liveaboard

Banning politics would not be good for the forum in my opinion; despite the dissent and acrimony that people can't seem to let go of.

It is a total pain when thread after thread turns into a insult marathon rehashing the same arguments again and again; You said your piece, I said mine, why can't we leave it at that?

But trying to formulate rules and then burden the mods with enforcing them like Chinese police would lead to the death of discussion.

I post on a couple of specialist technical forums where politics is banned; it's ok there because the main discussion subjects are very narrow. Over here on BE, we trade opinions and experiences on a wider scale.

It's up to us, the users, to find our own restraint. You don't have to have the last word [last post], it doesn't mean you've won the argument.

I also have passionate political views. I have stated them and will state them again in future.
Let's just try to avoid bickering uselessly; not because it's bad or wrong, simply because it's BORING.
Think of the readers of a thread, do they really want to wade through it all again? They drop off and leave instead. I know I do.

As users of a forum, we're writers to all readers. if we don't keep it interesting it will die.

mikelincs

Because politics in all it's forms can be very divisive BE started the 'Take it Outside' part of the forum in the 'General' section, discussion do get a bit heated, but it's one forum where people can get away with more divisive comments and threads, more is allowed in there and people visiting are warned that discussions can get a bit heated.

mfesharne

Most people discuss most subjects politely & often wit even when the subject is divisive but it's always the same handful of people that resort to childish name calling & personal insults etc when they can't win the debate any other way & the existing rules already forbid that.

mikelincs

True, but a little more leeway is allowed in 'Take it Outside' but out and out personal attacks and name calling is still banned, and, I suspect, more people have been banned from BE, either for a short while or even a permanent ban due to posts in the 'General' section.

Knoxy_UK

"Take it outside"

That's why I thought the PT zone could have its own thread for pub discussions. People looking up things don't need to read this area, but if they want to exclaim that;
We can discuss the pros and cons of the theory in here rather than in the thread where it isn't relevant.

Interesting that no one has supported the idea that personal insults are acceptable. Let's hope they now cease.

GeniB

The term 'saloon' would imply that this is a strictly male space. The word describes bars or places to drink alcohol in olden days .. In a wider more American sense it could mean 'large room or meeting hall' but isn't really a British expressions.

Which one did you mean Knoxy?

I don't think there is any restriction on the Portugal site for starting any sort of discussion is there? I've banged on about couriers , almost by myself. Very enjoyable.

Stick it up there and I'm sure we will discuss it with our usual Portuguese Site decorum!!lol

Knoxy_UK

Was gonna suggest "The Honky Tonk Bar Association"


I'm certainly not suggesting things can't have their own thread if someone want them too, but it's when those threads get closed due to diversive posts. It's to keep the threads on track, and have a place where the "last word peeps" can keep posting.

Next peeps will complain about others who smoke in the bar

GeniB

wouldn't those make cool emoticons.. A smoking cigar, twang of a guitar string, a smoking gun!!!(maybe not the last one.)

Maybe you should have a thread suggesting a name for the thread?

As many are retired ex-pats .. How about 'Sunset Boulevard'

Knoxy_UK

How about, "The last cigar"

Oh and those emoticons.... deffo agree. May be add a white cowboy hat and a black cowboy hat (so we know the goodies from the baddies)

EMR

How about Prato Da Dia
Sometimes really interesting, or cheap rubbish .
Appeals to some but not all.

Ingles

You seem to post this idea quite frequently ?

Knoxy_UK

May be it will catch on if it's said enough times.... lol

carvoeiro

he does - its a cheap psychological ploy - currently well used by Trump and may - the idea that there has to be an 'us' and 'them' and by being the first to say it tries to imply that he is the 'us' first and always right and the them - always vaguely defined are the bad guys

another cheap trick he always employs is the constant wriggle technique

ie post anything you like to a topic in the hope someone bites and then wriggle wriggle wriggle the topic around to suit you until you feel self justified
Sadly it usually destroys the topic in the process - to prove this just look at virtually all of the recent topics - stupid or incorrect postings - wriggle wriggle - score a point - annoy everyone - win a vague point - trash the topic

Sadly at the height of her menapause my wife became a master at this - didnt matter what the original topic - just keep saying something different until you win - then forget all of the stupid and irelevent things you already said - because at the end - you won
it always amased me how discussing what to have for lunch - where to live - how hot it is - or almost anything to always come back to something my e@- wife said in a 1 minute meeting 15 years ago
thankfully the menapause ended - so theres always hope

sadly now we are 'them' so mf is self justifying doing anything he wants - apparently when he posts total garbage we all gang up on him - and we are the bad guys
This has been a standard ploy throughout Bre@it

its nice to have a place where we can all post what we think - good idea Kno@y
btw a certain letter on my keyboard is stuck - hence @ as is the ne@t letter - s@ebra

EMR

One man's troll is the majority who disagree with him.
It's a tactic you can also find on other forums.
The accusation of troll usually comes from just a few members who find any form of disagreement with their views or debate as a personal insult..

Knoxy_UK

Interesting theory Carv

Although if you read it again, you'll notice you too are using the us and him tactic. Whilst we all loved Punch n Judy as kids.... you two arguing is not as much fun, unless the Mods are willing to be the Crocodile.

Your x button being broken might be a sign from God to not mention Brexit perhaps 'cut n pasting' an "x" might be a solution to your speech impediment [to cut use the CTRL button plus the x key then to paste use CTRL + V..... that should solve the issue.....]

It seems we're all in agreement that a "smoking room" is a good idea. Once we've agreed the name, we can spend the next 6 months deciding on the colour of the curtains.