Do we need a Political Science forum?

[SuperGreg]

Without mentioning names, these political threads are starting to get out of hand. The entire tone of our lounge has changed. We would not be the first message forum to start a Political Science Forum. This has obviously been an issue on other sites as well.

What I'm looking for is a simple "yes" or "no" to opening up a new Political Science Forum. If this new forum were to be established, then any politcal posts made in our Lounge would be moved to this new forum.

Your vote is appreciated!

[tijanaw]

I'd rather not have have one but if these political debates can't stop, please spare us the pain and create a forum for it.

[vinuneuro]

I think it would be against what this board stands for to prohibit such threads. I don't see anything wrong in containing/quarantining such threads in another forum.

[fln8tive]

Excellent question--perhaps the protocol should be that personal attacks be prohibited in all cases. Giving politics it's own boxing ring might cause an escalation...in any event, the rancor mirrors what is going on in our country as a whole, so perhaps there is no escaping it.

What if The Lounge was only open to Premium Members? If you are really in need of E53 help or advice, (as I when I came across this place) there is open access to that. If you want to vent or burn your bra in the Lounge, then pay for the right to do so.

edit: Not to be a weenie, I voted... "no", only because I hope for increased civility going forward.

[asawadude]

What about splitting the Lounge into two sections - one for serious topics, the other for light hearted fare? BTW, not everyone has the same definition of serious vs. humerous. There might not be a happy medium.

[motordavid]

Put in a Current Events/PoliSci sub-forum...

It may or, may not become like most CE/PS forums: sometimes interesting, often rancorous, and an occasional pissing contest with flames. Normal, like any discussion in free speech arenas.

None or any of that is easy to monitor or "police", nor should it be, other than TOS as proscribed by Mgmt.

That sub-forum would provide for an arm wrestle arena, but would pare it away from the GenLounge. If one wanted to wander in there and offer an opin, or get into the tussle, one could. If one preferred to avoid even reading it, it would make it easy to pass over.

Easy stuff, imo: offers a place to spout off/put up an idea/offer an opin and defines its boundary and sets it aside, down the hill, under the large rhododendron, not in plain view.
My2Cts...
BR,mD

[SuperGreg]

Originally Posted by asawadude

What about splitting the Lounge into two sections - one for serious topics, the other for light hearted fare? BTW, not everyone has the same definition of serious vs. humerous. There might not be a happy medium.

That's the whole point here, the Lounge isn't "supposed" to be serious to begin with.

[cmyX6go]

Originally Posted by motordavid

Put in a Current Events/PoliSci sub-forum...

It may or, may not become like most CE/PS forums: sometimes interesting, often rancorous, and an occasional pissing contest with flames. Normal, like any discussion in free speech arenas.

None or any of that is easy to monitor or "police", nor should it be, other than TOS as proscribed by Mgmt.

That sub-forum would provide for an arm wrestle arena, but would pare it away from the GenLounge. If one wanted to wander in there and offer an opin, or get into the tussle, one could. If one preferred to avoid even reading it, it would make it easy to pass over.

Easy stuff, imo: offers a place to spout off/put up an idea/offer an opin and defines its boundary and sets it aside, down the hill, under the large rhododendron, not in plain view.
My2Cts...
BR,mD

I'm with Uncle

[SuperGreg]

Originally Posted by motordavid

That sub-forum would provide for an arm wrestle arena, but would pare it away from the GenLounge. If one wanted to wander in there and offer an opin, or get into the tussle, one could. If one preferred to avoid even reading it, it would make it easy to pass over.

My thoughts EXACTLY. Personally, I would never even go there unless someone sent me a "heads up" to a post that violated the TOS.

[ekaz]

I'm with Greg, wouldn't go there unless someone said something. I'm on the fence about the whole thing too, this board wasn't created to make personal attacks about ones opinions/sexual preferences/X5 mods./why the GCSRT8 is better than the X5/etc....
So, creating a forum just to attack others? If it was kept to the topic at hand, that would be fine I guess but if it's just a forum to insult and degrade others, forget it.
Well, that's my .02.

So, my vote is maybe.