Turning over a new leaf in the Soap Box

[REWahoo]

As you know, last spring we opened a new experimental forum to isolate and hopefully reduce the political discussion in other forums on the board.

Now that the election season has passed, we will close the current Soap Box & Headline News forum effective January 1. We will move posting of non-political headline news topics to "Other Topics" and add a new section for "FIRE Related Political Topics." We will also implement new rules (and reiterate some old ones) regarding posting on political subjects:

1. Any political or government/policy related post must be related to the subject of early retirement in more than a tenuous fashion. Posting to debate Sarah Palin's wardrobe, for example, does not meet this test.

2. Be polite. Treat those who disagree with you with respect even as you disagree.

3. Avoid sweeping generalizations and group characterizations (including generalizations regarding ideology and/or political party). Do not put aside collegial posting habits when you enter the newly renovated FIRE Related Political Topics Discussion section.

Thanks for your continued participation and help with a fresh start for the New Year.


REWahoo and the entire Moderator Team

 

[haha]

As you know, last spring we opened a new experimental forum to isolate and hopefully reduce the political discussion in other forums on the board.

Now that the election season has passed, we will close the current Soap Box & Headline News forum effective January 1. We will move posting of non-political headline news topics to "Other Topics" and add a new section for "FIRE Related Political Topics." We will also implement new rules (and reiterate some old ones) regarding posting on political subjects:

1. Any political or government/policy related post must be related to the subject of early retirement in more than a tenuous fashion. Posting to debate Sarah Palin's wardrobe, for example, does not meet this test.

2. Be polite. Treat those who disagree with you with respect even as you disagree.

3. Avoid sweeping generalizations and group characterizations (including generalizations regarding ideology and/or political party). Do not put aside collegial posting habits when you enter the newly renovated FIRE Related Political Topics Discussion section.

Thanks for your continued participation and help with a fresh start for the New Year.


REWahoo and the entire Moderator Team

Ah, this is terrible news! Can't there be some place where we can smack each other around and employ beastly humor like we did in the good old days?

Do I have to go over to Yahoo to insult and be insulted?

A dark day in our history is upon us.

Ha

 

[REWahoo]

Ah, this is terrible news! Can't there be some place where we can smack each other around and employ beastly humor like we did in the good old days?

Do I have to go over to Yahoo to insult and be insulted?

A dark day in our history is upon us.

Ha

Ha, I'm guessing you're complaining because you're going to have to work a little harder to make your insults more veiled and sophisticated. Take heart - it will keep your mind sharper.

 

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

Good move and one that was given long consideration.

There was good and bad generated in the old Soapbox, and unfortunately some of the bad migrated into the more benign forums, souring the tone and raising the anger in ways that didn't do the board much good.

Plenty of political rage forums elsewhere for those who just can't contain themselves.

 

[Frugality_of_Apathy]

Good move and one that was given long consideration.

There was good and bad generated in the old Soapbox, and unfortunately some of the bad migrated into the more benign forums, souring the tone and raising the anger in ways that didn't do the board much good.

Plenty of political rage forums elsewhere for those who just can't contain themselves.

Maybe we just need to have a cool down time between when you last looked at the soapbox and when you are allowed to post somewhere else. Maybe 3 days?

 

[TromboneAl]

Posting to debate Sarah Palin's wardrobe, for example, does not meet this test.

But we can do that in the Other forum or the FIRE and Money forum, right?

 

[REWahoo]

But we can do that in the Other forum or the FIRE and Money forum, right?

As long as it isn't a political debate, sure.

 

[haha]

As long as it isn't a political debate, sure.

Sometimes you guys remind me of the College of Cardinals.

 

[ziggy29]

Sometimes you guys remind me of the College of Cardinals.

No, that's the University of Louisville.

 

[REWahoo]

Sometimes you guys remind me of the College of Cardinals.

You should see my spiffy new red hat!

 

[bssc]

As long as its not the Arizona Cardinals playing Minnesota.

 

[FinanceDude]

As you know, last spring we opened a new experimental forum to isolate and hopefully reduce the political discussion in other forums on the board.

