Ask the Moderators

[tomstone]

Lol, I was just freaking out that the Forums looked so empty. I am anxious to see how its gonna be when you guys are done.

[Falcon Horus]

I hate to break it to you fella's... but I'm prediciting a further decline in activity with the closure of a few particular threads.

I hope this won't bite you in the butts.

[Bagpuss]

We'll just have to see what happens.

[Falcon Horus]

We'll just have to see what happens.

That's what I'm afraid of...

You just cut me off from a whole lot of people. Thanks for that.

[Bagpuss]

I think you'll find yourself able to converse with most people without any need to get antsy or sweary at each other over hot-button RL topics.
If you want to discuss those topics in pm or e-mail with each other,or via other places,that's your (generalised your) prerogative.

To all: Plenty forums and sites out there specialise in Current Affairs/religion/politics.Plenty others banned those incendiary topics years ago.

All Darren's done is revise policy based on what he/we recieved in feedback and could see with his own eyes.

See his Notice and thread for details.

[Falcon Horus]

I'm not interested in "other" forums or what "other" forums have done. This place is my home, has been my home for years. These people are my friends (even if we bit each other's heads off).

That is all...

[Bagpuss]

My post wasn't just made for your benefit,and no offence was intended,I can assure you.

Offering options was my aim,as the rules apply everywhere ,including the social groups,and profile visitor messages - because they aren't private in any way.

[Annoyed]

To all: Plenty forums and sites out there specialise in Current Affairs/religion/politics.Plenty others banned those incendiary topics years ago.

Most, in fact all boards I've encountered are heavily moderated, with a bias towards the left.

You can't have a discussion in that environment. If you've read any of my content, you know how well I'll do in such a place.

That was the value of this place; unless you went off on personal attack/rants against other members here, and even if some do but the target doesn't want them censored, moderation here has been non-existent in those topics. Personal attacks aside, everyone got their viewpoint out.
That was very valuable to me.

[SoulReaver]

hey folx you're missing the big picture here
yea a bunch of threads got closed
those all happen to be political (sort of)
but here's the thing there's nothing that explicitly forbids political talk in the first place

[Annoyed]

hey folx you're missing the big picture here
yea a bunch of threads got closed
those all happen to be political (sort of)
but here's the thing there's nothing that explicitly forbids political talk in the first place

Actually, there is now...

Ground Rules: When each member signs up they agree to play nice, according to what we think are some sensible and straight-forward rules meant to govern the conduct of our shared space. Today's changes will affect every part of GateWorld Forum, including the closure of some threads. The forum rules have been revised, with two especially notable changes:

(1) Topics that, at their core, fall under politics or religion are banished. There are plenty of places to take these conversations online, but after years of tolerance we've found that they too often sour this community and spill over into other threads.

This does not, of course, impact discussions of religion and politics as they appear in our favorite genre shows. Religion and politics are a part of life, and are ripe for the social commentary of science fiction. But let's keep those sticky and contested real-world issues off the forum from now on.

Don't get me wrong, I don't support or agree with their decision. And I hope they reconsider for those specific threads.

But there it is in black & white.

[SoulReaver]

Actually, there is now...



Don't get me wrong, I don't support or agree with their decision. And I hope they reconsider for those specific threads.

But there it is in black & white.

Topics that, at their core, fall under politics or religion are banished.

letter of the law man

1) topics not posts

what if topic itself ain't political or religious
eg. in your non-political boneheaded thread if I say trumplings are boneheads (I didn't say it) that's still ontopic since it's no political topic that means OK

2) they gotta be political at their core. title & OP are important. has to be clearly & explicitly political/religious so the bonehead thread doesn't fall under that

any topic that indirectly connects to politics doesn't either (and what doesn't connect to politics?)
eg. imagine a non-political non-religious thread titled "do you believe in free will?" I can reply "I do that's why I oppose the US's current Big Government policies" which is OK

[Bagpuss]

That's enough rhetoric and whimsy,Soul.Splitting hairs is pointless,and not the topic of this thread.

Don't derail/rerail any topics,threads,groups, etc anywhere round the site just to circumvent the rules.

If the Dept of Boneheadedness thread or any other ends up closed down due to derailment,swearing,circumvention of the profanity filter or we see the other behaviour that forced us to end the other threads - you'll only have yourself/yourselves to blame.

Over and out for now.

[SoulReaver]

[Annoyed]

That's enough rhetoric and whimsy,Soul.Splitting hairs is pointless,and not the topic of this thread.

Don't derail/rerail any topics,threads,groups, etc anywhere round the site just to circumvent the rules.

If the Dept of Boneheadedness thread or any other ends up closed down due to derailment,swearing,circumvention of the profanity filter or we see the other behaviour that forced us to end the other threads - you'll only have yourself/yourselves to blame.

Over and out for now.

I would hope that take action against any individual posters who try end runs around the rules rather than closing threads.

[Darren]

Well we're certainly hoping that regulars will embrace the "spirit of the law," rather than toeing around the letter. Those who start testing the line to see where they can get away with crossing it will quickly find themselves on moderation.

As always, of course, mods are the final arbiters of what the rules mean and where the line is.