Badmovies.org Forum

What is the point in posting threads on this forum about what are well known to be politically charged topics?
 
We all KNOW where it's going to lead.  :lookingup:

EDIT: I was going to try to make this sound a bit less annoyed, but I didn't.  :smile:

They forbid political threads at this other forum I post because of results such as found here.
Personally I think people should keep their politics and religious beliefs to themselves.

I hate to think Andrew had to come up with a set of Ape Laws when a little common sense would do it.

Again:  :smile:

Politics + common sense = lost cause  :bluesad:

I suggest you take a look at some of the top 5 smited users. Examine their karma and check the reasons of why they've been smited. It's almost always political. I think keeping your political thoughts to yourself is a good thing. It will only degrade your relationship with other users.

I just ignore the political posts.  It's pointless anyway - people state their immovable positions on the issues, and butt heads with each other.  Rinse and repeat.

I have been thinking that we end up with too many political threads.  Sometimes, people are going to discuss politics.  However, we really don't need links to political news stories - and that's also not the intent of the Press Releases and News board.  The focus of that board is news about bad movies.

Not to forget the karma bonus you get when you share same political views  :lookingup:

I'm to the point of just ignoring them.

Politics and religion on this board alway starts off the same.  "Lets talk about this civilly..."  Three pages later, thread locked.  People are just talking to hear themselves talk in most of the threads regarding this.  No one is going to change their ways so whats the point.

That is so true.  :bouncegiggle:

I just stay out of it, it always snowballs.  :hatred:

I've tried to participate in some of these, if they at least start out looking like a free exchange of ideas. These days, I generally don't even look at the majority of them, and if I do happen to join in, I almost always start ignoring new posts very quickly. As soon as it starts popping up constantly under new replies with the same two names over and over, I stop looking at it (except to see if it needs to be locked). I don't know who sticks around after that point. Seems a waste of time for everyone, even the combatants.

I was smited 130 times and I don't even know why! it was before you had to say who or why. since then I've been smited like once and I've never smited anyone for their opinion. I think for people like myself who discuss politics regularly the sort of insanity of it is common but I think others perhaps take stuff a little too personally and yeah, probably this board is not the best place for it in the end.

  For me there are plenty of sites you can visit to argue politics or religion. I like to come here for the bad movie, and occassionally underpants, discussion.

It seems that the few people who repeatedly participate in those threads really enjoy them.  Since the majority of posters seldom comment in them, I assume they either find them mildly annoying or ignore them altogether.

I know the idea has been floated before, but I would be in favor of creating a separate political board to make it easier for those who hate this stuff to avoid it.  I know most of us would like less political talk, but I'm not sure how Andrew could implement that policy.  It would require lots of thread locking and deleting and result in lots of complaints from the folks who like those discussions. 

I enjoy both political and religious discussion.  I try not to take things personally, and very few people here . . . mostly passing stranges like Judge Death - have ever really gotten under my skin.  I will say that my ongoing dialogue with Flick in the "Let's Wax Philosophical . . . " poll thread has been on of the most interesting and civil conversations I've ever had on any subject.

Yes, there are other places to discuss these kind of things . . . but this is the only place I can discuss them with YOU GUYS!  And that is what I love about this place - not the range of topics but the range of personalities! 

But if my choice of topics gives offense, I apologize.

Indy, personally I've never been offended by anything you've said or your topics.

I like the idea of a separate little corner on this board where these kind of discussions can take place. Maybe a subtopic in the off topic board for political and other potentially controversial discussions, similar to the Weird News or Whatever Happened To..? sections. I think they originally came about when those subjects threatened to overpower the off topic board.

That way when the topic is a bit more heated the participants can be told to "getta room!".  :teddyr:

It's obviously up to Andrew and if he wants to monitor (or appoint a monitor for) such a potentially fiery place.

And the answer is . . .

As hot as the discussion on politics and religion gets around here, I am sure we have seen other political and religious discussions on the web, and the ones here, I have found are far more thoughtful, intelligent, and friendly than those others. Which (IMHO) says something about the quality of posters we have on this board.

As for myself, I tend not only not to post at such poltical and religious threads, and those on Trevor's underpants, but to ignore them as well. But, that does not mean that I want to see such a time as we here cannot have thoughtful, meaningful, intelligent, and friendly discussions on politics and religion and Trevor's underpants.

My only concern with that is it may encourage more controversial topics when, if I'm understanding correctly, they're actually discouraged here.  It appears that they almost always end with being locked because it seems that if they weren't the fight or whatever nonsense would continue until it eventually causes someone to leave the board.  I'd hate to lose someone over a fight in one of these topics.  I'd rather lose someone in a fight over whether Godzilla is superior to Gamera.

Fun Fact - I have a Trival Pursuit game with a card that says Gamera is a giant shrimp.

My concern about a political board is that it would suggest that the forum caters or endorses such discussion, and politics has no place in polite discussion.  There is a reason that "politics, religion, and women" were traditionally forbidden subjects when attending a formal Mess Night.  I'm not saying that the idea does not have quite a bit of merit, it's just that I'd quite honestly prefer that we don't have political discussions.  There are plenty of other sites where that is encouraged and people can have fun applying stereotypes to their heart's desire. 

Paquita, I wonder if the Trivial Pursuit game meant Ganime, the crustacean (which I have always thought to be a mutated coconut crab) in "Yog:  Monster from Space."

I hadn't thought of it that way, but it makes sense. If we carve out a niche for controversial topics, we are acknowledging that they have a place here, even if the intention is to make a place for them to be banished. With the status quo, it's something we tolerate within reason, but moving these topics to their own board would amount to a seal of approval.

I think I might go back to what I used to do, and just post endless pictures of dogs when an inflammatory topic comes along. :teddyr:

Andrew's concern is a valid one. I get selectively involved in political discussions, but based on what I've seen lately, it leads too often to hard feelings and bitterness and interferes with what would otherwise be two people who share a common interest in movies. You take two people who have that common interest, and once they get to the point of namecalling, their future conversations on the fun stuff this site is about become strained. That's not a good thing.

I would say no need for change in that regard. People will start such discussions in the Off Topic board, and if these discussions get out of hand then Andrew may make the executive decision to shut it down. The rest of us can use our free-will to either participate in or avoid threads. I mean, I'm all for Off Topic discussion of any type, but what are we really here for?

Ditto.

To sing the praises of Andy Milligan!