what % of members have turned off the Soap Box entirely?

[unclemick]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HFWR Aside from being too lazy busy to argue incessantly politics, I didn't fall off the turnip truck yesterday. My political views are the result of years of thoughtful study...

Bikini's, guns, and beer - ok so it was a fake photo! I'm a dirty old man.

Vote Democratic and cheer for the Saint's. What??

Thoughtful - I don't need no stinking thoughtful my mind is made up. Those that don't agree are entitled to their wrong opinion. Hell - if possible I'd vote for Edwin even though he's in the Federal Pen and I'm in another State.

Dang Federals!

heh heh heh - So will Brett survive the Jets?

[Alan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Goonie I've visited The Litter Box 'The Soap Box' two or at most three times. I haven't used the 'official' "Ignore Forum" feature (yet), I just ignore it and I don't venture there. I get enough political BS to fulfill my 'Daily Recommended Allowances' at the local coffee shop and via the nightly network news, and I ignore most of that as well.

ditto - I don't have it on ignore but rarely go there

[Gotadimple]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sarah in SC Polls posted in the soapbox are not going to be representative samplings of the posters here. The best and brightest have the soapbox on ignore. As for the rest of us, we are required to read it, despite the total lack of bacon posted therein. <sigh>

So, do you get hazardous duty pay, or just the spiffy t-shirt for monitoring moderating the Soapbox?

-- Rita

[unclemick]

Ok so we know the thread has a huge number of posts - BUT does it have the legs time wise to make to the 9th week of regular season - like you know the election.

I feel it's my Patriotic duty as an American to post a razz or something controversial if it starts to look puny. I think the NFL will be able to pick up the slack after that.

heh heh heh - . Remember - this too shall pass. We don't want to permanently up anybody's blood pressure meds.

[jIMOh]

it is off and I don't miss it (it was on until last week).

I browse by viewing new posts link and it simplifies browing that way.

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FIRE'd@51 ladelfina, from your posts (#1 and #11) on this thread, it seems to me that what you really want to know is how the ER forum breaks down in this election.

I've polled the general community long before the soapbox was formed, principally because there were always complaints that the board was too left or right leaning. I found the breakdown to be pretty much exactly as it is in general america, with no significant weight on one side or the other.

As is typical of when someone feels there is some borg-like conglomeration of opinion or predominance of one type or other, actual testing proves otherwise.

[Leonidas]

It gets pretty ugly in there and I've turned it on and off several times. It's off now and I think I'll keep it that way until the elections are over.

I like you guys, but when I read some of the things that some of you post on political issues, well, it's darn hard to keep liking a few of you. I prefer that we stay friends.

[travelover]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cute fuzzy bunny .......... As is typical of when someone feels there is some borg-like conglomeration of opinion or predominance of one type or other, actual testing proves otherwise.

Oh sure Bunny - just wait until the black helicopters take YOU away!

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Who's to say they didnt already?

Who's to say that I'm not the black helicopters?!?

[travelover]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cute fuzzy bunny Who's to say they didnt already?

Quote:

Who's to say that I'm not the black helicopters?!?

[deserat]

Soap box? :-) Actually, have never gone there, but do appreciate that there is a separate box for that stuff - it's nice to know where one can get soiled if they step in it.

[ERD50]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Want2retire I try to read the Soapbox as much as I can, as part of my Mod duties. Frankly I am not sure why people get their jollies arguing politics, but I am OK with that, as long as they don't violate our Community Rules.

I can understand that. For me, I think I get more out of observing just *how* some people think and make their decisions, rather than *what* they think. It helps me learn how to frame my points so I'm prepared if these thought processes rear their head in a discussion (on anything). So it's less about the politics itself as it is observing some cross section of our society.

Here is a perfect example:

I'll fight for my candidate, he is the guy I trust.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ladypatriot This type of statement is one of the reasons I avoid the Soapbox. I cannot fathom how one can "trust" either <one candidate> or <the other candidate>. Do you personally know either one?

