VOTE HERE if you want to talk about politics in off topic

I am submitting a poll to gauge people's interest in having political discussions in off topic.

This can be a very slippery slope because often it can degenerate into less than civil behavior and member conflict, but if people want to do it, I don't see why it shouldn't be decided by the users.

 

Look, I am not one that relishes more worthless posts that end in feelings being hurt. I will say that I am more worried when organisations begin dictating the subject matter that is acceptable.

In cases of political discussions gone bad it always comes down to people getting personal. You need to deal strongly with personal attacks vs differences of opinion. After all this country is all about different opinions and our ability to express those opinions.

Rules regarding offensive langauge and personal attacks is very reasonable.

Just my 2c

Mike

 

I think that this would be an ideal topic to go in a new "on topic" forum. which would be dedicated to non subaru discussion, but will be taken seriously.

 

bravo, sir! :biggrin:

 

I haven't ever seen political discussions go well on online forums. some better than others.....but never well. problem is that in an online situation, it's hard to agree to disagree....and it ends up turning into this big fight trying to convince other people to agree. and that just isn't possible.




so, IMO......no

 

+1

 

I say yes. As long as people can be tolerant and understanding of other peoples' views while at the same time presenting an inteligent stance from their side.
Nothing worse than an intolerant and uninteligent poster diluting the thread with crap posts that convolutes the main topic and creates off topic arguments.

 

:+1: but at the same time people get pretty heated over politics. thats why i personally dont like to touch that subject very often. but im all for making new links or on topic threads anything to broaden mnsubaru a little more.

 

I'd say if it even starts to look out of hand, lock it

 

do it. if people are gonna be idiots then close it.

 

I agree with chux, by the same token... if it does go through, separate sub forum (inside off-topic or this on-topic forum), and lock anything that gets out of hand asap. Also, maybe put a post count requirement (similar to nabisco... not everyone's fav place around here, I know) to keep the new folks from seeing the really ugly stuff. Somethin small (50? 25?).

 

I don't see why not, sometimes it's fun to talk about things that don't pertain to the reason why we are all here. If we can't talk politics, perhaps the whole off-topic forum should be dropped.

 

You forgot an option "I don't care either way"

I don't know enough to give an input, but it would be a good way for me to read several sides and points of view of it.

I don't mind if it is allowed or not!!

 

I embrace conflict. Do this.

Nobody has ever been hurt by a forum beat down...egos don't count.

 

Were there rules dicscouraging political discussions in ot previous to this? Couldn't someone start a thread about most anything(outside of the obviously banned stuff)and discuss just about anything in it? That being said a good political discussion never bothered me at all...

 

Maybe we can just have a Political tag that mods or authors can apply to the thread when it gets contentious.

I don't think a thread that becomes political is that bad because if you write something and get flamed you can choose NOT to reply to it and let it die. Or you can stop reading the thread.

But people should not let that thread spill into another thread, or PM crap outside the thread.

 

THESE!!

it is america afterall.. freedom of speech and all that!!!

I say under off topic, seperate tab (or whatever you call it) so it will have its own area

 

I agree 100% with Mike W.

Why shouldn't we be able to express our own personal opinions?

It's just another topic, just like when someone asks what kind of suspension setup they should run, there are many different opinions between many different members.

The members who get all worked up over the whole political topics are more than welcome to stay out of them if they can't take someone else's opinion like an adult. Personal bashings should be dealt with accordingly, but like Mike said above, there is a big difference between personal opinions and personal attacks.

You could create a sub-forum for this particular topic. If people are offended by it, then they can stay out of that particular area.

 

I will see if we can whip up a test forum for the "on-topic" idea.