We should have a 'Politics' forum!!!!

On the positive side, a politics forum might make our job a bit easier. Just wade in there once a week, lock all the threads and ban everyone who's posted anything with a * in it.

:evil:

 

I dunno. I think if MAP can handle a dedicated religion forum, a politics forum wouldn't be too much too handle. I don't notice folks commenting on political threads necessarily just being trouble makers either, there has been good debate in political threads. I think the whole [politics] tag idea is the way forward though. If it's necessary it should be clear quite quickly.

MAP is a martial arts forum but it's also a community and political debates take place quite often here. A plethora of sub forums would be a pain in the ass but a politics one in the off topic section? I don't think it's such a terrible idea.

 

As I said earlier I don't think the 'its not martial arts related' is really a valid argue meant. As I said before...............

The books forum says its for all books martial arts or not. In the video games section are you only allowed to talk about street fighter and mortal kobat?? In the movies forum I guess all threads about non-martial arts films are banned then!?!?

Also, the links between religion and martial arts are shaky at best. We all know about the deadly shaolin monks that invented Kung Fu. But a quick look at the religion forum shows that move discussions Christianity or Islam, neither of which make any claim of being related to martial arts to my knowledge. Also most treads there seem to be about prayer, god etc. not loads directly related to MA.

 

Speaking as a politics student/geek I think it'd be best to go to a dedicated politics forum instead of having one here. It will be more of a nightmare to moderate than the religion forum. Not to mention the politics/religion discussions that will start up. Plus the value judgements - do we really want people to start thinking every other member of MAP is a b-**** because they have different views? What about if you find out someone supports the BNP or is a violent anarchist?

Seriously, it's just not worth the hassle. The dedicated ones are better because the mods take up the roles knowing full well what they're getting in to. You can't unleash such stuff on us! Our small brains are liable to explode!

The thing about politics discussions - especially on the internet - is that they rarely stay civil, and they are a playground for knee jerk reactions, and when someone comes along and takes the time to present a good argument with evidence, it gets knocked aside in one swoop simply because someone does not agree.

http://www.politicsforum.co.uk/forum/
http://www.uspoliticsonline.com/
this one looks particularly good - http://www.politicsandcurrentaffairs.co.uk/Forum/

 

Ok so lets go with the politics tag in the off-topic section. Seems like a good compromise and it will also show if there really is any need for a politics sub-forum. By seeing if threads with politics tags get out of hand we should also be able to see how hard it would be, potentially, to police a politics section.

So what do the mods think? Can we expect to see a 'politics' tag anytime soon????

Also I have never actually used any other the tags (tbh this is the first Ive even heard of tags ) so how does it work?

 

Aegis and I discussed it last night - basically the discussion went the same way as most political discussions do in that we agreed to disagree while I fiddle the books to make me look better

Tags are simply putting something like [Politics] in the title of a thread so people can see what the thread is about while at the same time showing us how much demand there is for the topic.

 

So does everyone agree with this plan now!?!?! If you want to talk about anything politics related do it in the off-topic section but make sure you start every politics related thread title with [POLITICS] i.e. [POLITICS] I'm annoyed at MP's expenses

Then we'll see how it goes from there as...

 

NO

People simply CAN NOT behave and act like adults when discussing this topic. Horrible idea. The motorcycle forum I post on had one for our last election...ended in banned members and people leaving the site of their own accord as well.

HORRIBLE HORRIBLE IDEA!!!!!

 

I agree absolutely...there must be political forums somewhere on the net. :woo:

 

Well if your really that against it, here's an idea, you could just not post there! Hey if you really wanted to you could just avoid it all together!! I mean come on, there are plenty of forums on MAP. If you don't like one of them just go hang out at any of the others. It's not like we are proposing getting rid of all other MAP forums and replacing it with 1 politics one.

 

That works two ways though, BigBoss - if you really want a politics forum, you could just go to one. Its not as though they're hard to find through Google.

 

If the powers that be can find people to moderate it (and it will need at least one dedicated topic mod, probably two) then I dont see how much damage a short term trial could do. That is the only way to know how good an idea it is for sure.

 

Yes there are, just like there are plenty of other books, movies, religion, foreign etc. forums on the net, but it doesn't stop us having them hear as well. I am only a member of 2 forums (this one and bodybuilding.com) neither of which I post at on a regular basis. I don't want to have to go through joining another one, getting to know what people are like, what the forum itself is like, again. Even though I am not a regular face around here anymore, I feel comfortable here, like I am sure many other people do. And I don't see why I or anyone else, should have to go through joining and being a member of another forum just to post about something I've read in the paper every once in a while.

Anyway if its cool with the mods and anyone else who thinks a politics forum is a good idea we can start using the tagging system.

 

I agree. But like I said above I'm comfortable here