.

The main focus of this board is hopelessly woven into the fabric of politics, so I don't see how to draw a line between acceptable and unacceptable political posts.

 

[Rustic23]

So, here is were we seem to be. If we had a 'Political Area' people would start posting and arguing political things in the other areas.

Maybe it's just me, but isn't that what is happening now?

I was not active in the 2004 elections here so I don't have a history to track. However, based on what I have seen several posters put forth already, it is just going to get worse.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Honestly, seems pretty easy to me.

Threads that have an obvious intertwining non partisan political aspect should never be a problem as long as everyone talks the same way you would in a donut shop.

Threads started purely for political discussion that begin "Why [insert candidate] sucks and should be killed for [his/her] sins!" arent good and should be removed. Posts that make partisan and inflammatory political statements in the middle of a thread should be similarly striken.

This is a lot like that pornography thing: you know it when you see it.

 

[REWahoo]

So, here is were we seem to be. If we had a 'Political Area' people would start posting and arguing political things in the other areas.

Maybe it's just me, but isn't that what is happening now?

Yes it is. However...

Today there are a least a few restraints on political comments since basic Community Rules apply regarding personal attacks, etc. If a separate political area was created, would Community Rules still apply? If so, would you (or anyone else) volunteer to moderate that area, when any attempt at moderation would draw calls of censorship and liberal/conservative bias? I know I'm not interested in the job.

On the other hand, if the political area isn't moderated it would almost certainly become a "no holds barred" area where bitter personal disputes unlike anything we've seen proliferate and inevitably spill over to the rest of the forum. And if you think things are bad now...

 

[REWahoo]

Honestly, seems pretty easy to me.

Threads that have an obvious intertwining non partisan political aspect should never be a problem as long as everyone talks the same way you would in a donut shop.

Threads started purely for political discussion that begin "Why [insert candidate] sucks and should be killed for [his/her] sins!" arent good and should be removed. Posts that make partisan and inflammatory political statements in the middle of a thread should be similarly striken.

This is a lot like that pornography thing: you know it when you see it.

Are you volunteering to become the Forum Political Moderator (FOPOMO)?

 

[Martha]

There are a couple of posters that start threads that are clearly political. (That new press secretary should be fired!) Wahoo discusses issues with those kind of posts. However, what about the thread that was about charging people with certain health conditions more for insurance? It has political issues and could easily become inflammatory, though it seems to have sidestepped that problem. This is how most political discussions start. There is an issue that pertains to retirees and it has political aspects. Social security (should I plan for it, but all the money is gone!), taxes (estate taxes, AMT) and health care are examples.

 

[Danny]

I'm ignoring this thread

 

[REWahoo]

I'm ignoring this thread

If I had any sense, I would too..

 

[Martha]

It is worth reading to learn the word FOPOMO. As in "who do you think you are, FOPOMO?"

 

[REWahoo]

As in "who do you think you are, FOPOMO?"

To which the response is either "No" or "Yo"...

 

[Danny]

It is worth reading to learn the word FOPOMO. As in "who do you think you are, FOPOMO?"

If you're talking to me and that starts with the F word - well I'm going to ignore that too.

 

[calmloki]

If you're talking to me and that starts with the F word - well I'm going to ignore that too.

Now Danny - don't get peeved - FOPOMO is maybe a less pergorative term than you think - it's not like "Yo - Fo'Mo" (directed at a Mustang driver).

 

[Rustic23]

How many times have we said to our kids 'Try it ..... you'll like it'

So say there is a Political area. I for one will not go there. So I won't get caught up in the troll rhetoric.

Now lets say the evil, name calling, insulting, cr&p bleeds over to the normal board. Seems that's what the moderators do. If it shows up there now, do they ignore it? If in the middle of the discussion on Health Care, things got political moderators could step in. I personally think there is a difference between 'The Current Republican plan calls for.... which is not workable because.....' and 'Those idiot Republican's and there disgusting moronic leader Bush believe ...... will solve health care'. The first is discussion the second belongs in the Political area.

Now, is there something written that says the Political area has to be moderated? If all know it is not, that it could/will/is not suitable for public consumption, and most folks should not go there, that good enough for me. Also let it be known that a moderator will from time to time drop by and anyone using profanity in their post will be banned for 1 year from the board, or life if you wish.

Might be worth trying for say the next three or four months. That would get us past the primaries. If it does not work, delete it, then you will have a proven history that things will 'spill over' and a political area is not workable.

 

[Danny]

Now Danny - don't get peeved - FOPOMO is maybe a less pergorative term than you think - it's not like "Yo - Fo'Mo" (directed at a Mustang driver).

and who hasn't felt like yelling that to a tang can jockey?