What improvements would you like to see in this discussion forum?

[Moonbox]

None of it matters if the admin/forum owner doesn’t pay any attention, as is obviously the case.  He may have very good reasons, but we’re wasting our time making suggestions to someone who’s not listening.  

[OftenWrong]

I am not complaining. I made a suggestion and it doesn't require a moderator. It's doubtful there will be a moderator in the near future. We've defunded that position.

The ignore feature is one option, though I don't use it. My ignore button is the down-arrow, pretty simple tech.

My issue is when certain threads appear that I am not interested in keep getting replies, like two posters giving it the good old back-and-forth, it pushes the other topics down the list. Eventually the other topics go off the first page because it has been filled with these (what I consider to be) low quality posts. 

If people want to do the back-and-forth thing and the forum owners doesn't care about that, who am I to complain. 

But since @Greg asked for some new ideas, that's why I made the suggestion. I thinks it would be useful, doesn't harm anyone else and the folks who like to have a good troll session can still carry on doing that.

Win, win.    

Edited June 16, 2023 by OftenWrong

[Greg]

11 hours ago, Moonbox said:

we’re wasting our time making suggestions to someone who’s not listening.

I'm listening, and will attempt to implement suggestions that are workable, and are a good idea.

[Moonbox]

6 hours ago, Contrarian said:

The 2-minute rule to merge posts was implemented as a suggestion which I think improved the board, you also mentioned you gave up on the rules thing because of critique. I think if you want something to happen, you need to Want it, like really, Want it. As an example, I will not give up on these suggestions to improve this platform.

I didn't mention I gave up on the rules because of critique.  I gave up on it because the only person empowered to do anything with/about it paid it no attention, after asking me to write something up, and the conversation wasn't going anywhere.   

36 minutes ago, Greg said:

I'm listening, and will attempt to implement suggestions that are workable, and are a good idea.

You're "listening". 

How are we supposed to know that, or what is workable or a good idea, if there's rarely any feedback on suggestions or discussions?  I'm not trying to grief, but it feels like things are just left hanging here.

[Greg]

I'm genuinely interested in making this place a better forum. But by and large, most of the suggestions are "we need more censorship", "we need more moderation of ideas I don't like", "we need [insert feature] that will solve all the problems I feel are important."

I'm not going to discourage people from making these types suggestions, but I'm also not going to waste time addressing them.

The VAST majority of forum members have no problem with each other, they contribute their arguments/thoughts and often do it with little emotion or abuse.  The troublemakers are the same people, engaging with themselves, engaging in the same troublesome behaviors over and over again.  They're also the same people who continually submit reports accusing each other of being mean, trolling, etc - those reports are largely ignored, because I won't moderate someone because someone's feelings were hurt.

But, back to the point on suggestions...

I've posted a number of suggestions on things I'd like to do in the Steering Committee forum, and while a few people contributed or offered to help, the vast majority choose not to contribute.  That's fine, I'm not upset about that.

I'm perfectly happy to let the forums limp forward, it's doing fine regardless of some members feelings.  It's been here for 23 years, and it's quite possible it'll be here for another 23 years.

[Michael Hardner]

I doubt that the trolls will listen to me, even if you do call me an elder. You do know I'm 17 years old right? ?

[OftenWrong]

No they won't listen to advice. There is a group of them that come here, and I believe that they enjoy and look forward to their daily troll sessions. Well, different strokes for different folks as they say.

IMO, let them do it. Who am I to say they should be banned etc. These are permissive times, and we want to be inclusive towards everybody. I have said this before, as goes this forum so goes the world.

That's why my suggestion, a kind of 'favourite threads' list, allows me to find amd enjoy my content without interfering with anyone else. I would like the ability to choose the content I wish to interact with.

This is not unlike the concept of 'private forums' that was tried earlier.

[OftenWrong]

9 hours ago, Contrarian said:

I've been holding back if you have noticed, not going after people for weeks now, is hard to bite your keyboard and focus on ideas.

While you mention it, yes I have noticed an improvement in your writing style, to the point that I do enjoy reading your posts. Good work, Contrarian.

If more members were like you we wouldn't have the need for moderator.

[Michael Hardner]

1 hour ago, Contrarian said:

⬆️ ℹ️ Fact Check:

The math does not work out, as you celebrated 20 years here on this forum:

https://repolitics.com/forums/topic/44837-happy-anniversary-michael/

?

Sorry, I'm 27.

[Moonbox]

14 hours ago, Greg said:

I've posted a number of suggestions on things I'd like to do in the Steering Committee forum, and while a few people contributed or offered to help, the vast majority choose not to contribute.  That's fine, I'm not upset about that.

