Serious Discussion and DebatesThis forum is for talk on news and current affairs, politics, religion and science. Please make sure you read the rules here, as touchy subjects require stricter moderation.
View Poll Results: Should the SDF forum be an anything goes forum?
yes, with the minimal limitations set by the admins.
6
20.00%
yes, but with some rules to follow.
3
10.00%
no, the SDF needs strict rules, the same as the main forum.
8
26.67%
No, but the SDF needs less rules than the main forum.
2
6.67%
Get rid of the Serious Discussion and Debate forum!!
Location: On a Misty Mountain overlooking Strawberry Fields.
Posts: 3,601
Re: Serious Discussions and Debate forum!
My 1/2 cent... I'm for free speech--period. There is too much bull shit in the world. But, then again, this Jack Nicholson quote describes the mentality of the masses pretty well...A free speech thread/forum could get ugly! You can't speak freely in this sorry ass country because everyone is such a god damned brainwashed Pavlovian dog. If you say the wrong thing, you'll get burned at the stake like a ****ing witch in Colonial Salem, MA.
Hell, I'd just like to type **** (normally) without a slap on my wrist like I'm a little kid.
FINALLY, a thread where I can be honest and not get an infraction or anything, since you want opinions.
To be honest, this forum in general was much better before it became a kindergarten where we can't swear and have heated debates. Most people here are adults, I think we can handle dropping the f-word once in a while without offending anyone. This place to too 'nice' and people (k, well, I) get infractions for silly little things.
I understand that the admins want this place to be positive but humans are humans, you can't expect us to be happy go lucky 24/7. I'm sure I annoy people here and people here annoy me. It's like a family here. I don't think too many people hate each other but brothers and sisters fight once in a while and that is how I see this place. Debates are ALWAYS going to get heated because it's people with different opinions coming together and getting into a verbal battle. I honestly think it is ridiculous that we have the rules that we have here. It's a debate and you expect people to play nice? I can understand if someone was just posting YOU'RE A STUPID RETARDED IDIOT each and every single time but if people get into a debate and flame a little, while adding a good argument, I don't see a problem. I think it was Lynch and CN who got into it a while back and it was very interesting to read.
To sum it up, debates WILL get heated and it's very easy to get to that point so I say let us run wild and follow the no threats, no porn, illegal stuff rules but let the rest go.
If you don't want the younger folks to be involved because of what some of us older folks might say, put an age limit on this section so they can't see it, if possible, though I think the youngest member here is about 12 or 13 and I highly doubt he doesn't swear. Every 13 year old swears. It's 2010.
Also, no one is forcing anyone to click in this section so if people can't handle being called names and such on the net, they really shouldn't be on the net in the first place. We have a section in another forum that has 3 rules, one of them being that if you can't handle being flamed, you will be removed from the section. It's the net, don't take it seriously.
...though I think the youngest member here is about 12 or 13 and I highly doubt he doesn't swear. Every 13 year old swears. It's 2010.
I'll let you in on something that's not exactly a secret. Every seven year old swore like a little bugger as soon as he was out of earshot of his parents back in 1960. And I suspect it's been that way ever since language was first invented.
In fact, what I can't understand are parents who want to protect their kids from bad language. It's as if they've completely forgotten what it was like in the schoolyard when they were kids.
This is exactly what an "anything/everything" goes forum is about, unleashing the freedom of speech.
Absolutely.
I mean there could perhaps be something very much like that, just for 18+ members. But there'd still need to be some rules.
Everyone knows it's not nice to actually make a personal attack.
Talking as a whole (e.g.; "I can't believe people who are like that!") is a little less offensive and though there may be some members of the board who fit under the topic of the debate at hand, nobody's getting their feelings hurt.
Like if someone said, "Vegetarians are stupid hippies that can't think straight because they don't get enough protein" I'd just roll my eyes at it. If someone said, "Lady's stupid 'cause she's a vegetarian" I'd probably still roll my eyes at it but it would still be totally uncalled for and immature for someone to say that.
Honestly, though, there's such a thing as being "too nice" or "too PC".