Now that the election season has passed, we will close the current Soap Box & Headline News forum effective January 1. We will move posting of non-political headline news topics to "Other Topics" and add a new section for "FIRE Related Political Topics." We will also implement new rules (and reiterate some old ones) regarding posting on political subjects:

1. Any political or government/policy related post must be related to the subject of early retirement in more than a tenuous fashion. Posting to debate Sarah Palin's wardrobe, for example, does not meet this test.

2. Be polite. Treat those who disagree with you with respect even as you disagree.

3. Avoid sweeping generalizations and group characterizations (including generalizations regarding ideology and/or political party). Do not put aside collegial posting habits when you enter the newly renovated FIRE Related Political Topics Discussion section.

Thanks for your continued participation and help with a fresh start for the New Year.


REWahoo and the entire Moderator Team

Um......ok, so we are admitting the Soapbox was a mistake and moving on, got it.........

 

[W2R]

Sometimes you guys remind me of the College of Cardinals.

That's because when we had to read some of those posts in the Soapbox, you could hear us whispering a muffled "Holy S(*&"!!

 

[W2R]

Um......ok, so we are admitting the Soapbox was a mistake and moving on, got it.........

Mods/Admins never make mistakes. We just, er, seek out new directions.

 

[REWahoo]

Mistake? Heck, no. It was simply an experiment which resulted in an unsatisfactory outcome.

 

[ziggy29]

Mistake? Heck, no. It was simply an experiment which resulted in an unsatisfactory outcome.

But enough about New Coke already.

 

[bssc]

Mistake? Heck, no. It was simply an experiment which resulted in an unsatisfactory outcome.

It took Edison 3000 tries before he found a good filament material for his lightbulb.

 

[W2R]

It took Edison 3000 tries before he found a good filament material for his lightbulb.

Yeah, and he was SMART!! That is, uh, er, I mean...

 

[Frugality_of_Apathy]

It took Edison 3000 tries before he found a good filament material for his lightbulb.

Just a note:
It took the lab Edison managed 3000 tries before he could take credit for the light bulb.

 

[travelover]

Personally, I'm sorry to see the soapbox go, as it was a nice way to contain the bellicose ranting. I'll just continue to use the ignore thread and ignore poster functions. It is only a few bad actors that cause most of the turmoil anyway.

 

[Nords]

Now that the election season has passed, we will close the current Soap Box & Headline News forum effective January 1.

Woo-hoooo!

Heeeyyy, waitaminnit. What about the posters putting up headline news with titles like "OMG this is unbelievablemustreadwhatweretheythinking?!?" Are any of those guys left? I've had the Soapbox on "Ignore" for months... are we going to have a bunch of dreck backflushed into the "Other" forum?

 

[samclem]

While there was some "heat" in the Soapbox, I'm sorry to see it go. We had some good discussions there, and many that remained civil. It did serve to keep the off-RE stuff segregated in an area where those who didn't want to see it could avoid it.

But, I think my viewpoint is in the minority here. Moreover, it's easy for me to snipe since I wasn't a Mod having the keep the peace in that forum. It was surely a thankless job. Thanks to all who helped out (and continue to do so).

Re: Rule one: This seems to scope down the discussion a lot--is that the intent? A quick look at the "Other Topics" as well as the Soapbox would reveal a great number of threads that don't meet this standard, yet were highly productive and didn't turn into a flame war. Here are some sample topics that aren't ER related, are they all no longer welcome on this board?
-- Gov Blago's woes in IL
-- US education policy compared to other industrialized nations
-- US health care policy (not necessarily retiree-related: Should we have single payer? State policies--which are working? )
-- Government energy policies, govt incentives for PV, and alternative energy research (per Rule 1, it appears that discussions of alternative energy sources is okay, but discussions of government policy in this area is not?).

While bare-knuckle politically partisan arguments may not be everyone's cup of tea (and we've had relatively few of them here, with the number decreasing markedly since the election), I'm hoping we don't throw the baby out with the bath water. There's a lot of good-natured banter and genuine info sharing that would be knocked out by a literal interpretation of Rule 1. I'd hate to lose that, but will, of course, yield to the decision of the collective.

 

[Westernskies]

happy new year!

 

[REWahoo]

... are we going to have a bunch of dreck backflushed into the "Other" forum?

I'm hoping we don't throw the baby out with the bath water.

We're attempting to strike a happy medium. Post a photo of a smiling fortune-teller and we'll slap her silly.

 

[bbbamI]

Should this thread be in the Soapbox?