Self Policing Militia Summons
 

The problem as I see it:

It is nearly impossible at this point to discuss anything political or current event related without Redux, classicman and TheMercenary squabbling and spamming that thread up with their unending partisan BULLSHIT.

Sorry, to two if you about this, I like you individually, and regret the need for doing this thread this way. I did try to affect change in general terms, but that changed nothing, and you 3 seem unable to stop.

I see 2 possible solutions. (well 3 if you include telling me to stfu and to continue as is)

1. A temporary ban on the three of them for one month if they do not immediately cease hostilities. Follow that with a 'parole period' in which they can redeem themselves.

2. Some type of VB electric dog collar that keeps them out of the main board, and limits them to their own forum where they can wage war upon each other without wrecking the adult's discussion.


I'll probably catch hell for this. (I'm sure spexnemesisxvet will have a divergent opinion) I'm sure I'll be hurting some feelings and pride, and again....sorry. But this is the cellar, and I love it. Considering all that, I think it's worth the short term damage this will cause. My vote is just that. one vote. one opinion. You may disagree. You may have another idea of how to fix what's wrong even if you DO agree with me.


OK... pass me the blindfold.

Yeah, I'm the only one with a divergent opinion around here. :eyebrow:

no, you're just the only one SURE to have an opinion that diverges from mine.

I don't know what the solution is, but I'd lump spex in as part of the problem too. It's the 4 of them. I wish they would all stop posting anything related to current events/politics.

Maybe if all 4 could address the issue instead of one another. Or get a instant messenger then they could sit and insult each other all night and day without the rest of the cellar being bored to tears.

I like the idea of the electronic collar and or the spank ray. I have to agree about the need for things to be done to encourage civility and respectful discussion. The three you mentioned may be the worst offenders, I don't really know, I don't keep track. I have found them at times to be over the top and at other times to be friendly.

Warnings, parole, bans? Maybe this should have been a poll, a jury of their peers?

There is this 'report post' button. It would be interesting to see what happens if everyone began using it.

I agree SN.

This isn't about liking them. I like them well enough but the absence of being able to read an engaging discussion or even participating is nil.

The way I deal with it:
1) I never go in the politics forum.
2) When reviewing new posts in teh Cellar if'n it's in politics I don't open the thread however enticing the topic may seem to me personally.
2) Quite early on I notice when a thread starts to drift towards political and I ignore it (no button, just remember that it's dull) until it goes away.

That being said, I like the idea of a spankray, but only if it's on webcam ;).

I agree with Limey above. Of course, that means that none of the rest of us can have a reasonable political discussion with each other . . . if there even is such a thing.

there used to be. ask griff

I hate the word association thread. I can't ignore it, so might we get rid of it also?

I like the politics and current events forums, in fact they are what brought me here initially, so I don't want to see them go away but I also hate the fact that they have become a virtual wasteland devoid of reason.

I miss the old atmosphere in those forums. The Cellar is ever evolving so I get that it can't stay the same but the fact of the matter is while we used to get heated in our disagreements it generally wasn't a personal shitslinging fest with perpetual cut and paste posts. While I can't think of a single time Happy Monkey (just an example) or I started on the same side of a political discussion I know my own opinions have been influenced by information he has brought to my attention. I don't know that those forums have actually ever caused any of us to shift 180 degrees but we certainly each have our own slant on things that can help others get a more complete picture of the issues. I am quite certain that dana is still a flaming commie pinko, but by discussing political and social issues with someone like me she can at least say she knows not all conservatives eat puppies for breakfast and put the heads of the poor on pikes just for fun.

OK, I may have gotten a little off track there, but I guess what I'm saying is I'm willing to try anything* if it will help bring some civility back to the community and bring more participants back to the politics and current event forums.

*I was surprised to find that at least a couple dwellars see me as one of the problem kids, so if that is the general consensus then I will willingly go along with whatever the community feels is best for, er... the community.

One thread versus any current event subject that ever comes up in multiple forums with the constant arguments carried over to other forum/threads.

Redux has said he doesn't care how this affects the community, Classicman condemns the behavior and then keeps right on doing it.

Sucks.

I was always fond of the Puppy Solution.