cybercoma Posted May 23, 2015 Report Share Posted May 23, 2015 (edited) Lately, there seems to be a consensus among the staff here that a link is required when making a post. I don't think this is constructive. People should be able to make threads to discuss a topic without being required to post a link in the OP. If there are any facts that repliers wants cited, then the OP should provide them. The issue is that I don't think it's necessary to make a post least of all should it be a hard and fast rule that in order to start a thread you should have a link of some sort.Allow me to highlight the important parts of that subsection in the rules to clarify why it doesn't appear to be a requirement. Research Your Post If you are stating a fact, be prepared to back it up with some official sources (websites, links etc). It is also important to structure your post in a way that everyone can understand. That means writing complete sentences and paragraphs with the appropriate grammar. If for some reason, you enjoy writing long confusing sentences and paragraphs riddled with poor grammar and spelling mistakes, your post, and therefore your opinions, will likely be discarded.Therefore, it is in your best interest to make sure that your post includes sufficient sources and contains a well-researched and well-organized argument. "Be prepared to back it up" suggests that it doesn't have to be cited with official sources from the OP, but that a poster should do their research and be prepared to support their arguments when asked. "It is in your best interest" comes immediately after "your opinions, [sic] will likely be discarded." This suggests that the reason you need to research your post is to give your arguments credibility, not to avoid having a moderator lock or delete your posts.It's my opinion that you guys are misinterpreting a "guideline" for posting quality content and having your posts taken seriously as a "rule." Nowhere does it say a link or a source is required, just that members should be prepared to cite official sources to give their opinions credibility. A link to some news article or other website should not be a necessity for starting a thread. Members should, as the guidelines say, "be prepared to back up" their arguments with citations to official sources because it is "in their best interest" if they don't want their "opinions discarded." It shouldn't be a requirement for starting a thread under the threat of having their posts deleted or getting warning points or whatever you guys do. What do others think? Edited May 23, 2015 by cybercoma Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonam Posted May 23, 2015 Report Share Posted May 23, 2015 I tend to agree. While topics related to current events and politics can be greatly helped by including a link to bring readers up to speed, other topics may not need it. For example, if one wants to discuss ideas in ethics, morality, religion, philosophy, etc, one can easily just write a paragraph or several about their own ideas on the subject and wish to engage in discussion with others, without providing a link. The idea that a link is always required implies that original thought on the part of forum members is not welcome, and that they must instead only reference ideas from other sources. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 23, 2015 Report Share Posted May 23, 2015 Agreed here too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WestCoastRunner Posted May 23, 2015 Report Share Posted May 23, 2015 "It is in your best interest" comes immediately after "your opinions, [sic] will likely be discarded." This suggests that the reason you need to research your post is to give your arguments credibility, not to avoid having a moderator lock or delete your posts. I have seen many posts that rant on and on with personal opinions on various topics with absolutely no corroborating links or facts and they were not discarded. If anything, more needs to be done to crackdown on these personal opinion rants. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Guy Posted May 23, 2015 Report Share Posted May 23, 2015 Does anybody know where I could purchase real and novelty passports, id cards, visas etc ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cybercoma Posted May 23, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 23, 2015 I have seen many posts that rant on and on with personal opinions on various topics with absolutely no corroborating links or facts and they were not discarded. If anything, more needs to be done to crackdown on these personal opinion rants. Well, you respond and ask them to support their ideas. If they can't, then you brush them off as raving lunatics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonam Posted May 23, 2015 Report Share Posted May 23, 2015 Does anybody know where I could purchase real and novelty passports, id cards, visas etc ? I'm sure I could find a "link" for you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonam Posted May 23, 2015 Report Share Posted May 23, 2015 Well, you respond and ask them to support their ideas. If they can't, then you brush them off as raving lunatics. Sometimes... but sometimes ideas and arguments are just that, original to the person that posted them (even if similar ideas/arguments could be found elsewhere by searching). If they state any facts as part of their argument, then yes, they should be prepared to back up those facts (if they care enough to do so - in many cases, it's simply not worth the effort). But if the argument is merely one of opinion, or its own chain of logic, etc, then that's all it is and it doesn't really make sense to ask for a cite. Summarily dismissing someone as a "raving lunatic" for simply offering their own opinions and ideas rather than parroting those of someone else seems counterproductive to any kind of reasonable discussion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cybercoma Posted May 23, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 23, 2015 If they state any facts as part of their argument, then yes, they should be prepared to back up those facts I didn't think I would have to explain that this is what I meant. I don't need someone to cite their own opinion, but opinions to be taken seriously need to be support by facts and evidence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Anthony Posted May 24, 2015 Report Share Posted May 24, 2015 If they state any facts as part of their argument, then yes, they should be prepared to back up those factsI didn't think I would have to explain that this is what I meant.Agreed. That is how we moderate this issue. It is clear you perceive otherwise. Could you offer examples? I realize that if we took down a post for this disputable reason, you can not possible refer to is at is is no longer visible. However, if you can recall anything, we will dig it up for discussion. Should links be required when starting threads?No. The jist of your OP is correct. You have the right idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cybercoma Posted May 24, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 24, 2015 If that's the interpretation then there's no problem. If I see something again, I'll point it out. I was getting the vibe that links were a requirement for posting new topics for awhile, so that's why I started the thread. If you're confirming that they're not required as a rule, but are meant more as a guideline for being taken seriously, then the matter is settled for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Hardner Posted June 1, 2015 Report Share Posted June 1, 2015 His opening post is just his own opinion. If an editorial opinion piece in a newspaper doesn't need citations or hyperlinks, why here? It's actually a contentious question, which is part of the reason I didn't stop the thread here: http://www.mapleleafweb.com/forums/topic/24576-feminism-has-destroyed-more-lives-than-its-advanced/page-4#entry1058646 The idea right now is that you should be able to back up facts that you are stating (eg. "Feminism HAS destroyed...) and also that you need to make a good effort to start discussion, even if you're stating opinions. This is all subjective stuff, so I will only pledge to try my best to move the discussion along. Charles Anthony is, I think, still considering a clarification on this also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smallc Posted June 1, 2015 Report Share Posted June 1, 2015 If you're going to make a post and label the valid response off topic, it serves to reason that you were in fact off topic and never should have made the post in the first place. As facilitator, you should know that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Hardner Posted June 2, 2015 Report Share Posted June 2, 2015 Are you talking about the post in the other thread ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Hardner Posted June 2, 2015 Report Share Posted June 2, 2015 To be clear: graphic images aren't allowed on here. They will be removed, and there will be a comment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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