Why the pretense?

[onion]

Question, here.

I've seen it repeated a number of times... that discussions of politics & religion are forebidden here at BITOG. I see quite a bit of political discussion, though, and occasional references to religion. Yet these topics are supposedly off-limits... and people get warnings on occasion when some admin gets a bug up his a$$.

Why the pretense? Why not just set aside a section (or subsection) of the board where all topics are allowed... and let the chips fall where they may? Or better yet... why not restrict politiks & religion solely to "General and off-topic". That seems to be the unspoken and selectively enforced rule, anyway.

 

[MarkC]

Shhh.

 

[JHZR2]

try this... it is a free site. the mods are volunteers and do what they can, when they can. We are not independently wealthy, so cannot expect to devote endless time to this site.

Futher, this was Tony's site, and we are maintaining it to his desires, which are now Helen's desires.

Don't like it? offer to become a mod, and change it. Notify us of the posts and they will addressed quickly... or just lay off.

I hte to say this, because it is a jerk thing to say, but don't like it... don't use the site. You can do something about it, or be quiet. This is a good start, but the better move is to actually alert us when you see something you dislike so we can address it. None of the mods read every post, even if we are taking part in them.

At one point there was a R/S/P offshoot of this site elsewhere...

JMH

 

[Camu Mahubah]

There are plenty of other sites where you can go to argue politics, religion, and global warming. If it were allowed here grudges might get started and good friends who share good knowledge might leave or be taunted for their beliefs. This is a place to talk shop...so talk shop...My wife doesn't allow me to discuss oil topics at the dinner table...so thank Helen and the mods for this place. We all know why we came here in the first place!...OIL...don't you think this subject is slippery enough?...

Onion, we've got a critter thread, a photo section, and a place where I can post pics of my fridge!...What more can you ask for?...We've even got a beer thread that won't die!...HOORAH!...I feel the only thing missing is BITOG Brotherhood Bumper Stickers!

 

[onion]

JHZ- How's about if I don't like it... I ask a question and make a suggestion? Sorry if that rubs you wrong.

I'm not about to report political/religious posts to anybody. These don't bother me. I personally don't discuss these topics *here* because it's been specifically made known that such discussion is unwanted *here*.

What DOES bother me is that this discussion is expressly prohibited... yet lots of regulars (including moderators) engage in political discussion AND have the gall to warn other folks against it (when the discussion takes an unwanted turn??).

 

[oilyriser]

I see threads being locked only when they get nasty. It's pretty liberal most of the time.

 

[GROUCHO MARX]

Pretense, why not I say?

 

[Gary Allan]

Well, we're constantly proving that we'll decay if left to our own sense of restraint. So the R/S/P thing is part of the baseline condition. It's also hard to completely eliminate it from all discussion just due to how some elements are integrated into economics and other aspects of our life. ...soooo..you'll see some "morphing" of some topics into those forbidden zones ...but if everyone is behaving themselves ..not blaming our woes on flawed leaders ...etc..etc...etc ..then it's a little hard to throw away a perfectly healthy and interesting thread for the sake of a civil drift out of bounds. The whole reason R/S/P was prohibited is that discussions get very passionate and heated. Viscous insults ..personal attacks ...comments about your sister's son's best friend's dog ...stuff like that.

 

[Camu Mahubah]

So what are you trying to say Gary?!...that dog is a good dog and his barking has slowed to the occasional howl only on full moon nights!...so don't call the police!...We have even installed a shock collar on my sister!

 

[tom slick]

A couple of years ago the idea of having a R/S/P forum on BITOG was discussed and it was decided that folks are generally not able to restrain themselves and their heated discussions have a tendency to spill over into the rest of the forums. rather then deal with that, the forum owner decided let you find other resources to argue the passionate issues.
I have been on other forums where odd situations were caused by not explicitly forbidding R/S/P in the forum rules. The indifference of the owner and moderators ended up in members leaving.

 

[Shannow]

Mike had a R/S/P (well not so much S) board.

It was pretty OK, and there wasn't really that much spillage back to the BITOG board.

 

[Merkava_4]

Quote:
Viscous insults ..personal attacks ...comments about your sister's son's best friend's dog ...stuff like that.


LOL!!! . . .

 

[Gary Allan]

Quote:
We have even installed a shock collar on my sister!


Hmmm ..could make a great holiday gift for your female of choice. Could add a new dimension to our version of The Marquis De Sade

.

Opps

 

[Kernel Potter]

Originally Posted By: onion
Question, here.

I've seen it repeated a number of times... that discussions of politics & religion are forebidden here at BITOG. I see quite a bit of political discussion, though, and occasional references to religion. Yet these topics are supposedly off-limits... and people get warnings on occasion when some admin gets a bug up his a$$.

Why the pretense? Why not just set aside a section (or subsection) of the board where all topics are allowed... and let the chips fall where they may? Or better yet... why not restrict politiks & religion solely to "General and off-topic". That seems to be the unspoken and selectively enforced rule, anyway.


There's no question this is an alternative right wing web-site. Even if it pretends. Just recently someone mentioned in a thread that "liberalism is a disease". It didn't get locked. Truely sad for the "supposed" policy. It should have(been locked) except this place is an alternative right wing bastion until the moderates and left-leaners have a say. Then it's bye-bye to the positions against, so to speak - of the right-wing, war mongering, anti-minority; that's acceptable here. It's just the free thinkers and the backers of the Constitution that will cause a thread to lock.

 

[moribundman]

I have to agree with Kernel Potter on all points. He knows horse hockey when he smells it and he's not afraid to point out the smell.

 

[Shannow]

What, Sophie's been wandering the minefield again ?

 

[Al]

Originally Posted By: Kernel
this is an alternative right wing web-site. Even if it pretends.

Most technical people are Conservative. That's just the way it is. I have a lot of Engineering friends again mostly conservative (right wing).
I realize I am painting things with a wide brush. But that's my experience.

 

[simple_gifts]

I will have to x2 Mori's comment.

I'm more disappointed in the fact that people who agree to rules cannot follow them without supervision, rather than the quality/timeliness of that supervision. Most are not debatable violations but pretty clear.

 

[Pablo]

Load o' garbage.

Check out my most recently locked thread. Seems to me if you post anything remotely nationalistic, thread locked.

 

[MarkC]

It's not a load. You're fairly safe posting rightie views, creationist views, slamming global warming or liberals, and the thread usually won't get locked until someone contests those views.