Originally Posted by
Ethereal
I think most can agree that there is something wrong with how the forum is operating lately. What most cannot agree on is why this is happening or how to solve it. I will present a few simple proposals that, if implemented, will go a long way in promoting mature, topical, and respectful discussion of politics.
1. Discuss the post, not the poster.
This is a very simple and effective way to keep discussions respectful and topical. You may characterize another poster's argument or opinion however you want. What you cannot do is talk about the poster themselves. For example, if Poster A says, "Trump is an idiot," it would be acceptable for Poster B to respond with "That statement is idiotic." However, it would not be acceptable for Poster B to respond with "No, you're an idiot." In fact, no discussion of the other poster should be allowed, period. The only exceptions to this rule would be in threads that are intended to be a discussion of our personal lives or when another poster introduces their personal life into a thread. For example, if someone starts a thread about their garden or what they had for dinner that night, then clearly it would be acceptable to for other posters to talk about the poster, so long as it was respectful. As another example, if someone introduces their personal information into a political discussion, like, say, their military service, then it would be acceptable for other posters to discuss it, so long as it was respectful and narrowly tailored to the proffered information.
2. Strictly enforce discussions of the thread topic.
Going off topic is a HUGE problem on this forum, second only to incessant personal attacks and grudges. It is ridiculous that a thread topic about US policy in North Korea can suddenly turn into an endless argument over which members is the bigger hypocrite. Granted, there is always going to be some ambiguity as it pertains to what constitutes "topical" posting, but I think most people can agree that personalized bickering is not what most people come to a political forum to read. If the thread is about US policy in North Korea, then posters should be required to discuss - GASP! - US policy in North Korea! Generally speaking, it should be largely at the discretion of the person who started the thread to determine what constitutes "off topic" posting, with the MODS acting as final decision-makers. Obviously, there will be instances where someone feels that their posts are being unfairly labeled as "off topic". However, the solution is exceedingly simple: Just start your own thread and continue the discussion there. This will actually encourage MORE thread creation and therefore more discussion.
Although I have some other thoughts about how to improve the forum, I believe these two proposals are more than adequate to the task of fixing the situation. Naturally, some people will object to them simply because I'm the one making the proposals, but I think if you view them objectively and dispassionately, then you will see that I am right.