Discussion: The "Let's Talk Politics" Forum Has Been Removed

[dirt]

I am glad it's gone. The MMBA image just went up a notch.

+1 more
I stopped participating for the most part a couple of years ago pretty much due to the reason sited for the end of the forum. I came by for a look every now and then and found that nothing had changed. pretty much every issue quickly lost any reasoned discussion if it had any to begin with. There are plenty of places for those interested in spirited debate to find it. I'm glad to see this site loose this sub forum.

A lot of people have told me in person that that is why they quit coming to the forums. They were tired of being treated like crap for having a differing opinion. I know I was starting to feel the same way.

Hopefully, those people will come back, because quite a few of them were nice to have around.

That's what everyone figured. When conservatives could not prevail with their minds and their arguments were reduced to rubble they lowered themselves to victim mode and appealed to moderators to "Make the bad thing go away Mommy". Now everyone in the forum was a "bully", what crap. C'est la vie, that's life.

- The complaints came from across the spectrum. And, most were more about the lack of civility, and that fact that to crap spread across all of the forums.

- Much like THIS. Political discussions are DONE. Quit trying to keep dragging it into EVERY post you make.

[Tom L.]

Don't you people think you take yourselves a bit too seriously? Whatever, if there was incivility going on it wasn't coming from me. This is a familiar modus operandi. I can't count how many times Dennis or Scotty or myself were accused of being "hateful" when it couldn't have further from the truth. Well except for Scotty once in awhile.

The following is a warning which has been issued to you by an administrator or moderator of this site.

We said no political crap on the board, and here you are trotting out "conservatives blah blah blah". Knock it off.

[dirt]

Don't you people think you take yourselves a bit too seriously? Whatever, if there was incivility going on it wasn't coming from me. This is a familiar modus operandi. I can't count how many times Dennis or Scotty or myself were accused of being "hateful" when it couldn't have further from the truth. Well except for Scotty once in awhile.

The following is a warning which has been issued to you by an administrator or moderator of this site.

We said no political crap on the board, and here you are trotting out "conservatives blah blah blah". Knock it off.

This has nothing to do with left, right or wrong. Non-cycling related political content is no longer allowed on the forums. Period.

[blamp28]

Many online forums simply ban those users that repeatedly violate the standards they set. It's probably a bit more work at first but it usually boils down to a few folks that cannot let go of adolescence and play like grown ups. Oddly, this is not age related. The rules in the Politics forum were far more liberal as far as argumentative discussion but it is necessarily different in the more general forums. This change is a breath of fresh air to the MMBA site IMHO. It's easy to find fights on the Internet if that's what you want. My hope is that any folks that may find themselves addicted to the atmosphere of the former fight club/politics forum will find the fortitude to to seek out a new venue for that portion of their "contribution" and keep to cycling specific topics here.

[c0nsumer]

Many online forums simply ban those users that repeatedly violate the standards they set. It's probably a bit more work at first but it usually boils down to a few folks that cannot let go of adolescence and play like grown ups. Oddly, this is not age related. The rules in the Politics forum were far more liberal as far as argumentative discussion but it is necessarily different in the more general forums. This change is a breath of fresh air to the MMBA site IMHO. It's easy to find fights on the Internet if that's what you want. My hope is that any folks that may find themselves addicted to the atmosphere of the former fight club/politics forum will find the fortitude to to seek out a new venue for that portion of their "contribution" and keep to cycling specific topics here.

For what it's worth, we're actively revising the listed rules and we're also having little difficulty issuing bans when people are out of hand.

[blamp28]

Many online forums simply ban those users that repeatedly violate the standards they set. It's probably a bit more work at first but it usually boils down to a few folks that cannot let go of adolescence and play like grown ups. Oddly, this is not age related. The rules in the Politics forum were far more liberal as far as argumentative discussion but it is necessarily different in the more general forums. This change is a breath of fresh air to the MMBA site IMHO. It's easy to find fights on the Internet if that's what you want. My hope is that any folks that may find themselves addicted to the atmosphere of the former fight club/politics forum will find the fortitude to to seek out a new venue for that portion of their "contribution" and keep to cycling specific topics here.

For what it's worth, we're actively revising the listed rules and we're also having little difficulty issuing bans when people are out of hand.

I'm not surprised but thanks for your efforts. Speaking as a former junkie to the politics forum, I'm sure I made comments there that would not be welcome in the general forums. I'm glad I pulled away from it some time ago and applaud you efforts. When it becomes more about the fight than the topic - - It's jumped the shark.

[scat silvurz]

And, to add to that.......While I've never suffered a "PM" or email due to the Politico Forum, I've heard that the moderators would get emailed and PM'd from Politico Forum users crying like babies as to how redassed and cheek chapped they'd become from other forum users...

When you cry like a baby, sometimes Mama! takes away your toys.....

Lesson for the future~! - if you want to play in the sandbox, don't *beep* in it.....

[Schwinn_Fanatic]

I actually find this whole topic interesting, based on some history:

1) Before the political forum was created, all of those political topics were in the basement.
2) The basement got so politically overun and ugly as a result, that we decided to make a "politics only" forum.
3) There was resistance to making a politics only forum because people didn't see the need. We made the political forum anyway.
4) After a few years of a politics only forum, it once again got so ugly that the whole politics section was removed.

...very interesting.

[ibisman]

[Edited by a moderator: Knock off the political crap.]

[craig]

I never understood political debates...

In the history of the world, no one has successfully convinced another person that their view is better than anyone else's. Politics, like religion, is very personal, so people view opposing opinions as a personal attack. The debate is pointless. Keep your views to yourself because no one really cares what you think.

[c0nsumer]

I never understood political debates...

In the history of the world, no one has successfully convinced another person that their view is better than anyone else's. Politics, like religion, is very personal, so people view opposing opinions as a personal attack. The debate is pointless. Keep your views to yourself because no one really cares what you think.

I agree with you, but think that there's a small segment of people (as evidenced in the old political section) that really enjoy the arguing and debating and trying to make a point. Normally I'd be fine with that, but this was getting out of hand and becoming rote, full of personal attacks, and was spreading to other parts of the forum. It had no place on a mountain biking advocacy forum.

[scat silvurz]

I never understood political debates...no one really cares what you think.

Self-fulfilling prophecy, I suppose..........

[Scotty]

In the history of the world, no one has successfully convinced another person that their view is better than anyone else's.

Well, THAT'S obviously not true. Or slavery would still be legal, women wouldnt' be able to vote and we'd all worship the gods of Rome.

[wingzz]

In the history of the world, no one has successfully convinced another person that their view is better than anyone else's.

Well, THAT'S obviously not true. Or slavery would still be legal, women wouldnt' be able to vote and we'd all worship the gods of Rome.

What, since when did we stop worshiping Zeus???

[scat silvurz]

or the Lord of the Mound, CROM!!