Unless you're going to interact with the Steering Committee and take an interest in it yourself, you may as well take it down.  Nobody's empowered to do anything with it and you don't pay any attention or offer feedback on any of the discussions.  It goes months without posts now.  

14 hours ago, Greg said:

I'm perfectly happy to let the forums limp forward, it's doing fine regardless of some members feelings.  It's been here for 23 years, and it's quite possible it'll be here for another 23 years.

This is more to the point, and it at least serves as a concrete answer for where to set our expectations.  

[Michael Hardner]

I would be happy if we just agreed to boot trolls.  

For no reason other than we don't want them.

[OftenWrong]

10 hours ago, Michael Hardner said:

I would be happy if we just agreed to boot trolls.  

For no reason other than we don't want them.

And yet, I saw you giving "ups" (positive reaction) to one of the worst ones in my opinion the other day. They opened their post with two sentences that both contained F bombs. The rest was an ignorant attack. I found it disappointing to see that.

Don't you realize by doing that you are encouraging them to continue posting that kind of garbage? How do you reconcile with that?

Be interesting to know how many posts break the rules on a daily basis. I would say more than half of them. Those people are the most prolific actually. Meanwhile I only post a few per day, and some days none at all. Basically I can't find the good stuff due to volumous pages of drivel.

Remember I said they shouldnt be banned. Just find a way to wish them into the cornfield.

 

[Michael Hardner]

11 hours ago, OftenWrong said:

And yet, I saw you giving "ups" (positive reaction) to one of the worst ones in my opinion the other day. They opened their post with two sentences that both contained F bombs. The rest was an ignorant attack. I found it disappointing to see that.

Don't you realize by doing that you are encouraging them to continue posting that kind of garbage? How do you reconcile with that?

 

Mea culpa.  I confess that I don't always read the entire post.

[Perspektiv]

I definitely feel moderators would help.

However, it would be difficult for them to be here and be objective.

Personal insults, should be banned, no questions asked. You will scare away tons of people with not addressing this. If threads get too heated, they should be locked and a cool down should be implemented.

I do believe civil discourse is possible between most, and if not, its okay to lock things up. Again, if there is a political bias in the punishments being doled out, it will have he adverse effect.

 

[I am Groot]

37 minutes ago, Perspektiv said:

I definitely feel moderators would help.

However, it would be difficult for them to be here and be objective.

Personal insults, should be banned, no questions asked. You will scare away tons of people with not addressing this. If threads get too heated, they should be locked and a cool down should be implemented.

I do believe civil discourse is possible between most, and if not, its okay to lock things up. Again, if there is a political bias in the punishments being doled out, it will have he adverse effect.

 

You don't need to lock down threads. You just need to delete posts that have degenerated to nothing but insults. And if two people are just hurling unimaginative insults at each other tell them to stop, delete their posts and tell them if they keep it up they'll get sent to their rooms.

[OftenWrong]

1 hour ago, Contrarian said:

No, I agree now 100% with the admin, which is to ask elders to step in how come @I am Groot a new man does this more than you elders? @OftenWrong you have some weight please lead to keep the American forum in line? How come @Iceni warrior a good man does not take lead into his ideas?

I agree 100% now with @Greg, lazy folks, you care about this platfom? DO SOME WORK!

@Michael Hardner did it and it worked!

Self policing you say? I could also yell at the clouds, if it helps...

 

[OftenWrong]

14 minutes ago, Contrarian said:

Do it, and I will be behind you.  No queer haha.

Queer also means weird, not necessarily just gay. Which one did I mean?    

[Greg]

On 6/16/2023 at 8:54 PM, OftenWrong said:

That's why my suggestion, a kind of 'favourite threads' list, allows me to find amd enjoy my content without interfering with anyone else. I would like the ability to choose the content I wish to interact with.

 

I'll look into it. 

But one hack would be to create a club, that only contains yourself. Then in the club, post the links to the thread you like most.

But I will look into a plugin that provides a bookmarking feature you describe.

[Greg]

@OftenWrong... I just realized, can't you just use the "Follow" feature to follow those topics/members that you want to enjoy?

In the above screenshot, I followed two topics, and then I visited the Activity section, selected My Activity Streams, and selected Content I Follow.

You can then use the dropdowns to filter the results even more...

Would this not accomplish what you want?

You can even save the newly created activity stream, and make it your default view.

