Please, take a breath.

[bbbamI]

Just look to the disco ball for answers.....

[Rustic23]

I ignore most of the 'Soap Box'. I try to refrain from post there ever, but if I do, I try to comment in a non political way. Sometimes a Soap Box thread can have some insights. Example "How will Bush be judged by history'. If you can weed through the political ranker, there were some thoughtful comments on how history and when history places judgment on a person. For me it is the insulting/condescending post in other sections of the board that I find more objectionable. I expect view points I strongly disagree with in the 'Soap Box', and while personal attacks should not be tolerated, I understand why people are passionate.

I do believe that if you stop the Soap Box, it will spread over to the main board. I am for banning political post. However, I agree with RW that this is not really practical.

[Martha]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 73ss454 Martha, for some that's easy but for some they can't help themselves. Then they get involved and the problems start. Sort of like putting cheese in front of a mouse.

Ha! You quoted me before I deleted what I said and rewrote it. Yes, I understand because sometimes I can't help myself either.

[shiny]

It's a challenge, wanting to participate yet wanting to be able to stay calm. I don't know how the Dalai Lama does it. (Not that I think he is a forum member )

[73ss454]

Quote:

Originally Posted by REWahoo I'm amazed that this thread, which began with an appeal for reason and civility, has degenerated so quickly. Have you no shame?

Off to the soap box with you.

[CuppaJoe]

I will briefly ignore the soap box comments on this thread and veer back to post #1. Over the weekend I carefully read many of the threads, much more thoroughly than I usually do on weekends. One poster gave us his deepest feelings about Father's Day. Several others others made nasty posts that I took as reflections of being down on a major holiday. At least one of them has since returned to normal posts. So I would vote to overlook a lot of recent negative stuff.

BTW, Someone posted that the Thank You thumbs up can be used as ironic or sarcastic thanks. If you received a thumbs up from me, it was sincere!

[Nords]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DRiP Guy Wow. I know I hardly ever poke my head in here any longer, but I always think of you guys as the core -- I'd hate to hear of long term posters leaving, but I also know that you have to moderate firmly and without bias, or you get chaos... Don't lose it guys. Hang in there.

It's OK, Drip, the departing posters are all heading over to Raddr's board...

[yakers]

IIMHO, & if this ever comes to a vote, I would keep the soapbox but mark it XXX/poison and leave a notice that ideas discussed screemed at should not be taken to any other part of the board.

I don't think I have posted to the board and rarely even read it. But 'maybe' its a good outlet. There used to be an uncontrolled shooting area in the nearby national park. The area looked like a blight on the environment but it was an outlet and now that it is closed there is less but more random shooting in the park.

[Marquette]

If you ignore a forum, threads from it don't even show up on the portal page! It's amazing. I have no idea what this soapbox thing is you all are referring to... I ignore travel too, is that where all of this is going down?

[CalTex]

Hi everyone. I've been a lurker for over a year now and probably would have stayed that way. I'll give a proper introduction in the appropriate place, but this thread has prompted me to register and chime in with my two cents.

I've always been impressed by the high quality and general good humor of the discourse here. I too, have noticed the wheels coming off in the last few days. I don't want this group falling apart before I even get started! After Dex resigned, I took my first (and probably last) look at the Soap Box. I saw a side of many posters that surprised me and it gave a whole new (unpleasant) flavor to the forum.

Bottom Line: this forum is something special, there are many other places to vent political steam. I'm with Brewer - loose the Soap Box.

[Notmuchlonger]

Best function ever. Ignore thread

[donheff]

I think the soap box has reduced the political element in other forums. I agree with REWhahoo that you can't separate politics entirely from ER topics. But it seems like the worst of the rants are confined to the Soap Box.

[brewer12345]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Martha Otherwise, if we remove the soapbox then I think we would need to say no more political posts unless they directly relate to ER or at least R.

Fine with me. I put soap box on ignore last night, so we will see if that makes things better.

I think the soap box was a bad idea from the get go. If you set up a nuclear waste dump next to your house, you should not be surprised when the dog grows three extra tails and the cockroaches get to 8 feet long.

[REWahoo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by brewer12345 Fine with me. I put soap box on ignore last night, so we will see if that makes things better.

Good. I think you'll find the much reduced noise level a pleasant experience.

Quote:

Originally Posted by brewer12345 If you set up a nuclear waste dump next to your house, you should not be surprised when the dog grows three extra tails and the cockroaches get to 8 feet long.

Prior to consolidating in one spot, the nuclear waste was sprinkled through every room in the house. Not only were dogs and cockroaches mutating, but so were the wife and kids!

[HFWR]

Quote:

Originally Posted by REWahoo I'm amazed that this thread, which began with an appeal for reason and civility, has degenerated so quickly. Have you no shame?

You have to ask?

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

I understand the mixed reaction to the Soapbox/Headline forum. I've gotten many more thank-you's on that than I have complaints. Mostly for the reasons in Retire@40s analogy of fly paper.

Two observations: many get inflamed by it but refuse to ignore it. That's a choice.

Second, because it was intended to carve out a big chunk of posts that most didn't want to read, I think the mods got a little lax in letting things go too far in some of those threads, partly because the thread was "safely" tucked away in that forum. Erred on the side of allowing too much stuff in violation of the board rules.

So I'd lean toward keeping the soap box, advising those who don't like it to ignore it, and having us mods apply the same rules and the same threshholds to Soapbox as we do to other forums.

I'm also OK simply not allowing political threads, but don't think its practical, and it makes mods really seem like even worse authoritatian censors than we already are .

[Kronk]

Quote:

Originally Posted by donheff I think the soap box has reduced the political element in other forums. I agree with REWhahoo that you can't separate politics entirely from ER topics. But it seems like the worst of the rants are confined to the Soap Box.

I agree. Putting the Soap Box on Ignore has proven to me to be much better than the board was prior to the creation of the Soap Box. It gives an outlet for posts that would otherwise find their way into things I actually want to read about.

[Brat]

My old lady gut is telling me that people who pay attention to the financial world are under a lot of stress and getting testy. I don't think there is a perfect solution but maybe, sometimes, a poster should be told the internet equivalent of "Take a deep breath, close your eyes for five minutes, then take a 30 minute walk to consider the blessings in your life. Now you can see how unimportant that other idiot is and ignore the SOB." Others can construct the message with more tact and finesse than I.

My $0.02.

[Walt34]

I'll admit to being somewhat puzzled at how upset some can be at what is posted on this or any other forum. It' just typewritten words for Pete's sake! Remember the old New Yorker cartoon:

"On the Internet nobody knows you're a dog."

I think the Soapbox serves a purpose and agree with donheff - it draws the "worst" of it to a place where those who it bothers can ignore.

But then, I'm used to an environment where people sometimes threw rocks at me. Not just the rhetorical ones, real ones, so it takes more than words on a screen to annoy me.

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brat My old lady gut is telling me that people who pay attention to the financial world are under a lot of stress and getting testy. I don't think there is a perfect solution but maybe, sometimes, a poster should be told the internet equivalent of "Take a deep breath, close your eyes for five minutes, then take a 30 minute walk to consider the blessings in your life. Now you can see how unimportant that other idiot is and ignore the SOB." Others can construct the message with more tact and finesse than I. My $0.02.

Nice, Brat. Good observations.