Discussion within the US politics thread. Section closed. What to do with 'Current affairs/Politics' forum debate.

[weeksy]

I'm not sure any of you need to bother replying or commenting, but if you want to, i won't stop you.

So, here's where we are

Topic locked for a while so myself and the mods can disucss a few things in more depth after reports.

Edit:
Thread unlocked again.... If i need to step in again... I'll be bringing the ban hammer.

Note, 2 wrongs does not make a right... If someone starts name-calling, that doesn't give you the right to name call back in return.

Well, it does... kinda... but then you'll both be getting warnings and bans

You pays your money, you takes your chances.

If people can't behave, i'll get rid of politics completely, i'll get rid of all subjects related to it, then lets see what happens with YOUR forum.

I can't make it clear enough, i didn't build this forum just for me as a power trip or anything, i built it so we can all be friends, post, discuss. If this forum goes to the wall, i won't be the one to blame, you lot will be.

I'm not sure any more needs saying, but please listen guys. You're making this hard at times for me and the Mods, which isn't what any of us want.

Discuss stuff, disagree with stuff, have opinions, have thoughts.... but please... Have them in the right way.

Insults won't be allowed and both me and the mods have been quite nice about letting things go. But i'll get straight to the point, if you post like children, i'll treat you like children and you'll be on the naughty step.

Trust me here, without the odd person on here, the forum will still survive... But without me, it won't. It's that simple isn't it.

Sure we only have 350 members, so 349 will still work, as will 348...

0 won't though will it

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

Ban all threads on politics and religion - people get too worked up about either, and there's plenty of other forums you can discuss these on.

[weeksy]

Ban all threads on politics and religion - people get too worked up about either, and there's plenty of other forums you can discuss these on.

Can't see that working matey. Things like CV19 etc do affect us all and should be discussed if you ask me.

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

Can't see that working matey. Things like CV19 etc do affect us all and should be discussed if you ask me.

You're probably right, but CV19 shouldn't be a political discussion, it should be a health one, the trouble is some people want to turn everything into a political argument.

Anyway carry on with the moderation as it is - you're doing a good job

[MrLongbeard]

Ban all threads on politics and religion - people get too worked up about either, and there's plenty of other forums you can discuss these on.

Why, it ain't hard to keep a civil tongue in your head.
Although saying that I've made a deliberate effort to avoid politics threads since the move so may be it is.

[weeksy]

After discussions between the mods i'm a little sad to say we've banned a forum member.

they had 35 posts or so and all in the Politics/current affairs section and all arguably a little on the controversial side of posts.

So i asked the Mods and the decision was then taken to ban them.

This isn't a road i wanted to go down.. but circumstances meant i did.

[1913]

Ban all threads on politics and religion - people get too worked up about either, and there's plenty of other forums you can discuss these on.

That's the thread on the next Pope stuffed then.

[Skub]

The forum has to go on,I've invested in stickers,mug,keyring the lot ffs.

[Tricky]

Hmmm..
I've just taken another look in the US politics thread and I'm guessing that either I've missed stuff and some significant posts are no longer there ( it's approx 24hrs since I was last on), or my right and wrong compass is out of calibration, -- last night I saw the post that's quoted at the top of the thread about it being locked and TBH was a bit bemused as I couldn't see the posts that I considered insulting and may have caused it to be locked ( so on reflection, I guess it probably is my compass )

FWIW my view is that the way RTTL is at the moment is pretty good- the politics thread is the way to do it IMO- that and religion is always going to have some heat in any "debate" , and the way RTTL is organized keeps it contained.
My view is that if a few people want to insult each other, then as long as they can do that without it spilling over to other forums or members or escalating to the extent that it puts Weeksy personally or the whole forum in any form of jeopardy, then game on - it's all just part of life's rich tapestry, and dare I say it, some of , if not THE, most entertaining threads on TRC and VD were the ones where people really got stuck in and called each other out properly

Anyway, whtever has happened, am doubting it will affect my enjoyment of RTTL , bikes are the primary reason I'm here, and it has a nice friendly and fun feel to it

[Dodgy69]

I'd just let them crack on, doubt their picking on the innocent.

Who's banned.???

[Skub]

Who's banned.???

Moth. He's a twunt.

[JackyJoll]

The forum has to go on,I've invested in stickers,mug,keyring the lot ffs.

They’ll be worth more if the forum shuts down!

[Skub]

The forum has to go on,I've invested in stickers,mug,keyring the lot ffs.

They’ll be worth more if the forum shuts down!

True.

Ban everyone.

[Horse]

[Dodgy69]

I banned the watching of soap opera's in our house 20 years ago...now we just watch masterchef, bake off and Nigela.

[weeksy]

So here's a quick update.
Once again this place has turned to shit in some sections, despite warnings, despite discussions to tell you not to.

So here's where we are now.

The politics section is closed for a while.