[ExFlyer]

On 6/18/2023 at 4:45 PM, Contrarian said:

No, I agree now 100% with the admin, which is to ask elders to step in how come @I am Groot a new man does this more than you elders? @OftenWrong you have some weight please lead to keep the American forum in line? How come @Iceni warrior a good man does not take lead into his ideas?

I agree 100% now with @Greg, lazy folks, you care about this platfom? DO SOME WORK!

@Michael Hardner did it and it worked!

Makes no sense. You are asking posters to become moderators but not giving them authority. Beat the perpetrators with a powder puff. LOL

 

[ExFlyer]

1 hour ago, Contrarian said:

Was it tried on a daily basis? and at the same frequency? For 1 or 2 elders instead of watching from the sidelines a cheap show, to come in and ask once or twice to cut it out leaving aside their BIAS so the conversation resumes on reasonable grounds? Like really ask, daily? 

However, if no volunteering will be present for it from the elders, then, yes, LOL indeed to the idea. 

It first needs to be tried in full and frequently to judge its effectiveness, no?!

Bottom line is you are asking senior members to be moderators....without authority or consequence?

I have seen someone step in and have seen the response from the perpetrator and it goes on and on and on.

Oh and, what is considered "elder"? Some elders are the perpetrators?

[ExFlyer]

42 minutes ago, Contrarian said:

I read somewhere there will be a system of volunteers coming, no men with sticks, but something might come. 

My friend, don't you think I remember you, when I started the VPN thread idea you came to destroy the idea, so, when is you, a former military member going to do more here than back and forths with some media trolls that start at 10 to 5 and then work overtime? Are you going to contribute? or in order to contribute you need a stick? 

Point? I responded to yours, without dredging up anything.

I disagreed with you and you are holding a grudge?

My previous career has exactly what to do with this?

I contribute a lot but, when besmirched or insulted I fight back. 

In this thread, I made my suggestions.

A stick?? What are you saying or implying?

Not sure what your response is about? Me? My comment?  You don't like what I said?

Edited June 21, 2023 by ExFlyer

[ExFlyer]

1 hour ago, Contrarian said:

1. A grudge? I consider you a good poster. 

2. 100% it has to do with it because men like you should lead by example, men former in service, not engage with trolls that are here because of media interest.

3. When is the last time you did a thread for this forum? 

4. No, what happened the proffesional media interest man in the above threads got the best of you and you are here asking for discipline. He can work daily, you are a retired service man so what are doing not passing some good things to this community and instead focusing on folks that their "career" is politics? 

5. Yes, the above option allows you to pick your own corner, so no need to have moderators, you can chose now based on that activity as to whom you want to see.

Why do you need moderators, meaning men with sticks of discipline? Not too sure what you are talking about.

As I said, If I reply and someone besmirches, insults, calls me names, I respond in kind, as you do (did).

All I was asking was that the existing rules be enforced and applied.

Are the forum rules the stick?? If so, then use them or lose them

[ExFlyer]

10 hours ago, Contrarian said:

Yes, let's focus on practical matters. The bottom line is that it seems no rules are being enforced. The system evolves as mentalities change. Here's how I see it:

a) The Admin operates at the Elon Musk level, welcoming everyone unless they cross a certain line like Fuentes or Ye did. Only then does he intervenes.

b) The Admin works for Uncle Sam, and even in retirement, he keeps tabs on the most extreme individuals, report to whoever.

I'm starting to think option a) is more likely.

FORGET THE HOST OF THE HOUSE. Listen, I have attention to detail very high. I've noticed that you and @Moonbox were among the first to join this forum when the server went up. You're both intelligent posters who seem indifferent to the forum, yet you post here daily without even initiating a single thread.

So, I'm urging you to contribute more, although you're free to disagree, of course. 

Didn't know the server was down.

No enforcement was my complaint and I posted saying so and yes, it seems there is no enforcement.

I just do not agree that "elder" posters be the moderators. And, I asked you what or who you deemed an "elder"poster? Can you imagine a poster like cdnfox being told to mellow out by an "elder"? LOL

I post when I deem something is of interest to me. I do not need to initiate a thread as most topics are already posted by someone else so, I enter in that thread.

I contribute to when I feel I have something to say. Entering an existing thread is contributing. Being the initiate is not a measure of contribution? Or is that your measuring stick?

You seem overly concerned with my posts and participation. Are you insinuating I bow to your standard?

 

Edited June 22, 2023 by ExFlyer

[ExFlyer]

Just now, Contrarian said:

Yes, you are correct, I over overboard here. For what it worth, will try to be a better man in my next interactions. ?

Don't know what happened to you for a while.

You were always a level headed poster and discussions with you were always civil.

Hope you return to your previous person.