See, it amazes me also that someone could say they 'trust' any candidate. But they do, so whether I agree or understand it or not, it might be something that I want to be aware of. If I'm unwilling to hear and try to understand (or at least acknowledge) other people's POV, I might as well look in the mirror and just agree with myself.

Or ignore it all - nothing wrong with that, it's just not what I'm choosing to do at this time.


BTW, back to the OP, *any* self selected poll is pretty meaningless.


-ERD50

[Sarah in SC]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ERD50 If I'm unwilling to hear and try to understand (or at least acknowledge) other people's POV, I might as well look in the mirror and just agree with myself.

I'm in the agreeing with myself club, but we do sometimes fight over the soap!

[ERD50]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sarah in SC I'm in the agreeing with myself club, but we do sometimes fight over the soap!

Who wins? -ERD50

[Bestwifeever]

I don't think any of the posters in the soap box have changed their already-made-up minds. The POVs of virtually all the posters are quite predictable. It's sometimes fun to read, like going to a debate would be, where the sides are already chosen, but some of the threads are lather, rinse, repeat, repeat, repeat and I skip those.

[ERD50]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bestwifeever I don't think any of the posters in the soap box have changed their already-made-up minds.

You are correct. I am still undecided.

-ERD50

[samclem]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bestwifeever I don't think any of the posters in the soap box have changed their already-made-up minds. The POVs of virtually all the posters are quite predictable. It's sometimes fun to read, like going to a debate would be, where the sides are already chosen, but some of the threads are lather, rinse, repeat, repeat, repeat and I skip those.

That's the darn problem with these here Intrawebs! There's no way to properly escalate, as you do in the real world. In the real world, I might have a polite disagreement with a guy, then maybe we end up using some rough language, soon we're yelling at each other, then somebody shoves somebody, finally someone gets their hand on a tire iron or a bottle and then the thing is settled. Done. With the Intrawebs, it's just shouting and peeing on each other like a bunch of mad hamsters in adjacent cages--nothing ever gets properly settled and we don't make the natural progress inherent in real world disagreements.

But, that's just my opinion.

[brewer12345]

Not only have I ingored the soapbox forum, I have many of its leading compusive crappersposters on ignore.

[clifp]

I like the soapbox, it keeps all of my favorite liberals in one small area.

And for all you think it is nasty in the soapbox, you obviously never spent much time on Usenet, back in the good old days.

I got insult far worse on Usenet and that was in the groups devoted discussing tropical fish! and the PC vs Mac groups well I've seen biker bars at 1 AM on Saturday (oh ok I only once in my life) where people were more polite.

[Nords]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Leonidas I like you guys, but when I read some of the things that some of you post on political issues, well, it's darn hard to keep liking a few of you. I prefer that we stay friends.

The only reason I still read the Soapbox is because of a few posters whose opinions I respect (and sometimes even agree with) and whose posts I enjoy reading.

I wouldn't even have seen this thread if ClifP hadn't happened to post to it just before I refreshed the screen. If the posters on my "Read!" list stopped posting in the Soapbox then I'd put it on "Ignore" right away.

Of course sloshing through the sewage reading the Soapbox has dramatically expanded the size of my "Ignore Poster" list. (32 so far, but, hey, I don't read every post either.) And these activities remind me that it's good to have served my time as moderator.

While I appreciate the logic behind the creation of the Soapbox, I fear that it's just a waystation to the inevitable. People should be able to enjoy this forum for its subject, not for its "anything goes" behavior. If they can't live without a Soapbox forum then they don't belong here. Greaney has a section of his board for "towel-snapping discourse", and Morningstar has an entire "Politics" forum. I think that the Soapbox experiment has run its course and should be sanitized in a biolevel four environment before the contamination gets out of control.

As for polls, I vote in them early and often. Sometimes I even vote in accordance with my beliefs. But if we're voting about the Soapbox, then I believe that it's time to get rid of it.