THERE WILL BE NO POLITICAL DISUCSSIONS IN ANY OTHER SECTIONS. None, at all... in the slightest. Any political type post you write while Politics forum is closed will be instantly deleted, without discussion and without question.

I'm not waking up each day to half a dozen reports of people commenting on how either someone is doing something wrong, or indeed that I am doing something wrong as an owner/moderator. That's not happening.

[weeksy]

Sounds like the ones who dont like the political section wins. Cant they just stay the fuck out of there.

Give me a better solution then fella ? I'm all ears.

I've said it many times, this isn't MY forum, it's all of ours. I just happen to have set it up.

Clearly there are people who can't play nice, but as well as that there are people who post ONLY in that section. Are they really bringing anything to the forum ? Other than arguments that is.
We then throw in people doing what can easily be called cyber-bullying. Yes, tell me about it, we're all supposed to be grown ups i know. But certain people run round being picky, bitchy and sniping at others in a chunk of posts and you know what, i've got better things to do with my day than wake up to "private message" "post reported" "post reported" etc... that's not why i set this place up.

So... Give me a solution. As i said with the Biden video posts, i simply cannot just say "OK it's free reign, post what you like" because that's not how the world works. If for example a video like that was proven to be true/fake, then it's not you and the forum who are potenially up for some law action, it's ME... just me and me alone, i'm the one who allowed it to be posted and hosted on the forum... So anyone who comes after people for things like that, they don't go to the user who posted it, but the Forum who allowed it. That works if it's proven true, or indeed if it's proven otherwise.

I've said all along i won't allow name calling, insults, abuse, no matter how brutal or subtle.... It's not happening.

So... As i say... You (and others) give me the solution.

I'm happy to keep the politics/news/current affairs section locked and even completely removed, sure, i've got no issues there at all. If that's what the masses want. I've already told the Mods, "if i post on the political spectrum gets posted, don't ask me, just remove it"
BUT....
In the world currently with CV19, US politics, UK politics, there's a LOT we can and should be discussing. Loads of things that we can and should talk about... So i actually want the section to live... But.. Not if it's making me unhappy.

[Rockburner]

Sounds like the ones who dont like the political section wins. Cant they just stay the fuck out of there.

Give me a better solution then fella ? I'm all ears.

I've said it many times, this isn't MY forum, it's all of ours. I just happen to have set it up.

Clearly there are people who can't play nice, but as well as that there are people who post ONLY in that section. Are they really bringing anything to the forum ? Other than arguments that is.
We then throw in people doing what can easily be called cyber-bullying. Yes, tell me about it, we're all supposed to be grown ups i know. But certain people run round being picky, bitchy and sniping at others in a chunk of posts and you know what, i've got better things to do with my day than wake up to "private message" "post reported" "post reported" etc... that's not why i set this place up.

So... Give me a solution. As i said with the Biden video posts, i simply cannot just say "OK it's free reign, post what you like" because that's not how the world works. If for example a video like that was proven to be true/fake, then it's not you and the forum who are potenially up for some law action, it's ME... just me and me alone, i'm the one who allowed it to be posted and hosted on the forum... So anyone who comes after people for things like that, they don't go to the user who posted it, but the Forum who allowed it. That works if it's proven true, or indeed if it's proven otherwise.

I've said all along i won't allow name calling, insults, abuse, no matter how brutal or subtle.... It's not happening.

So... As i say... You (and others) give me the solution.

I'm happy to keep the politics/news/current affairs section locked and even completely removed, sure, i've got no issues there at all. If that's what the masses want. I've already told the Mods, "if i post on the political spectrum gets posted, don't ask me, just remove it"
BUT....
In the world currently with CV19, US politics, UK politics, there's a LOT we can and should be discussing. Loads of things that we can and should talk about... So i actually want the section to live... But.. Not if it's making me unhappy.

A possibly harsh option: make the 'Politics' forum available only to 'subscribed' users, restrict the posting of videos in there (if possible?), and have a banner across the top of that sub-forum's page saying "Behave or else". Ignore all complaints about posts in there apart from a regular (weekly?) sin-binning of anyone who's been reported, sin-bin lasts a month and covers the entire forum.

[weeksy]

A possibly harsh option: make the 'Politics' forum available only to 'subscribed' users,

That's viable within the software yes. A minor worry is that because they've then had to pay, they feel they have a right to post whatever they like.

restrict the posting of videos in there (if possible?)

That may not be... but there's a lot of options, so possibly.

Ignore all complaints about posts in there apart from a regular (weekly?)

I get a surprising amount of emails/PMs, so filtering through them would take just as much time as ignoring them or actioning them.

[cheb]

I don't know if these are possible:

Don't allow the posts to be searched for, either on the site or by a search engine.
Posts automatically deleted after a set period. Two weeks maybe.


I like the political type threads, they give me an alternative viewpoint and sometimes change my viewpoint and I'd be sad to see that part of the forum disappear.