(Though, like FoxyPage, I was insanely amused by the ridiculous banter that went on between CN and Lynch - though I love them both and they're both nice to have around, it was just hilarious because they'd go on forever, and then the mods would come in and lay the locks down once it got too personal.)
Staying on-topic should be a general requirement. Or just not straying too far away from it.
For instance if the thread is about how much you hate broccoli, it shouldn't turn into a discussion about the existence of unicorns by page 2, or why toe socks are to blame for poor circulation by page 3.
There is a way to speak your mind with little drawbacks without being a total douchebag. That's all I'm trying to say.
It is impossible to age verify people on the internet. So saying a forum (or any website) for that matter is strictly 18+ is a false sense of security.
The F-bomb will always be filtered on this forum, that isn't going to change.
A "no holds barred" forum WILL invite douchebaggery. It's a fact. Not saying ~everyone~ will, but it's going to happen.
Damn.
Well, I guess. Maybe there are just some people who can't debate rather than argue like they've barely made it out of high school. Or just some people who can't speak their mind tactfully.
There's a time and a place for a little playing around (false douchebaggery, of course - just being facetious and whatnot) but sometimes even that can be misconstrued.
FINALLY, a thread where I can be honest and not get an infraction or anything, since you want opinions.
To be honest, this forum in general was much better before it became a kindergarten where we can't swear and have heated debates. Most people here are adults, I think we can handle dropping the f-word once in a while without offending anyone. This place to too 'nice' and people (k, well, I) get infractions for silly little things.
I understand that the admins want this place to be positive but humans are humans, you can't expect us to be happy go lucky 24/7. I'm sure I annoy people here and people here annoy me. It's like a family here. I don't think too many people hate each other but brothers and sisters fight once in a while and that is how I see this place. Debates are ALWAYS going to get heated because it's people with different opinions coming together and getting into a verbal battle. I honestly think it is ridiculous that we have the rules that we have here. It's a debate and you expect people to play nice? I can understand if someone was just posting YOU'RE A STUPID RETARDED IDIOT each and every single time but if people get into a debate and flame a little, while adding a good argument, I don't see a problem. I think it was Lynch and CN who got into it a while back and it was very interesting to read.
To sum it up, debates WILL get heated and it's very easy to get to that point so I say let us run wild and follow the no threats, no porn, illegal stuff rules but let the rest go.
If you don't want the younger folks to be involved because of what some of us older folks might say, put an age limit on this section so they can't see it, if possible, though I think the youngest member here is about 12 or 13 and I highly doubt he doesn't swear. Every 13 year old swears. It's 2010.
Also, no one is forcing anyone to click in this section so if people can't handle being called names and such on the net, they really shouldn't be on the net in the first place. We have a section in another forum that has 3 rules, one of them being that if you can't handle being flamed, you will be removed from the section. It's the net, don't take it seriously.
Foxy,
I am sorry you feel that you are visiting a Kindergarten when you come to this forum. A kindergarten has way more rules than this forum
It is impossible to age verify people on the internet. So saying a forum (or any website) for that matter is strictly 18+ is a false sense of security.
The F-bomb will always be filtered on this forum, that isn't going to change.
I dont care if it is filtered but getting an infraction for it is stupid since it's already filtered, anyways.
....and, yeah, you kinda missed my point. I was making a point that it is childish here and that people here are treated like little kids. Adults will swear once in a while. People will get heated in debates. It's a given. No one should be punished for it, unless their entire post is just one big flame without any sort of legit argument. I am not saying that YES, WE SHOULD ALL GO AHEAD AND FLAME BECAUSE WE CAN!!! I am just saying that if people throw out a fame or two during a heated debate, it should just be let go.
It is impossible to age verify people on the internet. So saying a forum (or any website) for that matter is strictly 18+ is a false sense of security.
The F-bomb will always be filtered on this forum, that isn't going to change.
That's true. Maybe an "enter at your own risk" type of thing, instead?
Kind of like when there's a thread that might evoke some differentiating opinions, and sometimes there's others who don't really leave the thread if it doesn't interest them (in other words, just instigators). You know?
Re: Serious Discussions and Debate forum! 
Re: Serious Discussions and Debate forum! 
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