Political Forum?

Duke · 09-30-2004, 10:09 PM

My desire is to give you all a web experience like no other. In doing so, I'd like to create a community that offers it's members and guests a place where they can go and voice their opinion regardless of topic.

It is for this reason that I'm offering to set up a political forum. However, I have seen several sites allow this topic to get way out of hand so I'm willing to set it up with the following rules:

- Everyone has an opinion and is free to express it.
- You're views are yours alone and are open for discussion and questioning.
- Under no circumstances will flaming, belittling, insulting, or harassing be tolerated.

I'm extremely open minded to virtually everything. I do have a problem with members turning on each other and will police it to the extreme.

None of this is meant to sound as harsh as it probably does. I'm simply very concerned about keeping this site a positive resource for a diverse population. We are all different people with different viewpoints, none of us deserve to be chastised for it.

tm · 10-01-2004, 12:13 AM

wait until later on in November, seriously.

zman · 10-01-2004, 10:57 PM

yeah that may be a good idea I dont want to get "bashed" for choosing to keep it the way it is. :roll:

Duke · 10-01-2004, 10:59 PM

I just want to cater to as diverse a population as possible and to give everyone who visits here to have a voice.

RandomSkater · 10-02-2004, 12:10 AM

sure...

tm · 10-02-2004, 11:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zman

yeah that may be a good idea I dont want to get "bashed" for choosing to keep it the way it is. :roll:

:wink:

Duke · 10-02-2004, 12:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tm

Quote:

Originally Posted by zman

yeah that may be a good idea I dont want to get "bashed" for choosing to keep it the way it is. :roll:

:wink:

No bashing here. I'm just trying to give members and visitors more reasons to keep coming back. I believe the only way to do this is to offer content for everybody. If you guys don't want it then by all means, speak up. I'm neutral and don't really care either way.

zman · 10-02-2004, 02:51 PM

Duke,

I probably said that wrong, I meant that I would support the idea but after the elections. I am a Bush supporter, I have many reasons for this, the main being that my little sister is in Iraq fighting for us and that the economy is rocking and rolling and I am making very nice amounts of money online. Why try and fix something that works well already.

Anyway, this usually brings up a heated debate and I get hammered for feeling this way. I just wish we could freely have our own opinions and not get looked down on for them. Pre-election political debates in forums tend to get very hot whether they are meant to or not. It is a fact of life that there will always be someone who does not respect our freedom to choose.

Just MHO :wink:

Duke · 10-02-2004, 02:56 PM

Very much appreciated zman, I just read the posts wrong I guess.

I am fully aware of how these political discussions turn into debates. I've seen it on several forums and it makes my skin crawl. Suffice to say that should a political topic be created here, it will be under heavy moderation. Heated debates will not be tolerated. I fully agree that we all have an opinion and feel passionate about our views but it is no reason for member bashing.

zman · 10-02-2004, 05:13 PM

very well said.

On that note, a political forum will definatly get some excellent discussion started, as long as it is heavily moderated, and judging by your post count on both your forum and mine, I would say I feel very safe having a political forum. :wink:

Duke · 10-03-2004, 12:57 AM

Looks like a favorible response to have the topic in the forums but I'll wait for some more votes before I make a decision.

I also don't have a problem waiting till after the election to create the forum if it will make the transition a little easier.

tm · 10-03-2004, 01:08 AM

it will just be cooled off more after the election. and the ;-) was because i did not disagree with certain parts of his post. hehehe

Duke · 10-03-2004, 01:19 AM

I didn't take it personally buds, just trying to understand the answers.

Merika · 10-03-2004, 11:49 AM

I agree in waiting until after the elections to open up such a thread and only then with strong guidelines and moderation. Anyone who knows me is fully aware I'm a staunch Republican....but I like reading various view points and having a discussion, as opposed to an argument, over them. Some people can do that....and some can't.

I think if someone wants to argue their point....they should join a political based forum. I am a member of a few fine ones. Those are the appropriate arena's for voicing opinions with as much glib as possible.

I agree with Duke that in the wrong spirit...it can blow a forum apart. Seen it happen. Been a part of it. It may be better to just discuss an issue here and there like we did on the 'religious' one or AT THE VERY LEAST have one issue up for everyone to give their two cents on without attacking or belittling or negatively referring to someone elses.

I voted 'yes'.....but you guys know there is always someone down the line who ends up only posting on the political threads causing as much strife and confusion as possible. That's why I think set rules and the moderation of those rules need to apply. RESPECT of other people is a must.

It's up to you, Duke, if you want to put on the 'referee jacket and whistle'.

Duke · 10-03-2004, 03:09 PM

I fully agree with you on the one person preaching their views and calling down other members. It is also a concern of mine in the Religion forum but I'm more concerned with giving people what they want and a bigger reason to come here. If a political forum will do that then all the much better.

The guidelines w