For Those That Are Interested in Discussion

[MMC]

Yes.....I will have All of them for Admin (if) wants them.

[Dagny]

Good ideas in here. I'm glad most of us are trying. Another possibility - some kind of conservative zone, another for the liberals, and then an area in the middle where those who are looking for opposing viewpoints can play. I'm beginning to think not everyone wants to hear the other side.

Don't you already have that?

Honestly....there's no reason everyone couldn't join in the same discussions.

Many aren't really reading what's written. Especially in what is arguably the most heated discussion on the internet....Zimmerman/Martin.

Those of us who are happy to see the case get publicity, with the hopes of an awful law being disallowed as an excuse to murder an innocent, have been gang attacked.

Go read the exact verbiage in that thread. There was nothing there to suggest the regulars here are interested in discussing anything in an intelligent manner.

Separating the forum further? Don't you already have Dem/Rep areas?

Honestly...the fate of your board lies in the hands of the members. Nobody has control over who chooses to participate.

And adding strict moderation will do no good, and is certainly not desireable.

Frankly, overthinking the issues that arise on EVERY message board, isn't going to change those issues.

I guess it's human nature. Things will work out. You'll either grow your community, or it'll revert back to a small group of like minded members.

Either way will be fine for the group, I'm sure.

[Mister D]

Three related things come to mind:

• Attack the issues / points of view hard, but not the people, their intelligence or their perceived affiliations
• Resist the temptation to argue the "other side's" position ("Your problem is you think/feel, etc. . .")
• Avoid argument by label. Neither Conservatives nor Liberals think, act, do anything all the same. Argument by label is lazy, always obscures and never illuminates

To amplify on Mister D's simple request, this would be my description of being "reasonable."

For the record, by "reasonable" I mean that one's commentary should at least be plausible and factually supported. For example, when we spoke of all the conservatives in BO's cabinet or of a man's guilt before we actually knew he even committed a crime we were not being reasonable. We compound the problem when, after being confronted about our unreasonable comments, we circle the wagons. It's makes this place suck, Dsolo.

[dadakarma]

Don't you already have that?

Honestly....there's no reason everyone couldn't join in the same discussions.

Many aren't really reading what's written. Especially in what is arguably the most heated discussion on the internet....Zimmerman/Martin.

Those of us who are happy to see the case get publicity, with the hopes of an awful law being disallowed as an excuse to murder an innocent, have been gang attacked.

Go read the exact verbiage in that thread. There was nothing there to suggest the regulars here are interested in discussing anything in an intelligent manner.

Separating the forum further? Don't you already have Dem/Rep areas?

Honestly...the fate of your board lies in the hands of the members. Nobody has control over who chooses to participate.

And adding strict moderation will do no good, and is certainly not desireable.

Frankly, overthinking the issues that arise on EVERY message board, isn't going to change those issues.

I guess it's human nature. Things will work out. You'll either grow your community, or it'll revert back to a small group of like minded members.

Either way will be fine for the group, I'm sure.

Or HOW they participate. This is written medium. Everyone WRITES their opinions, sourced facts, etc. And all styles differ.

[Mister D]

The Zimmerman threads became "heated" because several of our new members cannot debate the issue rationally. That's it.

[dadakarma]

Don't you already have that?

Honestly....there's no reason everyone couldn't join in the same discussions.

Many aren't really reading what's written. Especially in what is arguably the most heated discussion on the internet....Zimmerman/Martin.

Those of us who are happy to see the case get publicity, with the hopes of an awful law being disallowed as an excuse to murder an innocent, have been gang attacked.

Go read the exact verbiage in that thread. There was nothing there to suggest the regulars here are interested in discussing anything in an intelligent manner.

Separating the forum further? Don't you already have Dem/Rep areas?

Honestly...the fate of your board lies in the hands of the members. Nobody has control over who chooses to participate.

And adding strict moderation will do no good, and is certainly not desireable.

Frankly, overthinking the issues that arise on EVERY message board, isn't going to change those issues.

I guess it's human nature. Things will work out. You'll either grow your community, or it'll revert back to a small group of like minded members.

Either way will be fine for the group, I'm sure.

Agreed. For instance, wanting an arrest, an investigation and due process isn't a "lynch mob".

[ramone]

Or HOW they participate. This is written medium. Everyone WRITES their opinions, sourced facts, etc. And all styles differ.

Facts don't differ. Facts are facts, either you prove your position or suck it up and say you were wrong. Opinion is an entirely different story, everybody has an opinion.

[Mister D]

Agreed. For instance, wanting an arrest, an investigation and due process isn't a "lynch mob".

You had already decided upon his guilt, dada. Don't lie now.

[Conley]

Don't you already have that?

Honestly....there's no reason everyone couldn't join in the same discussions.

Many aren't really reading what's written. Especially in what is arguably the most heated discussion on the internet....Zimmerman/Martin.

Those of us who are happy to see the case get publicity, with the hopes of an awful law being disallowed as an excuse to murder an innocent, have been gang attacked.

Go read the exact verbiage in that thread. There was nothing there to suggest the regulars here are interested in discussing anything in an intelligent manner.

Separating the forum further? Don't you already have Dem/Rep areas?

Honestly...the fate of your board lies in the hands of the members. Nobody has control over who chooses to participate.

And adding strict moderation will do no good, and is certainly not desireable.

Frankly, overthinking the issues that arise on EVERY message board, isn't going to change those issues.

I guess it's human nature. Things will work out. You'll either grow your community, or it'll revert back to a small group of like minded members.

Either way will be fine for the group, I'm sure.

Yes, you've made it very clear how you feel about this forum and its potential, or rather the lack of it.

It's easy to sit back and criticize everything, but much more difficult to find a solution.

[Mister D]

Thank God they brought a man with them. He's the only one you can reason with.